A recent incident involving DingTalk CEO Chen Hang (nicknamed "Wu Zhao") has sparked widespread discussion about workplace culture and employee treatment in the tech industry.
According to reports from social media sources, Chen Hang conducted an office inspection between midnight and 12:30 AM last week, discovering that few employees remained at their workstations. While this might seem normal to most observers - after all, who would expect employees to be in the office at such late hours except those working overtime - DingTalk's response was notably different.
The following day, all departments received criticism, with employees being questioned about why they had "left work early." This news quickly spread across social media platforms, with netizens sarcastically calling the CEO "the most diligent CEO of the year," noting the irony that a company specializing in attendance tracking apps would have leadership conducting late-night workplace inspections.
DingTalk currently operates from the C6 building at Alibaba's global headquarters, a location that has been jokingly referred to as "Alibaba's Myanmar" due to the intense work pressure. While the inspection reportedly occurred during DingTalk's intensive push for an innovative AI project, many have criticized this approach as exploitative of employees' time. Since the leadership change, over 300 employees have reportedly left the company.
This incident follows earlier reports from April suggesting that Chen Hang had implemented strict attendance and workplace discipline measures upon his return as CEO. These reportedly include prohibitions on using mobile phones for social media platforms like WeChat, Weibo, or Xiaohongshu during work hours, with employees instructed to respond to contact requests by saying "Sorry, I only use DingTalk."
Additional reports describe a work schedule starting at 9 AM and ending at midnight, seven days a week - a "9127" schedule that exceeds even the controversial "996" work culture (9 AM to 9 PM, six days a week).
As a workplace software widely used in professional settings, DingTalk's primary purpose should be optimizing work processes to improve efficiency while reducing employee burden. However, the midnight inspection incident suggests an internal culture of extreme competitiveness and pressure.
The question remains whether this represents genuine developmental needs or represents unreasonable exploitation of employees. DingTalk has not issued any official response to these allegations.
This situation contrasts sharply with other companies like Insta360, which has gained attention for employee-friendly policies including gold gift boxes for all staff, health incentive programs offering cash rewards for weight loss, and various holiday bonuses and activities.
While companies often claim that replaceable workers are abundant, employees increasingly seek workplaces that offer understanding and respect beyond just salary. Comprehensive incentive mechanisms and thoughtful employee benefits can better motivate staff and create win-win situations.
Strong companies typically retain excellent talent and create positive cycles, while organizations with high turnover often face more criticism. For businesses, employees represent the core driving force of development.
Whether Chen Hang's strict attendance policies and expectations for teams to maintain combat readiness even at midnight will successfully guide DingTalk's future development remains to be seen.
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