Workplace reviews and discussion: 碩望科技股份有限公司

The company is good

It’s a shame that having certain managers around gives people an even deeper understanding of what it means for everyone in the workplace to have their own agendas.

Some managers have an extremely distinctive management style: others do the work, they give the instructions, and any difficulties encountered during actual execution are left for subordinates to overcome on their own. After all, management does not necessarily require solving problems personally; as long as you can successfully assign the problems to someone else, that counts as a kind of ability.

New-hire training is even more distinctive. From the very first day, new employees can experience pressure at the level of seasoned staff. As for teaching, guidance, and an adjustment period, the company seems to have chosen a more efficient approach—omitting them entirely. As for why people cannot be retained, perhaps talented employees simply have too many ideas and cannot necessarily understand this management philosophy.

When it comes to workplace communication, there is also a valuable lesson to be learned: just because something was mentioned does not mean anyone remembers it; just because progress was reported does not mean anyone acknowledges receiving it. Tasks assigned in the ordinary course of work may be forgotten in the blink of an eye, yet when senior management asks questions, the conclusion “no one reported it” can be reached with remarkable speed. This flexibility in memory and the assignment of responsibility is indeed impressive. All subordinates are strongly advised to keep written records, because the effective period of some verbal reports may be shorter than expected.

As for attendance and level of engagement at work, the management style is also remarkably laissez-faire. How a manager arranges their own time may perhaps be inappropriate for outsiders to comment on; however, when a manager rarely participates in day-to-day operations while still requiring subordinates to take responsibility for the results, it inevitably makes one wonder: where, exactly, does the manager’s value lie?

Even more worthy of study is the relationship between team morale, employee turnover, and management style, which seems not to affect some people’s promotion prospects. This also makes it clear that workplace success does not necessarily follow a single formula. Doing the work well is one ability; making people above you feel that everything is going well may be another.

As for the team atmosphere, perhaps it does not require too many words to describe. If a team lacks the willingness to stay and socialize even at informal dinners, perhaps managers should reflect on one question: do people simply dislike group meals, or do they not particularly enjoy having meals with certain people?

In summary: the company itself has aspects worthy of recognition, and its salary, benefits, and working conditions can be evaluated independently. However, if you have the opportunity to choose your direct manager, please do so with great care. After all, a good company does not necessarily have good managers, and a manager who is not skilled at management can make an otherwise decent work environment exceptionally demanding on one’s patience.

Finally, one sentence for those currently looking for work: during an interview, do not ask only what the company can offer you; also ask yourself whether you can accept reporting your work every day to the kind of person you may encounter in the future. After all, jobs can be changed, but you cannot choose your manager every day. Best of luck with your job search.