Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 303 Acting vigorously and resolutely
Li Zhe was drinking tea when he heard this. He put down his cup, took out a Zhonghua cigarette from his cigarette case, and handed it to him: "Manager Yang, please explain in detail."

Yang Xingbin took the cigarette, paused for a moment while holding the cigarette between his fingers, and continued, "After listening to you talk about the early days of the company, I can roughly guess why the cafeteria is free—when you first started the business, your employees were all relatives and friends, and you were close to each other. Everyone was used to eating from the same pot, and over time, the free cafeteria system was formed."

When the company was just starting out, it was small and had few employees, so this model worked well; it even fostered a sense of community and made everyone feel more at home.

He raised his hand, lit a cigarette, took a drag, and let the smoke slowly escape from the corner of his mouth: "But now that the company has expanded and the number of employees has increased, problems have gradually emerged."

At this point, the "personal connection" between the boss and employees will gradually fade, and even if you still want to show some consideration, the employees may not agree.

The most common problem is waste—people often don't cherish things that are free. Some employees will take more than their share, some will leave a lot of food uneaten, and some will even secretly pack it up to take home.

This situation will not only cause significant losses to the company, but also foster a negative atmosphere and damage team morale.

He paused, his tone becoming serious, "Furthermore, three meals a day, the cost of ingredients alone is a considerable expense. Over time, this expense will accumulate and could become a burden on the company."

Moreover, over time, employees will take free meals for granted as a perk. If the system has to be adjusted later due to cost issues, it may easily cause dissatisfaction and even affect employee motivation.

Therefore, the sooner this situation is corrected, the better.

Li Zhe listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table unconsciously. His face showed no obvious emotional change, but his mind was racing.

He knew Yang Xingbin was telling the truth—the canteen expenses of Sijiqing Company were indeed increasing month by month, and were no longer the "small expenses" they had at the beginning.

He looked up at Yang Xingbin: "You want to change it to a paid system?"

“It’s not a full charge, but a ‘symbolic charge’ or a ‘half-price charge’,” Yang Xingbin continued to explain. “For example, a breakfast costs five cents, lunch costs ten cents, and if employees work overtime in the evening have dinner, they also cost ten cents.”

The amount isn't large, but the main purpose is to instill a sense of 'contribution' in everyone, thus reducing waste. Furthermore, this money can subsidize some of the food procurement costs, alleviating the company's financial burden.

He added, "Furthermore, charging fees can also force the cafeteria to improve the quality of its food. Employees who have paid will naturally have higher expectations for the taste and portion sizes of the meals, thus ensuring the quality of the cafeteria's food."

We can also regularly solicit feedback from employees and adjust the menu accordingly—this saves costs, ensures employee satisfaction, and is more effective at building team cohesion than simply offering free meals.

Li Zhe pinched the bridge of his nose, quickly going through Yang Xingbin's suggestion in his mind.

He suddenly remembered that a few days ago when he went to inspect the canteen, Li Jiugang had mentioned to him that some employees were secretly bringing steamed buns home.

He didn't pay much attention at the time, firstly because he felt it wasn't a big deal, and secondly because he thought that since the employees brought food home, they were probably from poor families, so there was no need to fuss about it.

But now, after hearing what Yang Xingbin said, he realized that this trend had to be nipped in the bud as soon as possible, otherwise there would only be more trouble later.

If, as Yang Xingbin said, a symbolic fee can reduce waste and improve the quality of dishes, it does seem to be a feasible solution.

But he still had a slight concern and hesitated before speaking: "Manager Yang, what I'm worried about is whether the employees will feel that the company is even reluctant to provide meals, which will affect their enthusiasm."
After all, our company has always promoted 'free meals,' and we're afraid that suddenly changing the policy might be difficult for everyone to accept.

Yang Xingbin had already thought of this problem, and upon hearing this, he said confidently, "President Li, this is easy to solve. We can provide employees with appropriate meal allowances while charging them."

The restaurant's food is already affordable, and with the added subsidies, even if employees pay for their own meals, it won't cost them much, so they still benefit from the food.

Employees with a conscience will naturally appreciate the company; but if you encounter someone without a conscience, even if the cafeteria is always free, they will still complain about the food and be picky.

“Your idea is indeed feasible.” Li Zhe finally smiled, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a sip. “Here’s what we’ll do: this afternoon I’ll gather the company’s key personnel for a meeting. Firstly, so that everyone can get to know you, and secondly, to discuss the cafeteria’s pricing.”

If everyone agrees, let's discuss a concrete plan and implement it as soon as possible.

Seeing that Li Zhe had adopted his suggestion, Yang Xingbin finally breathed a sigh of relief and a long-lost smile appeared on his face: "Then I'll go and draft a plan now, and we'll discuss it together at the meeting later."

"Thank you for your hard work," Li Zhe said with a smile. "I'll go and say hello to everyone first, and tell them to finish their work so the meeting can start on time this afternoon."

……

Around 4 p.m., several company shareholders and managers from the human resources department entered the small canteen one after another.

Everyone had heard that the company was getting a new HR manager, and as soon as they sat down, they couldn't help but whisper among themselves—some were curious about the new manager's background, some were speculating about how he would adjust the company's policies, and some were worried that the new manager would be "difficult to deal with," their tone filled with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

The young man, holding an enamel mug with the words "Labor is Glorious" printed on it, frowned slightly as he brought the tea to his lips and took a sip. He immediately grimaced from the heat and put the mug down on the table.

Li Weidong, who was standing nearby, quickly leaned over and asked with concern, "Honey, did you burn yourself? Drink slowly."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Ma Lai waved his hand, then lowered his voice and asked, "I heard that the second brother brought that HR manager back. Do you know anything about it?"

“Yes, I know.” Li Weidong nodded, his fingers unconsciously picking at the edge of the table. “I met him once. I helped him arrange his accommodation, in a small brick house next to greenhouse number 52. He didn’t talk much, looked quite serious, and didn’t like to chat with people.”

The Malaysian guy nodded thoughtfully: "Seriousness is the right thing to do! Our company is full of people and all sorts of people now, and many of our relatives and friends don't follow the rules, so we need to find someone strict to manage things. If they're too easygoing, they won't be able to keep things in order."

Just then, the murmurs in the small canteen suddenly subsided—the light at the entrance was blocked by two people, and Li Zhe led a man in his thirties into the canteen.

Li Weidong immediately looked up and tugged at the sleeve of the Malaysian girl: "Honey, that's the new Manager Yang."

Following his gaze, Ma Lai Xiao looked up and met Li Zhe's eyes—Li Zhe had also seen her and was waving in her direction.

"Sister-in-law, come here for a second!"

The Malaysian man quickly stood up, straightened his clothes, and strode over: "Mr. Li, did you call me?"

Li Zhe was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh—his sister-in-law usually called him "Second Brother," and this was the first time she had formally called him "President Li."

He didn't point it out, but simply stepped aside to let the person next to him move forward: "Sister-in-law, let me introduce you. This is Yang Xingbin, the new head of the human resources department in our company. Head Yang used to work at Daxing Farm and has many years of experience in human resources management."

Malay Xiao immediately extended his hand with a sincere smile: "Hello, Manager Yang! I am Malay Xiao, the deputy manager of the Human Resources Department. I will have to learn more from you and ask for your advice in human resources work in the future."

Yang Xingbin also reached out and gently shook her hand: "Manager Ma, you're too kind. I've just arrived at the company and I'm not familiar with the personnel structure and employee situation of Sijiqing. In the future, I will need Manager Ma's guidance and help in many things. Let's work together to do a good job in the personnel department."

"You're too modest!" The Malaysian man quickly waved his hand, adopting a very proper posture. "If you have any requests in the future, just let me know, and I will definitely do my best to cooperate."

"The HR department will be relying on you two from now on, so do a good job." Li Zhe said with a smile, encouraging them. He then added, "Sister-in-law, please sit back down first. Let me formally introduce Manager Yang to everyone."

Malay nodded and turned to walk back to his seat. Li Zhe walked to the open space in the middle of the cafeteria, clapped his hands lightly, and raised his voice a few decibels: "Everyone, quiet down for a moment. Let's have a short meeting to introduce a new colleague."

After he finished speaking, the cafeteria fell completely silent.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward Yang Xingbin, who was standing next to Li Zhe. Some people were looking at his clothes, some were observing his expression, and others were whispering to each other.

Li Zhe cleared his throat and formally introduced, "Let me introduce you all. This is Manager Yang Xingbin, our company's new HR manager."

Manager Yang previously served as the HR manager at Daxing Farm for five years, where he managed the farm's HR system exceptionally well. We specifically invited him here to help our company improve its systems and standardize its management. Let's give Manager Yang a round of applause!

"Clap clap clap—" Applause immediately rang out.

Lin Xiaohu shouted, "Welcome, Manager Yang!"

As the applause subsided, Li Zhe looked at Yang Xingbin and said, "Manager Yang, please say a few words to everyone."

Yang Xingbin stepped forward and cleared his throat: "Hello everyone! I am Yang Xingbin, and I just reported to Sijiqing Company today."

First of all, I want to thank Mr. Li for his trust, and also thank everyone for the warm welcome. To be honest, I was quite nervous before coming here. It's a new company, a new environment, and I was worried that my work methods wouldn't fit in with everyone's.

However, after talking with General Manager Li and Manager Ma, and seeing how enthusiastic everyone is, I feel much more at ease.

I know that our company is currently in a period of development. The greenhouses have been expanded and there are more employees, so the human resources work really needs to keep up.

I'm sure there will be things I don't understand at work in the future, so please give me your feedback and be understanding. Let's work together to make Sijiqing even better, so that everyone can earn more money and live a better life!

Li Zhe continued, "As everyone knows, our company has expanded a lot of greenhouses in the past six months, and the number of employees has increased from about twenty to about fifty. Inevitably, some problems have arisen, such as being late or leaving early, and slacking off at work."

I invited Supervisor Yang here so he could help us establish proper systems and resolve these issues. I hope everyone will actively cooperate with Supervisor Yang and not break company rules because of personal relationships.

With Li Zhe's endorsement, everyone present responded enthusiastically.

Zhu Yimin was the first to speak: "Don't worry, General Manager Li! Just tell us what you need, Supervisor Yang. Our production department will definitely cooperate!"

Jin Baiwan chimed in, "Exactly! Our company is getting bigger and bigger, so we need rules. Otherwise, it'll definitely fall apart."

Others echoed.

Li Zhe nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject: "During lunch just now, Supervisor Yang gave me a suggestion—to cancel the free meals for employees."

"What? No more free meals?"

The moment those words were uttered, the cafeteria erupted in chaos. Food is the most important thing for people, and most of the employees are farmers who care about "value for money." Free meals are a great benefit of the company, and the sudden change inevitably caused some panic.

Li Weidong asked, "Why cancel it? Our company isn't short of money, is it?"

Old Li was also a little anxious: "Second brother, if the cafeteria starts charging, won't the employees have something to say? We agreed beforehand that the meals would be free."

Li Zhe raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet: "Everyone, please don't rush. Let's hear what Manager Yang has to say. Manager Yang, please tell us your reasons."

Yang Xingbin stepped forward, cleared his throat, and briefly recounted what he had discussed with Li Zhe earlier.

In summary, there are four points. First, it is suitable for small-scale startups with a close-knit, family-like team, as it can reflect a personal touch; however, it is no longer suitable once the scale expands.

Secondly, offering food for free would lead to food waste and increase company costs.

Thirdly, reform measures: implement low-price charges and provide meal subsidies.

Fourthly, the benefits of the reform: charging fees can reduce waste, subsidize costs, and force the canteen to improve the quality of its dishes; subsidies can protect the actual interests of employees and make it easier to unite people.

His speech was easy to understand and well-organized, clearly explaining the drawbacks of the free cafeteria and the benefits of the reform.

The small canteen was quiet for a moment, and then everyone expressed their agreement.

Wang Rongsheng spoke first: "I think Supervisor Yang is right! Our canteen is indeed wasting food seriously. Sometimes when I go to get food, I feel heartbroken to see the leftover steamed buns and vegetables on the table."

If the food were charged separately, even at a lower price, this situation wouldn't occur. That's good.

Zhou Qinghe chimed in, "The food in our company cafeteria is already more affordable than outside, and with the added subsidies, employees don't spend much money at all and can eat even better food. I support it too."

As the canteen's chef, Li Jiugang has the most say: "I also think it's feasible. Many employees are afraid of being poor, they have eyes bigger than their stomachs, and they like to take more than they need. I've talked to them about this a lot."

Some people even think that since the company is offering everything for free, I'm meddling in their affairs, and that I should really step in.

The others nodded in agreement, convinced by Yang Xingbin's reasoning.

This surprised Yang Xingbin somewhat—when he was working at a state-owned farm, every time he made a reform proposal, he would be met with opposition and skepticism from some people, and after several symposiums, the proposal would most likely be shelved for various reasons.

This was the first time things had gone so smoothly. The "persuasive words" he had prepared in his mind were completely unnecessary.

It gave him a feeling of punching cotton, a feeling that he couldn't help but feel annoyed at.

On second thought, he understood—those present were all company veterans and shareholders, and the company's development was closely related to their interests; only when the company prospered could they make money.

In state-run farms, everyone had a secure job. The farm's profits were not directly related to the farmers. On the contrary, reforms would affect the interests of some people and would naturally be opposed.

Thinking about this, Yang Xingbin felt a mix of emotions—he was both grateful to have met such a group of colleagues who "put the big picture first," and also regretful about his previous experiences at the farm...

He looked up at Li Zhe, his eyes filled with determination, and pressed on, saying, "President Li, colleagues, since everyone agrees, let's finalize the specific meal expense standards while we're all here."

First, post a notice in the cafeteria to give employees some time to adjust, then officially implement the policy.

(End of this chapter)