By James Wells
SYDNEY: Hitachi Australia general manager Geoff Hannaford has recommended his staff to future employers, describing them as “stars” with “exceptional skills”.
Hannaford told Current.com.au that other consumer electronics brands should look at the experienced staff leaving the Hitachi business, as they are likely to remain in the industry.
“There’s [sic] some real stars in our team that I will miss working with,” Hannaford said.
“The staff that we have recruited over the last three years in particular have come from really strong brands with exceptional skills. In a short time, they have made this business successful locally and I would easily recommend this staff to any company,” he said.
In a call out for himself, he said if anyone wanted to contact him at any time, they were welcome to.
“I’m already aware of staff getting offers from some brands already – there are some companies moving quite quickly,” he said.
“I’m extremely confident most of the staff will be re-employed. I’d be surprised if they are not placed in a company or a contract signed at the end of March. It is not a large team, but a quality team,” he said.
“What I’m amazed about is our tight team – we work closely together and enjoy each other’s company. They are using each other as a support network. They are committed right to the very end. It speaks so much about the loyalty to each other and the professionalism that they are trying to portray. The commitment has been amazing. I have not heard or seen anyone acting in a selfish manner at all. I think you’ll see a lot of them reappear in the industry quickly. Some will be here until the end of February, some will be here until the end of March.
Hannaford, who is expecting the birth of his first child in April, says he plans to concentrate on the rest of the business before he makes his future a priority.
“It is now time to wrap up the business and close it in a professional manner – making sure the staff are taking care of and retailers’ trading arrangements are met – this is the number one priority at the moment right now as well as communicating with consumers and in the long term making sure there is support infrastructure for them – that is the focus between now and the end of March,” he said.
“I definitely plan on staying in the industry – I am definitely still very attached to the industry. I’m not going to rule out working on either the retail or supplier side – every new opportunity allows you to gain greater skills.”