Welcome to the newest series on the PCN blog, the PCNterviews! Here, we invite our very own team members to a discussion about their work life, hobbies, and the PCN culture!
Check out the very first edition of PCNterviews, featuring Morten Laufer – Head of DACH and the one leading the opening of our newest office in Berlin – , as we discuss how recruiting affected his life, what opening a new office is like, and what kind of music he jams to while doing it.
Where are you from?
I was born in Berlin and raised in Hamburg.
How long have you been working at PCN?
Pretty precisely 2 years now.
How did you first hear about PCN? What interested you about the company?
I saw a job ad online and really liked the straight-forward tone of it as well as the chance to build up a dedicated team for the DACH region.
Is there something you learned from recruitment that you can use in other aspects of your life?
According to my girlfriend, I seemingly became a better listener! (laughs)
But from what I can tell is that you start to pick up on signs of e.g. commitment, excitement, frustration and many more so much better.
Tell me about PCN in Berlin. What’s it like headlining the opening of a new office?
Very exciting at first, looking for office spaces, new team members and many other things. And then German bureaucracy catches up with you. No, It sounds trite, but I learned more in the past three months than in the 3 years before.
Why do you think PCN is not like any other recruitment agency?
That’s a great question for our clients I believe (laughs).
I can only speak for us but we try our best to treat our clients the way we would want to be treated, in any cooperation. Responsiveness, regular feedback loops and search overviews, giving market insights to ultimately provide advice on how to attract more talent.
On a more granular level – internally, we are asked to provide less quantitative proof of work (CVs sent, candidate calls etc.) but instead more qualitative deliverables. This means we generally have more freedom to go into depth with our searches and deliver (hopefully!) strictly relevant expertise.
What would you suggest to candidates who are looking for a new opportunity?
To think carefully about what they want from a new job. Since most jobs have its upsides and its downsides it is essential to have an idea of which ones you want to live with.
Tell us your funniest memory of the team / most memorable moment with the team
On a flight to Cape Town one of my dear colleagues sitting next to me decided to watch his first run of ‘The Godfather’. Him being fully immersed in the movie, and the rest of the plane sleeping by now, he cannot stop himself to yell out ‘THEY SHOT HIM’ at one of the movie’s most iconic scenes. I believe some of our fellow passengers still have PTSD from waking-up to this.
What do you work towards in your free time?
My Basketball handles and not killing my plants
What’s your top tip for first-time visitors to Berlin?
A trip along the wall. It might not be pretty but there is just too much learn from Berlin’s history.
Three artists you always have on a loop?
Otis Redding, J.Cole, Milky Chance
Pool or ping pong?
Ping Pong, all day, every day
Interested in our Jobs in DACH? Visit our Jobs page!
Want to book a free consultation? Reach out via marketing@teampcn.com!
