Training new employees is standard practice in any company, whether it involves explaining work methods or practicing teamwork. However, one tea company in China launched a new hire training program that surprised the public. This program, resembling military training, has sparked discussions on social media.
The situation relates to a well-known milk tea chain in China. The program for new staff placed significant emphasis on discipline and teamwork. Nevertheless, some people described the training method as more akin to military drills than a typical office training, leading to questions about the company's methods.
According to reports, during the training, new employees were required to adhere to a high level of discipline. They were grouped together and assigned various tasks collectively. The goal was to instill discipline, mutual understanding, and a serious attitude towards company rules among the staff. The company views this type of training as a way to prepare personnel for work. However, videos and photos that appeared on social media attracted widespread attention, as many considered this approach excessively strict.
The company claims that the purpose of such programs is to teach employees how to work in a team and maintain discipline while performing duties. Store workers selling milk tea and other beverages face a large number of customers daily, handling multiple tasks simultaneously: taking orders, preparing drinks, processing payments, and timely dispensing goods. Therefore, the company aims for its employees to interact effectively with each other. Special attention during the training was paid to developing this sense of teamwork.
The main reason for the disagreement lay in the training method itself. Some argue that on-the-job training is justified, but excessive strictness toward employees is unacceptable. The public raised the issue of the need to establish a boundary between preparing an employee for work and exerting strong psychological pressure on them. If training leads to humiliation or coercion against an employee's will, it can become a serious matter. This is why numerous differing opinions have formed on this issue in Chinese social media.
Nevertheless, not everyone opposes the company. Some believe that training new employees in discipline and teamwork is not a mistake. They note that different companies have their own corporate culture. If employees are informed in advance about the rules and ways of working, it will be easier for them to perform their duties later. Others argue that military training does not always mean oppression; sometimes it is used to enhance a sense of responsibility, punctuality, and teamwork.
In this situation, it is crucial for any company to comply with the law and respect the dignity of its workers. One lawyer warned that if a company forces new employees into humiliating or shameful acts, it could create legal problems for it. That is, causing discomfort or infringing upon the dignity of employees under the guise of training can lead to serious consequences for the company.
This incident once again raises questions about what employee training should be like in companies. Should military methods be used to instill discipline, or should modern enterprises adopt more respectful and gentle approaches? On one hand, companies want employees to be punctual, work in a team, and follow the rules. On the other hand, the dignity and psychological comfort of employees are equally important. Currently, the training program of this milk tea chain in China is under scrutiny. This case goes beyond the simple training of one company and has initiated a public discussion about the balance that should exist between workplace discipline and respect for employees.