Retention of Employees in China

Loyalty...

When you think of China, what do you think of it? Personally, I think of the 1.5 billion people living in China. This means that the last thing on your mind when you go there for business would be a hiring and retaining problem, right? Well, believe it or not, this issue will be one of the difficult tasks you may have. In this article, we will touch on the way workers think and how to be successful at hiring and retaining people.

One key to success is creating Loyalty. In other words, control the turnover rate.

Now, I know that some of you may be thinking, "With a low job market and high population, employees are lucky just to have a job. Why should I worry about loyalty?" Today, the young Chinese people are more independent than their older parents. They are more willing to move around rather than stay in the same place for a job. Just like in the West, the younger generation is always out looking for a better tomorrow.

When you first step foot in China, you may recognize that the Chinese workers are not as motivated to work as American people, especially at the lowest levels of a company. There are a lot of causes for this issue, but the simplest one I think of is that the workers have very low expectations.

For example, if something happens to the company, the workers on the lowest level know that they are the first to go. Hence, why even bother? Their way of thinking is the same as the rest of the world, and that is why Chinese labor is cheap.

To eliminate this attitude from the Chinese workers, some professionals (don't worry, not me) recommend that you should involve the employees with company goals and long term plans. The professionals say that people do know about the method but they tend not to apply it in the foreign worker. This method is very effective and increases workers' loyalty significantly in China as well.

retention of employees

More than money...

Now that is fine for lower management, but for top talent in higher positions things are a little more complicated. Money to these people is not the number one motivation. When the higher level workers come to the company they want somebody to show them the ropes, a mentor you would say. Now, you might say this information is redundant, because of course you need to train a person when he first comes in. Yes, you are half correct, but the Chinese worker wants a little more than a mentor who just shows the rulebook.

The person wants a mentor who not just gives work related advice but also personal guidance as well. For example, it is common for the Chinese worker to ask the mentor about very personal issues, such as how to move out of their parent's home and even about relationships. So, when your employees ask about these issues please don't be surprised.

As a manager, sometimes you need to ask about the workers' families, such as how is their son or daughter doing in school; or when you know a person is sick in their family, you should always ask how he/she is doing. To the Chinese workers, asking these questions do not mean that you're nosey but shows that you are affectionate and that could go a out of your way for them.

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