China’s leading coffee chain has come under fire for its recruitment policies after a woman claimed she was rejected for “being timid and weak with no experience”.
At the beginning of July, the woman posted on a social media platform that she had applied to work at a branch of Luckin Coffee in Fujian province, southeastern China, the news outlet My Drivers reported.
She was interviewed by a member of human resources staff before meeting the shop’s manager.
The woman was later informed that she had not passed the interview, the report said.
“I am speechless. Why is Luckin so picky?” the woman, who was not identified, asked in her post.
“I told them I am willing to work for a long time and I accept their working hours. I was also proactive during the interview.
“But they think I am not qualified for the job. They said I am too timid, too weak, with zero experience. I am wondering why they made those comments,” she added.
After her post received feedback from the public, she said staff at the coffee shop persistently called her, requesting she delete what she had written on the internet.
She claimed they also phoned her family when she refused to answer their calls.
A customer service hotline worker at the company told the media that the branch is responsible for providing interview details.
It is not clear which branch she posted the allegations about.
Luckin declined to comment on July 10 when approached by the Post.
The controversy received an immediate and huge response on mainland social media.
“How brave does one need to be to make coffee?” one online observer asked.
“Are you choosing a concubine?” another person quipped.
“It’s fine that you do not like this candidate. But it’s not necessary to make such rude comments about her,” said a third.
Not long ago, the company found itself in hot water for alleged age discrimination while hiring.
A shop manager in the southern province of Guangdong told a 26-year-old job applicant that she was not suitable for the job because she was too old.
“We need young and dynamic people. I am afraid there will be a generation gap between you and our customers,” the manager said, according to a viral video.
The quirky and sometimes unacceptable recruitment requirements of companies often make headlines in China.
In 2020, the mainland drinks giant Coconut Palm Group said applicants for its trainee management positions must promise to work there for their entire lives, and even agree to mortgage their homes with the company.
The local authority intervened after the unreasonable demand was exposed by the media.
