Peter Wallis joined GKR London in February 2019 as a recruitment consultant within our office support team, tasked with the expansion of our marketing division across the property industry. Before joining GKR Peter gained an additional 15 months experience within marketing recruitment supporting small, medium and FTSE 100 organisations across London. Outside of the office he enjoys fishing, going to the gym and rugby as an ex-country player himself. Almost six months into his career with us, we asked him what he’s been up to, his recruitment career and how you might be able to work together.
What is it about the marketing sector that you enjoy most?
The people. In other sectors it can be like drawing blood from a stone. In marketing I love hearing a candidate talk passionately about their portfolio and experience; I find that everyone is very willing to discuss their background in detail and have an engaging conversation with you.
Why did you choose to work for GKR London?
I think the main draw to GKR was having complete ownership of the marketing function. Having to start from scratch and have complete autonomy in how I organize my day greatly appeals to me. Over the last 2 months I’ve exceeded my targets and I’m looking forward to growing the marketing function even further.
What type of candidates and clients do you work with?
I work with candidates from Marketing Assistant level through to Marketing Director level positions and would welcome a conversation with most in the industry. Client wise, we work with a wide range including Property Developers, Property Consultancies through to Property Technology solutions and Estate agents. Mostly my focus is throughout London, but I have worked on a few assignments across the greater home counties e.g. Waltham Abbey and Staines. I’ve had a lot of success with Marketing Managers over the last few months working with Berkeley Group, Fabrica and the Caudwell Collection for instance.
What is your most ‘memorable’ placement and why?
My most memorable placement was probably a Marketing Executive at Clivedale. I had brought the client on from a complete cold call to the Sales Director and managed to source the perfect candidate to step up into the role. I found it incredibly rewarding as the position provided a learning and development platform for the candidate and a pay rise in line with her market value, which previously was being overlooked. She was over the moon with getting the job and has since referred me to as many of her marketing friends as possible.
If you had to offer one bit of advice to your candidates, what would it be?
Communication is key. Please keep me updated with any other roles that you have in the mix and manage my expectations around your preferences and reasoning. That way, our relationship will be much more effective as understanding your biggest motivations is key. Recruitment is a long game and if in the first instance my jobs are unable to compete with another option you have already sourced, I will understand but would love to stay in touch and provide value at another stage in your career or within your new team as a recruitment business partner. Going cold for a couple of days makes us both look unprofessional and could hinder our relationship moving forward. Keep those doors open!
Fast forward 12 months, what is your vision for the marketing division at GKR?
I want to have billed over 150K for the company and ideally expanded the marketing function to 2 or 3 people. There is a lot of momentum in the market and I can only see the number of requirements increasing, so I am excited to be a part of it and lead the way forward as the team grows.
If you are looking for a new role or a new hire within property marketing in any shape or form, get in touch with Peter today. We are currently working a number of exciting opportunities and representing some greatly talented individuals. Get in touch today or refer someone who know to find out more!
