Recruiting in China

Nov. 26 - China's National Bureau of Statistics said government policies are restraining overly rapid economic growth, and no sharp adjustments are needed.

The assessment meshes with recent comments from China's central bank officials and advisers, although they have left open the possibility of more belt-tightening measures if needed.

"Overheating economic growth is being put under control with the decline in the growth of major economic indicators," said statistics bureau spokesman Li Xiaochao, according to Xinhua News Agency.

He cited improvements in data for urban fixed-asset investments, industrial production, money supply and corporate profits as reasons that no drastic policy changes are needed.

A week ago, central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan said economic indicators suggested overheating was on the decline but added it was too early to declare victory.

"The People's Bank of China can never rule out taking new measures," he told Reuters at a global bankers' meeting.

Fan Gang, an adviser to the bank, has said the central bank may need to raise interest rates again to keep investment in check even though it might face opposition in doing so.

Since late April, the central bank has raised interest rates twice and banks' reserve requirements three times.

A survey of economists by Reuters this month shows most expect growth in China's gross domestic product will tip into single digits in 2007 for the first time in five years, ebbing to 9.5 percent from a projected 10.6 percent this year.

Attracting staff from overseas remains a challenge for HR (Human Resource) professionals due to a low rate of labour market mobility. That¡¯s according to a new report compiled by the Intelligence Group, in association with StepStone, which reveals that willingness to travel abroad for work varies widely across Europe. While eight out of 10 employees in the UK are willing to work overseas, the Dutch (49%) and Danes (46%) are least likely to consider a job in another nation.

Of over 2,000 companies surveyed, 42% are currently recruiting internationally, primarily to address specific skills deficits. Shortages are worse in the engineering, IT and telecommunications sectors. But despite the opportunities which exist, the annual mobility of nationals in the European Union (EU) is less than 0.4%.

For those willing to work overseas, the primary motivation is to broaden experience (64%), followed by career development (50%) and the opportunity to obtain a more lucrative salary/benefits package (47%). The research revealed that workers are least likely to move abroad to follow a partner or for employer brand reasons alone.

When the decision to work in another country has been taken, a majority of job hunters (66%) start their search by visiting online job boards, whereas less than a quarter (23%) contact recruitment agencies. Only one-fifth of job seekers consult international newspapers.

Deciding how best to publicise a vacancy is just one element of how to devise a successful international recruitment strategy according to Matthew Parker, Group Managing Director of StepStone¡¯s Solutions business.

"It is important to remember that most workers don¡¯t automatically think about looking for a job abroad. It is only when they see an enticing vacancy that they might seriously consider relocating," Parker says.

"It is therefore vital to not just post a job somewhere and wait until candidates reply, but rather to tailor each vacancy according to the factors that motivate the potential applicants that you are targeting. This research reveals that those motivations vary from country to country so any international recruitment strategy must be informed by these cultural differences," he says.

Specialising in monitoring labour market trends, Geert-Jan Waasdorp, Director of Intelligence Group, believes that more companies than ever before will have to develop international recruitment campaigns to ensure competitiveness.

"The transition to a knowledge-driven economy in Europe has increased the demand for highly skilled workers. To remain competitive, recruiting and retaining the right staff is crucial. Companies must be prepared to wage a war for talent on a global battleground," Waasdorp says.

One organisation that has already developed an international recruitment strategy is Marriott International.

¡°We have a wide variety of roles to fill each year, and without an all-encompassing international recruitment strategy, we would not be able to fill all our positions with the mix of skills we require,¡± Chris Dunn, Regional Director of Talent Management at Marriott International, says.

¡°Our international recruitment strategy is underpinned by e-recruitment software and services, which we find invaluable, both for publicising positions and for processing the thousands of applications that we receive on a monthly basis from all over the world. Use of these services and software has also ensured that our recruitment campaigns can be far ranging in terms of geographic scope but yet remain cost-effective," Dunn says.

Other findings from the report include:

¡¤ Cultural and language differences are the biggest barriers for international recruitment strategies (43%), followed by legislative problems (31%) and the difficulty in checking candidate qualifications and references (26%).

¡¤ Companies in mainland Europe prefer to recruit from neighbouring countries, whereas firms in the UK have no particular preference regarding the country of origin of their foreign employees.

¡¤ Almost 40% of Britons would be amenable to working in another country for more than five years. However those from Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden and Denmark) prefer to return home within two years.

This 100-page report, which is entitled ¡®The International Recruitment Manual¡¯ was compiled by the Intelligence Group and features the results of surveys of 2,171 European companies and over 20,900 workers In addition, it provides HR professionals with practical advice on how to recruit staff from overseas.

Introduction to Outsourcing

In today¡¯s modern business environment the term Outsourcing is now common place. In fact perhaps without realising it, outsourcing is already a part of your organisation.

What is Outsourcing?

Outsourcing is the process of contracting out a company¡¯s non-core, non revenue producing internal functions to a specialist (Service Provider). Commonly within the Recruitment Industry this includes payroll, credit control, management accounts and other HR functions.

Advantages of Outsourcing

1. Outsourcing provides a service which might otherwise be performed by in house employees. In doing so it allows the redistribution of a company¡¯s key resources (it¡¯s employees) so that they can focus on other business issues.

2. Service providers will tend to have the latest technology to hand, technology which usually involves high costs to purchase and is simply not feasible for smaller companies to buy. By outsourcing you can indirectly have access to this technology.

3. Service providers will be specialists in their field and will closely monitor any changes in legislation or any new developments.

4. Improved financial monitoring - through the process of outsourcing a company will usually be subject to a fixed monthly cost. Due to this fixed charge, the cost of performing a task is now quantifiable.

5. Overall outsourcing can reduce costs and improve efficiencies.

Disadvantages of Outsourcing

1. You may become dependent upon the outsource provider

2. Sensitive information is more vulnerable

3. Can eliminate direct communication between a company and its clients. This may prevent a business from building a solid relationship with their customers, and often leads to dissatisfaction on one or both sides.

4. If outsourcing to another country, language, cultural and time zone differences may cause a problem.

Something to think about

If you¡¯re thinking of outsourcing there are four steps which we think you should consider.

1. How will outsourcing develop your business?

2. Which activities do you want to outsource, where do you want to outsource and which service provider will you use?

3. What contractual issues are there? How much will the service cost? What are your expectations of the service?

4. When will the change over take place?

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) in association with sponsors
Ernst & Young will be unveiling the findings of its Annual Industry Survey at a
breakfast seminar in November.

The event will reveal data on the recruitment industry turnover and also
additional research that will offer new insights into the current state of
recruitment. The latter looks at the key issues facing the industry and examines
current confidence levels and strategies for growth and diversification.

Overviews of the findings and expert views on the major challenges and
opportunities currently facing this dynamic industry will be delivered by
keynote speakers including Brian Wilkinson of Vedior UK.

Commenting on the purpose of the seminar, Roger Tweedy, the REC Director of
Research explained: here is real value in an annual seminar at this time of
year that brings together key metrics and industry experts to assess the state
of the industry. I hope this event will become a key date in recruiter
planning cycles ?

Gordon Cullen, Director at Ernst & Young added: his seminar provides an
excellent opportunity for both Chief Executive Officers and Finance Directors of
the UK top recruitment industries to gain a real understanding into what is
happening within recruiting.

The breakfast seminar is being held at sponsor Ernst &Young More London Place
offices on Friday November 3rd.

For more details about the launch, call Gordon Cullen at Ernst & Young on 020
7951 4611 or gcullen@uk.ey.com.

What are the most common mistakes job candidates make during interviews? Talking too much and revealing that you didn't do your homework about the company or position lead the pack, according to a global recruiter survey of consultants at Korn/Ferry International, a global executive-search firm.

WHAT TO DO: Read about recruiter code words identifying typical blunders made by job candidates. Remember that screening begins the minute a candidate enters the door. Use this prep tool with sample questions that you might be asked during an interview. If you've been asked to interview by phone, review these tips first. Note that behavioral-based assessments are becoming more common, as are personality tests and role-playing exercises; find out how to prepare for them. Consider that you may be asked to discuss personal topics or your weaknesses. Find out how to project self-confidence, not arrogance during interviews, and follow this advice on how to sharpen your mental game.

Fumbling the Interview
Common mistakes job candidates make during interviews, based on a recent global recruiter survey.

Talking too much
Lack of knowledge about company or position
Over-inflated ego
Appearing overly confident
Inquiring about compensation too early in the process
Unkempt appearance

In a response to the negative public opinion about the boss, DDI unveils an interactive Web program to give global workers a chance to build their own boss.
Is there a perfect boss? Maybe, but ask anyone what it is, and you¡¯ll get a different answer every time.

In a recent survey conducted by Development Dimensions International (DDI), a global human resource consulting firm, and Badbossology, a bad-boss protection resource site, workers offered insights on what makes a good leader and where their current boss falls short.

So what topped the list? Of 21 potential ¡®leadership¡¯ sins, respondents selected ¡®being everyone¡¯s friend¡¯ as their number one choice with ¡®micromanagement¡¯ right behind it.

Male bosses rated high on ¡®arrogance¡¯ and female bosses were criticized for not delegating. And reinforcing the stereotype of men as thrill-seekers, male workers also found their bosses to be four times more risk averse than female workers.

What didn¡¯t make the list? ¡®Brown-noser,¡¯ ¡®defensive¡¯ and ¡®volatile¡¯ were at the bottom of the list of sins for all respondents.

This Boss¡¯s Day (Oct. 16th), DDI is giving workers around the world a chance to create a boss from scratch ¡ª with only the characteristics they want ¡ª and audition what they think could be the perfect boss. Build-A-Boss (www.ddiworld.com/buildaboss) is an interactive Web program that allows users to select four characteristics from a list of 25 positive and negative traits to build their current or ideal manager.

¡°People complain about their bosses endlessly and we¡¯re challenging them to see if they can do better,¡± Rich Wellins Senior Vice President, DDI said. ¡°We see the Build-A-Boss as an engaging way for employees to really get a handle on those traits they want in their ideal boss ¡ª or to use it to profile the strengths and weaknesses of their current boss.¡±

Build-A-Boss will let you try out a new boss by picking your favorite characteristics, honor your boss with a portrait of all their best traits or give your boss feedback on their management style in a less threatening forum. And the research showed that workers really had a lot of opinions on their boss¡¯s performance.

Significant observations from the survey of more than 900 in the workplace include:

Trust is at the top of their wish list. If workers could give their boss a gift of a character trait this Boss¡¯s Day, they would wrap up ¡®trust in employees¡¯ and ¡®honesty and integrity¡¯ and ¡®team building skills¡¯ as the three top choices. ¡°Everyone wants to feel that they are trusted and valued in their jobs ¡ª these selections relate to these very fundamental human needs and how they transfer to the workplace,¡± Wellins said.

The stereotype of the male boss prevails for some. More than three-quarters of males would prefer to work for a male boss, while female workers are split down the middle in their preference. The majority of respondents (70 percent) between the ages of 34 and 45 said their ideal boss is male, showing that the more traditional view of ¡®boss¡¯ continues with this specific generation. ¡°This helps to address why women are still having trouble breaking into the leadership ranks,¡± Wellins said. ¡°This perception needs to change because women are equally competent in leadership roles.¡±

Older workers want to work for their peers. Workers 45 and up would prefer to work for a boss their own age, instead of an older or younger manager. However, nearly half of respondents in this group actually work for bosses younger than them. ¡°With the expected mass retirement of the baby boomers, those older workers who want to hang around need to get used to younger bosses,¡± Wellins said.

Smarts matter for the boss. One in seven workers says their boss is just not smart, when asked if their boss had book smarts or street smarts. But not everyone saw their boss in a dunce cap ¡ª nearly half of respondents respect their boss¡¯s intellect and think their boss has both book and street smarts.

Career development slows for older generations. While 35 percent of respondents gave a resounding ¡®yes¡¯ when asked about the boss advocating for career development and advancement, responses progressively decrease as employees get older and more advanced in their careers. ¡°As workers get older and become more self-sufficient, it gives the impression that they needs less development, and managers focus more on 20-something workers,¡± Wellins said. ¡°Some of this disparate focus makes sense, but at the same time, with a continued war for talent, we need to find ways to motivate our aging workforce.¡±

Leadership skills were the most serious deficit. Almost one third of bosses were considered bad because of ¡®lack of leadership skills¡¯, and more male bosses were criticized for their poor leadership skills. Females, on the other hand, were considered bad bosses because of their lack of ¡®sound business judgment/acumen¡¯ with 14 percent of the votes (male bosses had 9.6 percent).

About Badbossology.com: Difficult bosses are a costly problem, and surveys indicate that approximately 40% of employees have had to deal with a bad boss. Badbossology.com is a free resource site that provides news and resources on bad boss protection strategies to help both individuals and their companies. It takes a responsible balanced approach and references material from sources such as The Chicago Tribune, CNNMoney.com, Fast Company, The Harvard Business School, and US and international government sites. Visitors can raise questions, participate in discussion forums, and save key resources along with personal notes for fast future reference using the site¡¯s secure repository. For further information, visit www.badbossology.com