Travelers from afar: Chinese students visit David Eccles School of Business, Clearlink

This week, a group of Chinese college students from Shanghai Normal University dropped by the David Eccles School of Business to check out the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building, meet with some of the school’s faculty, and explore the U campus as a potential place they might like to continue their education as either a graduate student or exchange student.

Their Salt Lake City stop comes on the heels of visits to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Disappointed by the lack of snow, they made sure to head up Emigration Canyon to get some pictures playing in the fluffy stuff before heading home to China.

As part of their experience in Utah, the group–led by a U alumni now teaching at Shanghai Normal University, Poem Chen–joined a couple of business school staffers for a tour of Clearlink, a local technology company that has welcomed students from the business school in the past.

It’s no exaggeration to suggest the students from China have probably never seen a company culture back home quite like what they found at Clearlink.

Chuck Melick, Clearlink’s VP of Employee Development, talked to the students about the importance of a company’s culture, and was able to leap over any language barriers with questions and examples for the students that got them giggling at themselves, and their friends.

“Culture is the way we want to express ourselves as a company,” Melick said. “Our culture is the personality of our company.”

Asking the group about the personalities of some of their peers–“funny” for one boy, “rich” for one girl, eliciting loud laughs from the generally shy group–Melick asked the group what kinds of things indicate the culture of a company. “The staff,” one girl answered. “The design,” said another.

With that, Melick sent the group on a tour that hit on all departments of the company. Camera phones constantly clicking, the students were particularly enthralled by the t-shirt art gallery, the tire-swing in the middle of a work team’s cubicle, the arcade game being played in the IT department and the pool table in the cafeteria.

Back in the conference room, Melick asked what the group learned about Clearlink by touring the space.

“Colorful.” “Big space.” “Friendly staff.”

“At least in the United States, the culture is important for the company you’re working for,” Melick said. “As you look for companies to work for in your careers, look for a culture you’re comfortable with.”

To cap the Clearlink experience, the students watched a video illustrating “unique life experiences” that the company creates for its employees in the belief that sharing such experiences is good for company unity and morale. Skydiving, shooting, racing cars and employees partying together in Vegas filled the screen. Again–probably not the typical company culture the students see in China.

The trip ended with the Clearlink staff inviting the students to join them in a unique life experience of their own, a way to celebrate their time at the company.

And with that–they all chomped on chocolate-covered crickets and worms–some more willingly than others.

Here are some photos of the Chinese students’ trip to Clearlink: