We receive quite a number of emails at [email protected] by readers who mostly consist of local business IT folks.
Mostly these emails include feedback or updates on the news published on the EITN website, as well as suggestions on how to improve this IT news channel.
But more important to us is the information that we receive on industry happenings that are unspoken, yet rampant on the grapevine – which we duly shared with you our valued and loyal readers.
The latest discussion was pertaining to one particularly ‘sensitive’ enforcement project that involves a system slotted to go live during Hari Raya.
Those with their finger on the local market pulse know that the controversies surrounding this government-awarded project is already widely circulated over the Internet. The usual suspect complaints include the lack of transparencies in the selection process, obvious lack of experience by the winning project bidders, lodging of anti-corruption reports by the losers,… the list goes on.
On how the project will fare eventually; or how the accusations turn out to be true or false – that is not the question here.
Instead the anonymous writer wrote of the challenges he faced in being part of the headhunting team assigned to recruit project managers under this particular project some time ago.
As the ‘project manager’ job openings came with fat pay cheques for successful candidates, he didn’t expect the incidents whereby three of the qualifying candidates actually turned down the job.
Not only at the point when the job was actually offered; but right at the beginning of the interview when the headhunter disclosed the specific enforcement project which the hiring exercise was for. Their reasons given were surprisingly dignified: –
“This project is not ‘above the line’. Sorry, I do not want to be involved at all.”
“I do not want to be associated with a project that will likely fail.”
“My family and friends will not think well of me if they know I am working under this project.”
Of course in time and despite the challenges faced, the headhunter still managed to find the required project managers for the project.
But his takeaway from the commissioned hiring engagement is that money still cannot buy the good folks.
***
IT BYTES BACK! says: It is comforting to know that Malaysian IT professionals have a strong sense of principles when it comes to organisations they wish to work for and be associated with.
