Afiq’s 5 Ps in FingerTec: Part 1
‘Afiq’s 5 Ps in FingerTec’ is a 5-part
mini-series chronicling the writer’s observations on FingerTec Worldwide
through the 5 Ps of marketing as he stumbles along his first year in the
company. In Part 1, the writer discusses the People component of the tool.
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| Getting a view of the people around you |
People
When
Mark Zuckerberg wants to work with you, he’ll walk with you through the woods
behind the Facebook headquarters. At the end of the hike, Mark will
simultaneously ‘unveil’ a breathtaking view of Silicon Valley along with an
offer you can’t refuse – a job position or business offer from Facebook. Well, since Puchong is no Palo Alto, I
did not expect a walk through the woods with FingerTec CEO, Mr Teh Hon Seng. I
did, however, hope for other seemly practices that would make me go, “wow, FingerTec
people are different” while working here. I wasn’t disappointed there. Read
more to see what I saw while people-watching, not unlike Woody Allen.
Camaraderie Among Comrades
Team.
This seemed to be the theme in the company, as it was obvious that there was a
certain level of chemistry present among the workers that extended outside of
their respective departments. The low turnover rate in FingerTec affords a
sense of continuity among employees as they grow close to each other. This is
apparent in the way they communicate and interact, as there are constantly
plans to drink, eat or simply hang out together outside of working hours. The
resulting harmony shows in the everyday going-ons of the company, as the level
of comfort between colleagues ensures (most of the time) smooth operations even
when dealing with crises. So, what’s going to work? Teamwork.
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| Among the smartest people in basketball, Kobe Bryant (left) and Phil Jackson |
Reading Between the Lines
As a
Los Angeles Lakers fan, I’m very familiar with the coaching style of the Zen
Master, Phil Jackson.
One of the things I like most about the legendary basketball coach is he would
give books for his players to read during a season, a once unheard of
motivational technique in the sporting world, which brings me to my next
observation; There exists a reading and sharing culture among FingerTec
employees. Malaysians are notoriously known as a nation that rarely reads, but
the company seems unfazed by that. The workers here actually talk about the
books they’ve read during breaks, share them among each other and sometimes
even use snippets from those books to prove a point in their conversations.
Amazing, and it was partly the reason why I imagined I was a young Kobe Bryant
when I got some books from my head honcho.
And, yes, you’re never too old to still
imagine yourself as your favorite athlete.
Talent first, fit later
This
was an amazing revelation to me, although it touches more on hiring practices
than the People element. Upon entering the company as a junior copywriter, I was told by the COO, that I could look
around different parts of the company and provide suggestions wherever I see
fit. I was also given a choice to undertake tasks outside of my original job
scope, as long as I am willing to prepare and learn beforehand. And I wasn’t the only employee afforded this freedom. In
fact, attracting talent first and finding a place to fit them later seems to be
a working model for FingerTec. This is not an alien concept to some but it does defy conventional practices a little bit. Imagine a football manager
wanting to buy 5 world class left wingers, and worrying about where to fit
those five on the same starting eleven, later. Is that really a problem, or an awesome
opportunity?
Closing Thoughts
Through
my first few months here, it’s been an absolutely joyful experience getting to
know my colleagues, my fellow FingerTec fighters. Yes, fighters. I’ve realized that the collection of personnel in this
company is more akin to a group of soldiers that are given the chance to grow
with each other, groomed with tactical knowledge, and handpicked because of
their talents. Melancholia aside, this is what makes FingerTec’s People element
special. As I look forward to my future in the business, I also look forward to
finding out more surprising things about FingerTec. Who knows what I’ll uncover
in the other 4 Ps.
About the writer: Afiq Jauhari is a Malaysian Malay male in his late 20s, previously working in a local banking institution before joining FingerTec Worldwide in December 2012 as a Junior Copywriter. His interests include basketball, comedy and writing; and still dreams of becoming a well-liked, funny basketball coach with a few bestselling books.
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