Wang Chengwen, a former Alibaba employee who has been the focus of a #MeToo event after a female subordinate accused him of sexual assault, was applying for a job at ByteDance, according to various media reports Monday.
Why it matters: Alibaba is facing intense public backlash over its handling of the employee sexual assault case. The company initially refused to fire Wang after the female employee reported the case, according to her recounts.
READ MORE: Alibaba faces public outrage for alleged employee sexual assault case
Details: ByteDance confirmed the news with TechNode on Tuesday, saying they had the interview without knowledge of the sexual assault case and had stopped the interview process.
Wang was evidently trying to switch jobs before the case became public over the weekend. He had passed the first round interview for a position at ByteDance, the company confirmed.
ByteDance said they will not hire employees with moral issues, adding that they will strengthen talent background checks.