Welcome to the new PMR website, as MD it falls on me to kick off our regular blog spot and I want to spend a little time talking about the most important part of the PMR Verto business, our people.

I don’t mean the highly talented and dedicated recruitment teams we have across the group, but the people who are the core of what we do, our site staff.

Throughout the last nine months, whilst many have been able to work from the relative comfort of home, our teams of concierges, cleaners and caretakers have been in workday after day. They have unfailingly ensured that our clients’ blocks are secure, mail and parcels collected and distributed, common parts cleaned and sanitised, and that the increased workload they have been faced with by flats having much higher daily occupancy, has been coped with. There are also the dozens
who we employ on waking watches, keeping residents safe from the threat of fire in blocks with unsafe cladding.

Our industry is very fortunate to have been largely spared the devastation that has been wrecked on many sectors and it is precisely a time like this when we must acknowledge the valuable efforts of these people. They are every bit key workers as many others whom we routinely applaud, in the NHS, the police and our armed forces.

As an industry, we need to also take time to invest in their training and development, something we are trying to build with the launch this year of Verto Training, with our courses accredited by ARMA. Not just that, but we need to work as an industry to attract good people in at all levels, from Concierges and Caretakers to Development and Estate Managers. We should have a great story to tell of an expanding industry, delivering a safe and secure residential environment for residents to live (and increasingly) work in, long term jobs with potential for advancement and security.

I hope that amongst the many lessons we learn from the COVID-19 crisis, is our commitment to value our people more and to unite as an industry to show that working in residential management is a sound career choice.

I can highly recommend PMR for their recruitment services. PMR has shown from the outset a great knowledge of the BTR/PRS sector which was also visible in the apprehension of the role briefs. The quality of candidates submitted by PMR were of a high standard and suited our needs well. PMR deliver a very timely and professional service

PMR are very professional, responsible and attentive. They understand the residential sector well and the time to meet the needs of their clients, whilst maintaining a friendly and positive manner. The industry knowledge and network of employees and candidates make them a valuable contact in the search for experienced and talented people. The PMR Team continue to be a pleasure to work with.

I have found my experience of dealing with the PMR team to be excellent. I had recently briefed the role that I had available to the PMR team. By asking us excellent open questions, together we were able to identify the type of candidate that would best suit the role. Within a few days I had my first selection of CV’s to propose to the client. This led to Zoom interviews that were managed perfectly. The challenge came when the client decided that they wanted to change the job specification, so we had to start again. PMR were totally professional and we were able to send the client new CV’s and set up zoom calls within 10 days. This has led to an excellent outcome and my new start will be joining the company shortly. Thanks to PMR all the pain of recruiting was taken away!

I have worked with PMR for a few years and have always found the team to be extremely professional when assisting in our recruitment process. This was most recently demonstrated during the mobilisation of some new developments I had been involved in. Members of management have also been fundamental in guiding and advising me on my own career path within the property industry. I look forward to continuing to work with all the PMR team throughout the next phase of my career.

I have been working with PMR to fill managerial and front of house positions in our new BTR schemes. PMR have been successful in sourcing high calibre of candidates for us to meet and place into our openings. PMR actively listen to our feedback around candidates and apply this knowledge to help meet our needs.

We have worked with PMR and their sister company Verto for several years now. At the point of the VAT rule clarification, we TUPE’d 90% of our onsite staff to them. They are a safe pair of hands and always go that extra yard for us. As a whole, the team are extremely approachable and have incredible industry knowledge on sites, personnel and key issues affecting property. I would not hesitate to recommend them!

I'm delighted to have been joined by Flexible Office expert Steve Munroe who was happy to share his thoughts on the current and future state of the sector... IT'S NOT ALL DOOM, GLOOM AND COVID!
Flexible offices are often referred to as “the future of the workplace” but the reality is, the future has arrived and we’re all loving it. Change will happen but there are some really exciting times to come. Flexibility is more necessary than ever. Wellbeing is more important than ever. Culture is more difficult to achieve than ever. The right flexible office can be the solution...

Please feel free to comment and share your opinions as I think it's important we create an open forum for discussion during these strange times.