For more than 25 years as a boss,
I have been looking for one type of person.

Doesn’t reject work.
Doesn’t complain all day.
Can understand the assignment given.
If don’t understand, will ask.
When there is a problem, will try to find a way to solve it.

Most importantly,
when I pass the work to this person,
I can 放心, I can relax.

After searching for more than 25 years, did I find them?
Susah sikit!
Really not many. 😂

Later, I figured it out.
Since it is so difficult to find them outside,
then train them ourselves lah.

So over the years,
from fresh graduates from university or ACCA,
to interns,
to people who wanted to switch career and become accountants,
I have trained many.

I spent money and time training my people.
Then people always told me.
“KTP is like a training centre lah.”
“After you train them, later they either go Singapore,
or join Big 4, Big 8.” 😂

I have heard this for many years.
To be frank.

At the beginning, I was a bit beh song.
Training costs money.
Courses cost money.
Managers spending time teaching juniors also costs money.
In the end, after you train them up, they leave.
The boss still has to smile and wish them all the best. 😂

Later, I figured it out.
People come and go.
If a young person has the opportunity to join KTP,

what I can do,
is make sure that when they leave,
they are more capable than when they first joined.

When GST first came in,
I sent all 6 of my managers for a 5-day GST Qualifying Course.
Not send one person,
then come back and photocopy the notes for everybody. 😂

Until today,
during onboarding for new colleagues,
I still require them to attend physical training or webinars.

Over the years,
I also recruited managers from Big 4 and Big 8.

Their CVs were impressive.
Technically, they were strong.
But some of them did not work out in the end,
mainly because of the culture difference.

Slowly, I realised something.
Managers are not always hired.
Many times, they are trained.

Today, one thing I am most proud of,
is that the managers in KTP,

are all home-grown.
They started as juniors.

Slowly do.
Slowly make mistakes.
Slowly learn.
And eventually, become the person who can lead others.

People used to joke that KTP is a training centre.
Now I actually think,
that is not a bad name. 😂
If you cannot find talent, train your own.

P.S. My HR Manager is not home-grown because HR is not my area of expertise, and one other manager is WFH .