The 'king of YouTube's' strange recruitment method

MrBeast applies a 90-day “emotional test” to new employees to assess their ability to adapt to its unique working culture.

A different recruitment approach helps MrBeast find the right people. Photo: Kovert Creative .

According to Business Insider , famous YouTuber MrBeast applies a 3-month “emotional check” process for new employees. This is considered a way for him to determine who is truly suitable for the strict working culture and specific content production pace at his studio in Greenville (USA).

Before signing a long-term contract, recruits must undergo a 90-day probationary period. During this time, MrBeast’s company provides housing and car rental, allowing employees to focus on their work without worrying about living expenses. One former employee said the goal of the program is to ensure that candidates “don’t have to uproot their entire lives, move to Greenville, and then realize the job isn’t right for them.”

Unlike a typical probationary period, the “emotional check” process is designed to assess the ability to integrate and withstand pressure in a high-speed content creation environment. MrBeast, who owns the world’s largest YouTube channel with more than 400 million subscribers, is known for his unique working style, which does not follow the standards of the traditional entertainment industry.

“This isn’t Hollywood and I don’t want to be a Hollywood star. If that statement offends you, you’re probably in the wrong profession,” MrBeast wrote in a production manual sent to his team.

According to internal documents leaked in early 2025, MrBeast’s media division earned around $224 million in 2024. With more than 300 employees, his studio attracted many people who worked in the film, news and advertising industries. However, many of them had to adapt to short, urgent video production that required a much faster level of creativity than their old environment.

“People who have worked in film or television often think they can easily fit in. But everything here is completely different. You have to create engaging content from the first few seconds,” said a former employee who worked for MrBeast.

Probationary models like “emotional check-ins” are not new to the corporate world. Zappos once paid new employees $2,000 if they decided to quit after four weeks, to ensure only committed employees stayed.

According to Professor Emilio J. Castilla of MIT Sloan School of Management, the probationary period helps both parties understand the level of fit. However, when abused, it can become a tool for maintaining a temporary workforce, rather than a long-term recruitment.

Still, for many people moving from traditional production to YouTube, this period becomes an opportunity to get used to a new pace and working standards.

Source: https://znews.vn/cach-tuyen-dung-ky-la-cua-vua-youtube-post1591407.html