Friday 19 July 2013

Talent Can Be Nurtured

Annie's latest posting about Talent Corp.'s useless endeavor of spending millions to bring brains back to Malaysia reflect an amazing lack of appreciation for the talents of those who are already here in this country.

I am not going to focus on the value those millions of ringgits spent to bring them home, like Annie.

My question is, if these "talents" had wanted to serve the country, wouldn't they have looked for opportunities to come home, like I did, and not wait for people to go to them enticing them with tax exemptions, special status, and what nots?

And please, do not think their American, British or Australian accents make them more talented than the average Malaysian executive with a distinct Javanese accent, whatever language she happens to be speaking, slogging away to make ends meet.

What we have failed to do is to spot local talents because we are too limited by our prejudices.

I know of how someone who should have  been recognised for her talent and excellent work rate but was stuck at the same spot for years, training her supervisors instead of being promoted to do the job, and couldn't get out of the rut in that particular organisation because she wasn't "up to the responsibility".

When she got an opportunity elsewhere, in a nurturing organisation, she rose within 16 months to manage a whole profit centre, earning five times what she would be earning in her previous employment.

What Malaysian organisations should be looking for are individuals who are adaptable, fast learners, quick thinkers and innovators who can deliver results instead of continually focusing on similar work experience or networking as the basis of recruitment.

That way, we can open up opportunities for those who lack the network or previous work experience to create a far healthier corporate culture than what we currently have.

You seriously think those Malaysians working abroad are actually more talented than locals?

I have worked abroad, only for a couple of years though, but it was enough to say that it was the work culture and values that breed a certain discipline which I find to be lacking locally.

To function, you must overcome any timidity to voice and defend your opinions in front of people far more experienced and knowledgeable than you.

To get the job done, you must be resourceful and creative, because everyone treated you as an equal and you have no excuse for slacking or seeking help because everyone else have their own deliverables.

People who have been exposed to such an environment tend to be more competitive and far more articulate than they normally would, given normal circumstances.

The kind of work culture that creates achievers and mercenaries alike.

6 comments:

  1. Yup. Agree with you on this.

    :D sarah

    ReplyDelete
  2. Malaysian businesses will only demand this type of employee (and pay for them) if they are opened up to the full force of competition. But weak businesses and ex-monopolies that can adapt will fail - is anyone prepared for that? I don't think so. It needs a crisis before people are willing to change their ways, until then we just cari makan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wasn't a returning talent as I joined my company here in Malaysia before being posted overseas & transferred back again to set up a new department.

    My other half should be considered a returning talent. She was educated in our national school until Form 3 before she left the country as her dad was posted overseas. She completed her secondary education in UK before doing her tertiary there as well. She went on to do her specialist course there as well.

    After 3 years of practising she decided to take a sabbatical to consider her options. She was contacted by several hospitals in Singapore & Australia with an open offer + PR. When she found out that there were only 2 specialists in her field practising in Malaysia, she decided to return.

    And when she did, before she even secured any employment she approached TalentCorp but was told she didn't qualify as she was no longer in employment. She was like WTF??!! And when she eventually got all the details from TC, she saw that the process wasn't actually applicant friendly. Besides the tax break & car duties (which are limited to 5 years & 2 cars respectively), the financial incentives aren't all that great considering their lower earning power. As for the spouse gaining citizenship, I reserve my judgment as I've no idea if it's as easy as they claim it is or will it be bogged down by bureaucratic redtape.

    TC need to relook the finer points of the program & implementation. I wouldn't even be surprised if a few are turned off by their inflexibility.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "You seriously think those Malaysians working abroad are actually more talented than locals?" Can't really generalised cause some are really good but not all though.

    Some Mat Sallehs in high positions are also silly if you ask me. They got the job just because they are in the right clique. Cronyism is happening everywhere.

    Having said that, we should shut down TC. Any Malaysians who wants to come back are welcomed but we should not bribe them with incentives. Why are they so special compared to the rest? I'm sure if they are as good as they claimed, they will be compensated accordingly (higher pay than the locals). That should be incentive enough if they are patriotic. If they are still materialistic, then by all means don't bother coming back.

    Whatever it is I think TC is a waste of money. The locals hate it. The TC applicants hate it - and they complained A LOT! The only people who are happy are those working with TC. They get to fly to great cities in luxury.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Talent Corp is a Swindle24 July 2013 at 22:32

      Anonymous, you are right. Talent Corp is just a vehicle for some people, this was under Nor Yaakob the Indian Minister from UMNO, to make money from the Government. Imagine 65 millions to bring back 2000 Chinese and Indian who will deprive local Chinese, Indians and Malays from the top job in Shell etc.
      These people like Nor Yakob just float an idea to create a cushy job for his cliques. This is the most stupid idea from the UMNO government.

      Now that it is proven that the chinese and Indians dont vote for BN what justification has UMNO to bring back all these self ingratiating Chinese back?

      These are the kind of policies that drive the Malays from UMNO. So I say dissolve Talent Corp!! Today

      Delete
  5. http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/55440-untalented-talentcorp

    ReplyDelete