Many Chinese technology companies have grown their business and expanded to various regions, including Southeast Asia. How does it feel to be an employee working there?
Singapore, for example, is one of the bases of Chinese companies. Reports are growing that the 996 work system is a common practice in China, that employees have to work from 9 am to 9 pm for 6 days a week. Is that the reality?
In an interview with several employees in Singapore, CNBC quoted us on Monday (3/1/2022) said that there are several Chinese work cultures that are carried out, for example being able to sleep in the office during the day.
Now that many are working from home, a source at a Chinese smartphone company says they have to video call every morning and managers take screenshots as proof of attendance.
However, CNBC sources said they did not experience a work system that was too strict or difficult. Even three ByteDance employee sources said the employee hierarchy was quite good, where even low-level employees could communicate directly with the Vice President.
But in terms of language, Mandarin skills seem to be needed by employees in Chinese technology companies. Although the interview took place in English, a former Tencent employee said much of the communication in the office took place in Chinese.
"But if you choose to speak English, colleagues from China can also speak English. We try to be in the middle," said a Huawei employee.
Regarding hard work, it is still necessary. Even employees say they must be ready to work long hours, especially if they have to interact with colleagues from China.
An employee said his China-based boss sometimes asked questions at night or on weekends. "You can ignore it, but can you relax if your boss waits for a reply?" he said.
Regarding the 996 work system, it seems that it is increasingly being abandoned, even in China itself there are strong protests and the government has begun to ban it. Abroad, it is seen that it can discourage potential employees from applying to Chinese technology companies.
"As a fast-moving global technology company, we know that work-life balance is important for employees to do their best," said a Tencent spokesperson.
