Baidu's vice president of public relations' remarks caused controversy Employees: Once they don't answer the phone, they will be considered "inconsistent with their positions"

Chengdu Business Daily Red Star News

2024-05-08 21:23Published on the official account of Red Star News of Chengdu Business Daily, Sichuan

At the beginning of this month, several videos released by Xuan Jing, vice president of Baidu, on the short video platform attracted the attention of netizens, especially his mention of workplace topics such as "employees break up and leave my job in seconds" aroused questions from netizens, and once appeared on Weibo hot search.

On May 8, a number of Baidu staff told Red Star News that Xuan Jing entered Baidu in 2021 and was mainly responsible for the work related to the public relations department.

Some netizens said that Xuan Jing had resigned from Baidu. An in-service employee of Baidu told Red Star News that after checking through the internal system in the afternoon, he found that Xuan Jing's employment information was still in the company's system.

"Employees break up and leave in seconds", Baidu's vice president appeared on camera to shoot a short video to cause controversy

Regarding the video content released by Baidu's vice president Xuan Jing, someone said: "You may have an annual salary of millions a year, or even higher, and of course you can travel for 50 days in a row." But you don't have to PUA ordinary workers. Some people also believe that although Xuan Jing is expressing some phenomena in the workplace, as the vice president of a large company, she expresses it in the form of a video appearance, which makes people feel very uncomfortable.

Red Star News noticed that there are at least four paragraphs of content published on the Xuanjing short video platform, which are workplace-related content such as "I approve the resignation in seconds" and "newcomers in the workplace don't pay". The cover style, shooting angle, and font of several videos are relatively similar. However, on May 8, these videos were no longer visible.

According to published media reports, Xuan Jing previously worked as a journalist before joining a large company as vice president of public and government affairs, director of China's media affairs department, and came to Baidu in 2021 as vice president.

▲ The content posted by Xuanjing's self-media account. Source: The party's Douyin account

Baidu employees: They require their subordinates to open short video accounts

A Baidu employee who had worked at Baidu and Xuan Jing told Red Star News that Xuan Jing entered Baidu in the second half of 2021, and its work rhythm was relatively fast and relatively "volume", requiring department employees to keep their phones open 24 hours a day, and once they did not answer the phone, it would be considered "inconsistent with their positions".

Some netizens posted a WeChat message suspected of being sent by Xuan Jing in the work group, showing that it asked department employees to create accounts and post content on multiple video and life platforms, and "less than 3 posts", "nothing to do with Baidu", and "obviously deceitful" are all substandard. For employees who don't want to post content, "it is recommended to change to a place where short videos are not valued as soon as possible".

Regarding Xuan Jing's request for subordinates to open video accounts and publish content, a number of Baidu staff and former staff confirmed the matter to Red Star News.

"The public relations department is a department that has relatively no direct value output, so the leaders will try to prove the value of their existence, that is, to create so-called projects." A former Baidu staff member said that after the controversy caused by the short video released by Xuan Jing, some employees secretly applauded, "Some people have long felt that there is no point in doing such a thing." ”

Another Baidu employee told Red Star News that Xuan Jing has always been interested in the department's short video shooting, and had previously wanted to invite media reporters to share her shooting experience, but in the end it was not possible.

Industry insiders: Many corporate public relations companies will use short videos as an important way to disseminate

The person in charge of a short video shooting training institution in Beijing told Red Star News that in terms of content, the content expressed by Xuan Jing in the video is not new, perhaps because of her special identity, which will attract attention.

Mr. Sui, who works in the public relations department of a foreign-funded enterprise in Beijing, told Red Star News that with the rapid development of short videos, many corporate public relations departments will use short video shooting as an important way to disseminate them, so that employees in the public relations department can learn and understand.

"Our leaders will also ask us to shoot short videos, or try to make some accounts on other platforms, but we will not ask us to appear on camera." Mr. Sui said that in recent years, everyone has a strong sense of crisis. The public relations department belongs to the department that does not directly generate income, and has a strong sense of crisis from the leader to the individual, and will find things to do for themselves. When the leader makes a weekly report, he will take out a page of PPT to report, which is counted as a work content.

Communication expert: It is understandable for corporate public relations to make short videos, but it should be more humane

Red Star News noticed that in recent years, many companies have been building the personal IP of the relevant person in charge, and even the person in charge of some large enterprises will directly participate in live broadcast and video shooting.

Zhu Wei, deputy director of the Communication Law Research Center of China University of Political Science and Law, said in an interview with Red Star News that in the era of short videos, it is understandable for enterprises, especially the public relations department responsible for communication, to seize the outlet, and there is no problem with this direction. When corporate PR produces and disseminates short videos, personal appearances have one of the advantages, first of all, the cost will be reduced, and secondly, the distance with the public will be shortened. In the event of an emergency, it increases public understanding.

Zhu Wei also watched the short video shot by Xuan Jing. He believes that judging from the content of the shooting, Xuan Jing's works are more professional, her speech speed is very fast, and her hairstyle is also very sharp, which may give people a strong feeling. "The content of what she talks about may be what really happens in the workplace, but who says it, on what occasion, whether it represents an individual or an enterprise, this is very important, and it is important to distinguish."

"It's not impossible for the public relations department to make a video account, but I think first of all, the personal account and the work account should be separated." Zhu Wei said that communication should be done with warmth, rather than blindly beating chicken blood. Everyone still wants to get some humanistic care, and the communication effect of overcoming rigidity with softness may be better.

Red Star News reporter Fu Yao, special reporter Liu Yaya, intern Shi Zixiao

Editor-in-charge: Guan Li

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