Cheerleaders hired to motivate programmers

FORGET bean bags and ping pong tables. These companies have an unusual new work perk aimed at ‘motivating’ their awkward male employees.

Supplied Editorial

BEANBAGS, ping pong tables ... cheerleaders?

From Netflix’s unlimited parental leave, to Google’s huge selection of free cafes and restaurants, to Apple and Facebook’s egg-freezing policy, tech companies the world over are known for using extravagant perks to attract and retain staff.

Here’s another to add to the list: Chinese technology companies have reportedly begun hiring cheerleaders to motivate their socially awkward programmers.

The “pretty, talented girls” are hired to “help create a fun work environment” for their mostly male employees who are “terrible at socialising”, Chinese news agency CFP reports.

Their job includes buying programmers breakfast, chit-chatting and playing ping pong with them. The presence of these office cheerleaders has “greatly improved their job efficiency and motivation”, according to CFP.

It comes after another Chinese company allowed its workers to go ‘faceless’ for a day to relax their smiling muscles and remain anonymous in front of customers.

Internet companies across China are embracing programming cheerleaders, pretty, talented girls that help create a fun work environment. Their job includes buying programmers breakfast, chitchatting and playing ping-pong with them. According to the HR manager of an Internet company that hired three such cheerleaders, its programmers are mostly male and terrible at socializing, and the presence of these girls have greatly improved their job efficiency and motivation. (Photos: CFP)

Internet companies across China are embracing programming cheerleaders, pretty, talented girls that help create a fun work environment. Their job includes buying programmers breakfast, chitchatting and playing ping-pong with them. According to the HR manager of an Internet company that hired three such cheerleaders, its programmers are mostly male and terrible at socializing, and the presence of these girls have greatly improved their job efficiency and motivation. (Photos: CFP)

Internet companies across China are embracing programming cheerleaders, pretty, talented girls that help create a fun work environment. Their job includes buying programmers breakfast, chitchatting and playing ping-pong with them. According to the HR manager of an Internet company that hired three such cheerleaders, its programmers are mostly male and terrible at socializing, and the presence of these girls have greatly improved their job efficiency and motivation. (Photos: CFP)

Internet companies across China are embracing programming cheerleaders, pretty, talented girls that help create a fun work environment. Their job includes buying programmers breakfast, chitchatting and playing ping-pong with them. According to the HR manager of an Internet company that hired three such cheerleaders, its programmers are mostly male and terrible at socializing, and the presence of these girls have greatly improved their job efficiency and motivation. (Photos: CFP)