Human Resources - Zhao Xiao Min

I joined Lee Kum Kee in 2010 and have been with the company for 10 years.

 As a renowned corporation in China, Lee Kum Kee is widely recognized for its law-abiding management model, teamwork-focused work environment, comprehensive policies and guidelines, and a good career prospect. Fresh graduates naturally dream of joining Lee Kum Kee.

Given my legal education, I am well aware of the importance of law-abiding business management which has been painstakingly adhered to by Lee Kum Kee. Though I was new to the field of human resources, I believed my preliminary knowledge of labour law and labour contract law would help me get a hang of the day-to-day tasks quickly. This was how my engagement in human resources began.

In 2018, Lee Kum Kee established a new plant in Jining, Shandong, which marked a turning point in my career. On my assignment in Jining, I got a promotion. With the support of colleagues in the Human Resources and Administration Function, I had a full understanding of the work routine of the Function. I also got a deeper overview of the overall operation and management of the plant. My favourite part during my somewhat-over-one-year stint in Jining, which was one of the most challenging, was recruitment. I was given the opportunity to promote Lee Kum Kee’s outstanding corporate culture and employer brand, and to understand jobseekers’ needs and expectations As a result, I was able to propose more relevant locally-centric human resources and administration policies.

The toughest time was definitely when I first arrived in Jining. Amid an unfamiliar environment marked by differences in communication and work styles between the southern and northern regions, I sometimes felt powerless. I was so fortunate that I had my team’s generous supply of support and encouragement. We would figure out the solution together. With the spirit of “Constant Entrepreneurship” in mind, I doggedly reflected on and adjusted my own approaches to work and communication, and learned new things enthusiastically. By degrees I began to settle into my new role.

We in human resources and administration attach great importance to interpersonal communication. I realize that if we apply the value of “Si Li Ji Ren” in our interactions with people, that is, putting ourselves in others’ shoes and caring about their feelings, communication will be more effective to the benefit of all parties.

If I was asked to describe my work at Lee Kum Kee with one of our products, I would pick Tomato Ketchup because it is both tastily sweet and sour. There are sweet and sour moments to my work at Lee Kum Kee. Despite the unavoidable hard graft, I have learnt to cherish this memorable growth experience.