Saturday, November 01, 2008

Bad Times and Bad Luck

With the world economy in bad shape, everybody is wondering when the many of us here in Malaysia will start to feel the heat. Some people say it won't hit us, some people say that it's already beginning to hit us and some people say that the bad times will come only in the first half of 2009.

When bad times come, everyone is affected. Companies who find themselves in trouble will cut their costs from their marketing budgets to staff count. At Nuffnang though, eventhough I'm personally expecting some sort of slowdown in the first half of next year, we still find ourselves hiring in order to keep up with our current growth.

Everyone is so overworked here.

Allow me to illustrate.

This is how Nicholas looked like not too long ago.

This is how he looks like now (well some sort).

This is how Pinky looked like when she first joined.

This is how she looks like now.

So as a result of that we still find ourselves needing to hire a few more Nuffies all around our offices though the process has been a little slow since we find it a little harder than expected to find people who can blend in well with our team.

Last week I actually interviewed a potential Nuffie for our KL office who was then working at a multinational and after some time making sure she not only had the skills but was able to work well in our team, I offered her a job.

I e-mailed her to tell her of the job offer to see whether she would take it. Her reply:

Hi Timothy

Sorry, I can't accept your job offer. Reason being is that I don't think it's the right time to change jobs now with our current economic crisis right.

By the way, thanks for the offer, I do appreciate it. And glad to meet your Nuffnang team. ;)

I understood the merits of her decision. I mean there she was working in a big multinational that has been around for decades through thick and thin recessions. And in this kind of economic climate, if you were looking at stability, would you pick the big multinational that has been around even before you were born or a fresh new young company called Nuffnang.

Just two days later though she sent me another e-mail

Hi Timothy,

Is the position still available? My current company is cutting people and I guess I'm one of the unlucky ones. If the position is no longer available it's ok...

I guess the bad times are starting to kick in.

Hold on to your piggy banks guys.

17 comments:

CLF said...

Wah.... so the girl's job in Nuffnang still on? Introduce her over here if got chance. :D

Unknown said...

if you are a 'small-gas' person, you will tell her 'served you right for declining me' XD

Shaun L said...

yeah. gotta hold on to our piggy banks!

TenthOfMarch said...

I assume the "bad luck" part of the title refers to her not getting the job?

§pinzer said...

Ming thanks for the yummyliscious lunch XD XD

Boss Stewie said...

clf: actually i'm not sure yet.. haven't decided

jackson: hahaha no lah... i can totally understand why she did what she did

catalyst: yah i'm holding on to mine di!!

tenth: hahha no lar i haven't decided on that yet

spinzer: hahaha

electronicfly said...

ouch.. but at least she had Nuffnang. (See Nuffnang so geng!)

It's times like this I'm thankful I'm still a student..

KY said...

see you tonight!!!

test said...

SWT: turn down an offer from Nuffnang then flip flop mana boleh lidat ? well someone loss is somebody gains * I think* *holding piggy bank with xtreme care*

SaeWei said...

So how? Are you gonna hire her?

limcyam said...

She has demonstrated that she is not the loyal type.. if dont want to change job, why bother apply and attend interview!? ..and later reject the offer!!?

... get someone new. For all you know, after 3 months joining Nuffnang... she tenders and leave you heartache!

Zephyr said...

lol....XD

Actually I did apply for internship at Nuffnang abt a week ago but no reply until now.

Perhaps, your IT section dun need ppl though

ps: I dun even hav a piggy bank to hold.....sob~~

hafreze said...

well. i personally not blaming her on the decision. you guys need to consider her current situation.

maybe kind of disloyal, by the way, this is business right??..hehe

www.hafreze.com

Brenda B said...

Ha? Like that also can? So, are you going to hire her? Not a gooood idea wei~

Cobalt Paladin said...

Maybe it would be a good idea to meet up with her again and discuss the "hard feelings" this to-and-froing of job offered, rejected and she wanting the job again.

I understand you don't feel good about her rejecting Nuffnang, makes you feel that she treated your company as second class citizen but I also think that she doesn't feel good about you blogging about it publicly. She may misunderstand you for the wrong reasons if you don't offer her the job. So it is best to meet up and talk over it again.

Unknown said...

no matter how well established is an organization MNC or anchovies. It is irrelevant, most important is the ingenuity of the team. Case and point Lehman Investment bank more than 100 years but still goes down the drain.

Simon Seow said...

Well, lucky my company is not cutting ppl yet. Finger crossed.