Pratap Partnership expand into an exciting new space
Less than a year since joining the Nostell Estate, recruiters Pratap Partnership are on the move. Luckily for us, they’re staying within the Estate, and moving from The Kennels into our Chippendale Suite. It’s an expansion to match the growth that Pratap are enjoying within their company. To learn about more about their good news, we caught up with Nik Pratap, Managing Director.
Why the move, Nik?
We moved to Nostell last year at a time when the market was still unpredictable. We loved the place and the Kennels was perfect for us. We were confident that we would have a good year but our growth has accelerated since then. We certainly didn’t plan to move so quickly after arriving here at the Nostell Estate, but everything has just gone so well. Not only is the business performing well, but we’re attracting talent, and more people want to join us. Furthermore, we’re retaining staff, and people want to stay. As a result, we need more space for our team.
We adore The Kennels, and it will always be part of our history. However, when we discovered a bigger place was available here at Nostell, it was a no brainer. The whole team went over to see the Chippendale Suite, and everyone came back with a thumbs up. I think it took about two minutes to make the decision to move!
What’s driving this fantastic growth at Pratap?
There are really two trends happening at the moment that put us in a good position. Firstly, the job market is in a really good place right now. Just today the headlines report that there are currently 1.2m job vacancies in the UK, and 1.4m unemployed people. That’s a really good backdrop for any recruiter, and most should be doing well.
Secondly, and the reason why I think Pratap Partnership have been particularly well placed to perform strongly, is that employers want a more people-based strategy to hiring. What candidates want from a new role has changed such a lot in the last two years. This isn’t just about home working, flexible working and agile working, although they are all very important. It’s also about social purpose, and we’re finding that many people are moving for ethical reasons. That trend is being driven in part by an increase in the number of millennials in influential positions – ESG is much more important to their generation. Furthermore, they’re also more adventurous, and more likely to move for a challenge if they’re not happy. We recognised these trends quite a while back, and having consulted our clients for some time, we’ve been able to really help them to adapt.
Why did you choose to stay here at Nostell?
Many things about the Nostell Estate really suit us as a business. On a practical level, the location is perfect for our team, who are spread across the region, and this is a central point. More importantly I think, the setting is a perfect antidote to the fact-paced industry we work in. Being surrounded by peaceful green spaces allows our team to relax when they find a moment to themselves. The estate is safe, we have good neighbours and great facilities, which ticks a lot of boxes.
In my view, we should practice what we preach and offer our staff the best work environment possible, just as we advise our clients. With so many businesses unsure about how to balance home and office working, I think the solution is to create an office atmosphere that people really want to come to. When we first moved here, so many clients and candidates of ours noticed, and it’s been a conversation-starter about what it’s like to work here. It’s not surprising that so many of our clients want to come and visit us here. I really don’t think that would be the case in Leeds City Centre or Wakefield.
What are you looking forward to in your new space?
It’ll be a shame to move away from The Kennels, but the fact we’re still close is nice. It’s important to us that we have a bigger space to accommodate our team. The Chippendale Suite is large, with a big vaulted ceiling and oak beams, which will be a lovely environment to work in. Most importantly, the move is going to give us a chance to be all together, which is a great evolution for us. Plus we’ll have a shower – a real ‘must’ given the growing population of runners and outdoor adventurers among the team!