The earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan is a huge reminder to legal recruiters that disaster preparation is key to insuring the continuity of business during and after a disaster strikes. Below are a few tips on how to prepare you recruiter for any emergency:

1. Find out what types of disasters your area may experience.  In the case of Japan, earthquakes and tsunamis were a real possibility in terms of disaster. But also damage to nuclear energy facilities is posing a threat to businesses. Legal recruiters need to look at not only the actual disaster but also the impact of the disaster on infrastructure. How will you respond if you lose access to transport, electricity or communication?
2. Legal recruiters should next determine how they will respond to a disaster. Some disasters will require that the business relocate temporarily or even permanently as was seen in the case of Katrina and currently in the areas surrounding the damaged nuclear power plant in Japan.  Legal recruiters who work independently should create two plans, one for how they will operate if they remain in the disaster zone and a second which will dictate how they will operate if they need to evacuate. Even if a legal recruiter works in-house, they need to consult with their company to find out what type of disaster continuity plans are in place.
3. Communications is critical when dealing with a disaster.  Legal recruiters should have contingency plans in place if communications go down in their local area. Investment in a hand-crank powered radio is good start so that you can maintain some communication with the outside world.
4. Check with your important vendors and partners to make sure that they have some type of emergency plan in place. Even if you have a “water-tight” contingency plan, it will only be partly effective if your partners and vendors fail to have an effective emergency plan in place.

Visit http://www.ready.gov/business/plan/index.htmlto find out more on preparing your business for emergencies.