2024/07/01-08/17

Sharing of Internship Experiences in Vietnam by Students from the Graduate Institute  of Human Resource Management NSYSU（2024/07/01-08/17）

National Sun Yat-sen University Graduate Institute of Human Resource Management student, Yu-Dan Chen, was assisted by Professors Pao-Lien Chen and Shyh-Jer Chen in arranging her internship. Through the Ministry of Education's "New Southbound Talent Development Program: Overseas Study Dream-Building Project" she participated in an internship at a company in Hanoi, Vietnam, from July 1 to August 17, 2024. During her internship, she conducted an internal assessment of the company's current situation through research methods such as interviews and observations. She provided practical recommendations focusing on compensation and performance evaluation. Throughout her internship, she actively discussed her findings with the professor and incorporated her experience in multinational management into her thesis writing.

Company Background and Overview

The company is a family business with a headquarters in Taiwan and branch offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Due to the impact of the US-China trade war, orders at the Hanoi branch surged, attracting many businesses to shift to the Southeast Asian market. However, the General Manager in Taiwan observed issues related to insufficient financial transparency and middle management talent gap at the Hanoi branch. Therefore, the company hoped to gain a deeper understanding of the internal situation through the internship of Chen, in order to eventually develop a better group management model.

Internship Work - Problem Identification

In the first week of the internship, Chen discussed the current situation of human resource management with the supervisor of the company’s management department. This included issues such as promotion barriers, performance management, competency establishment, and training. After the discussion, it was decided that the main focus would be on establishing management functions in performance management. Chen conducted structured and unstructured interviews with 43 employees from the company, collecting data for subsequent analysis.
The primary research method was interviews, supplemented by observation. The interview subjects covered employees at all levels within the company, with different interview guides designed for senior management, middle management, and non-management staff. A total of 19 items were collected during the interviews, including data such as: years of service, job position, ideal work conditions, Chinese language ability, method of learning Chinese, recruitment channels, whether it was their first job, thoughts on job change, perceived promotion conditions, future plans and ideas, perceived learning resources, impressions of Taiwan headquarter, impressions of Taiwanese management style, company strengths/weaknesses, reasons for staying with the company, other experiences in the company, suggestions, and thoughts on overtime.

After organizing the data, Chen found that salary and training were the most concerning issues for employees. Many hoped for a clearer promotion mechanism and more practical training content. Additionally, the fairness and transparency of performance assessments needed improvement.

Internship Work - Solution Suggestions

During the two weeks of interviews and observations, it was found that Vietnamese employees placed great importance on the balance between work and family, especially those with families, who had higher demands for work comfort and flexible hours for childcare. While the company attracted these employees, they faced a dilemma due to the rise of electronics companies offering higher salaries and longer working hours.
Regarding salary, it was suggested to establish a job grading system to increase flexibility in salary adjustments and provide more career development opportunities for engineers. The salary structure should be redesigned, with finer salary scales and adjustments linked to performance to improve the fairness of salary.
In terms of performance evaluation, the company’s current forced distribution method led to a disconnect between the assessment results and actual performance, lacking fairness. It was suggested that performance evaluation criteria be based on job descriptions and tailored to different management levels. Additionally, managers should work with employees to set achievable annual or quarterly goals, and after the performance evaluation, provide explanations to avoid subjective biases. Managers also need to undergo performance evaluation training to improve fairness.
Regarding employee concerns about salary and promotion, it was suggested to set up an “Outstanding Employee Promotion and Reward Program,” with annual promotion quotas based on the company’s growth rate. Department heads would propose candidates, and these would be reviewed by senior management. Promotion criteria should be aligned with departmental goals, and rewards should reflect the difficulty of the tasks.
These recommendations were aimed at establishing a fair performance evaluation and reasonable compensation system to improve employee satisfaction, retention, and overall company development.

Internship Life and Cultural Observations

During the internship, Chen’s life was well taken care of. The company provided a clean and bright dormitory for Taiwanese staff and employed a nanny to assist with daily life. Communication was smooth, and the nanny even prepared authentic Taiwanese dishes, allowing Chen to focus on work. During the internship break, Chen explored local culture with colleagues and frequently participated in food explorations, which enhanced his understanding of Vietnamese society. He noticed that young Vietnamese people were struggling between family responsibilities and work, and he became deeply touched by the changes in local culture, especially the rising awareness among women in the workplace who were seeking a balance between career and family life.

Reflection and Gratitude

Chen commented, "I consider this internship as working on a human resource project, from company diagnosis, problem identification, finding solutions, and implementing measures. Not only did I gain insights into human resource management, but I also learned a lot about corporate governance." He also expressed special thanks to the General Manager’s assistant and warehouse manager for their care and resource support during the internship, which made the experience more effective and smooth.

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