As Proco Group operates across 11 offices in 3 different regions, each office has its own vibrant culture and team dynamic. In order to get a sense of the different environments, we caught up with the London office to tell us a bit more about what it’s like to work at Proco London.
What is the reporting structure in the office?
An MD and three Directors support teams who possess a very exact focus on brand, function, location and level of seniority. The teams are designed to overlap, which encourages a high degree of communication regarding client and industry information.
What markets do you cover?
We are proud to be end-to-end supply chain specialists and in London we are fortunate enough to have teams representing all three of our brands; Proco Commodities, Proco Global and Proco Associates – this brings an incredible blend of experience and differing perspectives all under one roof.
What geographic locations do you cover?
This can differ depending on brand, but across all three, we are firmly entrenched in Continental Europe. In fact, only a very small percentage of our services are delivered to clients based in the UK. Focusing on Europe can certainly make it interesting for our team of very well-travelled consultants!
What is the average fee percentage in this area/market?
Again, this can really differ depending on which brand we consider this question for, but on average, our fees tend to sit between 24-26%.
What percentage of deals are retained versus contingent?
We only work contingent mandates if they are left with our business on an exclusive basis. Beyond that, and on average, we are retained by our clients for 45% of the mandates we service. We also assist a high number of our clients on consultancy projects – such as market intelligence, compensation and market mapping reports.
What are the realistic hours expected in the office?
The work-life balance is particularly important here at Proco, with the aim to leave when we finish our contracted hours (8:30am-5:30pm). However, we also have a work-hard play-hard attitude. When completing a project, oftentimes we may work outside of hours to meet with clients and candidates, to ensure that all processes and relationships are thriving and that all stakeholders are happy.
What amenities are close to the office?
We are located within walking distance to such incredible attractions and landmarks. For instance, St. Paul’s Cathedral is a mere 10 minutes walk away from the office, and nearby the cathedral you can find the Millennium Bridge and the River Thames. For foodies, we have the amazing Leather Lane food market on our doorstep, while there are multiple Underground and National Rail Stations very close by, which can whisk you off to other parts of the City and country in no time.
How regularly does the office socialise together?
Like most businesses in the capital, we look towards having a good work-life balance. We love to have a drink and hang out together after work, in the nearby pub to wind down after a long week. When possible, we also have regular events to bond – for instance through regular pub quizzes. Oftentimes, the Brighton, London and Frankfurt offices spend the end-of-quarter celebrations together, alternating between the two UK based cities.
Nationalities of employees in the office:
There is a wide variety of different nationalities within the office, from French, Greek, and Spanish, travelling from across the Atlantic from America, all the way to the other side of the world in New Zealand. The diversity of our business is something that is important to us in order to gain perspectives from every corner of the globe.
How do you support other offices?
We have teams replicating what we do in London, in Asia and The Americas, so it’s natural that internal relationships are critical to our business. Consultants in London can find themselves skyping their international colleagues on a daily basis, whilst also teaming up on a range of recruitment or training based projects. It’s not unusual to see colleagues from much further afield frequenting the London office, and vice versa.
Does your office offer flexible working?
We try to work around the schedules of others, just as much as people would alter their schedules to finish a project or client needs. This can vary from having a day to work from home when needed, in addition to finishing early on a Friday to reward ourselves for the week with a beverage or two at the local pub.
Do you have a local bar/pub that you visit together as an office?
We are swimming in some excellent options but tend frequent The Butcher’s Hook & Cleaver pub, while also venturing out to other nearby pubs and bars like St Bart’s Brewery Smithfield, The Old Red Cow and Smith of Smithfield’s.
What is the average cost of a pint/coffee?
The average cost of a pint in the capital is around £5, and £2.80 for a coffee. Around the area, there are a variety of coffee shops, from the chains like Starbucks and Pret a Manger, but also more independent coffee shops like 21 West and Dose.
When meeting with candidates and clients, we try to meet them face-to-face and outside of the office as much as possible, which is why our location is particularly great for coffee places and cocktail bars to build that relationship over a drink.
There are also so many incredible food places around the Farringdon area, the lunch option possibilities are endless!
Like the sound of working for Proco? We’re hiring! Head over to our careers page for more information: weareprocogroup.com/vacancy/
