Very Poor Form Hills, page-8

Milton, spot on!!!

you wrote,

"Anyone that thinks letting yet more highly skilled staff go is truly mistaken. "

These are highly technical businesses that require people with business savvy and technical expertise, you cant allow your competitors to pick the cream of the staff, leave Hills with the dregs and expect them to compete and perform at the same level!!

"Shrinking markets were mentioned in the presentation and whilst true to a point declines are more so a loss of market share to competitors were Hills trained staff have now taken up positions."

True again Milton,
Make no mistake about this, Hills market is shrinking whilst the overall market continues to flourish. Management who are using shrinking markets as their excuse for poor performance should perform true analysis of their markets before "spinning" such nonsense!
They may find that their competitors have and are continuing to take more market share than they give them credit for!!
Senior management would not admit this as it would then illustrate fundamental flaws in the Hills business model and their "back to basics" philosophy.
Unless 'back to basics' is thorough in all key aspects of business, competitors will be lapping up the Hills weakness.

Spot on Milton,
"Back to basics needs people who understand the Hills business, this new move will create yet more chaos in key and fundamental parts of the business."

Hills continues to employ and keep people that don't understand the business yet continually (through their lack of culture) allow or force people to leave who would be of benefit to their business.
Repeat - these businesses require people with business savvy and technical skills.

The more people they employ at the top that do not understand the business, the more will be employed underneath them that don't understand the business!!

Unless the culture and understanding changes, the competitors of Hills will be the ones that benefit the most!!

Cheers