2020 has come with a number of unforeseen challenges due to COVID-19, including the temporary closure of offices, virtual onboarding, and the universal adoption of work from home. As a company with over 60,000 employees across 50 different cities, we've felt the effects of these changes on a global scale at ByteDance. Although we've continued to be creative and efficient with our work, many of us miss the experience of connecting with colleagues in person and welcoming new ByteDancers to the office.
Given the circumstances, ByteDance's Organizational Culture (OC) team has launched a number of regional and global initiatives to make working from home more enjoyable, including employee gift boxes and virtual contests. One of the most impactful projects has been a series of virtual concerts called "At Home, Yet Together," which featured artists and creators from around the world, including Minzy. We spoke with several ByteDancers to learn more about the events and how they have helped colleagues come together during this unusual time.
Coming up With the Idea for Virtual Concerts
Errol Sellgren is a member of the Global OC team and one of the main organizers of the recent virtual concerts. "Our goal with 'At Home, Yet Together' was to bring ByteDancers together across borders (12 different countries so far!) and provide an experience everyone could enjoy and engage with," he explains. "Knowing that some employees might be struggling emotionally and mentally during work from home, we felt that giving them an interactive experience could really have a positive impact."
As there were two separate concerts -- one for the Asia-Pacific (APAC), and another for the Middle East, Turkey, & Africa (META) -- each event featured music unique to that region and promoted employee artists from local offices. "We've always run local events, but we wanted to do something on a regional scale," notes Jess Hui, a member of the OC team who oversaw the APAC concert. "Many of us may speak different languages and work in different spheres, but we can still bond over a shared love of music. It was heartwarming to see everyone connect and learn about each other's cultures during the concert."
Employee Reception
Rami Zeidan, an employee for TikTok Dubai who performed as a DJ for the META concert, reflected on what the experience meant to him: "it was just an awesome moment. To perform live for so many colleagues who have been struggling with the same feelings and difficulties during COVID-19...I can't think of a more meaningful environment for my music."
Ellyas Sitorus, a ByteDancer who attended the APAC virtual concert, was also moved by the atmosphere of the event. "Although everything was done virtually on Zoom, I really felt connected with everyone there," says Sitorus. "By joining in the chat, I realized that hundreds of colleagues from different cultures and backgrounds were attending, but we had all come together for the same reason. I could truly feel the scale of ByteDance as a global company."
TikTok Africa employee Yuvir Pillay (a record producer and DJ in South Africa known by his stage name "Sketchy Bongo") echoed this sentiment. "It's funny, but I've never felt closer to my colleagues than I do now," he explains. "I had so many people message me after my performance, thanking me and saying they loved my music; most of them I'd never even met before! It says a lot about the ByteDance community that we could hold this event, and that so many people joined and supported."
Yuvir Pillay aka "Sketchy Bongo" (left), Rami Zeidan (right)
Working at ByteDance
At ByteDance, we are proud of initiatives like the "At Home, Yet Together" concerts because they not only showcase our incredibly talented people, but also highlight how much we value and appreciate our employees. Our mission to inspire creativity and enrich life doesn't just apply to our products, but to the people who work to improve them. In the near future, we're excited to introduce the "At Home, Yet Together" concerts to other regions, and continue to provide meaningful resources to ByteDancers during work from home.
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