Optimistic BlackBerry eyes recruitment drive

Troubled smartphone firm insists job cuts are a thing of the past as it looks to make new hires

BlackBerry's chief executive has insisted the future is bright for the firm as it looks to take on new staff in certain areas of the business.

Last year the firm cut its workforce by about 40 per cent - 5,000 staff - across its global operation as it looked to cut costs and refocus. The Canadian firm had agreed to a $4.7bn (£2.93bn) sale last September but it did not come off in the end and its then-chief executive Thorsten Heins left the firm.

But according to its new leader John Chen, things are looking up for the vendor. In an internal staff memo seen by Reuters, Chen told staff that job cuts were a thing of the past and new hires could be coming on board imminently.

"We have completed the restructuring notification process, and the workforce reduction that began three years ago is now behind us," he told staff in the note. "More importantly, barring any unexpected downturns in the market, we will be adding headcount in certain areas such as product development, sales and customer service, beginning in modest numbers."

In BlackBerry's first quarter, which ended 31 May, BlackBerry saw net income reach $23m, compared with a loss of $84m a year ago. But revenue over the same period slumped 69 per cent to $966m.

Chen added that he is confident the firm is doing much better than it was and said it was now in a position to make acquisitions to further bolster key growth areas, Reuters said.

But he stressed there was "no margin for error" in its turnaround quest.