Last month Anthony Aucutt, GM of JM Gemini, represented AHRG at the NPA Annual conference in San Antonio.

NPA is a global association of over 450 Search and recruitment companies world wide, who work to a common standard of ethics and client service to allow member firms to provide international recruitment globally.

The Hong Kong multi entry scheme for Shenzhen residents has now been extended. About 2.2 million Shenzhen residents can now apply for 12 month multi entry visas. They may obtain this alongside their existing travel permits, and stay in Hong Kong for up to seven days per visit.

For further information on J. M. Gemini's Visa solutions please contact veronicaz@jmgemini.com

A woman office worker who used MSN for personal chats while at work has had her dismissal upheld by the Shanghai No. 2 People's Intermediate Court. The woman was sacked from a research company last June for breaking a company regulation forbidding the use of MSN chats in office time for personal matters, according to the Oriental Morning Post report. The company paid Li more than 4,000 yuan for pay and overtime owed before she sought arbitration from a local mediation committee, and later from the court. The company told the court that its regulations had forbidden chatting on MSN for personal matters and that all its employees had signed an agreement to this after a staff meeting last January.

The Shenzhen Labour and Social Security Bureau will impose rules concerning flexible and accumulated working hours against government agencies, public institutions and social organizations that usually have fixed eight-hour workdays, the Guangzhou Daily reports. The rules aim to reduce the number of disputes over payment.

Help Wanted: China and India's Search for Experienced Managers

Despite the economic turmoil, businesses continue to invest in China’s developing market. Hiring qualified people to fill strategic positions remains a problem for both local and international firms because of a skills gap in the country's labour market.

McKinsey Global Institute estimated that China will need 75,000 globally effective leaders over the next 10 to 15 years, and that there are only 3,000 to 5,000 individuals in China who meet the criteria.

Local Hires

Local hires understand the Chinese business environment, language, and culture, but often lack international business and regional management expertise and, in many cases, fluent English skills. Nurturing a local employee to developing these skills is slow and risky. Investment in China is creating so many opportunities that there is high demand for local staff and, therefore, high staff turnover

As the political and economic environment evolves, more Chinese students are being educated in Western markets and acquiring the global experience needed to manage a multinational business in China.

For the past years, Beijing has been trying to attract skilled Chinese working overseas to return home by offering stipends and financial aid. There are other issues to consider. Some have been living overseas for 10 or 15 years since leaving university. The China they return to is very different from the one they left. They have been used to living life in the West and face the same adaptability issues as a Western employee will when they arrive back in China.

Program to Offer Subsidies for Foreign Experts

Given the limited supply of returnees, Government has launched a programme to pay RMB 1 million in subsidies each for foreign senior company official, patent holder and entrepreneur willing to work and share their technical knowledge. The package will also include allotment for medical care and pensions.

The new program is looking into hiring 1,000 foreign experts aged 55 or younger that are willing to stay in the country for half a year or longer. Applicants must have the academic title equivalent to a professor, or currently work as a senior managing staff with a famous international company or banking institution.

People who have developed technologies or patents are also welcome to apply in addition to entrepreneurs well-versed with the international rules of a certain industry.

The foreign experts will be tasked to lead colleges, research institutes, state-owned companies, banking institutions and research programs.

In Conclusion

Still, whether companies choose to recruit from abroad or find talent in the domestic market, finding the right talent is just the beginning. As China continues to grow, skilled managers will be needed not only to lead companies forward, but to train the nations’ next generation of business leaders. It is a task truly worthy of the global talent search taking place.

If you would like to know more about recruiting talent in China, please contact Gemini.

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