KD_科定企業股份有限公司

Lots of money, suitable for becoming a money-making machine.

1. Bootlicking-the-boss culture

Before reporting for work, we were told to watch nearly an hour-long video of the chairman’s pre-listing earnings presentation (plus more than half an hour of product introductions). After the chairman praised the vice chairman’s artistic achievements in aesthetics as being comparable to those of the modern-day Picasso, the audience below actually burst into applause.

2. Bootlicking-China culture

A few years ago, the company began expanding into the Chinese market, which also has quite a few employees, so to avoid upsetting the Little Pinks, the company uniformly refers to it as “the Mainland.” I think it’s understandable that businesspeople want to make money, and changing a term won’t really kill me, but the Chinese version of the official website is titled “中国台湾科定板官方网站” (“China Taiwan Keding Panel Official Website”), which completely crossed my line. Besides, it’s incredibly self-contradictory—why not change the website to “Mainland Taiwan” too? It makes you want to meticulously record every single website bug in your daily work report.

3. Overtime culture

At nine in the morning, they’ll ask in the group chat whether you want to order dinner for working overtime that night. When the 5:20 p.m. quitting bell rings (yes, the kind of bell you hear at school), hardly anyone leaves work; everyone seems to remain seated as usual. The funny thing is that on your first day, you’ll be asked to take an online “pre-employment training” exam, which includes a question asking which option is not part of the company culture. You have to choose “overtime culture” to avoid losing points.

4. Hierarchical culture

There is a thick, 33-page introductory etiquette booklet (although the amount of paper handed to you on your first day may be two or three times the length of this booklet). When you open it, it is packed with black-and-white photos of department heads and supervisors. It repeatedly emphasizes that whenever you see someone at the level of chairman, general manager, or similar, you must speak loudly. For supervisors, you must address them by their name plus title; for coworkers... Oh, right: in communication-app groups and similar chats, once there are more than three people, you have to add your direct deputy-manager-level or higher supervisor.

5. Disciplinary system

Arguing with a supervisor results in a major demerit; arguing with a coworker results in a minor demerit; eating breakfast or listening to music during work hours also results in a minor demerit. Any demerit comes with a fine.

6. Etiquette culture

Women are the only ones required to wear makeup, and specific standards for light makeup are laid down: eyebrows must be trimmed, lips must be moisturized, and visible roots from dyed hair must be touched up. They even provide a website with nine steps for ironing clothes—how incredibly thoughtful.

7. Evaluation culture

Besides the familiar exams requiring everyone to memorize wood materials, color codes, and prices, there are also various opinion surveys with no real ability to distinguish anything, such as selecting how satisfied you are with the pre-employment training. (Seriously, who would select “dissatisfied”?) In addition, for employees aged 29 or younger, Human Resources will ask you to apply for the Workforce Development Agency’s “Youth Employment Flagship Program.” The actual purpose of this program is for companies to obtain money from the government: during the first three months, the company receives NT$12,000 per month, and from the third to the sixth month, it receives NT$3,000 per month. That would be one thing, but they also require you to sign a separate consent form agreeing that, for the materials submitted to the government, you are willing to let the company’s HR department polish and revise your reflections.

—Conclusion—

1. The overall atmosphere is oppressive and bizarre. (Everyone likes to use Skype to discuss work instead of talking face-to-face.)

2. The office building is very tall and has a great view, but you can’t receive a signal of freedom. If you haven’t experienced enough of the lingering effects of a patriarchal society in Taiwan and want to try the Chinese Communist Party’s management system, you should check it out.

3. It turns out the overwhelmingly negative reviews online aren’t without reason.

Who says this job has any pros? There are no pros, only a group of HR people who make things difficult for others.

This company is just selling dog meat under a sheep's head—its public statements sound impressive, but behind the scenes, when it wants someone to resign voluntarily, it fabricates some nonexistent offense and makes that person take the blame. Is the HR department in the south doing all right? I would actually rather you doubt my abilities as being 《too good》 and unsuitable for your company. Why fabricate insulting accusations for someone to fall into? Is it to avoid paying severance? Is that why you keep pressuring the person concerned to resign voluntarily? As a family member, I feel that this company treats its employees very poorly. How can a company of this scale have people inside who show so little respect for employees? No wonder talent keeps leaving your company—is this why?

The work environment appears to be no different from that of a typical, normal company.

The company culture is essentially disrespectful toward professional technical personnel. In a technology-focused organization, evaluations should be based on work-related professional criteria, but Keding only emphasizes employees’ attire and grooming, attitude, and whether they are familiar enough with the company’s products as evaluation standards. Keding builds and expands factories without holding relevant discussion meetings, and task-execution discussions are essentially one-sided. The auditing department’s standards also show no professionalism, with people working according to their own subjective feelings. The HR standards are also very low; it is a department that is very good at filing petty reports. HR should help retain talent and provide training, not learn how to drive people away. The salary may appear slightly higher, but in reality it requires you to put in more time. The company also forces new employees to work overtime for training, while requiring them to memorize the company’s products after work and then take tests on content unrelated to their jobs. Even more laughable is the company’s chaotic product numbering, with many products assigned duplicate numbers. This does not resemble a small or medium-sized enterprise; it is more like the practices of a sheet-metal and carpentry factory from the pre-digital era. The use of mobile phones and tablets is completely prohibited in meetings, and only paper records may be used, completely disregarding the modern trend toward going paperless. It is extremely backward. There are many other problems and shortcomings. What a ridiculous company.

1. The company environment is very clean~the toilets are also very clean~half of the entire building consists of Keding's floors

2. The company has a dedicated parking lot in the basement~for both cars and scooters

3. The company location is relatively remote~~so it provides a meal-ordering service (the cost is deducted from your salary; dinner lunch boxes are provided when working overtime)

On the first day, we started classes right away~and I clearly felt the pressure~the initial training lasts a total of seven days~every day, classes are held in the meeting room~but the entire training session is recorded~~there is a lot to learn~and it is very miscellaneous~all of it involves wood veneer products~models~and colors~the company says there will be an exam every Friday afterward~and you have to score at least 80 points to pass？！

The position advertised in the interview was for a telemarketing representative. The company can claim a subsidy for employees under 30 who join~the subsidy goes to the company~not to us.

At work, you are required to wear black pants, black socks, and black shoes. A uniform will be provided~and it must not be wrinkled~ The company provides a company phone~

This is a phone for contacting customers~you are required to respond to any customer's questions~even if you do not know the answer~you must first send a sticker indicating that it is being handled~(even for matters you did not handle~you are still required to respond). If you do not reply within the required time~~you will be audited! After work~~you must also remember to reply to customers who contacted you before 7 p.m.~and you must respond on weekends as well~every Monday morning, an auditor comes to your desk to check your phone~whether you replied late~whether there are any unanswered messages~and whether you replied to people who are clearly outside your assigned area~because the account is registered under your name~the audit will still be counted against you~and money will be deducted!

Work ends at six~if you work overtime until 6:30, you can request one lunch box~the company frequently issues official notices~remember to open and read them~~you have to check them every day!

The company’s policies change constantly~~today they say to do something one way~~then the company issues another official notice about the same matter~making simple things complicated~~

After only seven days of training, you are put on the job without even fully understanding everything~for customers~meetings cover new products~the color codes of new products~and their differences~you have to memorize and understand them~because there are often exams afterward~and if you do not score high enough, there will be another audit~

When an email is sent, it will state the reason for the XXX audit~~(the reasons are all very minor)

I heard that the food at this company’s cafeteria is very good.

Not sure

There are no advantages at all; do not join under any circumstances.

I do not recommend joining this company. Here, managers have the final say, and they will do everything they can to suppress you, no matter how capable you are.

1. The salary is good compared to other industries.

1. The nepotism problem is quite serious and has not improved.

Most department heads are relatives or distant relatives.

2. The company structure is chaotic.

Many day-to-day projects/tasks overlap with those of other departments.

3. Lack of “pre-employment training.”

Because the company has a high turnover rate, it does not provide any “pre-employment training” during the three-month probationary period in order to supposedly “save costs.” Training is only provided after employees pass their three-month probation.

4. They tell you to start working immediately without providing any training or even a basic introduction to the products.

How are new employees supposed to interact with customers when they do not even know the product information?

5. When the company relocated, it did not issue an internal announcement stating when the move would take place. Employees were only told three days before the relocation that they would be working at the new location. At the same time, the company externally boasts about “how” substantial its operations are, yet it had no SOP whatsoever for arranging the relocation. Employees were actually asked, one hour before the end of their workday, to move desks, computers, and chairs into their own corridor.

6. Taking personal or sick leave results in a deduction of the entire day’s pay.

7. For every minute of lateness, pay is deducted by the minute.

8. Even when minor problems occur and the offense is nowhere near serious enough to warrant it, they issue written warnings and demerits.

9. The company’s HR department completely lacks basic HR knowledge and professionalism. Most importantly, they are not familiar with the Labor Standards Act. On the other hand, in order to meet the company’s KPIs, they hire indiscriminately and accept no employer responsibility toward “employees,” such as providing a detailed and accurate explanation of the actual working conditions of the company and the advertised position, including the need to work shifts and the fact that everyone has different working hours.

10. Strictly speaking, the company’s HR department is a “puppet”; real authority is shared by other departments.

11. They do not follow the procedures required by the Labor Standards Act, and then arbitrarily lay people off or dismiss them unilaterally. Even if you tell them that you respect the job, they will still dismiss you. There is absolutely no room for review or discussion. Moreover, they tell you that you are dismissed and make it effective on the same day, without any notice period.

11. Company supervisors rely on the fact that they are part of a “publicly listed company” and behave outrageously, believing they can do whatever they want.

12. The company’s HR department often uses the law, overtly or covertly, to pressure people into reaching an involuntary agreement with the company.

13. On your first day at work, they do not arrange a designated workstation or equipment for you. You have to bring it up yourself before they ask IT to install what you need.

14. There is a lot beneath the surface of the company’s “promotional videos.” For example, in videos about management trainees or franchisees, they ask long-serving employees to “come up with the script” and claim that they are beneficiaries of the company.

15. The company claims that its so-called new building will be completed this year, but the interior is still unfinished, and many areas remain blocked off with construction hoardings. Despite the building not being completed, the company told employees to go to work there. The internal facilities are also inadequate—for example, the air conditioning is unstable, and some floors have no restrooms, so if you need to use the toilet, you have to take the elevator to another floor. This company is truly an oddity in the industry in this day and age.

16. The company requires employees to interact with customers, both online and offline, according to the three questions in the “script sheet” provided by the company (“When is possible, when, where”). If you do not follow the relevant requirements, you will receive a written warning and a demerit.

However, having already spent a week working in the Operations Management Department, I decided not to consider it a waste of my intelligence tax, which is how I ended up at this “lovely” company. But I sincerely hope everyone will really avoid choosing this company, because the actual situation does not match what is advertised.

I currently work in an administrative role and have been here for half a year. Looking back, I was really worried when I saw so many online reviews before joining.

But up to now, honestly, the company’s situation isn’t as bad as I imagined. Or maybe the reviews scared me enough that I came in with plenty of mental preparation (?)

The salary is advertised as 1.33 times that of the same industry, and it’s more or less true.

Also, the company’s new building has been completed. After moving in, I felt that it was much bigger and newer than the original space, which has made my mood at work a little better haha

When I first joined, I did have some complaints about the company’s rules. I wasn’t very used to the requirements regarding clothing or the office regulations. However, after employees gave their feedback, things really did gradually improve. But if you don’t like feeling restricted, personally, I’d advise against it.

You really do have to work overtime, and there are a lot of things to do, so it’s very busy. There’s genuinely not much free time during work to rest or slack off, but since there’s overtime pay, I just treat it as earning a bit more money.

As for the degree of freedom, it’s impossible to compare with a foreign company. That said, it’s not quite as bad as a traditional Taiwanese company either—just average, I guess.

But the company’s pace is also getting faster and faster. Unlike before, when you could work at your own pace, now you need to stay on full alert at all times.

Higher pay than other traditional industries

I only dared to leave a comment after being away from the company for some time, but I really can't recommend this company. The company markets itself as offering higher salaries than the industry standard. I was an administrative assistant, but there was no comprehensive job training. It felt like, if you weren't immediately productive, you might be considered incompetent. Some of my colleagues had only been there for less than a month before they suddenly stopped coming to work the next day; they were probably laid off. There were no clear performance indicators, yet people were asked to leave. Those people seemed quite pitiful.

It feels like colleagues in other departments really love working overtime, as if overtime were perfectly normal. The HR woman who interviewed me seemed never to have left work on time even once…

The company loves making image videos, but you only find out after joining that there is much more beneath the surface. The managers actually aren't very good at leading people. No wonder there are rumors online that the turnover rate is very high. I suggest everyone look for a company that offers a normal career path; otherwise, you'll just be wasting your time.

*I have worked in internal administration for over five years.

When I first joined the company, the salary was already higher than that of administrative positions at other traditional manufacturing companies.

Afterward, my performance was good, and with bonuses included, my annual salary kept increasing.

*The company had a lot of rules at first.

Later on, it became a little more flexible.

*People there do not fight among themselves. I had previously worked at a listed company where there were factions and gossip, but Keding does not have that issue.

*The department gets along well, and everyone goes out for meals together after work.

However, work is extremely busy during office hours, so it is difficult to chat casually while working.

*The pace is very fast. The company wants to move toward an online building-materials and e-commerce model, and not every internal employee may be able to adapt.

*It is definitely necessary to work overtime during the busy season. If you need to take care of children or prioritize your family, it is difficult to balance everything. This was also the reason I resigned.

In simple conclusion, compared with general traditional manufacturing companies, Keding is more willing to follow trends.

The work is relatively less monotonous and offers a certain level of challenge.

The pay is also fairly generous, but it is not suitable for people who want a regular nine-to-five schedule.

The Keding A3 office building was completed in 2023

Employees are required to wear company uniforms (?)

There is an official guided tour video on YouTube that introduces the daily meal-ordering culture. Employees who need to work overtime should remember to order their meals in the morning.

It is not an American-style culture; there is an overtime culture.

**Traditional industry**

Before the interview, you have to fill out a form containing personal information.

The first-round interview tests whether candidates are color-blind.

The salary cannot compete with multinational companies or Fortune 500 companies.

It is not recommended for high-potential young people or professional managers to join this company, because the HR staff responsible for recruitment do not conduct interviews in English. They cannot even attract talent through cross-border recruitment (India, Southeast Asia), which shows that the package does not meet market standards.

▪︎Before the interview, you need to fill out a personal information form, such as your height and weight

▪︎A traditional industry; the HR staff do not speak English

▪︎The interview includes a test to determine whether applicants are color-blind

▪︎The interviewer wears a uniform (rare)

▪︎The interviewer does not know what kind of person they are looking for

▪︎The answers to applicants’ questions are very broad

▪︎It feels like all positions at this company require knowledge of the company’s products

1. Although it is a traditional manufacturing company, it is actively transforming and becoming more digital and online.

There is much less tedious and complicated work, and you can feel that the company is actively reforming.

Recently, many foreign employees have also joined to develop overseas markets, so the growth potential is quite high.

2. Good benefits

The compensation is quite generous, including year-end bonuses, profit sharing, and overtime pay.

The salary is very good for a traditional manufacturing company.

3. The manager is very nice and does not micromanage too much.

They also listen to team members’ opinions rather than using an autocratic management style.

The team has a good relationship, and we also joke around at work.

They arrange suitable people for suitable positions, and I have also seen colleagues transfer internally.

1. The pace at work is busy and fast, and overtime is required during peak seasons.

Besides being busy, the job often requires cross-departmental communication, and the pace of execution is very fast, so you need to stay on your toes.

However, this depends on each person’s work ability and is suitable for people with good stress tolerance.

You need to be able to learn quickly and keep up with the company’s pace.

If you prefer stability and a regular nine-to-five schedule, this job may not be suitable.

2. There are exams.

There is one major exam each year covering product codes, types, and so on.

The difficulty is lower than when I first joined.

Maybe that is because many people really complained about it, haha.

Still, the exams can be irritating when they come around.

3. You need to wear a uniform.

If you have plans after work, you may want to change clothes before going.... It is a minor inconvenience.

1. Bonuses or profit sharing are offered for almost every position.

There is a guaranteed bonus for the first five months. Performance-based earnings have no ceiling, so there is no concern about employees earning too much. Even people in the same position can have substantial salary differences due to bonuses or overtime. However, the base salary is already quite high.

2. The benefits are good, including bonuses three times a year, bonuses, overtime pay, and so on.

Overall, the package is more generous than at other traditional manufacturing companies.

3. Colleagues get along well, and supervisors also take good care of their team members.

This probably depends a lot on the department, but speaking for the sales team here, our supervisor is quite supportive and responsible.

Sometimes we also have small get-togethers after work.

4. The base salary is high enough to cover everyday expenses. If you want to add more variety to your meals, just work a little harder to earn more bonuses. The salary is considered quite high, generally around NT$60,000—slightly more generous than my previous company. However, I eventually resigned because of the pressure and my physical condition.

1. Work is extremely busy.

There are many phone calls, and you also have to deal with customers’ negative emotions. The work is very varied, and there are often urgent ad hoc assignments. This traditional manufacturing company operates as if it were a tech company; the pace is as fast as a sea god.

2. The work environment is relatively quiet. Everyone takes their own work seriously, and the atmosphere during work hours is not particularly cheerful. Overtime depends on the department—some people leave right on time, while others... You need to be able to handle pressure, and it also depends heavily on your ability to manage your time.

3. You need to wear a uniform, and standards for dress and appearance are relatively strict. However, some people still have highlighted hair, so perhaps the martial-law era is finally over.

4. You have to take exams and undergo performance evaluations. Although I also had to memorize a sales manual at my previous company, I still found it somewhat stressful.

Can't think of any.

They sent me an offer letter on the same day as the interview. Two weeks after I started, HR called and said that my supervisor believed I was unable to perform the job, and told me to work only until that Friday.

But during the entire period from receiving the offer to being dismissed, I was taught virtually nothing.

Apart from organizing samples, I learned nothing at work before being told that I did not meet expectations.

I feel that the person who failed to meet expectations was me, right…?

There was no training. Senior employees had to use their own working hours to train newcomers, but only taught the bare basics.

During the first week, 99% of my time was spent watching the company's training courses for new employees and memorizing product numbers.

Then, before I even took the first new-hire assessment, they told me to get lost. Saying that a new employee did not meet expectations under these circumstances is certainly innovative.

I cannot see what the evaluation criteria were. They had not even given me a chance to encounter the criteria before presuming that I would not pass the assessment.

I had thought that a listed company would have comprehensive SOPs, or at least relatively standard procedures related to the Labor Standards Act.

Apparently, it was all fake. Even large companies do not provide the protections they should.

Being listed is no longer synonymous with having a stable job. Thanks to Keding, I learned that lesson. Great.

To avoid being accused of being a hater trying to cause trouble, I applied for the position of sales assistant at the Kaohsiung branch.

After such a terrible employment experience, I will definitely contact the labor bureau to find out whether this was legal.

Not recommended

1. The conditions are very different from those posted on 104. The monthly salary for the domestic sales position (Taoyuan) is NT$69,800–75,800: https://www.104.com.tw/job/5mh8a?jobsource=pda

After the interview, the actual salary turned out to be NT$40,000. The first month is even lower because you are not yet a formal employee, and the performance during the initial period is counted toward previous periods, so the bonus is reduced.

2. It feels like my information was obtained under false pretenses.

Good salary

Ten minutes before the end of the workday, I was called into the office and told that, because business operations were not doing well, the company needed to downsize its workforce, so I was laid off. I had only been there for 2 months and 28 days. They deliberately laid me off before I completed my probationary period and before the year-end bonus. I raised the question: If they weren’t short-staffed, why did they recruit people in the first place? HR only replied, “We needed people then; we don’t need them now.” They also emphasized that there was nothing wrong with my abilities. So many question marks??? Are they playing with people? (You often see them recruiting again before the year-end bonus period.)

The company culture is also baffling. We had to memorize a bunch of completely illogical boards and numbers, as well as the appearances and names of supervisors. All of this affected our performance evaluations and bonuses, and failing meant having money deducted from our pay. (You had to carry a large box of boards home and return it when you left the company.)

When the end-of-work bell rang (just like at school), no one left their workstation. Leaving on time seemed strange. Some people even worked several hours of overtime without reporting it. Is this excessive servility or what? It made it seem as though people who reported overtime lacked a sense of responsibility.

After I left, some former colleagues I had interacted with also left one after another. Even the HR representative who interviewed me at the beginning resigned. You can imagine how many problems the company has. I hope no more people fall for it. Learn from this warning and don’t repeat the same mistake.

The office is in a new building, and the salary is good for a traditional-industry company.

Senior management's management skills are very poor. Due to the bureaucratic culture, ambitious managers who want to get promoted can only be forced to become model employees or be very good at flattering senior management.

Performance is not assessed based on your work performance or achievements, but on internal exams and managers' impressions. Snitching and reporting behavior is rampant because if a manager does not report a subordinate's violations, the manager or auditor will receive a demerit. Basically, being given a demerit is considered normal, while the chance of receiving a commendation is almost zero. Some managers monitor employees, and there is even cross-departmental monitoring.

If a Skype group has three people, a manager must be added. It's really damn annoying. They often brag about bonuses and profit sharing, but you have to stay for a long time or have a low enough salary to have a chance of getting them.

You can only go to the convenience store to buy things or eat food with strong flavors during break time; at other times, you can only choose small snacks without any flavor.

You cannot bring your phone to meetings. Even the anonymous annual comments have to be printed on paper. In this era of promoting paperless digitization, it's really... speechless. Meeting times are also required to be at least 60, 90, or 120 minutes depending on the number of attendees, while senior management's meetings do not have to follow this rule. Damn.

Employee turnover is high; people come and go from time to time. Some people are also forced out over minor mistakes or things that do not warrant such severe consequences.

Management's management skills are poor as well. They are like obedient dogs, only looking out for themselves and never caring about employees' current circumstances. It feels like they think employees can simply be replaced after they leave. Those who remain feel worthless. Some people may work for 5 or 10 years and still only become section chiefs or assistant managers, and eventually resign anyway.

Overall, the work environment is extremely stressful. I even developed a chronic illness because of it, and I feel exhausted every day after work. The chairman places great emphasis on dress and appearance, saying that the company is managed like a military organization. If you want to experience military service or psychological abuse, you might consider joining.

Not recommended for people accustomed to an American-style work environment.

None

The first week was spent doing hard labor at the factory as an intern.

After one week, I was assigned to my designated unit.

The office environment was extremely tense.

You cannot imagine how high-pressure the environment was.

You might be singled out just for smiling.

Within one month, you had to choose one Saturday to come to the company to work.

The results of internal exams affected whether you could stay.

The vehicles of sales staff were equipped with trackers.

Drivers had to rush back to the factory before noon.

During my first week, I asked many detailed questions in order to become familiar with the work.

Five minutes before the end of work on one day the following week,

my supervisor called me into the conference room

and tried to dismiss me on the grounds that I could not perform certain skills.

I explained that I had confirmed with Human Resources when I joined that I only needed to be able to perform one particular skill,

and that I could become familiar with the other skill after starting.

I also said I would make a greater effort to ask about that area,

but they simply ignored me and insisted that this was a company, not a school.

Next, because dismissal required one week’s advance notice,

they wanted me to sign a document voluntarily transferring me to work at the factory

and explained that, in any case, I probably would not want to work there.

They therefore asked me to take personal leave for the remaining days.

I was young and did not understand at the time. Technically, they should not have been able to require me to transfer to work unrelated to my position,

but I had no choice when they asked me to sign.

I left under very strange circumstances

and was also viewed by relatives and friends as if my abilities were in question.

I felt truly awful.

At the time, I had even given up invitations from other companies in order to join this one.

Still, I am also very grateful to this company

for helping me better understand labor–management relations law.

Being mentally prepared at all times for the possibility of dismissal also pushed me to improve myself,

which helped me achieve my current working environment and salary level.

Experiencing setbacks when you are young is not necessarily a bad thing.

What is most frightening is becoming unemployed in middle age and being unable to support your family.

P.S. There were more than ten people who joined at the same time as me; two of them are still with the company.

One is a relative of theirs, and the other is more obedient.

Several colleagues were fired before the year-end bonus was paid.

Haven't thought of any yet

1. A terrible culture of working overtime. I had only been there a few days when they started forcing us to work overtime. We have to work 40 hours of overtime every month.

2. An illogical exam culture. This is honestly the first time I've ever heard of anything like it. What determines employee performance and bonuses isn't work performance, but absurd exams. And the exams aren't even about the job—they test you on a bunch of managers' names, supposed famous quotes of unknown origin, and the completely illogical, arbitrary codes and prices of all the products. During your very first month, you have to take three exams; in two months, you have to take eight in total. What the hell? After working overtime and coming home exhausted, you still have to study. Why would I put myself through this? I might as well go to cram school and take the civil service exam. If you don't do well on the exams, the system directly locks you out and prevents your unit supervisor from adding performance points. It's really damn feudalistic.

The salary is okay.

1. Continuing to work after clocking out at 17:20 does not qualify for overtime pay.

2. Endless exploitation of employees, with all kinds of unreasonable performance targets.

3. They like to pressure people into resigning, using all kinds of rhetoric to brainwash you into believing the company is great.

4. The HR department is incompetent and likes to use various methods to make employees resign voluntarily, rather than pay severance.

5. Salary deductions under all kinds of pretexts, such as reprimands; commendations are few and far between.

6. If you think it seems okay, feel free to apply for an interview at Keding.

None

After the interview, they tell you to wait for notification. Two weeks later, they tell you that you’ve been hired, but due to personnel and administrative issues, you have to wait another two months before you can start work. After the two months have passed, they call to inform you, saying, “We’re very sorry, but this position is no longer available.” It’s a shame I didn’t keep the written documentation; otherwise, I should have reported them to the Labor Bureau at the time. If you want to be messed around, feel free to go to an interview.

The salary is good.

There are opportunities for promotion regardless of your professional background.

Most senior managers and staff lack sufficient expertise, resulting in a great deal of wasted resources.

They offer a lot, but the demands are also high. There are even more measures that effectively reduce your pay. Shift schedules are constantly changed, and because overtime costs are too high, the shifts are adjusted so that you cannot earn as much. They can also change overtime on regular days off to overtime on national holidays (1.66 times >> 1 time).

They are unable to accept newcomers’ opinions. Since most employees lack sufficient expertise, they simply cannot judge whether an idea is good or bad; it feels like they only listen because you are a newcomer.

They claim they want to share with employees, yet they went public and issued shares, with the employee subscription price still much higher than the current market price.

There are no regular salary adjustments; after working there for several years, your salary may still be exactly the same.

Most bonuses are best taken with a grain of salt, because whether it is a manager or anyone else speaking, they all have the demeanor of Han Kuo-yu.

They engage in activities that harm the environment and even fired the personnel who reported them.

Employee benefits differ between departments; there is absolutely no sense of fairness overall.

High salary

No other advantages

None

The company’s turnover rate is unbelievably high.

You can get a general idea just by looking at the job listings on recruitment websites.

The company also constantly brainwashes and indoctrinates its employees.

The slogan about sharing the company’s profits with employees appears from time to time,

but later they only say that the profits will be distributed to management-level staff.

((As if managers were the only employees.

From the moment you join as a new employee, you are subjected to endless exams.

The material tested has absolutely nothing to do with the knowledge or skills required for your job;

instead, it consists of the company’s slogans and a confusing, illogical collection of product codes and prices.

You also have to remember at all times how much money you have spent for the company ((this is tested in the major exams).

Every exam has a serious impact on your quality of life.

((On exam days, many people arrive at the company several hours early to study.

The effort you put into your work is far less important than the result of doing poorly on a single exam.

The company places tremendous importance on how much money every employee spends for the company, down to every minute and every cent.

Employees are constantly asked whether they are assets or liabilities to the company.

The entire company is also required to spend a great deal of time every month watching the content of the monthly meeting.

((Although the monthly meeting materials are announced, employees still have to spend several hours watching the videos.

The company only cares about your clothing and appearance, etiquette, and whether you obediently follow instructions.

A supervisor’s mistakes are not considered mistakes.

An employee’s mistakes are unforgivable, with no excuses.

All kinds of policies and regulations bend when supervisors are involved.

Whenever something happens, whoever has the higher title gets to decide.

There is absolutely no room for discussion.

[Admitting your mistakes is not shameful; what is shameful is refusing to admit them.]

They cannot be humble,

yet they constantly quote famous sayings and inspirational articles.

They do not understand what the authors intended to express or convey.

They even try to use misquoted references for brainwashing.

For recent graduates just entering the workforce

who want to save a little money first,

you are welcome to join Keding.

Always working overtime on company business, with no time to spend money. After working for half a year, you can save several hundred thousand dollars.

The company culture is all about brainwashing you into becoming a Keding employee with no independent thoughts who obediently follows orders. You can tell it is a company where employees work overtime every day from the fact that the company orders dinner for the sales staff every day. Relationships between colleagues are also merely for show; in reality, everyone monitors one another, and there are countless cases of people stabbing each other in the back. Employees who work efficiently are always forced to stay and work until 9 or 10 p.m. for reasons such as not being allowed to leave before senior colleagues or supervisors. Only people who have worked there know how poor the atmosphere is.

The company has extremely little trust in its employees. It installs tracking devices on sales employees’ private vehicles to monitor them, so every minute and second of work is watched. Even idling requires an explanation. The salary is indeed much higher than at ordinary companies, but this is all exchanged for working overtime day and night and sacrificing weekends and holidays. On holidays, you must nervously keep hold of the company phone and answer customer calls. If you miss a call and a customer complains, the sales employee can expect to be berated by the supervisor. When you calculate this salary as overtime pay, it is completely not worth it.

The company’s inventory is never adequately stocked. Whenever customers place orders, there is always a pile of out-of-stock items, so you can only keep apologizing to customers. You are expected to sell products while the shelves are completely empty.

The company has an extremely high number of negative online reviews, and its turnover rate is also extremely high. Aside from the superficially high salary, it is hard to see what else could attract people to join.

This company is a lot like North Korea. North Koreans say that they are the happiest people in the world, just as employees boast about being happy Keding employees, because they do not know that there are many jobs with more freedom and equally good pay than Keding. They are simply complacent with the status quo. Those who survive are, by nature, very suited to being soldiers. As the famous line from military training films goes: “Reasonable demands are training; unreasonable demands are tempering.” The essence of being a Keding employee is to obey quietly and keep your mouth shut. If you believe your traits are well suited to the conditions above, welcome to the Keding family.

None

First, assess the company’s financial condition based on figures from the Market Observation Post System.

Comparison company: SHIKAN

2017 Q4 / Liabilities-to-assets ratio

KE: 63.94

SHIKAN: 38.19

SHIKAN wins!

Balance sheet items / Unit: thousand NTD

2017 Q4 / Cash

SHIKAN: 152,937

KE: 95,805

SHIKAN wins!

2017 Q4 / Inventory

SHIKAN: 464,741

KE: 989,846

SHIKAN keeps its inventory at a more appropriate level!

2017 Q4 / Liabilities

SHIKAN: 605,080

KE: 2,786,502

SHIKAN wins!

Capital:

SHIKAN: NT$440 million

KE: NT$603.9 million

SHIKAN has a smaller equity base,

so more of its profits are retained for the company and shareholders. (Using the concept of a pie, the fewer people who share the pie, the more each person can eat.)

Based on the above financial condition, joining SHIKAN appears to involve lower risk.

Starting with salary information available online,

the conditions offered by the company are indeed very attractive, but once you enter this environment,

you will find that many things are different from what you imagined.

1. You may be disciplined from time to time. (The company’s penalties are substantial.)

2. A small test every three months and a major test every six months; passing scores are assigned according to your position, and each test result determines whether you remain with the company.

(Naturally, disciplinary action follows if you fail the tests.)

3. The salary is high, but the deductions are even higher.

4. Regarding employee stock subscriptions, based on announcements issued through the Market Observation Post System, employees are asked to subscribe for shares from time to time. The annual dividend payout is also very low. (Based on a market price of NT$74, assuming employees buy at 80% of the price, they would need to pay NT$60 per share and receive only NT$0.8 in cash dividends.)

The company will of course paint an attractive picture of the future, but based on information about Taiwan’s housing market and government statistics collected online, one can conservatively infer the company’s future development potential and opportunities.

5. Returning to the company’s financial condition in light of point four: when the company’s financial condition is poor and its liabilities ratio is this high, it indicates that the company has continually been taking high-stakes gambles. It simply happened to bet correctly after getting on the housing-market boom train in its early stage!

From the perspective of company management,

the company has a system of rewards and penalties. (Personally, I think the basic concept is good: rewards for merit and penalties for wrongdoing.)

However, the senior managers who secured their positions early on have generally used certain tactics to get where they are.

I once encountered a situation in which a supervisor communicated poorly with their subordinate; the supervisor would nitpick and record disciplinary warnings against you, etc. (The deductions for disciplinary warnings at this company are severe.)

For example, failing to sign meeting minutes can result in disciplinary action, while picking up a piece of tissue at work and throwing it in the trash can can earn you a commendation. (The factors behind this will not be discussed here.)

Once you join the company, you will understand why it has so many negative reviews.

One of the company’s key figures responsible for preparing it to go public or be listed is the audit manager,

but because the company’s management system differs from those of typical companies,

it frequently requires not only overtime but also your holidays.

Although overtime pay is provided (which is a positive),

that is somewhat beside the point here.

Returning to the audit function,

whether the company can go public or become listed depends on this person,

but the company’s rules of the game make it difficult to retain talent in this position.

The main reason can be inferred for yourself.

Several senior managers who use English names are even the beginning of the company’s sources of disorder.

Besides indoctrinating new hires by telling them that the company’s future and vision are excellent,

they also tell you that you must not have independent thoughts.

Everything the company does is right,

and even if the company rules change at any time,

the changes are still considered correct.

From the perspective of several positions,

the company’s sales turnover rate is frighteningly high.

However, the company’s customers generally place orders with the company by phone,

so the purpose of hiring sales staff is merely to maintain customer relationships. From time to time, someone from KE appears in front of customers so they will remember the company. (Given the gross profit contributed by customers, frequently replacing salespeople to maintain those relationships is more than sufficient.)

The company has an unwritten rule:

an unstated elimination rate. (This can be inferred from PPTs and other relevant work-related information.)

From another perspective,

the company’s intention in continually using high salaries to bring recent graduates into the workplace

is presumably nothing more than to claim youth employment subsidies from the government.

(This point is hypothetical and speculative. For example, if the starting salary is NT$35,000, after the youth employment subsidy, the remaining salary expense is paid by the company. However, the company may deliberately make the conditions especially strict. After all, the longer you stay, if your productivity does not increase, the greater the cost to the company. Therefore, from this perspective, if a recent graduate’s employment cycle is six months, the company may actually be using relatively cheap labor to obtain highly educated technical employees. A high turnover rate may be advantageous to them.)

After analyzing my own painful experiences together with information collected online,

I offer this as a reference for those considering working there.

$ — the salary is high compared with the other companies I interviewed with. The job is basically for the money.....

Aside from the money, the work hours are probably like those of a civil-servant wife: 08:00–17:00. You usually get off work on time, and even if you work overtime, you get paid for it.

1) The company has many dress and grooming rules that I’m not used to. At my previous jobs, I could wear casual clothes—whatever I wanted. You have to wear black shoes, but I like light-colored ones. 囧

2) The product exams are terrifying. I did pretty well on the last one and received several small bonuses. All I can say is, for the money.......... I gave it my all. = =

3) I can’t understand why we can’t bring our phones to meetings. = = I have anxiety when my phone isn’t with me....

I’m working to earn money and support my family..... so I’d better work hard. = =

I experienced politeness throughout the interview, from start to finish. It felt like the company provides training.

The company might as well state directly on the job bank what kind of employees it wants to recruit, instead of wasting everyone’s time. Even with 4–5 years of relevant experience, I still couldn’t get hired, and the company has been recruiting all year.

Foreign workers are very friendly

The newly established plant is located in Dapumei, Chiayi.

Although work starts at 8:00, supervisors require everyone to line up inside the plant and be checked in at 7:50. If you do not want to be late, you have to arrive at the company at around 7:30.

Every day, you will be asked whether you want to work overtime, but in reality, you have no choice. You have to work overtime at least three days a week, and you also have to work every Saturday the following week.

The company gives you a thick stack of materials to memorize after work and during holidays. New employees have to memorize the names of all their supervisors, and there will be tests. Basically, holidays are spent memorizing the materials.

Most of the supervisors are nice, but a few section managers basically criticize people rather than addressing the issue.

People are generally quite friendly; regardless of who they are, they greet everyone they meet.

1. New hires already have a lot of exams during training. In addition to basic product identification, they must memorize the company’s philosophy and the advantages of its products word for word. After new-hire training, there is a major exam every six months, and everyone in the company has to take it, including warehouse staff and drivers. It seems you only stop having to take the exams once you reach associate director level.

2. Regardless of the department, people never leave work on time. They don’t even leave on time during new-hire training. Working overtime is the norm for them; you might even be regarded as an oddball if you don’t work overtime.

Unable to identify any advantages.

Quite a few positions on 104 are opened and closed, then reopened and closed again. They spend the entire year recruiting. Based on the category, the position I applied for should not be one that a company repeatedly posts openings for, which makes me wonder whether they are genuinely looking to hire or whether the company has an astonishingly high turnover rate. The way HR handled the interaction felt extremely impolite. When they called, they immediately questioned me in an interrogative manner, just as other reviews have described, without giving any introduction to their own company at all. They also hung up without giving me any chance to ask questions. It felt as if they were completely inexperienced robots controlled by their supervisors. They cannot even properly handle the most basic public face of their own recruitment process, so how can applicants expect this company to offer any decent career development or benefits capable of winning and retaining employees’ loyalty?