It's an article for those companies having a plan of entering the Chinese market. 

How to recruit local Chinese employees is the first question after the plan to enter China is finalized. On one hand, due to differences in culture and values, the recruitment methods you are familiar with may not be available in China. On the other hand, your understanding of China may not keep up with the rapid development of the Chinese economy. 

The things you should know about the human resources market of China

1. Which are the first-tier cities of China?

Multinationals must understand that the first-tier cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou in China are just like any expensive cities like New York, Longdong, and Paris. That means talents in these cities are not as underpaid as you might think. However, The number of talents flowing to first-tier cities exceeds 60% of the total. This is also why when multinational companies first entered China, they preferred to choose first-tier cities as their headquarters. It is worth noting that new first-tier cities are emerging and their attraction to talents is also on the rise. When we are talking about the new  first-tier cities in China, we are talking about Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Suzhou, Xian, Tianjin, Nanjing, Qingdao, Ningbo, Dongguan, and Wuxi. It is undeniable that the new first-tier cities have provided many preferential policies to attract talents and attract investment. However, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are still the first choice for many multinational companies.

2. Multinational companies is not first or second choice of Chinese employees

State-owned enterprises and government agencies have overtaken multinational companies as the most desired employer for Chinese employees. The work for state-owend enterperises and government agencies always means high welfare, high income and high stability. Large local companies are also loved by Chinese employees. Chinese talents are proud to be part of lage Chinese companies like Tencent, Alibaba, Huawei, Dji,  Meituan, etc. Local companies are also more aware of how to win the favor of local talents. Multinational companies need to spend more time and money to gain the trust of Chinese employees.

3. Language requirement is more difficult to achieve than other qualification requirements

Although the English level of Chinese is not unacceptable (ranking 7th in Asia and 40th in the world among the non-native English speaking countries), it's not easy for multinationals to find a Chinese employee could speak good English. English as a second language is popular but not practical in China. Chinese students love learning English, but English is not necessary for daily work when they leave campus. China as the world 's second largest economy, there are so many job opportunities for Chinese employee without asking them to speak English. This situation makes many Chinese employees not confident in their English and unwilling to accept an all-english working environment. 

What you should do before searching for the qualified candidates in Cihna

1. Figure out your recruitment needs and budget

Clear needs and precise budget are very important for the smooth running of recruitment. Ambiguous information can be confusing and impossible for HR. If you hope the job you are offering in China looks like an opportunity, you must be in interested to know how the state-owned enterprises and the local companies pay their employees in the same position.

2. Make a detailed job description and a company introduction

A detailed job description should include the full job content, working hours, work location, direct supervisor and subordinates. Candidates always want to know the company's strenth and its plan in China, especially if you are just entering the Chinese market.

3. Identify the requirements for candidates

Candidates can easily find out if they are qualified when the requirements are listed in the job description. The appropriate job requirements need to be matched with the compensation and in line with local laws and culture.

When is the peak season for job hunting in China?

"Before the bonus time" (from December to February) is the hardest timing to look for employees, which means very few employees in China has a willing to change their job before the Chinese New Year. Obviously nobody likes to lose their bonus. The first peak season for job hunting comes in March-April time when most people have received their annual bonuses. The second peak will be in June-August time. People start looking for new job opportunities when they found out the new job are not ideal enough. And the Septemer-December time are the peak months for campus recruiting.

What is the typical package for a local employee in China?

1. Base Salay. The 13th month base salary is very common to Chinese employees. And the state-own enterprises and local large companies will pay 14th, 15th, or even 16th month of base salary to their employees. (Legal requirements, 12 months at least)

2. Performance pay for sales related jobs.  (Non-legal requirements)

3. Bonus. The annual bonus is very usual for Chinese employee. (Non-legal requirements)

4. Commercial insurance, phone allowances, rental allowances, transportation allowances, lunch allowances (Non-legal requirements)

5. Paid Annual Leave (Legal requirements, 5 days at least when the employee's served for more than 1 year)

6. Social benefits including endowment insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, industrial injury insurance, maternity insurance and housing accumulation funds. (Legal requirements)

7. Shares and/or stock options for top jobs or high-end positions (Non-legal requirements)

How to recruit in China?

After having a general idea about the Chinese human resources market, you must wants to know where to begin a recruitment in China.

1. LinkedIn - People in China are rarely using face book or twitter. But LinkedIn has entered Chinese market for many years. You could try your luck in posting a job in LinkedIn or in searching for suitable candidates. 

2. Wechat - WeChat has more than 1 billion users worldwide. Almost every Chinese will use this social software. Many companies in China have their own official accounts in Wechat. Wechat users will actively follow the official accounts of companies they are interested in. 

3. Job posting websites - There are many websites for posting jobs in China. But very few of them are free. Like all job posting websites in all counties, These sites feature job listings, hiring options and local networking events.  

4. The Campus Career Recruitment - A Campus Career Recruitment is always welcome in the campus. A successful campus recruitment will not only improve the company's reputation, but also bring many potential qualified candidates.

5. Local recruitment agencies - Let the professionals do their jobs. The main benefit of headhunting is that headhunters in China can source and identify the most qualified candidates to match your requirements. The recruitment agencies are drvien by results. With strong network of talents, every candidate presented by the agencies is carefully selected against requirements. Chinese local headhunter companies also know better how to handled the problem of cultural differences. The local recruiting agencies can fill a position faster than you would on your own. In other words, with the headhunters or recruitment agencies of China, your local team will come together quicker and the project will also begin faster.

It's an original article from Talent China. 

Talent China (www.liexianda.com)  - 

Recruit services available in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou. Talent China  is a recruitment agency and a headhunter services company in China.