996, 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week. You must have heard about 996 a lot in the past few months. This buzz has triggered discussion around the balance between work and life, employee engagement, productivity and the working environment, etc. 

“996 is a signal of going backward, not forward,” said today’s guest Alicia Tung, Chief Operating Officer at Great Place to Work, Greater China. She stressed the importance of having a clear value and purpose to motivate employees in their work and pointed out the fact that 996 working hours are not necessarily leading to better efficiency. Alicia shared her observations about the working environment differences in China and overseas countries, how overseas entrepreneurs can fit into Chinese working culture and how founders can create a great place to work for their employees. 

Founded in 1990, Great Place to Work is a global people analytics and consulting firm that helps companies of all sizes produce better business results by focusing on the work experience for every employee.

Show notes:

[01:29] Introduction of Alicia and Great Place to Work

[04:13] Having the right reasons before starting a business

[05:28] Understanding/Identifying the concepts: co-working space vs shared office

[06:47] How different is Great Place to Work in China and the rest of the world?

[08:21] Same value, different implementations

[11:18] How does the profile of those companies who care for their employees change over time?

[13:02] Challenges and concerns for local companies

[20:28] The magic number: 996

[23:57] Does 996 achieve efficiency?

[26:10] Opportunities and challenges for international startups coming to China

[29:35] Best places to work in China

[30:27] Creating an open working environment for women in China

Many thanks to our host Oscar Ramos, guest Alicia Tung, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com

Contact Alicia Tung: www.linkedin.com/in/aliciatung/

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