China

His regular writings aren't really a blog, per se. (In the same ways that this newsletter isn't.) That triffling bit of MC (Market correctness) doesn't seem to impair Frank's ability to deliver a critical view of the Chinese employment market.

We consider him our China desk and always point to new stories he's covering in the China section of the Bugler.

There are a number of surprises in the Chinese market. Here's one example:

For many people outside China the big 'threat that is China' consists of a huge pool of cheap workers. And of course here in China where everything is on a big scale we know what huge really means, 1.3 billion cheap workers. That's it, they think. After that it's all downhill. No real threat to the middle classes because of the lack of managerial and high tech skills in China. Well, they may be in for a shock.

According to research by Talentsmart, Chinese managers are no slouches. They have their own unique style and they do better than overseas managers in a number of different areas.
EQ in China 05-11-25
 

Surprisingly, the Chinese labor market is rife with spot shortages, skills dislocations and outright labor shortages. That's in a market of 1.3 Billion employees. China also shares some similarities with our own markets. Frank's columns lay out the details.

We have all heard it before. Talent attracts talent.

Ok, so that's great if you are hiring for the Boston Redsocks or the Dalian Shida Football Club. Or maybe if you are building a research team that will change the internet as we know it. Or even building a research centre in China. What, you might ask, has this got to do with hiring a bunch of sales guys for an industrial product in China!?.

Everything, if you want it to.

What this phrase above should really say is:

Any kind of recognizable talent will have the effect of attracting other talent.

- John Sumser