Singaporeans explain what it’s like working for a Chinese tech company
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Chinese tech firms are expanding all around the world. They are opening up more jobs in Singapore, and Singaporeans have questions about the experience of working for them.
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A former employee of Tencent asked him if he could use Mandarin in his job interview.
The answer that Mandarin and English was required satisfied him. He agreed to the job.
But the reality was different — Mandarin was used in the office very frequently, the former employee said. A Singaporean man ended up leaving Tencent after having difficulty communicating.
He said that “if I have to spend so many hours trying to understand the things, then I’m going be very inefficient.” A person with Mandarin proficiency “is probably a more suitable fit”.
Work in a Chinese tech company
Chinese tech companies have been expanding offices in Asia and the rest of the world.
They are posting openings abroad, and more people want to know what it is like to work there. This year, CNBC reported on tech workers in the United Kingdom who turned down job offers at TikTok,After hearing stories of intense work environments in China, ByteDance bought the rights to this website.
These people were concerned about the “996” culture of work practiced in China by certain companies. This requires that employees work six days per week from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. A TikTok spokesperson told CNBC in May of this year that “we absolutely do not have ‘996′ policies.”
CNBC interviewed ten employees from Chinese tech companies, both current and past. The purpose of the interview was to learn about their lives in Singapore. Most requested anonymity owing to fear of repercussions or because they do not have permission to speak to the media.
The company and individual involved in the story had a huge impact on their stories.
CNBC spoke to four former and current employees of Huawei, who said that Chinese colleagues often napped at the office’s lunch break. This is an example of Chinese office culture. Two employees shared that most of their work is done remotely and they now log onto a video conference every morning. The purpose of the video call, they said, is to show they’re ready to go at nine o’clock in the morning and discuss the plans for the day. The call’s participants were also asked to take screen shots by their managers.
CNBC spoke with many people who didn’t only describe difficult or rigid work environments. People who worked for Tencent or ByteDance described a flat hierarchy with few emphasises on positions or titles. A ByteDance employee stated that he is able to speak freely with a vice-president in the company, which is not common at other companies.
ByteDance did not respond to this report.
Three things were repeatedly mentioned in discussions with former and current workers at Huawei, Tencent, and one Tencent subsidiary workers: heavy dependence on Mandarin; the use fixed-term contracts and working outside of normal business hours.
Speaking Mandarin
Tencent hired English-speaking employees, however, almost everything else at Tencent’s Singapore offices was done in Mandarin.
CNBC reported that documents necessary to his work were even in Mandarin. He also said his Mandarin proficiency was “average”.
More than 74% of Singapore’s population is ethnically Chinese,However, most businesses in Singapore speak English.
Tencent’s presence here in Singapore was “quite novel,” and he suggested that Tencent might not have had the time to “localize”. Gaming and social media giant announced its plans to open a regional hub in Singapore only last year.
Mandarin fluency is not an option, it is a requirement.
Patricia Teo
Kerry Consulting’s Patricia Teo is the executive director for technology, Kerry Consulting
Similar to the difficulties that can be experienced in work culture, language difficulties were not reported by employees or former employees speaking with CNBC. Many said that they have not encountered problems.
If English is your preferred language, [colleagues from China]A current Huawei employee said that she can also speak English.” “We strive to meet in between.”
According to a current employee of ByteDance who described its hierarchy as “flat”, he said there is no barrier when it comes language because colleagues from China speak English.
One employee of Tencent said that Tencent has recently made an internal announcement about its intention to use English within the international team. Because most systems and documents currently are in Mandarin, she said that the transition will take some time.
Patricia Teo (executive director, technology practice, recruitment firm Kerry Consulting) stated that most of the work in Chinese tech firms’ day to-to-day operations will involve interaction with China-based staff.
She said that it is not an option to learn Mandarin fluently, but a necessity.
One former employee claims that all meetings, training and communications with financial staff or tech personnel took place in Mandarin, at Tencent’s subsidiary. Another ex-employee described the situation to be “overwhelming.” CNBC was unable to reach Tencent regarding this claim.
She stated, “Everything is in Chinese.”
It can be quite stressful especially when trying to convey a message and you have to do it in a shoddy manner. [Mandarin]She added that she couldn’t get the message across.”
Jun, a Huawei former intern, requested to be identified only as Jun. He said that even though Jun sent English text messages and emails to his coworkers, the replies tend to be written in Mandarin. The company hired him as an intern in 2017.
Fixed-term contracts
CNBC interviewed multiple individuals who said that Singaporeans are often hired by Chinese companies on contracts for one to three years. Kerry Consulting’s Teo stated, however, that permanent roles in Singapore exist because of a scarcity of applicants.
Tencent’s former employee, who was unhappy with Mandarin usage in his job, said that he is currently on a temporary contract and could convert to permanent after one year. He said that he wasn’t sure that the company would give him a permanent position.
Employers may use fixed-term contracts to make sure that employees have an exit guarantee after a set period. This ensures that workers aren’t ‘locked into’ contracts.
Matthew Durham
Gall, Attorney in Hong Kong
Ong Xuan, a former employee of Huawei, stated that he was not offered a permanent position after one year. However, he claimed that he believed it was because Huawei had exceeded its limit on permanent positions.
Ong said that Huawei’s contract structure didn’t appear out of sync with other industries. Still, Ong wanted more stability as he was still starting in his career. He quit the company in 2018.
CNBC contacted Tencent and Huawei for comment, but they declined.
Tencent’s employee said they are trying to make English their main language. She said she would prefer a contract position as it would allow her flexibility to leave if the job isn’t for her.
Matthew Durham, an experienced lawyer in China who handles employment cases, stated that new hires are often subject to fixed-term agreements. That’s because — unlike in Singapore — employment law in China allows employers to terminate contracts only under specific, limited grounds, he said.
According to Durham of Gall in Hong Kong, China, poor performance is usually not grounds for firing an employee unless it can also be proven as incompetence.
Employers can sign a fixed term contract with employees to make sure they have an exit guarantee.
Some employees claimed there wasn’t much difference in the salaries of workers working on fixed-term and permanent contracts. But at Huawei, permanent staff and contract workers are entitled to two different sets of employee referral benefits — the bonus they get for referring a new employee to the company.
Information provided by An employee who speaks Mandarin may switch to English to communicate with his colleagues. Huawei’s permanent staff and contract employees get the same referral bonus for filling more junior roles. However, for senior positions there is a difference: Permanent staff members who refer someone can receive three times as much incentive than contract employees.
Gall lawyer Durham said that employees with fixed-term or open-term Chinese contracts usually enjoy the same benefits.
But, there are some firms that offer more benefits and entitlements to contract workers who may have a better track record than others, said he.
‘No real rest time’
Singaporeans who worked in Chinese technology firms advised job seekers to be ready for long hours and to interact with Chinese colleagues.
Former employee said there was no sacred time or day. She found Mandarin in a Tencent subsidiary to be overwhelming. According to her, her Chinese bosses sent her queries at night, on weekends, and during public holidays.
It’s possible to ignore the issue, but will you truly be able relaxation knowing that your boss awaits your answer? “You could ignore it, but would you really be able to relax knowing that your boss is waiting for your reply?” she inquired.
She said, “There isn’t any real rest,” but she did add that only work and standby times are available.
Ang, a former Tencent worker who requested his name to remain anonymous, stated that Chinese co-workers tended to take extra time to make up for any lost time prior to the Lunar New Year holiday and the Golden Week holiday. He said that he would be contacted by his colleagues during weekends.
“You might feel that you are working twice, but you won’t get any sick leave,” he stated.
But not all reported working for excessive hours.
According to the employee of ByteDance, “There are certain teams that work late but I don’t believe anyone has to.” He also stated that the hierarchy at the company is “flat.” CNBC spoke with a coworker who shared his views on the work-life compromise.
‘996’ culture in Singapore? It’s not really.
While the work hours might sometimes seem long, many of those who were interviewed stated that Singapore hasn’t adopted China’s 996 culture. Others said that they feel their work hours align with other businesses.
Teo from Kerry Consulting said that Chinese firms are working to better work-life balance, as the “main barrier” for prospective employees in Singapore has been the “996” culture.
Tencent spoke out in an email to CNBC, saying that “as a global tech company we are constantly moving at a rapid pace, it is important for our employees to strike a healthy work/life balance”
According to the spokesperson, “We aim to provide a unique work environment that balances energy from a start-up and the resources of an international innovation leader. We will continue to work with employees to design a career path for them and a balance between their personal and professional lives.”
According to an employee, “most jobs” are done outside of office hours in Singapore. She told CNBC that Tencent wants employees to switch from English to English. She said that her managers had been telling to her to call at 6 p.m.
Tencent ex-employe who quit the company due to heavy Mandarin usage reported working beyond what he had contracted, sometimes between 9 and 9 a.m. But not on Saturday. It’s like, ‘995.’”
—CNBC’s Sam Shead contributed to this report
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