Employee Tenure and Retention at ByteDance
ByteDance, the global social media giant known for its platforms TikTok and Douyin, has revealed key insights into employee tenure and retention. According to internal data shared during a recent meeting, the median service length of current employees is 2.9 years, with an average tenure of three years. These figures suggest that a significant portion of the company’s workforce has remained with the organization for an extended period.
The company, which employs around 120,000 people, disclosed that approximately half of its employees have spent more than three years with the firm. This information was shared during a town hall meeting led by co-founder, chairman, and CEO Liang Rubo. The data also highlighted that the median service length for former employees was estimated at 2.6 years, with an average tenure of 2.5 years.
These statistics indicate that ByteDance has managed to retain a substantial number of its employees, particularly in comparison to other tech companies in China. The country’s technology sector is known for its high turnover rate, largely due to the infamous “996” work culture, which involves working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. In response to concerns about employee well-being, ByteDance abandoned the 996 schedule in November 2021, introducing a “1075” work model instead—10 a.m. to 7 p.m., five days a week.
The decision to share these tenure figures came after online speculation suggested that the company had retained staff for only an average of seven months. The numbers were first reported by Chinese media outlets, including The Paper, a digital newspaper owned by the state-run Shanghai United Media Group.
In comparison, the median tenure for employees in the United States was 3.9 years as of January 2024, slightly lower than the 4.1 years recorded in January 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, China does not publish official data on the median service length of employees on the mainland, making it difficult to draw direct comparisons.
Employee retention has become a critical topic, especially in the tech industry, as China faces a persistent youth unemployment problem. The situation has been exacerbated by the large number of fresh graduates entering the job market each year. A record 12.22 million new graduates are expected to join the labor force this summer, potentially increasing the unemployment rate among 16 to 24-year-olds.
The competitive job market has also brought attention to age discrimination, commonly referred to as the “curse of 35.” This term, popularized on social media, highlights the risk of being laid off once employees reach the age of 35, particularly in the tech sector.
As companies like ByteDance continue to navigate the challenges of retaining talent, the focus on employee well-being and work-life balance remains crucial. With the evolving landscape of the tech industry, organizations must find ways to attract and retain skilled workers while addressing the broader issues of employment and career sustainability.
