BuzzFeed, one of the biggest internet media companies in the world, has been seen as one of the best places to work. They are a very pro-equality company, with all of their videos seeming as if they are really fun to make. All of the employees in the videos look like they love what they’re doing. Many people apply to work at BuzzFeed, with only select few getting hired, due to the huge demand. Why is it then that many of its’ beloved employees are quitting?
Many of BuzzFeed’s memorable employees have been fired (or have quit) without any explanation the general audience. With videos garnering millions of views under channels that have millions of subscribers, many viewers are asking BuzzFeed the simple question: Why?
These employees who have left the company have come out with their own stories, usually through a YouTube video, giving all the answers as to why they had individually quit. Many of them have given the same reasons as to why they quit, and that is all about how in their contracts, BuzzFeed has the statement that they any and all content and ideas that they provide to BuzzFeed has to stay in BuzzFeed, and cannot be used for any other purpose. Not only this, but BuzzFeed doesn’t like it when their employees have their own YouTube accounts. They say all content they work on should go strictly to BuzzFeed, as if the company owns them.
Earlier last year, two BuzzFeed employees were fired from the company.
These two individuals, Jenny Lorenzo and Brittany Ashley, were not having their own channel, or copying content and giving it to other creators. They were simply in another channels’ video. To no surprise, there was a lot of outrage on this topic. Many fans on social media directed messages to BuzzFeed, saying that the company should not own their employees, and instead should encourage them to focus on their talents and creativity, rather than pressure them into giving all their ideas away.
This form of leadership that the company is taking is not the most effective way in treating their employees properly. Being such a highly profiled workplace, BuzzFeed should give their employees more freedom to allow them to experiment in other series. The company makes their employees internet celebrities it seems, and losing many of them each year isn’t good for the company. Many of its’ previous employees still have huge fanbases, making for loss potential for any of BuzzFeed’s future videos.
The company needs to take a more laid back approach with their
employees. The workplace is all open, with employees being able to interact with each other at all times. This conflicts with their leadership approach, as it forces its employees into feeling trapped and under appreciated. If BuzzFeed wants to keep their reputation as a loving and caring workplace with amazing employees, they’ll need to realize that change needs to be made before these ex employees (and now self-made internet celebrities) turn BuzzFeed’s audience against them.
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