On May 10th, Red Star Capital Bureau reported that Baidu released an internal speech on its official account, delivered by Cui Shanshan, Senior Vice President of Baidu Group (09888. HK).
The article shows that at the Baidu Advanced Awards event on May 9th, Cui Shanshan gave a speech saying that the noise of public opinion will always pass, and Baidu's self-improvement will never stop.
Recently, Baidu has attracted public attention due to the short video controversy caused by Qu Jing, the head of the public communication department. Qu Jing, the person involved, posted an apology on her social media in the early morning of the 9th and resigned from Baidu on the same day.
Screenshot from Baidu account
At the award ceremony last night, Robin Lee and Cui Shanshan both spoke about the company's culture and employee performance.
"We can't just sing praises and not talk about problems," "coax upwards and intimidate downwards, demonstrate work attitude through overtime," "superior communication relies entirely on subordinates to pass on the message, and as a result, we end up saying beautiful things when the project is not completed," Cui Shanshan pointed out many of Baidu's major company problems.
In Cui Shanshan's speech, she stated that as a company that has been around for almost 25 years, it is not surprising that Baidu has encountered problems, and it is wrong to be unable to approach them with clarity and rationality.
According to public information, Cui Shanshan graduated from Beijing Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree and was one of the first batch of interns recruited by Baidu. She is also a senior employee of Baidu and the only female among the "Baidu Seven Swordsmen". She previously served as Baidu's Senior Technical Director. Cui Shanshan left Baidu in 2010 and returned around 2018. She is currently the Senior Vice President of Baidu Group and Secretary General of Baidu Culture Committee, responsible for human resources work.
The speech transcript is as follows:
Good afternoon, everyone!
First of all, I would like to congratulate all the award-winning students. Seeing everyone so proud and energetic, I am also deeply moved. We congratulate these students on their achievements and thank them for their efforts!
Today is a rare opportunity, and on behalf of our company, I would like to extend congratulations and gratitude to the families of all award-winning students! Thank you all! Please also go home today and make sure to say to the family members who love you, love you, and support you, "Thank you for your support!"
Before the award ceremony, a cultural themed MV was played, and I'm not sure how everyone felt after watching it - is it a bit familiar and heart wrenching? These are all questions and problems lurking around us, roast by everyone, and have long been "unaccustomed to". But it's a bit "strange" to put them on the big screen. Why should a commendation activity not say good, and list a bunch of questions first? What do you mean?
In fact, the award ceremony has already begun to be organized, and all programs and videos need to be planned and produced in advance. A month ago, when my team submitted me a creative proposal, I suggested that other programs were easy to talk about, such as team awards, collaboration awards, special awards... The glory that my classmates had worked hard for a year should be harmonious and joyful. The program of the Cultural Style Award alone should not only sing praises but also be like a sketch, with a touch of spiciness and satire, yet full of righteousness and power. So, everyone saw this work, and our classmate's on-screen performance was really good. The packaging, special effects, and our preparation team's level were limited. If you like it, it would be best. If you don't like it, we will continue to improve.
I think the company has been around for almost 25 years, and it's not surprising to encounter problems. It's not right to be unable to approach them with clarity and rationality. Some of the issues pointed out in the film are "setting boundaries and thresholds, and it is difficult to work independently and collaboratively"; Coax upwards, intimidate downwards, and demonstrate work attitude through overtime; "The communication between the superior and the subordinate is all based on the word, and the rotten tail still talks beautiful words"... These problems of big factory diseases also exist in Baidu, some of which are quite serious. It is not surprising that the employees roast, and the company's management is also anxious, and they are paying attention to and solving them.
At last year's award ceremony, I talked about three simple and reliable dimensions: being honest, doing things correctly, and doing the right thing. I believe that most students have understood and practiced it, and many widely recognized role models have emerged, especially among the cultural figures present here. The reason why cultural values are precious is because during times of change, they can withstand pressure, ignite motivation, overcome resistance, and tell us by example what we should believe, encourage, and inherit. It is estimated that in recent times, everyone has paid more or less attention to some public opinion and controversy. Some students may even be troubled or even waver for a moment, but please believe that there is nothing more worthy of upholding and defending than simple and reliable values on Baidu. The noise of public opinion will always pass, and our self innovation will never stop.
When I came to K6 just now, I saw the spring scenery in the Science and Technology Park was particularly beautiful. Although we faced many challenges and difficulties, just like we believed that the May sunshine would eventually be bright and flowers would surely bloom. When everyone is striving towards making Baidu better and better, we can definitely break through the current situation and create a new era of Baidu. Today is an award ceremony, and all of you here are advanced role models selected by the company. The company also has high expectations for everyone and hopes that we can work together. Being simple and reliable is not only the spiritual pursuit of the enterprise, but also a very good way for individuals to cultivate themselves. Here, I share with you all the encouragement. Just like the lyrics say, "Defend the culture of Baidu, Baidu is getting better and better"! Congratulations again to all the award-winning students, and I hope everyone has a wonderful afternoon.
