" Dismissals and layoffs are ever-hot topics in the workplace. The day before yesterday at noon, Zhou Hongyi posted on Weibo, requiring the HR department to regularly clean out 'little white rabbit' employees, otherwise the 'Dead Sea effect' would occur. " The saying 'flowing water does not stagnate' has some truth to it. But netizens were angered by this, interpreting it as saying that capable people will find better opportunities, while the incapable stay put? The ones who should leave don't, and the ones who shouldn't leave do? One might think that Mr. Zhou is applying the idea of 'the grass is greener on the other side' to company management, but that's probably not his intention. In fact, employees who don't leave aren't because they have nowhere to go, but because they still have hope for the company; those capable of job-hopping but choosing not to actually indicate that the company hasn't yet shown such an effect. But just because it hasn't appeared yet doesn't mean it won't. Every company and HR should understand their definition of employees. Stars, skinny dogs, wild dogs, little white rabbits, and oxen 1. Stars: Employees with strong personal abilities (key indicator: outstanding performance) and high identification with goals and values are defined as 'stars.' 2. Skinny dogs: Employees with weak personal abilities (key indicator: poor performance) and low identification with goals and values are defined as 'skinny dogs.' 3. Wild dogs: Employees with strong personal abilities but extremely low identification with goals and values are defined as 'wild dogs.' 4. Little white rabbits: Employees with weak personal abilities, long-term poor performance, but extremely high identification with goals and values and excellent work attitude are defined as little white rabbits in the Alibaba matrix. 5. Oxen: Their biggest characteristic is 'going with the wind.' Ox-type employees are the most common in most teams. When star employees become the dominant force in a team, stars become the direction of growth; When wild dogs prevail in a team, they become the role models for work; When little white rabbits are most comfortable and at ease, it leads oxen to join the ranks of little white rabbits. Then the problem arises. Because becoming a little white rabbit is relatively easier, it causes ox-type employees to be continuously assimilated, and even members with star employee traits may waver and become disappointed with the company's values, thus becoming wild dog-type employees. Although little white rabbits identify with the company's values, it's only superficial after all, because in a company, performance is king—an eternal truth. So our venture capital queen Xu Xin also believes that whether you can reasonably, timely, and effectively 'remove' little white rabbits is the biggest test for HR work, because little white rabbits who 'work hard without merit' often make people reluctant or unable to act. Therefore, the little white rabbit problem is often shelved in many teams. A serious consequence of this is that seniority accumulation supports little white rabbits growing into big white rabbits, and once big white rabbits develop the 'reproductive ability' of little white rabbits, HR work faces the danger of losing control. But not everyone sees the signs. Jack Ma and his old friend Shi Yuzhu once debated: whether white rabbits or wild dogs are more harmful to the company? Ultimately, Shi Yuzhu was convinced that white rabbits are more harmful. Later, Shi Yuzhu also admitted that they would implement a 10% bottom elimination every quarter to turn the 'rabbit nest' into a 'wolf pack.' Indeed, in a company, the worst fear is bad money driving out good money. As the company grows larger and has more people, it's still a bit difficult to command from top to bottom like an arm and a finger. But if something is broken, you can choose not to throw it away but fix it first. The same applies to employees: instead of 'removing' little white rabbit employees, you can also choose to turn them into 'stars.' Dismissal only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. Keeping employees' vitality fresh is the best strategy, and promoting a good ecological cycle is important. Turning 'Little White Rabbits' into 'Stars' Little white rabbit employees today can be described in one word: 'Buddha-like.' But this era is full of 'fake Buddha-like.' What their seemingly Buddha-like lives lack is—stimulation. HR or leaders can generally promptly identify employees with obvious shortcomings and provide targeted motivation, but they often overlook the little white rabbits. Thus, both sides are unaware, letting potential star employees slip into the ranks of little white rabbits. When it comes to motivation, many HRs are afraid. Does motivation mean money? Not entirely. Lu Qing works as a sales assistant at a foreign company, starting from scratch in sales, and he is full of unknowns about the industry. Initially, he hoped his work would progress steadily, so he tried his best to complete tasks assigned by his leader to 100 points. After half a year, he could meet basic requirements. He was satisfied with his current work and began planning to use new ideas to negotiate with clients. But in the eyes of his leader, he was just a little white rabbit, diligently completing his work every day without merit or fault, so he was given a barely passing grade in the level assessment. This assessment instantly extinguished his enthusiasm for breakthrough. 'Passing is passing,' he thought, and he became a veritable little white rabbit. But if you had given him 100 points, or even 90, he would have spontaneously done 200 points, and for the company, that would have reached your 100 points. When employees have motivation, the company benefits. That's why many people care more about performance than commission. A few days ago, a well-known businesswoman jumped to her death, which deeply moved Global Circle. Her family said she worked extremely hard, busy with projects day and night for the past six months, often working overtime until one or two in the morning, and only went home for a little over an hour on New Year's Eve. Before the incident, the project she was responsible for finally opened, with crowds of people and a lively scene, and she was in a particularly good mood. According to industry insiders, the project she was responsible for was very difficult to attract investment, and 'successfully completing the investment attraction was truly admirable.' However, it is said that at a meeting, she was publicly criticized for not meeting performance targets. She closed her notebook on the spot and said, 'I won't attend this meeting today; I quit,' then got up and left the meeting room. In the evening, she sent a WeChat message in the family group of three: 'Sorry.' Four minutes later, she turned off her phone and never turned it on again. Even such a strong woman couldn't escape the vortex of 'not being recognized,' let alone little white rabbits. When it comes to motivation, you can also learn from Huawei, where bonuses have 'no upper limit.' This may be difficult for many companies, but by designing commission calculation methods, you can effectively control the total bonus amount while not dampening sales enthusiasm. Huawei advocates 'wolf culture,' but in Global Circle's view, it's because they understand 'human nature': survival first, then development, applies to both companies and individuals. An excellent boxer, when cornered, is most likely to have his courage greatly stimulated, unleashing tremendous fighting power to defeat a strong opponent. When not cornered, everyone chooses the comfortable and familiar zone. So, back to the point: did Zhou Hongyi's Weibo post have a hint of stimulation? You guess. Solving the Little White Rabbit Problem: Intrinsic Motivation Performance One thing HRs must deeply understand: why do some management concepts seem reasonable but don't work in practice? Take the 'Dead Sea effect': it makes sense. Some good employees can't stand the company's stupid behavior and leave. That stupid behavior is partly caused by little white rabbit employees. So does cleaning out little white rabbit employees solve the problem? Obviously, no. Once the Dead Sea effect occurs, it must be due to upper-level decision-making problems or the bad character of those in power. Besides cleaning out little white rabbit employees, you must also promptly correct wrong decisions or discover and eliminate the dark forces that drive away good employees; otherwise, decline is inevitable. If culture is not implemented properly, the only option is elimination, which is indeed a helpless move. But a good company doesn't need too many capable people; a good system can make a group of mediocre people achieve great things. So the best way to deal with little white rabbit employees is to design performance with intrinsic motivation. After all, the word 'value' has deep connotations; you can figure it out yourselves. Source: Global Human Resources Think Tank In late August, the '2018 China Digital Innovation Conference (2018FDIC)' with the theme 'Finding New Growth Engines' will be held in Shanghai, hosted by the China FMCG Industry Association and organized by New Distribution. The conference will last 3 days, focusing on two main themes: marketing and supply chain, with six parallel forums on brand, distribution, communication, B2B, intra-city logistics, and innovative retail. We will invite industry leaders, CEOs, and brand executives to deeply interpret the trends and drivers of digital transformation in the FMCG industry. The conference will have over 5,000+ enterprises participating. This grand event brings together outstanding explorers and promoters of digital transformation across industries, sharing case practices of digital transformation for industry enterprises and partners, discussing digital technology development trends and cutting-edge applications, building a bridge for brand owners, distributors, retail enterprises, and marketing agencies, helping FMCG manufacturers obtain the latest information and understand best application practices. Help brand owners and distributors find new digital growth engines in the Internet era! Conference Time August 22-24, 2018 Conference Venue Shanghai Baohua Marriott Hotel Conference Content 8.22 All-day check-in Afternoon 14:00-17:30 Distributor intra-city logistics special parallel forum Evening 18:30-21:00 New Distribution Night Gala Dinner 8.23 Theme: Marketing Digital Innovation Morning 9:00-12:00 Marketing Digital Innovation Main Forum Afternoon 14:00-17:30 Brand, Distribution, Communication Parallel Forums 8.24 Theme: FMCG Supply Chain Digital Upgrade All day: FMCG Supply Chain Conference Registration Method Registration channel is now open. Long press the QR code below or click 'Read Original' to register. Special early bird tickets are limited to 200, enjoy half-price discount, while supplies last! Registration Consultation Ticket inquiries: Media cooperation inquiries: New Distribution Previous Conference Highlights Click the link below to review the highlights of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd FMCG + Internet Conferences: -END-