Brutal job-hunting show reflects employment woes

(Ecns.cn) -- A popular job-hunting reality TV show has provoked a series of backlashes from Chinese Web users over the past few months. Even entrepreneurs say they can't stand to watch it, says China Newsweek.

Former Google China executive Kai-fu Lee, who has initiated a boycott against the show, says "Only You" exaggerates a negative attitude toward grads seeking employment.

To some extent the public's fury has not only been caused by the show itself, but by the social problems it exploits for entertainment, such as an unhealthy workplace culture and the difficulties faced by college graduates.

High-stress interviews, harsh performance reviews and increased pressure on workers are more commonly seen in China, putting employees at a growing disadvantage. According to Kai-fu Lee, that's no laughing matter.

Embarrassing moments

"Only You" is an "Apprentice"-style show on Tianjin TV where a panel of 12 Chinese company executives interview and evaluate job applicants. Since late 2010 it has seen 305 applicants, 51 of whom had studied overseas, find jobs.

Although it is designed to help job seekers, the program has sparked wide criticism for the invective its host and interviewers use on applicants – especially overseas returnees.

During an episode on May 20, 2012, Guo Jie, a 32-year-old graduate who had recently returned to China after studying in France for 10 years, passed out on stage during a stern line of questioning by the panel of executives.

Because Guo holds three degrees, including bachelor's degrees in sociology and film and a master's degree in international tourism, the audience had very high expectations of him.

Yet when Wen Ji, one of the panel members, questioned him in French about well-known French sociologists and directors, Guo had little to say. Host Zhang Shaogang then commented that Guo's degree might be fake.

Wen argued that Guo's Bac+5 degree (equivalent to a master's) was no better than a high school diploma, causing Guo to faint. Guo quickly came around, but Zhang refused to go to his aid out of suspicion that the boy might be pretending.

The incident reminded the audience of Liu Lili, a 24-year-old candidate who spent three years studying in New Zealand. During an episode of "Only You" last January she also irritated host Zhang Shaogang, who accused her of having a "servile attitude" to foreign things and turned most of the panel members against her.

Liu had sparked Zhang's anger by saying her favorite works of literature were written by William Shakespeare.

Backlash

Nearly every other month "Only You" has pulled stunts to boost audience ratings, a practice that has earned the show a nasty reputation.

Kai-fu Lee tells China Newsweek that a top-rated job-hunting program should feature hosts with wisdom and humor, who can help job seekers develop a positive and healthy understanding of the job-hunting process.

Job applicants must always be prepared for unexpected questions and tough challenges, and that is the problem, says Lee.

The program's purpose is obvious – to increase audience ratings – but this is often achieved by humiliating applicants and showing no respect for them at all, adds Lee.

Lee, who studied and worked overseas for many years, says he can relate to the people who are confronted on the show. Everyone is born equal, he adds, so employers must show sincere respect for their employees.

Many Web users agree. Most say they watch the show only for entertainment, not for job-seeking advice.

Apologies

In response to so much negative feedback, the program's producer and Tianjin TV claimed that "Only You" represents the majority of real-world employment scenarios.

Most people didn't buy it, however, and overseas returnees became even angrier at the program's staff.

In order to assuage public outcry, the production team of "Only You" – including presenter Zhang Shaogang – appeared in Beijing on June 7 to apologize to more than 20 student returnees in person.

During the meeting, Zhang was informed that every returning student is required to have their degree ratified by the Overseas Students Center, affiliated to the Ministry of Education. Zhang admitted that he knew little about this.

Afterwards, Zhang wrote on his microblog that because he was not familiar with the academic qualifications of returned overseas students, he had made an incorrect assumption about Guo's "fake" credentials during the program.