Minimal layoffs expected from Steljes restructure

Public sector pressures force distributor rethink with probable redundancies

Distributor Steljes has begun a restructure of its market approach and related operations in the face of changed tactics from the education sector.

Martine Dodwell-Bennett, group sales and business development director at Steljes, said minimal layoffs are expected as a result of the rejig, with a full announcement expected in two to three weeks.

"Ultimately, we will probably be a few people down, but it will be very few," she said. "It is because the route to market has changed -- we are seeing growth in some verticals that we need to address and some product lines on which we need to focus."

During a consultation process that began this week, staff in certain areas are being asked to apply for 16 new roles in a two-week process that will reshape the operation to better reflect the changes to public sector opportunities.

Steljes has around 170 staff, but only a fraction of that total will be affected by the restructure, she said.

Dodwell-Bennett added that ICT purchasing decisions - previously handled by local authorities and government bodies and supported by now-defunct initiatives such as Becta – have increasingly devolved to individual schools.

"We will now be talking to, say, 30,000 schools, instead of 150 local authorities. So the way we do it needs to be different."

Steljes is focusing on its route to market and change management, and human resources will need to be aligned accordingly, she said.

"A number of people will be affected by the changes, but a number of those will just be redeployed into other roles -- which obviously people will have to apply for," said Dodwell-Bennett.