Red-hot demand for tech jobs
As China's red-hot infocomm market continues to expand, the country is now stoking demand for technology workers in sales, technical support and research and development (R&D).
Carter Yang, managing director for mainland China at recruitment agency Robert Walters, said the reasons why companies in China are requiring such tech talent is three-fold. "[They want] to expand sales in the China market, while at the same time, it also allows these companies to provide R&D and technical support that is closer to customers," Yang told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail interview.
Various efforts have successfully increased the population of tech talent in the country, he said. For one, the number of Chinese workers returning to the booming economy is increasing.
China's government has introduced a number of policies to welcome their talents back to the country. Such initiatives include encouraging returning workers to establish their own companies, or attracting them to work in China, especially for state-owned enterprises, Yang said.
Raymond Wong, general manager of Tony Keith Associates, told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail interview, that international companies are also providing good programs to attract overseas returnees.
Yang added that as foreign multinational companies continue to remain and invest long-term in China, they aim to help local professionals accumulate industry experience.
The Chinese government allows companies to set up their R&D centers in various districts by providing tax benefits that encourage the growth of such talent.
Wong noted: "Some large multinational infocomm companies have set up their R&D centers in China in recent years, like Oracle in Shenzhen; EMC, Cisco Systems and Dell Computer in Shanghai; Hewlett-Packard in Dalian; and Sun Microsystems, CA, IBM, Motorola, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Siemens, BEA, Microsoft and Intel in Beijing."
But while increasing investments into the country bring good tidings, it also brings higher staffing demand that carves away the supply of tech talent.
To minimize the talent shortage, Wong said, employers are training fresh graduates on the expertise needed to meet their demand for such roles. "Or they approach junior staff from local companies and train them," he said.
According to Yang, companies also support international transfers. "Recruitment efforts from overseas are becoming obvious. More international candidates are moving into China," he said. "China is actually very open to importing the talent to support the fast-growing economy," Yang added.
As for salaries, Wong said: "For a sales manager, the annual package will start at about US$110,000. Technical roles command about 50 percent to 60 percent of that."