Baidu issued a company-wide memo today, April 28, announcing a significant restructuring of its employee ranking system. The company will fully integrate the specialist and management tracks for employees below middle management. The previous letter-based labels (T, P, E, Band, M) will be unified into a new numerical ranking system, spanning levels 5 to 12. This new system is scheduled to take effect on May 1, 2026.

The internal communication stated that the AI era specifically demands versatile talent—individuals who possess both deep expertise and leadership capabilities, enabling them to handle responsibilities independently. Based on this assessment, the company has decided to merge the existing specialist and management tracks for employees below middle management into a single, unified career development path.