About Pacific Hi Fi...
Pacific Hi-Fi is a small Sydney business whose managers have a strong commitment to training their employees. Their efforts have also achieved recognition in past years' NSW Retail Training and Career Awards.
Pacific Hi-Fi was established in 1988 by three brothers Frank, Joe and Vince Di Bartolo. The company specialises in the retailing of quality hi-fi equipment, home theatre, TV sets, video recorders, hard drive video recorders, rear projection and front projection units.
Over the last 20 years of operation, Pacific Hi-Fi has expanded to include a staff of around seven, many of whom have come up through the company as Trainees.
Vince Di Bartolo, who had undertaken a cadetship at Waltons and who also undertook a Certificate in Retail Management, realised the need for the training of employees within the Retail Store and created a strong training culture within the company.
Rather than employing staff with previous retail experience, Pacific Hi-Fi has taken the approach of "growing their own employees". To mature their "green" recruits Pacific Hi-Fi takes advantage of "off the job" and "on the job" training options that are offered by their Registered Training Organisation.
Pacific Hi-Fi employs new trainees whenever possible. The new trainees at Pacific Hi-Fi commence employment undertaking the Certificate II in Retail Operations. They are further encouraged after completion of the Certificate II, to continue on to Certificate III, which is undertaken in both company and their own private time.
Pacific Hi-Fi encourages training in all levels of store operation. Through engaging in this process Pacific Hi-Fi is creating a fertile store environment for the "growing" of their own people for future senior positions.
Also through the provision of training and the multi skilling of their staff Pacific Hi-Fi is creating a pool of talented staff that are ready for any expansion options the company wishes to undertake.
Many of Pacific Hi-Fi’s staff are currently involved in some aspect of training, from staff undertaking traineeships, right through to staff who are completing management development courses. If Pacific Hi-Fi was to put a percentage figure on the amount of time they spent involved in training, they would estimate a figure of around 12%. In reference to the expenditure that is allocated to training; Pacific Hi-Fi estimates that around 2% of their total sales that are being achieved is being allocated to training. Pacific Hi-Fi believes that this sort of investment in training gives them a staff member that is giving the company a return of around 70% more than a staff member without training.
When you think about it, Pacific Hi-Fi has captured the essence of training, using the benefits that staff development provides to build a solid future. Therefore they are ensuring not just the continuation of the company but also the continuation of the quality service that makes Pacific Hi-Fi who they are.
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