Recruiting in China

1. Select the right type of recruitment partner

Determine whether you would be best served by a retained, contingency, contract or research based partner at a global, national or local level.

2. Interview recruiters to find the appropriate fit

Effective partnerships are built on mutual interests, opportunities, values and performance.

3. Treat an interview with a recruiter with the same care and professionalism as a job interview

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

4. Develop an exclusive relationship with your recruiter

More is not better. Being presented for an opportunity by more then one firm can get you knocked out of consideration.

5. Have well developed job search criteria

Know what you want in a new position and be able to clearly articulate your interests and needs.

6. Understand who the real client is

You?re the ?solution? not the client. The real client is the company that has engaged the recruiter.

7. Do not pay for services

The employer has the responsibility for paying the recruiter?s fee, not you. Do not agree to payment for services.

8. Establish strong communication

Open, honest communication and feedback is key. Look for compatibility in work-style, personality and values.

9. Be your professional best

A recruiter may help you get in the door, but only you can win the job.

10. Actively pursue all other methods of job search while working with a recruiter.

Take a pro-active approach to your career transition with on-going use of networking activities, referrals, job postings, research and interviews throughout the duration of your search.

Jeannette Kraar, president of Performance Management International is the Breakthrough Career Coach and a highly-acclaimed trainer, speaker and consultant. Hundreds of PMI clients have succeeded even in the most turbulent times. Jeannette is the author of BREAKTHROUGH, The Hate My Job, Need A Life, Can?t Get No Satisfaction SOLUTION.

Recruitment companies have increased their investments in China, according to a new study by the1, the M&A specialists for the human capital sector.

The study identified a cumulative total of 156 investments in China by 106 foreign recruitment or human capital groups over a 20-year period.
China as a whole, including deals made in Hong Kong, has seen a 70% boost in investments, from 40 transactions in the 1995-1999 period, to 68 in the post-2000 period.

Director Mark Dixon says: ¡°China is the human capital sector¡¯s number one opportunity long-term, with a population of 1.3 billion, you don¡¯t have to be a rocket scientist to do the maths. It¡¯s a numbers game, with some very big numbers.¡±

The growth was fastest (132%) for investments in Mainland China (58 post-2000 versus 25 in the prior period), the first empirical evidence that foreign human capital companies have stepped up their investment on the Mainland.

In 1997 Mc Kinsey's coined the phrase "War for Talent", the following few years were characterised by critical shortages of talent fuelled by economic expansion, the emergence of the dot-com sector, recruitment and expansion in the Technology arena, growth in consulting fortunes and the rise of the service industry. As we entered the era of the "Generation Y" worker there was a shortage of key skills available. Recruitment agencies saw the boom coming, advised clients accordingly. Many client companies struggled to secure the talent required, wages spiralled. Exuberance in packages offered took the war out of reach of many firms. Companies were forced to compromise on talent, those who did not act were weakened and when the exuberance abated in 2001 they suffered further.

International executive recruiters Antal International are calling on all Line Managers & Human Resource professionals to make a diary note for January 2007. A decade on from its origination, Antal predict that 2007 will see the return of the War for Talent, however, there will be some significant differences, according to the results of a survey undertaken by EMEA, CEE & Asia specialists. This time it will be global, affecting all levels of employee and functions, a "Perfect Storm" in talent terms.

Tony Goodwin, Antal's Chairman & CEO stated, "The 1997 War was largely localised, contained within a few skill functions and didn't affect every business sector. Firms were either feeding grounds for the boom enterprises hiring in the late 90's or were trying to stay out front. This time, driven by a number of additional factors, the second war for talent will be truly global and more far-reaching."

A confidential survey Antal undertook of mid to senior executives in firms across diverse markets in Europe, Russia & China shows that 34% would consider a move in 2007 due to increased market confidence and greater awareness of their appreciating market value. When added to expected levels of staff turnover, competitor hiring and those addressing satisfaction issues, the result is expected to be a turnover storm of epic proportions. The Antal survey found that:

Up to 72% of employers forecast more than 12% new job growth in 2007. Alone, this job creation won't start the war, but combined with the other factors, it will exacerbate it.

Recently published data across EMEA & Asia shows that well over a quarter of employees are not fully satisfied and would actively seek a move as evidenced in employee feedback, increased workplace stress and work-life balance issues rising on the agenda.

Companies held the power in the "employer market" of the last five years and some paid less attention to employee motivation, retention, engagement and work-life balance than perhaps they should have.

Salaries stayed relatively flat in recent years and fewer promotion opportunities have been widely available. Many businesses have reported productivity gains against a backdrop of falling morale.

It is much easier today for employees to appraise themselves of their market value and review positions on job boards & corporate sites. Discrete job surfing remains a popular web pastime and can be done without contacting a recruitment consultant until one is ready to step into the "available" zone.

The rise of jobs-by-email functionality on job boards means they don't need to publicise their resume and jobs come to them direct, over 42% of executives regularly received job information by email from online recruitment sources.

Increasing numbers of senior managers have started to leave the workplace and as this generation ages further it will lead to critical shortages of experienced managers, creating an experience gap. Antal's survey found that over 25% of senior managers were considering retirement within five years.

Generation Y workers (born in the 70's to 90's) are increasingly likely to change jobs more often. They have grown up in a world of immediacy and fast change and view a change of employer as a positive way of increasing their worth, advancing careers more quickly. Many see a position lasting up to 2.5 years as sufficient. Average tenure in firms is dropping in the under 30 age ranges.

Picture this - It is early 2007, your own new headcount needs to be filled, as does that of your competitors, employee confidence in the market place grows, they're more comfortable looking externally for opportunity, "job security paralysis" becomes less of a factor and a large section move, some of your senior managers retire or seek more work life balance, your generation Y's begin their quest for the "next best thing" and move on, the best executives have moved early and are already locked-in to new firms, new entrants open in your market trying to attract your talent¡­ and what's more, this happens in all your locations.

With recent increased investment in boom markets like Russia, Eastern Europe, China and Latin America, Antal predict that companies wont just be fighting for talent in their domestic market, they will be engaged in a battle on all fronts. Employers will face the same issues of attraction, recruitment, retention, motivation and leadership development in every location they have expanded into around the globe.

Graeme Read, Antal's COO commented, "Over the last decade, firms have internationalised far more than ever before, sourcing and production has moved to different countries such as China or Eastern Europe, massive new B2B and consumer markets have opened in emerging markets like Latin America and China. All this leads companies to expand sales and operations internationally to tap this lucrative market opportunity and often the easiest route into a new market for others is to target experienced people at competitor firms, buying in valuable local knowledge and experience."

He added, "In 2007, the cost imperative of globalisation and the faster pace of opening operations internationally will further the boom in emerging markets. FDI, new office and manufacturing facility openings are set to grow exponentially in 2007, fuelling the storm in even remote locations."

Alongside the survey, Antal polled a selected number of clients in its key markets to see how they are preparing to head off the storm. Some areas highlighted by those taking action include:

• An increase in availability of remote access allowing staff to work remotely on selected days.

• More use of "golden handcuffs" to lock in top talent and more benchmarking of salaries to market.

• A sharper focus on the individual, identifying and nurturing "Rising Stars" in every corner of their global businesses.

• Greater use of recruitment technology and web sourcing and more use of diverse sourcing methodologies.

As salaries and packages start to rise and talent pools dry up, companies are turning to flexible workers and an increased use of contractors in IT, Accountancy, HR and Marketing is envisaged in many markets.

Firms focus more on the core aspects of the business, outsourcing non-core activities in areas like IT, Call Centres, Customer Service, Recruitment, Media Management.

Far more focus on retention, with increased line manager input and reworked retention plans.

Greater emphasis on the "sell" of the company and opportunity to potential employees at interview.

More HR time spent on areas like Talent Development, Leadership Development, and Compensation & Benefits with less focus on administrative tasks.

Early search activity - many firms are starting to look for talent now - acting before the market heats up, enabling the best.

A reader's toolbox:

Thanks to new modalities in cisco certification, now anyone can go for E20-001 as well as ccna. Previous credits like mcse as well as network+ also matter. In microsoft certification, every minute detail matters.

The tax man is on your side when you're job hunting. Search expenses are deductible as long as you are looking for a new position in your current field -- even if you're still working.

Job hunters may be eligible for can take the following deductions, says Jackie Perlman, a senior tax-research analyst at H&R Block, in Kansas City, Mo.:

travel expenses

employment-agency fees

resume-preparation fees

career-counseling expenses

the cost of advertising your services

newspapers and other periodicals purchased for their help-wanted ads and

legal fees paid to an attorney to review an employment contract.

To take advantage of these deductions, you need to itemize, rather than take the standard deduction. Job-hunting expenses are reported as miscellaneous itemized deductions on line 20 of Schedule A. And you can only take them if the total of your miscellaneous deductions exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income. In other words, taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of $50,000 can deduct miscellaneous expenses exceeding $1,000 (2% of $50,000). This applies whether you file as a single or file jointly with your spouse. If such a taxpayer spent $1,500 to land a job last year, he or she could deduct $500.

It's important to keep good records. For instance, by scrupulous tracking the time you spend online to job hunt, you can deduct that percentage of your online hook-up and Internet access fees. Ditto for your home phone or cellular phone. Whatever percentage you use for job hunting can be deducted from your monthly bills.

Travel Expenses

Unreimbursed travel costs to meet with employers are among the most costly job-search expenses. In many cases, these are deductible, but "travel is the thorniest point of contention" with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), says Ms. Perlman. That's because the IRS allows taxpayers to deduct the cost to travel to interviews only if the main purpose of the trip is to meet with an employer and secure a job.

In other words, if you fly to Boston to interview with one or two companies, stay overnight in a hotel, have breakfast with a recruiter in the morning and then fly home, all the costs associated with your trip are deductible. That includes airfare, the hotel bill and 50% of the cost of your meals.

However, if you visit Hawaii on vacation, decide you want to live in Honolulu and arrange a job interview while there, you can't deduct those expenses because the main purpose of the trip is vacationing. It's possible you could deduct the cost of using a rental car to travel to the actual interview if the rental was strictly for the purpose of getting to the interview, but you can't write off the flight or your meals, according to Ms. Perlman.

What Else Doesn't Qualify?

New clothes to wear to interviews aren't deductible. Nor are your dry-cleaning bills between interviews. The IRS allows taxpayers to deduct only the cost of work uniforms that aren't suitable for any other purpose. Other items that have to be worn as a condition of employment also are legitimate expenses.

If you've had a substantial break between your last job and your current job search, job-hunting expenses cannot be deducted. This is because the I.R.S. considers them as a business expense, and if you've been out of work for a long time, you're technically not in business at the moment, says Martin Nissenbaum, national director of income tax planning at Ernst & Young in New York. Alas, the Internal Revenue Service doesn't provide clear guidance on the length of time that you'd have to be unemployed before you aren't allowed to take these deductions, he says.

About to graduate? Most first-time job-hunting expenses aren't deductible. However, if you secured an internship and then sought a full-time position in the same field, expenses related to your search are deductible, says Mr. Nissenbaum. Again, you would have to itemize expenses on your tax returns and only those job-search costs exceeding 2% of your adjusted gross income would qualify.

Moving Expenses

Job hunters who move because of a new job can deduct moving expenses that they pay out of their pockets. To qualify for this deduction, your new job must be at least 50 miles farther from your home than your old job was. If your old job was three miles from your home, your new job must be at least 53 miles from your home. You also must work at the new location for at least 39 weeks during the 12 months after you move to get the deduction.

The good news is that there's no cap on moving deductions. Moving expenses are reported on line 29 of Form 1040.

Trips back and forth to scout out a new area cannot be itemized, however, Ms. Perlman says. So any trips to a new location to look for a home or open a bank account aren't deductible. Review IRS Publication 521 -- Moving Expenses -- for more detail.

Corrections & Amplifications:
Moving costs can be taken as tax deductions whether or not a job seeker itemizes; they are reported on line 29 of Form 1040. In an earlier version of this story, moving costs had been listed among job-hunting expenses that could be deducted only if a filer itemized.

-- Ms. Byrnes is a free-lance writer in Wayne, N.J.

China's Ministry of Personnel on Saturday began its annual national employment service for millions of university graduates, with more than 480,000 positions up for grabs online and at job fairs around the country.

A total of 121 local human resources departments and job service websites and 26,000 employment units will take part in 126 job fairs across the country including those held over the Internet.

Employment experts will be invited to university campuses and job fairs to offer job seeking tips to students due to graduate next July.

According to the ministry, the most sought-after positions are in marketing, administration, computer science, machinery, architecture, finance, chemistry, human resources, foreign languages and medicine.

Statistics show that 4.13 million students graduated from higher education institutions this year, 750,000 more than last year.

About 1.24 million Chinese college students will graduate next year without immediate job offers.

The ministry encourages university graduates to work in the rural areas in West China region with favorable policies such as guaranteed salaries and medical care, and subsidies for those who go to undeveloped and remote rural areas,

Statistics show China is facing a severe employment crisis with 34.5 million people expected to come on to the labor market from 2006 to 2010.

About 25 million new job-seekers would enter the market this year, of whom 11 million might find jobs in the urban areas, leaving 14 million unemployed.

The unemployed in China are mainly composed by laid-off workers, college graduates, redundant rural laborers and those returned from overseas study, or "haigui" which means a "sea turtle" -- a Chinese pun for overseas returnees.

A random sample survey of 1,500 Chinese returned from recent overseas study shows that more than 35 percent of them have employment problems, said Lin Zeyan, researcher with the human resources study training center of the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Lin said their job difficulties are mainly resulted from their high expectations of salaries as they want their huge overseas educational investment pay off by finding a "lucrative" job.

(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2006)

East China Normal University will begin recruiting education majors next year based on personal interviews instead of scores on the national college entrance exam in order to train students who really want to become teachers, school officials said yesterday.

The university will recruit 200 students next year using the pilot admission plan, making it the third university in the city to accept students without looking at exam scores, following Fudan and Jiao Tong.

High school graduates who are interested in teaching jobs are eligible to apply for the teacher training courses.

Applicants will be selected on the basis of interviews to see if they have the communication skills and other abilities to become a good teacher.

"Our point is to make sure that we put the most elite and suitable professionals into elementary education positions," ECNU President Yu Lizhong said at the Second International Forum on Teacher Education yesterday.

The country's existing teacher enrollment relies solely on national college entrance exam scores. That system encourages many students who did well on the exam but aren't interested in becoming teachers to enroll in education programs, said Wang Jianpan, an ECNU professor.

The school said a large number of education students apply to change their major at the end of the first year, and many graduates end up taking office jobs instead of teaching positions.

"The loss of trained education majors is a punch to the country's teacher quality," Yu said.