If you’ve ever wondered what those people are called that are typing away during a court proceeding, they’re known as a stenographer. Sometimes, they are also referred to as a court reporter. They are incredibly helpful because the service they provide is helping a court, and all the members of it, jot down and record the proceedings by creating a written report.
WHile courts rewquire them, private attorneys and often businesses will occasionally need need to find qualified stenographers that are able to do the job properly, which means that there is a checklist of qualifications to look for. Here are some of the ways to hire a good stenographer.
Start by Searching Court Reporter Companies
Luckily enough, there are plenty of companies that hire out stenographers or reporters for courts. This makes it incredibly easy to find the best out there as a court reporting company will feature only the most qualified, and the most trusted stenographers available. It’s also a lot easier to negotiate rates or fees, as well as scheduling when a large company is handling the bulk of the heavy lifting. This is the most likely step in finding a good stenographer for the job.
Check References and Reviews
On those company sites, or anywhere else that a stenographer has listed work or availability, you’ll want to check references or reviews. Any job that is skilled labor will have reviews to help you decide on the right contractor. Stenographers are an example of this kind of contractor that can be found with reviews or even references to help bolster their claims of being qualified for the job. It’s important to always read these reviews to see what former clients have said about them, good or bad.
Find a Stenographer That Charges a Reasonable Rate
Stenographers don’t charge an exorbitant amount considering their work, but they’re not cheap. It’s not surprising to find stenographers that range in fees between $20 – $80/hr for their time and effort. It can be a lot or a little, depending on the length of the need. It’s still important to note that hiring a good stenographer is an important part of the process to ensure that the reporting of the court case (or whatever business transcription might be needed) is done effectively and efficiently. This is not something you’d want to mess up by hiring inferior workers, so a reasonable rate can be flexible if they are very experienced and qualified.
Look Into Past Experience
As always, when you’re digging into reviews or references, you should also be looking for their past experience. Depth of cases they’ve worked on, length of court proceedings, serious cases, and a diverse range of cases. The more work they have under their belt, the more likely it is that they will not be nervous or out of their element when working in a high-stress case, or in a case that is less familiar to them. A good stenographer, in short, is ready for any kind of environment inside the courtroom.
View Their Skills and Qualifications
Many of these stenographers, whether working full-time for a company or as a freelancer (another good option to hire) is that they should have a list of their skills and qualifications. Any kind of certificates or previous experiences working in sectors involving their typing, notation, and dictation skills are things that they will want to show off to make themselves look like more qualified and attractive candidates. You can easily view these, as well as looking them up on LinkedIn, to verify and determine if they are the right kind of candidates.
Meet and Vet Potential Candidates
You also have the option to meet up and interview the candidates or do a little more investigating to see how they are. It’s never a bad idea to meet face to face because this adds a more human approach to the entire process where you can finally meet and see them and figure out if they may be the right hire. Picking out a good stenographer means going with your gut sometimes, so getting a good interview process going will help you figure this out.
Stenographers might not be a household name when it comes to professions, but their services are invaluable nonetheless. Finding a good stenographer for a court case is also a hugely important process, so following these tips will help you make the right choice in picking a qualified court reporter. If done properly, you would end up with a stenographer than can get the job done in an efficient and effective manner.
