Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
- ByteDance uses eight category ratings to evaluate TikTok employees in performance reviews.
- If an employee receives a low rating, they can be put on a performance improvement plan.
- The company last year told managers it wanted to dole out more low scores in reviews.
It’s performance review season at TikTok, and some staffers are getting hit with PIP-or-severance offers.
Business Insider viewed a rubric for how the company scores employees in reviews, which happen twice a year. Scroll to see the criteria.
The company grades employees using eight category ratings, ranging from “outstanding” to “failed.” Four current and recent former TikTok employees in the Asia and US offices verified the scoring structure, though one US staffer said the wording, such as adjectives or word order, varied slightly from a different format they’d seen around the ratings. The meaning was the same, they said.
The rubric measures employees on three main criteria: Output, Leadership Principles, and ByteStyles — a set of workplace values it uses to define company culture. Those cultural principles include being candid and clear, courageous, and treating every day like it’s “day 1.”
Below is a rating scale available to employees in Asia at TikTok and ByteDance. The global employees BI spoke with said these ratings are combined into an overall performance score for each staffer. The staffers asked to remain anonymous to protect their jobs and career prospects; their identities are known to BI.
TikTok did not respond to requests for comment.
| Rating | Output | ByteStyle |
Leadership Principles |
| Outstanding (O) |
Makes significant contributions to the company/industry Achieves a breakthrough on company-level issues or significantly contributes to the company’s long-term financial or strategic benefits, even redefines industry standard through innovative practices. |
/ | / |
| Exceed Expectations+ (E+) |
Consistently far exceeds requirements Consistently far exceeds requirements in terms of efficiency and quality of work. Overall quality of work is superior and creates significant contributions and values. |
/ | / |
| Exceed Expectations (E) |
Often exceeds requirements Often exceeds requirements in terms of efficiency and quality of work with significant contributions. Gains positive feedback from most internal and external clients. |
Highly recognizes ByteStyle; consistently practices all ByteStyles and sets an example for their team Highly recognizes ByteStyle, and consistently practices all ByteStyles; manages to demonstrate ByteStyle even in complicated or difficult situations; positively influences their team and is a role model. |
An excellent role model of Leadership Principles Highly recognizes Leadership Principles; consistently follows all Leadership Principles and sets an example for their team; drives positive influence across their team or even the company, becomes a role model and takes the lead; their team continuously achieves great results and shows outstanding practice of corporate culture. |
| Consistently Meet Expectations+ (M+) |
Consistently meets and sometimes exceeds requirements Consistently meets and sometimes exceeds requirements in terms of efficiency and quality of work with extra contributions. Gains recognition from some internal and external clients. |
Consistently practices ByteStyle Consistently practices ByteStyle with outstanding performance in some ByteStyles; positively influences their team. |
Consistently practices Leadership Principles Consistently practices Leadership Principles with outstanding performance in some principles; their team demonstrates solid work outputs and great practice of corporate culture. |
| Consistently Meet Expectations (M) |
Consistently meets requirements and expectations Consistently meets requirements in all essential areas without major deviations. Overall performance is stable and satisfying. |
Meets the requirements of ByteStyle Meets the requirements of ByteStyle on most occasions. |
Meets the requirements of Leadership Principles Meets the requirements of Leadership Principles on most occasions; their team consistently produces work outputs and demonstrate s adequate practice of corporate culture. |
| Meet Expectations- (M-) |
Slightly below expectations Slightly below expectations, sometimes fails to meet standard requirements on work quality or efficiency; needs improvement in the stability of work delivery or work completeness; sometimes occurrence of outputs below expectations leads to complaints from internal or external clients. Or other situations that are considered to be slightly below role expectations from a business perspective. |
Sometimes fails to practice ByteStyle Sometimes demonstrates behaviors that breach ByteStyle; needs improvement in the practice of some ByteStyles; causes negative influence to their team. |
Sometimes fails to meet the requirements of Leadership Principles Sometimes fails to meet the requirements of Leadership Principles; needs improvement in the practice of some leadership principles; their team constantly falls short of expectations in terms of work outputs and corporate culture. |
| Improvement Needed (I) |
Below expectations Below role expectations, often unable to meet standard requirements on work quality or efficiency; needs improvement in one or more essential areas; occurrence of outputs below expectations leads to complaints from internal or external clients. Or other situations that are considered to be below role expectations from a business perspective. |
Often fails to practice ByteStyle Often fails to practice ByteStyle; needs significant improvement in the practice of multiple ByteStyles; causes severe negative influence to their team. |
Often fails to practice Leadership Principles Often demonstrates behaviors that breach Leadership Principles in a significant way; causes negative influence or even serious harm to their team. |
| Failed (F) |
Unable to meet basic requirements Lacks basic knowledge and skills required to perform responsibilities; consistently fails to meet basic requirements on work quality or efficiency; often makes mistakes or omissions, or occurrence of serious accident(s) causing significant losses to the company. Or other situations that are considered to be unable to meet basic requirements from a business perspective. |
/ | / |
For ByteStyle and leadership principles, employees are only scored between “I” for “improvement needed” and “E” for “exceed expectations.”
How low scores impact employees
Performance reviews have been a stress point at the company, particularly after managers were told last year to give out more low reviews to better differentiate performance. A score of “M-” for “meet expectations,” or “I”, which is defined as “improvement needed,” may lead to a performance-improvement plan or a severance offer. PIPs are common in the corporate world. Companies may offer them as a path to recover from a bad review, though many people say it’s hard to survive them.
Four current TikTok staffers told BI that they felt that PIPs were essentially impossible to accomplish at the company.
“I have never met somebody who’s passed a PIP,” one of the staffers said.
One former staffer said the rating scale can be misleading. For example, an M-, which is listed in the rubric as “meet expectations,” is internally considered a poor grade.
Current and former TikTok employees previously told BI that the pressure to meet performance goals has increased in the US in the past year, amid reorgs and other changes at the company. Several of those staff said their goals had shifted, making it difficult to meet expectations. The combination of internal pressure along with outside political threats due to a divest-or-ban law have contributed to burnout and mental health leave requests among some staff, BI earlier reported.
Have a tip? If you are in the US, contact Dan Whateley via email at dwhateley@businessinsider.com or Signal at @danwhateley.94. In Asia, contact Shubhangi Goel via email at sgoel@businessinsider.com or Signal at @shuby.85. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.