Editor’s Notice: Join CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter which explores what you must know concerning the nation’s rise and the way it impacts the world.
Hong Kong
CNN
—
The PR chief of Baidu has reportedly left the Chinese language search engine simply days after she sparked a public relations disaster with controversial feedback endorsing a troublesome office tradition.
Qu Jing had left her place as vice chairman and head of communications, the Financial Assessment, a state-run monetary information outlet, reported late Thursday, citing Baidu insiders. CNN has been proven a screenshot of a Baidu system that seems to substantiate she not works on the firm.
Baidu didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. By Thursday evening, Qu had eliminated the title of “Baidu’s vice chairman” from her account on Douyin, China’s model of TikTok.
In a sequence of quick movies posted final week on Douyin, Qu spoke about her devotion to her job, strict administration type and unflagging calls for on her direct experiences, hitting a uncooked nerve with younger staff fed up with grueling hours and relentless strain.
In a single video, she lashed out at an worker who refused to go on a 50-day enterprise journey in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, when China imposed stringent journey restrictions and quarantines.
“Why ought to I take my worker’s household into consideration? I’m not her mother-in-law,” Qu stated. “I’m 10 years, 20 years older than you. I didn’t really feel bitter about it or drained, despite the fact that I’ve two youngsters. Who’re you to inform me that your husband can’t stand it?”
In one other clip, Qu shared her private sacrifices as a working mom. She was working so laborious that she forgot her elder son’s birthday and what grade her youthful son was in at college. She stated she didn’t remorse it as a result of she “selected to grow to be a profession lady.”
“In the event you work in public relations, don’t anticipate weekends off,” she stated in a 3rd video. “Maintain your cellphone on 24 hours a day, all the time prepared to reply.”
Qu had apologized earlier within the day and stated her posts didn’t communicate for Baidu, however her fiery remarks had already triggered a backlash in China, the place younger folks have lengthy complained a few tradition of extreme overwork and extremely aggressive skilled environments, particularly within the tech business.
The controversy quickly grew to become a trending subject on Douyin and Weibo, China’s X-like platform, dominating on-line discussions. Customers criticized Qu for her aggressive and insensitive strategy and accused her, and Baidu (BIDU), of selling a poisonous office.
“In her voice and in her tone, there’s deep indifference to and lack of empathy for the widespread plight of her colleagues,” stated Ivy Yang, a China tech analyst and founding father of consulting agency Wavelet Technique.
“Loads of what she stated actually struck a nerve, as a result of folks really feel that in their very own workplaces fairly often. The truth that she stated it in a method that’s so direct and in your face, it simply generated this type of emotional reponse,” she stated.
“That is what the bosses are pondering, and she or he was merely saying it out aloud,” Yang added.
China’s younger staff have more and more spoken out towards the tough office tradition that has come to dominate many industries.
In 2019, Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma drew intense criticism after endorsing the “996” pattern, that means working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days every week, and calling it a “enormous blessing.”
Yang referred to as the backlash towards Ma a “watershed second” that led folks to rethink the connection between the office and themselves — a pattern that has solely intensified because the Chinese language economic system slows.
China’s economic system grew stronger than expected at the beginning of this 12 months, however issues — together with a property crisis, declining foreign investment and tepid consumption — are piling up.
“When corporations demand full loyalty, time and power from their staff, staff really feel there’s no reciprocity or reward for his or her sacrifice or contribution, particularly when issues are slowing down. That turns into the central battle, and this battle can also be on the coronary heart of the Baidu saga,” Yang added.
As public anger mounted, the movies posted on Qu’s personal Douyin account have been taken down.
After days of silence, Qu apologized on Thursday for “inflicting such an enormous storm” in a submit on her private account on WeChat, China’s hottest social media app.
“I’ve rigorously learn all of the opinions and feedback from numerous platforms, and plenty of criticisms are very pertinent. I deeply replicate on and humbly settle for them,” Qu wrote.
She additionally sought to place distance between her remarks and Baidu, saying she had not sought approval beforehand and that they didn’t characterize the corporate’s stance.
“There have been many inappropriate and unsuitable factors made within the movies, which led to misunderstandings concerning the firm’s values and tradition, inflicting severe hurt,” Qu wrote.
An individual accustomed to the matter stated Qu’s clips have been a part of her push to amplify Baidu’s voice on quick video platforms, which have grow to be an more and more necessary channel for data dissemination in China.
Qu had requested all members of the PR workforce to create their private accounts, in line with the individual, who requested anonymity.
“The primary objective is to enhance everybody’s potential to make quick movies. Everybody can have completely different choices over the content material, and Cristina selected to discuss her private expertise,” stated the individual, referring to Qu’s English identify.
Qu labored as a reporter for China’s state information company Xinhua earlier than switching to the PR business. She joined Baidu in 2021 from Huawei, a Chinese language tech big identified for its hard-charging “wolf culture,” the place staff are anticipated to emulate wolves’ bloodthirsty nature, fearlessness and resilience.
A former Baidu worker stated Qu introduced Huawei’s aggressive company tradition along with her to Baidu.
“(She triggered) a reasonably large tradition shock. About 60% of the workforce left inside months of her arrival,” the previous worker informed CNN on the situation of anonymity.
The PR workforce is anticipated to all the time be obtainable, hold their telephones on, reply to messages instantly and attend conferences at midnight and on weekends with quick discover, the previous worker stated.
Qu additionally adopted the military-style language utilized in company administration at Huawei, requiring the workforce to be “disciplined” and “in a position to win battles,” the previous worker stated.
CNN has reached out to Huawei for remark.
This text has been up to date with further data.