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.