The benefits look very good
Management’s instructions are vague and contradictory, and they are extremely unfriendly to newcomers. If you can’t become productive immediately, it’s best to resign right away rather than waste your time.
They say everything should follow the SOP, but the people inside who follow the SOP the least are those long-time employees. For example, when an exam was printed incorrectly, instead of following the rule that each mistake should incur a NT$10 penalty, the mentor brushed it off by saying the exam would be treated as a practice paper.
There was bullying, which was a shared problem involving our class mentor and instructor. Although they were both responsible for the class, instead of clarifying and resolving the issue, after initially appeasing the parents, they blamed the entire problem on the instructor. It was truly an eye-opening experience.
It is very difficult to leave work on time.
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1. Leave policy:
The company is constantly understaffed, so employees often only take half-day leave. In theory, taking half a day off should mean taking at least four hours off, but because employees still have to prepare related work beforehand, they usually only get 2–3 hours off.
2. Work procedures:
The company says on the surface that everyone should follow a set of work procedures, but in practice, the person who follows the “standard work procedures” the least is precisely the supervisor who previously repeatedly admonished other employees, saying, “Don’t cut corners just because you’re temporarily being lazy.” As a result, this often causes “unnecessary trouble” for other staff members.
3. Double standards:
As mentioned above, the company constantly says that as long as employees work hard, their efforts will be noticed. In reality, however, this is not the case. The same action can result in completely different treatment depending on who carries it out.
4. Important matters are always announced at the last minute:
For example, it often happens that employees are required to assemble at 7 a.m. the next day for a school run, but are not informed of this until 8 or 9 p.m. that evening.
5. Unclear job responsibilities:
Employees are often required to handle “work” outside the scope of the position they originally applied for, such as being forced to “help supervisors handle their personal errands.”
Recruitment bonuses are calculated per head or per class, and the lead recruiter and deputy recruiter receive additional bonuses. I’ve seen one teacher receive over NT$200,000. The company also spends generously on large-scale benefits such as year-end parties and trips.
There are strict expectations regarding maintaining connections with parents and children; employees must make phone calls every month, and their pay is docked if they fall short of the standard.
The monthly salaries of NT$40,000–50,000 advertised on job banks are not the norm; salaries as low as NT$24,000 are offered (for instructors/non-front-desk positions).
Managers and supervisors are extremely emotional. For example, employees favored by the boss are treated exceptionally well, while those who step on the boss’s toes will be criticized for the slightest thing. I don’t know whether this is standard practice, but during my time there I saw several instances of public shaming (employees being berated in meetings or LINE groups). Once someone is disfavored, they cannot clear their name. There are double standards between favored employees and employees with ordinary relationships with management, as well as between the company’s own children and students in the class.
Favored employees have close relationships with supervisors, so their words carry more weight than those of ordinary employees. I have encountered situations where misleading statements were believed without verification.
The lead teacher trains you to react quickly in the moment, as you have to handle students’ and parents’ questions at any time.
There is training in giving class presentations—sort of like TED Talks within the cram school~
Employee dinners and domestic and overseas trips are provided.
The work environment is straightforward; this job is suitable for people who enjoy interacting with children and parents.
The salary is too low. Weida lists the monthly salary for training instructors as NT$40,000–50,000 on the 1111 Job Bank, but that is not very accurate—cut it in half.
The working hours are too long; you continue working after clocking out.
You need to contact parents and make phone calls every week based on the number of students in your class. If you do not meet the standard, your class-teaching bonus will be deducted.