Celebrating 12 Years at PGC
Our General Manager, Sarah has been part of the PGC team for over 12 years. From Seattle, New York, and now Texas, PGC would not be what it is without Sarah. To celebrate the occasion, we sat down with Sarah to reminisce and hear about her story so far.
How did you end up working for PGC?
I started with PGC in 2009. I had just got married and was looking to make a transition out of the hospitality industry where I was general manager of a restaurant for 10 years. I applied and I had an interview with a recruiter, to who I sent a thank you note to the office for her time.
Shortly after one of the employees that I used to work for me at the restaurant reached out and said that the position was working with her. She said she would be really excited for me to be part of the team and invited me in for an interview with Adam and the VP at that time.
What was the business like when you first joined?
The business when I joined was completely different from what it is today. We were based in Seattle and the focus was on E-3 Visa holders. At that point, there were around maybe 200 E-3 Visa holders that worked all across North America. Our responsibility was to make sure that we were payrolling them, but there was a lot more focus on the actual visas and managing some nuances related to that. Now our workforce is completely different. There have been so many compliance changes that have taken place over the past 10 years which has changed the way we do business,
What was the PGC office like when you joined?
It was very different. Our team consisted of approximately seven recruiters, a few in accounting and operations, an attorney and our CEO Adam.
What is the background story of you ending up in New York?
I came to New York in 2010. I had been working with PGC for six months when Adam came arrived at the office after being in New York for a week and told us, “We're moving the company to New York and you have two days to let me know if you would like to join.”
I thought about it for 24 hours and realized it would be an amazing opportunity to live in New York City as I loved the diversity, culture, and restaurants there. The opportunities are endless in New York, everybody's always looking to be better, there's a drive here. So I decided to embrace the opportunity to relocate with the company.
How has your job changed over the years at PGC?
My job has changed so much since I started my career at PGC. I began as an assistant working in the accounting team, since then I’ve done everything from onboarding, accounting, and accounts receivable. I've been able to take on responsibility wherever it's been needed over the past ten years and that's something that I really appreciate. I’ve been given amazing opportunities, anytime there was a gap in PGC, I was just able to step in and help out.
What’s been your experience of working with companies looking to expand to America?
The interesting thing about working with companies considering US expansion is that everyone has a different view on what it’s like to operate here. It’s been really interesting to see what international companies’ different needs, fears, expectations, and values are. It has been so rewarding witnessing international companies succeed in the US by helping them solve problems and move forward. I’ve witnessed clients who came onboard with only one or two workers and now have 200-300 onboards, it’s amazing!
Are there any clients that you have worked with for the majority of your career at PGC?
There have been a few clients that have been with us for several years. One of them, I remember visiting their small service office in the financial district. During that time they only had two people in the office and now they are one of our largest clients. During hurricane Sandy, their office got shut down and they came to work in our office for the day as we were one of the only blocks to still have power. It was a great experience being able to help them in that way.
We also have another client that has been operating in the US for over 7 years now who went from just a handful of people working in New York to now having workers throughout the US and Canada.
What are some of the highlights of your time working at PGC?
My highlights from the last 12 years working at PGC is the people. I've loved all the people that I've been able to work with. This includes the clients I’ve been able to help with some of the difficult workers and their gratitude.
Visiting some of the countries that we've supported has also been one of the main highlights. The trips to South Africa, Haiti and India with the team to see the projects that we have invested in and the kids that we sponsor were life-changing.
What is the most rewarding part of working for PGC?
The most rewarding thing about working in a business like PGC is seeing people succeed. From our team to our clients, and our workers. It’s so rewarding delivering workers an excellent experience, despite the fact that we might never meet them. If we can onboard them timely, provide them accurate information, payroll them, and they leave feeling like it’s been a great experience, that is always a great outcome for me.
What do you hope that people find when they work at PGC?
When people work at PGC I hope they leave better than they came. I hope they leave feeling valued and cared for, knowing we do our very best to develop them.
What do you hope we achieve from client experience?
I hope clients also know how valued they are. In our society, a lot of companies reward clients when they come onboard rather than those who have been on for a long period of time. At PGC, we are the opposite. We reward clients who have been with us for a long time. We want to partner with our clients on a long term basis. (But it can be short term if that is the solution they need!)
What does the future hold for PGC?
The future for PGC is very bright. I feel like the possibilities are endless with all the changes that are coming and the desire to just really deliver an excellent client experience, we'll always be looking forward to seeing what we can improve on.