Stay informed with free updates
Just sign up for Chinese business and finance myFT Digest — delivered straight to your inbox.
The head of public relations at Chinese search giant Baidu has sparked a public relations crisis for himself after posting a video on social media disparaging his staff. This is the latest example of sometimes brutal workplace practices in China’s high-tech sector.
“I can make you unemployed in this industry,” Baidu vice president Qu Jing said in one video. She added that she needs employees who are dedicated enough to be by her side for 50 consecutive days on the road, and she doesn’t care if it affects the employees’ personal lives. . “I’m not your mother,” she said. “I only care about the results.”
Qu also said she was so obsessed with Baidu that she didn’t know her son’s grade in school.
The executive posted the video on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, and intended the clip to serve as an example of how her team uses social media to promote Baidu. In fact, criticism of the workplace culture of Chinese tech companies has been rekindled.
“Employees will never feel comfortable in a company that lacks even the slightest warmth,” one user wrote on social media platform Weibo, where Koo’s comments have been trending. As of Thursday, the discussion had garnered him 150 million views.
“She wanted to create an ‘iron lady’ image, but the situation has changed,” said Wang Qingrui, an independent technology columnist. “Now people don’t agree with the logic of those in power.
“She not only expresses herself in the video, but also Baidu’s culture and values,” he added. “This makes Baidu’s image problem even more serious.”
Qu’s comments have also reignited concerns about working conditions. The long working hours often expected of technical employees are known as “996s.” This means they clock in at 9 a.m., leave at 9 p.m., and work six days a week.
Although there has been some improvement since the Chinese government cracked down on domestic tech giants in 2021, Qu suggested the company is still requiring staff to work long hours. In one video, she said that public relations officers have to be available 24 hours a day and can never take vacations.
Many employees said the recent slowdown in the tech industry and large-scale layoffs have brought back long hours amid intense competition. Other examples of harsh practices include PDD Holdings pursuing and suing former employees who violated non-compete agreements, and social media group Kuaishou beginning to oust employees over the age of 35. .
Baidu in particular is struggling to rebuild itself as its search advertising business has stalled and its bets on other business areas have failed. The group has recently focused its efforts on artificial intelligence, aiming to be China’s answer to OpenAI.
By Thursday, Qu had deleted the video from her Douyin account and apologized, saying she had “seriously read people’s opinions and criticism” and would “deeply reflect.”
“I sincerely apologize for my video causing misunderstanding to outsiders about Baidu’s values and culture,” she wrote on social media.
Amid the controversy, another video of Qu addressing a negative article in the South China Morning Post went viral on Chinese social media.
The clip shows a paper doll hanging in Baidu’s office, with four red knives pointing to its chest that read “SCMP.” Mr. Ku can also be seen whipping the doll with a rope.
Baidu did not respond to a request for comment.
