Updated: Insight holds jobs bash on Equanet's doorstep
New owner Kelway 'flattered' by two-day event held in shadows of Equanet's Bury office
VAR Insight Enterprises is holding a recruitment extravaganza on the doorstep of Equanet's head office following its rival's acquisition by Kelway.
Two recruitment sessions will be held this evening and tomorrow morning at a hotel just five minutes' walk from Equanet's digs in Bury, CRN has learned.
The venue in question – the Village Hotel in the Waterford Business Park – also happens to be where about 60 Kelway staff working on integrating the Equanet team are staying.
Kelway has so far refused to be drawn on whether the integration process will involve redundancies at Equanet, whose non-trade and public sector assets it acquired from Dixons earlier this month. But it has confirmed it has up to six months to find a new home for its Bury-based staff.
Although it appears that Insight's recruitment bash is aimed squarely at Equanet staff, Insight claims the move is a coincidence.
Ingisht's EMEA president Stuart Fenton said: "We do recruitment days regularly in the UK and across Europe in different towns and cities. I think this is simply a coincidence."
Kelway's sales director Jonathan Valdes said his firm was flattered by Insight's move.
He said: "I guess it is flattering and testament to the quality of our people that Insight wants to recruit Equanet staff.
"Albeit, setting up in a hotel full of Kelway people wasn't the smartest move. We remain very excited about bringing the two companies together and the opportunities this presents for our new and existing staff."
Valdes admitted that there was initially a "small degree" of anxiety and uncertainty in the Equanet office, which he claimed Insight looked to capitalise on with its jobs fair.
He added:"Now that we've spent some time with the sales force and sales leaders, that uncertainty is totally overwhelmed by the huge excitement at joining a winning team.
"The sales talent there is outstanding and our combined capabilities will ensure our new northern head office will be our jewel of the north. Along with the sales force, I'm very excited."
It is not the first time the two rivals have swapped staff, as in January this year Insight's former software sales manager Dean Zachariades joined Kelway as its head of software licensing, with several of his colleagues known to have followed.
Update: Since this story was published, the Village Hotel confirmed that the recruitment event has been cancelled, but would not be drawn on why. Insight was unavailable to comment further and Kelway's Valdes said he was "not at all surprised".