Reasons Behind The Inability Of Overseas Organizations To Recruit Top Chinese Professionals

The Chinese talent market has grown significantly over the past couple of years. Despite that many overseas organizations find it extremely difficult to attract and hire top Chinese professionals for specific roles. The excuse of the unavailability of talented professionals in large numbers amidst the local population is no longer working for such organizations. In this context, the professionals offering board advisory in China services, have identified the below-discussed reasons that are responsible for the failure of overseas organizations to recruit top Chinese professionals.

Little Focus On Recruiting

Most overseas organizations tend to outsource their hiring process to professional recruitment agencies. This ensures that a majority of tasks associated with the process are performed by the recruiters, with minimal involvement by the hiring organization itself. This does not work well with the local Chinese professionals as they fail to associate with the business organizations actually hiring them. Ensuring the active involvement of a senior management executive from the organization in the recruitment process can convince the local professionals to a great extent.

Long Waiting Time

It is common for overseas organizations to make the shortlisted candidates wait for days before confirming their selection or rejection for a given position. Even when these delays are genuine and cannot be helped, the local management of the company makes little effort to contact the candidates and assure them of a speedy response. In fact, most organizations conveniently pass the burden to the retained executive search firm in China they partner with. Even if these agencies contact the candidates on their client’s behalf, they fail to make the same impact as someone from the organization itself and this makes the candidates feel undervalued and unwanted.

Insufficient Compensation And Benefits

It is a common perception that hiring local professionals can cost the company lesser than brining in experts from their own countries. This belief often leads organizations to make compensation and benefit offers that are way below what they would offer to an expat. There are  several examples of life science executive search firms in China offering a significantly lesser compensation to local Chinese candidates as compared to foreigners for the same position within an organization. Most Chinese professionals find it insulting to negotiate the huge gap, which in most cases, is set deliberately by the hiring organizations. These professionals prefer walking away from the proposed job option rather than indulging in dishonest methods to earn more money.

Disrespect For Local Culture

Chinese culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world and the people in China are extremely proud of their ancient traditions and practices which often extend into their way of working. As such any disrespect shown towards these traditions and practices can make the professionals feel personally insulted. Being extremely self-respecting, they thus tend to decline the job offer even if they find it extremely appealing and beneficial.