Archives 2007

Foreign training key to Chinese success

Duncan Mavin, Financial Post
Published: Thursday, October 04, 2007

In China’s red-hot recruitment market, business professionals are desperate to get ahead of the competition, with qualifications and overseas experience among the most sought after resume credentials.

‘Returnees,’ Chinese workers who have spent several years honing their business skills abroad, often have their pick of the best jobs, as does any Chinese executive with foreign training.

It’s a trend that is leading to a wealth of opportunities for Canadian organizations able to provide the right kind of training.

At Toronto City Hall in August, for instance, twenty-eight Chinese executives became the latest graduates of the Canadian Securities Institute.

The business students from Guangfa Securities, a full-service securities firm based in Gaungzhou, China, graduated from a two-month course organized by CSI in conjunction with the Securities Association of China.

Hundreds of financial professionals from China have participated in CSI’s executive style training programs in the past couple of years.

But it isn’t the only organization to spot the opportunity.

Ads for the University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business are impossible to miss in Hong Kong, where they are plastered all over subways and other prominent places.

The Ivey school has a modern campus in Hong Kong — with a high-profile location in the heart of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre — and another office in Beijing, as well as alumni associations in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Schools from all over the world are catching on fast, says Pete Fiaschi, the head of international marketing at Newcastle College, a vocational school in the northeast of England that focuses on the business of arts, tourism and sports.

Toronto-born Mr. Fiaschi spends most of the summer months travelling through China, including to relatively unknown cities such as Fuzhou or Qingdao, recruiting 200 or so Chinese students whose fees are a significant source of income for the school. In July, he set up permanent regional offices in Beijing and in Dalian, in northern China, to deal with the growing competition for Chinese students.

CSI, too, has a permanent office in Beijing and is about to open a Shanghai office. It also has partnerships with Chinese universities, including the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, and the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

There is competition among foreign training providers, says Ms. Wilton. In particular, many of the big foreign banks and securities firms offer training courses, as do the international consulting and accounting firms.

CSI is betting its North American perspective plus its access to trainers from a variety of real live businesses gives it an edge over some more academic institutions as well as companies that can only provide insight from one industry.

Offering courses jointly with the Chinese regulator also helps build credibility, which will lead to deeper inroads in China, says Ms. Wilton.

Manpower first to land China approval to provide temporary-staffing help

After 13 years of building its business recruiting permanent workers in China, Manpower Inc. announced Wednesday that it is the first multinational corporation to receive a license to provide temporary-staffing services in the nation.

Milwaukee-based Manpower said that it, along with six Chinese firms, has been granted a license to supply temporary help to employers as part of a pilot program organized by the Shanghai Personnel Bureau.

P&G China Offers New Benefits For Employees

P&G China has offered a new policy to many employees, allowing them to choose one day to work from home from the five work days per week.

P&G currently has more than 6000 employees in China. The company says employees can choose one day to work from home each week based on their own work conditions. Zhai Yuyan, deputy director of P&G’s Human Resource Department, has told local media that this new policy of allowing employees to work at home is another strategy that the company has taken to help employees balance their arrangements between work and life. According to local media reports, P&G’s employees seem to be pleased with this new policy which offers them more freedom.

Apart from this work policy, P&G also allows its employees to work for npart-time. The company says its employees can apply for working three days or four days each week according to their needs, for which they will get only 60%-80% of their full salary, but they will enjoy the full amount of other benefits like social insurance and accident insurance.

In addition, P&G reportedly allows its pregnant employees to take maternity leave two months in advance of giving birth to a baby and says they can apply for a one-year maternity leave if necessary.

GM

Location: Shandong
Job Description
1.To oversee the new business development and operation in Shandong province,
2.Create and grow the Shandong market for a full portfolio of speciality fertilizer products according to the companies strategy and business plan. Frequent travel within the Shandong province is required;
3.To identify opportunities to ensure business expansion through the development of effective fertilizer wholesale & distribution network;
4.To develop, train and lead a team of commercial agronomists and provide excellent customer service to domestic customers. Have overall responsibility to ensure that the team achieves commercial sales targets and growth ambitions;

The Successful Applicant
1.At least 10 years of sales, operation and management experience with agricultural products in major foreign enterprises;
2.Solid knowledge of the market development and industry in the fertilizer or other agricultural product markets. Ideally are a strategic thinker and familiar with every function of the Supply Chain;
3.Experience in Business Development and Operation is preferred;
4.Good communication skills both in Chinese and English with local employees and foreign management are required;
5.Demonstrate initiative, enthusiasm and the ability to work as part of a team, as well as having proven analytical and communication skills. Dedicated and results orientated. ‘Can do’ spirit is important to the success of this post holder.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_eo125sd#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)
* In the email subject MUST you plus the position name £¨in either En or Ch £©

Operation manager – a top 500 company

Location: Shanghai
RESPONSIBILITIES:

(Limit your answer to 5 to 10 statements of important outcomes/results)
1. Build and develop a world class manufacturing and operations team.
2. Develop and implement an operating framework and development plan for the company which is consistent with the company¡¯s overall organizational development plan and which maximizes the effectiveness and efficiency of operational processes.
3. Assures that effective, as well as efficient, processes are documented, implemented, and comply with the TS standard and regulatory requirements.
4. Strengthen current measurement systems to accurately report performance of key measurable.
5. Responsible for reporting to top management on the performance of the plant and any need for improvement.
6. Responsible for ensuring the promotion of awareness of customer requirements throughout the organization.
7. Assures the effective development of product cost structures and standards development. Plan and direct manufacturing layout, work flow, assembly methods, and work-force utilization to achieve production and service goals defined by top management.
8. Responsible for training and staff development, suppliers and purchasing cost control, maintenance and engineering, efficiency enhancement, employee relations and general financial management.
9. Responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of process engineering, production planning, quality control and cost improvement methodologies. Provides leadership, guidance, and oversight for the successful introduction of new products into Operations through concurrent engineering practices, new technologies and methods. Assures that product inapproachability requirements are defined/implemented, cost targets, program/project schedules, and quality goals are achieved. Supports supplier process development and quality objectives to assure product quality, cost targets, and schedule objectives are met for purchased parts and assemblies
10. Responsible for ensuring those processes needed for the safety, health and environmental and quality management systems are established, implemented and maintained on his/her department.
11. Provides leadership and cross-functional coordination of all activities and processes associated with manufacturing engineering, advanced manufacturing, and plant facilities in order to achieve company quality, cost, and schedule objectives.
12. Manage and oversee plant day-to-day product manufacturing process. Provides technical guidance and direction in the area of manufacturing engineering/production to assure operations and development projects and initiatives are achieved.
13. Establishes, presents, and manages budgets for conducting department activities,
facilities management, and operations support of programs. Forecasts, plans and directs resources to achieve department and company objectives. Determines, plans, and monitors department goals and objectives in line with company objectives. Maintains performance metrics to monitor progress and keeps management informed of status, challenges, opportunities for improvement and accomplishments.
Qualifications:

(Limit your answer to 5 to 10 statements of important requirements)
1. Bachelor of Engineering Degree.
2. Over 10 years of operation related experience, Minimun 5 year¡¯s management experience.
3. Strong leadership capabilities.
4. Strong interpersonal skills; including written and verbal communication and influencing; conflict resolution.
5. High energy and sense of urgency.
6. Strong teamworking skills.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_eo124sh#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)
* In the email subject MUST you plus the position name £¨in either En or Ch £©

China to invest forex across global markets

CHINA Investment Corp Ltd, the state investment company set up to gain better returns on China’s huge foreign exchange reserves, will invest in all markets worldwide except those that make settlement in the yuan, Chairman Lou Jiwei said yesterday.

Lou, a delegate to the ongoing 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, said the company will operate in “a completely commercial way.”

“Some media reports have said China has political considerations behind the company, but I think that is an unnecessary worry,” he said.

The company, inaugurated late last month, has a board of directors and a supervisory committee that ensures its commercial operation, Lou said.

It is now working on corporate regulations and building its team.

The company will communicate with international financial institutions, multinational organizations and supervisory institutions in foreign countries, he said.

The company’s US$200 billion in registered capital comes from China’s foreign-exchange reserves. It is being assembled through the issuance of 1.55 trillion yuan (US$206 billion) in special treasury bonds by the Ministry of Finance.

China’s foreign exchange reserves reached US$1.43 trillion at the end of last month, up 45.1 percent from the same period last year, according to the People’s Bank of China.

In May, the new company, still in its preparation phase, made its first investment in US$3 million worth of nonvoting shares in Blackstone Group, a private equity firm based in the United States.

Also yesterday, Minister of Finance Xie Xuren said China will continue its “prudent” fiscal policy for the foreseeable future and keep the size of deficits and treasury bonds at “sound” levels.

Xie, who is also a delegate to the Party Congress, said the government will coordinate fiscal and monetary policies in a drive to strengthen and improve macroeconomic management.
Using a “scientific outlook on development,” Xie said the Ministry of Finance will implement policy incentives to encourage innovative companies and increase state investment in research and development in key national labs.

The financial and taxation branches of the government must build institutions that support a resources-efficient and environmentally friendly economy, Xie said.

IT workers earn more than others

PEOPLE working in the information technology industry earned more than employees in all other industries on average last year, according to the Shanghai Statistics Bureau.

They were followed by workers in the finance, electricity, gas and water, real estate and scientific research sectors, the bureau said.

The wage gap between different sectors widened last year. The average wage in the IT sector was 3.55 times of the average salary for those in the service sector, the lowest paid group of workers, while in 2000, the average wage in the highest sector was 3.24 times that of the lowest.

From 2000 to 2006, wages in the manufacturing industry grew 13.3 percent annually, and wages for the service sector grew 14.6 percent, the bureau said.

Local employees earned 29,569 yuan (US$3,937) a year on average last year, up 10.2 percent from a year earlier.

General Sales Manager, Greater China

Company introduction:
Our client has over 70 years experience of supplying specialist chemicals to the construction industry. By concentrating on innovation and service to the customer, it now leads the way in specification selling into the construction chemicals market. This wealth of experience is gained from our worldwide presence in more than 20 countries, with exports to a further 50 countries. Their main customers are building, civil engineering and specialist contractors, served by a proactive and knowledgeable sales team. They also provide advice to architects and engineering consultants on the specification and use of the systems. They are supported by a global network of industry specialists, research laboratories and manufacturing facilities.
It is the leading supplier of high quality, cost effective systems for construction, protection and repair of concrete structures. With the development in Asia, they are welcome more talent to join in.

Report To:GM
Location: Guangzhou
Responsibility£º
1. Planning, organization of technical management
2. Arrangement of necessary training, present annual appraisal
3. Handling technical & quantity complaints, communication between relative department
4. Formulation confidential
5. Management of QC/QA daily routine, guarantee the quality product
6. Development of new product
7. Formulation nationality improved, cost saving to be competitive
8. Technical service on requirement
9. Responsible for department HSE issues
10. Raw material tested, ensure 99% of raw material for production have no evidence quality problem
11. Check up the production quality in the process. Product complaint annually less than 2 times.
12. Costing engineering of formulation, 85% above raw material localization
13. Provided technical service, 95% above customer satisfaction

Requirements:
1. A bachelor degree major of Chemical/Concrete
2. At least 5 year experience in chemical or concrete industry.
3. Good command of Chinese , communication skill
4. Good computer skill. Base line can use Microsoft Office in work.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_mkt217gz#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)

Facebook used to recruit employees

MONTREAL — Companies are increasingly hiring through social networks such as Facebook, turning websites meant for friendly banter into effective recruiting tools.

Talent seekers are finding that these online services, where members mostly share vacation photos and discuss weekend plans, have a terrific asset – it’s full of people and they talk a lot.

Look at consultant giant Ernst & Young, which created a Facebook community showcasing the company with flashy videos and a Q&A section. More than 9,500 people are part of this group.

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Font:****The group for Southwest Airlines, where one will find an ad for software engineers, boasts more than 50,000 members.

Even the CIA is luring aspiring spies on Facebook.

It gets people talking.

Robert Neel, a recruiter in Washington D.C. and blogger for Jobmatchbox.com, puts the Facebook allure in terms of numbers: “If you follow where people are online, the vast majority are on MySpace and Facebook, and it’s increasing.”

At last count, MySpace had more than 115 million users. Facebook clocks in much lower at 31 million. But recruiters are preferring the latter since it’s a little cleaner, more organized, and the members more mature than MySpace, which found favour with bands and teens.

And since Facebook members volunteer tons of personal information, its search function can be a virtual gold mine for recruiters, Neel said.

“You can search for people by skills or by company or by job title,” he said. “It takes you straight to the candidate.”

As the ease and low cost of social networks becomes more apparent, innovative companies are finding creative ways to promote their brands. It costs nothing to create a Facebook group or to have employees who are members spread job openings among their contacts.

One of the more promising uses of Facebook is through applications. These are mini programs, made by anyone, that users can add to their profiles for free, expanding the functions to their once-static profile pages.

Popular applications involve movies and sharing music, but job-related ones are picking up. One application from website Jobster sends users alerts whenever a new position opens in the company and area of their choice. Big names like Nike, KPMG, GE, Merrill Lynch and Boeing have signed up.

Taleo Corp., a talent-management software maker in Dublin, Calif., is about to release its own application for recruiters. The application will make it so when a headhunter advertises a job, the post appears on the Facebook news feed of all their friends. But to use this application, a company must be a Taleo client.

“For smaller companies who don’t have big brand, sourcing candidates is their No. 1 pain,” said Jason Blessing, general manager of Taleo’s small-business division. “And there are a lot of college students in Facebook. It’s rich in talent. It’s a good place to give customers a presence.”

EHS Manager

Experience: 5yr+
Department: Warehousing and Distribution (WND)
Reports to: Great China Logistic WND Operation Manager (Foreigner)

Purpose & general responsibilities of the position:
a) Build up the HSSE platform to share operational data and best practice across the function (focus on JV).
b) Develop and maintain measurement and controlling tools to evaluate HSSE performance.
c) Create, develop and maintain HSSE management systematically.
d) Work actively with regulatory authorities & professional associations and attend the related activities to improve regulations that do not adequately address HSSE issues.

Specific responsibilities of the position:
a) Conduct audit annually, list all non-compliances, supervise the corrective plan and report results to MNG.
b) To be owner of HSSE compliance handbook and HSSE audit system. Finalize the related instructions base on Chinese law, legal requirement & procedure, draft emergency response plan.
c) Be accountable for HSSE performance, ensure that HSSE is regarded as a line responsibility and is considered first priority in daily operations.
d) Have the authority to interrupt any operation to prevent an unsafe act or unsafe condition from causing an incident and take action to correct any unsafe behaviour or condition.
e) Actively participating in the HSSE program in Great China, including ownership of accident/incident investigations.
f) Actively mentor JV staff to help improve their HSSE performance/compliance.
g) Distribute and extend HSSE policy, procedures, programs, and practices. With further support from WNDMNG, ensure all personnel fully comply with the requirements.
h) Immediately report all incidents to WNDMNG.
i) The reduction of HSSE Incidents and in the event of a HSSE incident, it must be ensured that the consequences are mitigated; lessons are learned and disseminated throughout the organization.
j) Arrange annual HSSE workshop.
k) Act as a member of the safety committees of each JV, and ensure that HSSE meetings are held and documented.
l) Representing WND HSSE, participate in HSSE activities and update WND HSSE documents accordingly.
m) Deliver ¡°Best practice¡± or ¡°Worst practice¡± case study on relevant JVs for sharing and improvement.
n) Frequent travelling is required to review and diagnose JV HSSE compliance.
o) Build up and maintain good relationship with JVs to communicate minimum requirements and compliance.
p) Support implementations with HSSE best-practise.
q) Support the WND development team as required.

Measurement / success criteria of the position:
a) Build up the HSSE platform to share operational data and best practice across Great China WND function (focus on JV), (By mid of Nov. 2007)
b) HSSE compliance handbook and HSSE audit system in place by mid Nov 2007.
c) All JVs audited against the compliance handbook, and all non-compliances corrected.
d) Delivery one case study on best/worst practice per WNDGTP (two PA).

Learning opportunities in the position:
a) Understand Logistics, Container Business and in particular the Warehousing and Distribution team¡¯s strategy and vision.
b) Gather rich operational, analytic and project implementation skills within WND HSSE business.
c) Gain experience to assume senior positions in HSSE and WND.

Specific requirements for the position:
Essential
a) Good understanding of HSSE in relation to WND (Warehousing and Distribution), IEL (Import and Export logistics) & EDC (Export Distribution Centre) business.
b) Well organized and ability to perform under pressure.
c) Interpersonal skills and good at communication in English and Chinese.
d) Strong analytic skills on data and figures.
e) Autonomous and independent.
f) Result-oriented.

Preferred:
a) Rich WND operations experience.
b) Formal qualifications in HSE and security.
c) Industry experience from leading 3rd party logistics provider.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_eo122sh#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)
* In the email subject MUST you plus the position name £¨in either En or Ch £©