Chinese Tech Companies Hire 'Cheerleaders' To Motivate Programmers

HughPickens.com writes: Lauren O'Neil writes at CBC News that internet companies "across China" are hiring "pretty, talented girls that help create a fun work environment." Dubbed "programming cheerleaders," these young women serve to chit-chat, play Ping-Pong with employees as part of their role, and sometimes smile and clap for male employees who play guitar in the office, as indicated by photos posted to the news service's verified "Trending in China" Facebook page. "According to the HR manager of an Internet company that hired three such cheerleaders, its programmers are mostly male and terrible at socializing," reads China.org.cn's Facebook post. "The presence of these girls have greatly improved their job efficiency and motivation."

However people from all over the world have weighed in to decry the reported role. "This is degrading — both to the 'cheerleaders' and the programmers," wrote one commenter on the original post. "Look at the face of the poor woman programmer in the second picture. Stereotypical 'bro' culture only now with Chinese subtitles." Others suggest that the company pictured should simply hire more female programmers. "What a ridiculous job, why reduce women to only be valued by their looks and to assist males. Let them have a job at the desk using their minds!" wrote one woman.

Comments

Re:This is so wrong

[tomhath]

You are judging from a Western perspective. I've heard that in Asian countries a woman working as a courtesan doesn't offend at all. Who are we to say we're right and they're wrong?

Re:Not all coders male apparently...

[Anonymous Coward]

She doesn't seem to be bothered by it.

But then again, she's not some Stupid White Princess.

Re:I knew I shoulda learned to speak Mandarin...

[Iamthecheese]

I lived a while in Japan so I get it It's not easy to explain. Japanese, Indonesian, and Philippine culture (I'm sure there are others but I only know this about those three) emphasize... group orientation I guess? The group is more important than its members. To sacrifice for the group is good. Therefore one must be encouraging to others, even at the cost of self-expression. Therefore, in turn, keeping up apparent enthusiasm is vital.

In Japan the above coupled with the importance of one's company (the loyalty owed) means a non-workplace is needed to hash out personal problems. You can't ever show you're unhappy at work, but you need a place to bring up real problems so you have to go. After all someone else may have a bone to pick with you. So you all go to the karaoke bar, drink a little, and whatever comes out there doesn't have to interfere with work. Steam gets released and you can return to work with a better mutual understanding and hopefully less stress.

In the Philippines and Indonesia (and Italy?) laughing is often used to show displeasure. The root of humor is a disconnect between what one is supposed to perceive and what one does perceive. They laugh to say "I'm supposed to be feeling good about you but that's different from what I feel". But you always smile and laugh together because it means you're still socially connected. To stop laughing is to declare you're refusing future discourse: diplomacy has failed.

So in a lot of places a lot of laughing means something completely different from, "ha ha that was funny" and a smile means something different from "I'm happy". To bring in a cheerleader is to support employees by helping them pretend and break up the tension behind the smiles.