A rare look inside Chinese smartphone giant, Huawei's headquarters | CNBC Reports

Summary

This video script offers a glimpse into Huawei's expansive headquarters in Shenzhen, China's Silicon Valley, where it serves nearly 60,000 employees daily. As the world's third-largest smartphone maker and top telecom equipment provider, Huawei boasts a sprawling campus with amenities like cafeterias, 7-Elevens, and a university for employee education. Despite U.S. security concerns, the company thrives with 180,000 global employees and an annual revenue of $92 billion, reflecting its significant role in China's tech landscape.

Takeaways

• 🏢 Huawei's headquarters is located in Shenzhen, China, often called the Silicon Valley of China.
• 📱 Huawei is the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer, behind Apple and Samsung, and was once the largest telecom equipment maker.
• 🇺🇸 The company faces challenges in the U.S. market due to security concerns and government advice against using Huawei products.
• 🌐 Huawei has grown significantly since its inception, now employing over 180,000 people globally with an annual revenue of $92 billion.
• 🍽 The campus has large cafeterias to accommodate nearly 60,000 employees, with food being subsidized but not free.
• 🛒 Employees use mobile payment methods, reflecting China's move towards a cashless society.
• 💤 Afternoon naps are a part of the corporate culture, indicating a relaxed work environment.
• 🦢 Symbolism is present on the campus, such as black swans representing non-complacency in the corporate culture.
• 🔬 A significant portion of Huawei's workforce, 45%, is engaged in research and development.
• 🏫 Huawei University offers extensive continuing education with 25,000 courses for employees.
• 🏠 Employee-subsided housing is available, providing convenient and affordable living for those who relocated to work at Huawei.
• 🛍️ The campus includes various services and shops, allowing employees to potentially not need to leave the Huawei ecosystem for daily needs.

Q & A

What is the location of Huawei's headquarters?

Huawei's headquarters is located in Shenzhen, China, an area often referred to as the Silicon Valley of China.

What is Huawei's position in the smartphone market globally?

Huawei is the world's third-biggest smartphone-maker, behind Apple and Samsung, and at one point surpassed Apple for a few months in 2017.

Why is Huawei less known in the U.S.?

Huawei is less known in the U.S. due to a variety of reasons, including security concerns from U.S. lawmakers about its ties to the Chinese government and recent advice from U.S. government officials against using Huawei products.

What was the outcome of the deal between AT&T and Huawei?

AT&T dropped a deal that would have allowed Huawei to sell its products in the U.S. market.

How many employees does Huawei have worldwide?

Huawei has more than 180,000 employees across the globe.

What is the annual revenue of Huawei?

Huawei has an annual revenue of $92 billion.

How does the campus of Huawei cater to its nearly 60,000 employees?

The campus has multiple cafeterias, each with multiple floors, that are heavily subsidized to provide a wide range of cuisines to its employees.

What is the significance of the black swans on Huawei's campus?

The black swans symbolize non-complacency within the corporate culture of Huawei.

What percentage of Huawei's employees are engaged in research and development?

Huawei states that 45% of their employees are engaged in some form of research and development.

What educational opportunities does Huawei offer its employees?

Huawei offers a university program with 25,000 courses for continuing education, classes, and seminars.

What amenities are available for Huawei employees on or near the campus?

Huawei provides employee-subsidy housing, two hotels, a daycare, a coffee shop, a massage place, and a grocery store, among other services and shops.

Outlines

00:00

🏢 Inside Huawei's Massive Campus

This paragraph introduces the viewer to Huawei's expansive campus in Shenzhen, often called China's Silicon Valley. It highlights the company's status as the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer and the largest telecom equipment maker, despite its lesser-known presence in the U.S. due to security concerns and political issues. The campus's scale is emphasized with the mention of a large cafeteria serving nearly 60,000 employees, and the script sets the stage for a day-long exploration of the campus facilities and culture.

🍽️ Dining at Huawei's Subsidized Cafeteria

The second paragraph delves into the dining experience at Huawei, where employees are not charged for food but enjoy heavily subsidized meals with a wide range of cuisines. It describes the bustling cafeteria during lunchtime, the campus's multiple dining options, and the cashless payment system prevalent in China, with employees using mobile phones for transactions. The narrator's personal experience of a cost-effective lunch and the cultural acceptance of afternoon naps are also mentioned.

📚 Huawei's Commitment to Research and Development

This paragraph focuses on Huawei's dedication to innovation and learning, with 45% of its employees engaged in research and development. It describes the Huawei University, which offers a vast array of courses for continuing education, and the campus's symbolic elements, such as the black swans representing non-complacency. The paragraph also touches on the campus's villas used for meetings and the company's extensive course offerings.

🏠 Employee Accommodations and Services at Huawei

The final paragraph discusses the living arrangements and services provided to Huawei employees. It mentions the subsidized housing that allows employees to live conveniently and affordably, the rapid growth of Shenzhen, and the campus's self-sufficient ecosystem with services like daycare, coffee shops, and grocery stores. The paragraph concludes with the observation that some employees may rarely need to leave the Huawei campus due to the comprehensive range of facilities and amenities available.

Keywords

💡Huawei

Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology infrastructure and smart devices. It is the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer, behind Apple and Samsung, and the largest telecom equipment maker. In the video, Huawei is portrayed as a massive tech company with a sprawling campus that supports nearly 60,000 employees daily, showcasing its scale and influence in the tech industry.

💡Silicon Valley of China

The term 'Silicon Valley of China' refers to Shenzhen, a city in China known for its concentration of high-tech companies and innovation. In the script, Shenzhen is described as the location of Huawei's headquarters, emphasizing the city's role as a hub for technological advancement and Huawei's position within this ecosystem.

💡Telecom Equipment

Telecom equipment encompasses the hardware and systems used to transmit voice, data, and video across various communication networks. Huawei is highlighted as the largest telecom equipment maker in the world, indicating its dominance in providing the infrastructure that supports global communication.

💡Smartphone-maker

A smartphone-maker is a company that designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones. The script mentions Huawei as the world's third-biggest smartphone-maker, illustrating its significant role in the consumer electronics market and its competition with Apple and Samsung.

💡U.S. Market

The U.S. market refers to the commercial environment within the United States. The script discusses the challenges Huawei faces in the U.S., including security concerns from U.S. lawmakers and the cancellation of a deal with AT&T, which affects Huawei's global business strategy and presence.

💡Chinese Government

The Chinese Government is the governing body of the People's Republic of China. In the context of the video, it is mentioned in relation to U.S. lawmakers' security concerns about Huawei's alleged ties to the government, which has implications for the company's international relations and business operations.

💡Campus

In the video, the term 'campus' refers to Huawei's extensive headquarters facility, which includes cafeterias, offices, and other amenities for its employees. The campus is described as sprawling, indicating the company's large scale and the need for transportation within the facility.

💡Cashless Society

A cashless society is one where financial transactions are conducted electronically rather than with physical currency. The script notes that in Huawei's cafeteria, employees use mobile phones to pay, reflecting the broader trend in China towards a cashless economy.

💡Research and Development (R&D)

Research and development refers to the process of creating new products or improving existing ones through scientific investigation and experimentation. The video states that 45% of Huawei's employees are engaged in R&D, highlighting the company's commitment to innovation and technological advancement.

💡Huawei University

Huawei University is an internal educational institution within the company that offers continuing education, classes, and seminars for employees. The script describes it as a large facility, indicating Huawei's investment in employee development and lifelong learning.

💡Employee Subsidized Housing

Employee subsidized housing refers to living accommodations provided or financially supported by an employer for their staff. In the video, it is mentioned that Huawei offers such housing to its employees, which is particularly beneficial in Shenzhen, a city with a transient population and high cost of living.

Highlights

Huawei's headquarters is located in Shenzhen, known as the Silicon Valley of China.

Huawei is the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer behind Apple and Samsung.

Huawei once surpassed Apple in smartphone sales for a few months in 2017.

Huawei is the largest telecom equipment maker globally.

Huawei is less known in the U.S. due to security concerns and government ties.

AT&T dropped a deal with Huawei to sell its products in the U.S.

U.S. officials advise against using Huawei products due to security concerns.

Huawei has grown to over 180,000 employees worldwide with an annual revenue of $92 billion.

The Huawei campus in Shenzhen is vast, requiring vans to transport employees.

Huawei has multiple cafeterias to feed nearly 60,000 employees daily.

Food at Huawei cafeterias is subsidized but not free, offering a wide range of cuisines.

Huawei employees use mobile phones for cashless payments in the cafeterias.

An afternoon nap is a part of Huawei's corporate culture.

Huawei has a campus symbol of black swans representing non-complacency.

45% of Huawei's employees are engaged in research and development.

Huawei University offers 25,000 courses for employee continuing education.

Huawei provides employee-subsided housing for convenient and affordable living.

Huawei's campus includes a wide range of services and shops, creating an ecosystem where employees may not need to leave.

Transcripts

Welcome to one of the largest cafeterias here at Huawei.

How else do you feed nearly 60,000 employees every day?

I'm spending a day in Huawei's headquarters.

It's located in the city of Shenzhen, in an area often referred to as the Silicon Valley of China.

It's 9 a.m. and we're going for a tour of Huawei.

Where is it?

Huawei is an information and communications technology conglomerate.

It's currently the world's third-biggest smartphone-maker behind Apple and Samsung.

At one point, Huawei had even surpassed Apple for a few months in 2017.

It's also the largest telecom equipment maker in the world.

Yet, it's less known in the U.S. for a variety of reasons.

AT&T recently dropped a deal which would allow Huawei to sell in the U.S.

Several U.S. lawmakers have had long-standing security concerns about,

what they said was, Huawei's ties to the Chinese government.

And U.S. government officials recently said they would not advise Americans to use products from Huawei.

Yet the U.S. market aside, there's no denying how massive the company has become.

What started just over 30 years ago has turned into a company with more than

180,000 employees across the globe and it has annual revenue of $92 billion.

So what's it like inside one of China's massive tech companies?

The campus is sprawling with these kind of vans that take employees from

section to section in and around the campus.

Multiple 7-Elevens and mini-marts throughout campus.

It's 12:20 right now and this cafeteria in Huawei is packed.

It's a campus that has to feed nearly 60,000 people everyday.

This is just one of many cafeterias here on the campus.

In fact, if this looks big, this is nothing. This is one of three floors and there's over a dozen of these cafeterias.

Food isn't free here for employees, but it is heavily subsidized.

There's so many choices, you can get pretty much any cuisine imaginable here.

Hi! Hello!

At these registers, no one uses cash.

China is moving toward a cashless society.

So, it makes sense that people here are using mobile phones to pay.

I don't see anybody else with cash.

The cost of my lunch was about $2.50.

It's time to eat.

In parts of China's corporate culture, an afternoon nap is considered

completely normal and sure enough after lunchtime, I see a number of employees getting some shut-eye.

There's a lot of symbolism throughout the campus, one of them is these black swans.

There's three of them on the campus, which I'm told is meant to

symbolize non-complacency within the corporate culture.

Huawei says 45% of their employees are engaged in some form of research and development.

On this side of the lake, you'll see some villas.

These are used for meetings, for executives, for partners, for out-of-town guests.

Sometimes, you'll find things on this campus that seem a bit random.

I'm in a stationary train right now.

This is what's known as Huawei University. It's where employees come for

continuing education, classes, seminars, and by the looks of it, it's quite big.

The company says it offers 25,000 courses through its university program.

About a ten minute drive from the main campus, Huawei has a number of

buildings where thousands of its employees can live alone or with their families.

This city went from around 30,000 people to more than 12 million

in just about 40 years.

Because Shenzhen is such a new city, many people

who actually live here are not actually from here,

so the employee subsidized housing allows a lot of people who moved

to this part of China to live conveniently and relatively inexpensively.

There's also two hotels here.

On the ground floor, here you have a daycare, a coffee shop, massage place, grocery store,

pretty much anything you can think of.

This is presumably empty, because, well, it's two in the afternoon.

Everyone is likely at work.

And there's enough services and shops between here and the campus,

that some employees pretty much never even need to leave the Huawei ecosystem.