Chinese Firms Hungry for Talent
中国企业求贤若渴
by Olivia Chung
奥利维娅•张 著
丁立福 译
HONG KONG - In the 1980s and most of the 1990s, almost all talented Chinese students wanted to study abroad. And those who were lucky enough to be able to study in advanced countries such as the United States or Japan would make every effort to remain there after graduation, reluctant to return to China.
香港消息：在二十世纪整个八十年代和九十年代的大部分时间里，中国的几乎所有有才能的学生都想出国留学。而那些有幸能在诸如美国、日本等先进国家学习的学生在毕业之后却不愿返回中国，而是想方设法留在那里。
Yet here he was in Sun City. And it was four o’clock of a hot afternoon, and old Dr Wall was alone in his dental surgery when the man appeared. He had come in quietly and he had a gun pointed at Dr Wall’s stomach.
但是时代已经改变。由于经济的快速发展，在中国生活和工作的条件都大为改善。近年来，在海外求学的中国公民回国工作或创业的人数越来越多。
An increasing number of multinational corporations have set up operations in China, providing job opportunities for returned overseas Chinese students. Although multinationals have helped to lure back and retain domestic talent, they also pose great challenges to domestic companies and research institutes.
到中国经营运行的跨国公司越来越多，这就为回国的海外学子提供了就业机遇。尽管跨国公司有助于吸引并留住国内人才，但它们同时也给国内的公司和研究所带来了极大的挑战。
Wu Yikang, senior adviser for the Chinese Association for International Science and Technology Cooperation, said more and more local talent in China has flowed to multinationals because they tend to be engaged in cutting-edge high-tech research and offer generous salaries.
中国国际科技合作协会高级顾问吴贻康认为，在中国越来越多的地域性人才流向跨国公司，原因它们这些公司往往从事尖端的高科技研究、并能提供大笔的薪金。
It is a fact that multinationals in China have created a large amount of job opportunities for Chinese graduates, and also attracted many Chinese students studying abroad, he said.
“在中国经营的跨国公司已经为中国的大学毕业们创造了大量的就业机会，而且也吸引住了许多的中国留学生，这是一个事实。”
According to government statistics, since 1979, when China opened its doors to let students go abroad for further study, more than a million students have left the country. Thirty percent of them have returned to China.
由政府统计，自1979年中国打开国门允许学生出国深造时起，有一百多万的学生离开了中国。他们中间有百分之三十的人已经回到祖国。
But this is far from enough to meet market demand. There is still a huge demand for overseas-trained Chinese with international vision and management expertise. The shortage of such talent is a big challenge to Chinese companies planning to expand their business overseas, as well as to multinationals operating in China.
但是，要满足市场对人才的需求这还远远不够。对兼备国际眼光和管理专业技能的海外受训华人的需求依然很大。这种人才的短缺对于在中国运营的跨国公司和想在海外拓展业务的中国企业来说，一样是个大大的挑战。
Many multinationals understand that they could train local people to meet their growing demand for labor, but this takes time and money.
许多跨国公司明白，他们能培训当地人来满足日益增长的劳动力需求，但这得花费时间和钱财。
Early reports said almost 40% of China's educated talent worked in foreign-invested enterprises. A survey in Shanghai also indicated that the ratio of Chinese researchers to expatriate research-and-development staff reached nearly 40:1 in foreign-invested research organizations based in China, Xinhua said.
早期的报告表明，中国约有40%受过良好教育的人才曾在外资企业工作过。新华社说，上海的一分调查也表明：位于中国的外资研究机构里中国籍研究人员与华侨研究开发人员的比率接近40：1。
However, Wu Yikang points out that Chinese research and development people tend to have a very good academic background but very little practical experience. The training provided by multinationals can help improve Chinese researchers, Mr. Wu said.
然而吴贻康却指出，中国藉研究开发人员往往拥有非常好的学术教育背景，但缺乏实践经验。“由跨国公司提供的培训能帮助完善中国的研究人员。”吴先生如是说。
But multinationals are also afraid that once they invest in training local talent, their rising stars will be lured away by their competitors -- job-hopping is now commonplace in China because of a shortage of talent.
但是跨国公司也担心，一旦他们投资于本地人才的培训他们成长中的明星将被他们的竞争对手吸引走――由于人才的匮乏，“跳槽”便成了眼下中国的常见现象。
Wu said: The well-trained talent in multinationals are actually potential human resources for the Chinese companies, when the companies grow stronger.
吴先生说，“中国公司发展壮大时，在跨国公司受过良好培训的人才事实上就成为这些公司的潜在人力资源。”
And with fast social and economic changes in China, there have appeared new occupations, such as supply-chain and risk management, for which it is hard to find qualified personnel locally.
而且随着中国社会和经济的快速转变，也已经出现了一些诸如供应链和风险管理的新职业，在本地很难为这些岗位找到合格的工作人员。
Therefore, it is easier for multinationals in China and Chinese companies to recruit foreign-educated Chinese students with work experience overseas.
因此，中国藉公司和在中国的跨国公司就能相对较容易地招聘到具有海外工作经历的华人留学生。
According to the global head-hunting firm Whitney Group, China's financial industry is particularly hungry for Chinese with overseas work experience.
根据全球猎头公司惠特尼集团的信息，中国的金融业尤其需要那些具有海外工作经历的中国人才。
Although there is an increasing trend of foreign-educated mainland students returning to China, the market is still in short supply,'' said Whitney Group managing director Harry O'Neill.
“尽管在海外接受教育的大陆学生回国的趋势正在增长，市场上这种人才仍然短缺。” 惠特尼集团公司总经理奥尼尔这样说道。
Whitney has about 400,000 people in its database but candidates suitable for the Chinese market account for only a very tiny percentage.
惠特尼资料库里约有400,000份个人资料，但是能适合中国市场需求的人才仅占极小一部份。
The expansion of multinationals in China has further boosted demand for experienced executives with world vision.
跨国公司在中国的扩张进一步增强了对具有国际视野的资深管理人才的需求。
Human-resources consultancies, including Whitney, have predicted that in a couple of years, one out of every four managers working for multinationals will be a returned overseas Chinese student with work experience in overseas developed markets.
包括惠特尼在内的一些人力资源咨询公司已经预测，一两年后在中国为跨国公司工作的每四个经理中就将有一个是在海外成熟市场工作过的归国留学生。
With the Chinese economy becoming increasingly globalized, big Chinese enterprises are also wooing overseas Chinese with attractive offers. Even the Chinese government opens some posts to lure foreign-trained Chinese and offers incentives for returnees to set up their own businesses. According to the Ministry of Education, some 110 special investment zones with incentives for returned Chinese talent have been set up in various regions.
随着中国经济的日益全球化，中国的大企业也正在用诱人的回报来邀请海外华人的加盟。甚至中国政府也腾出一些职位也吸引在海外接受教育的国人，也开出一些激励回国人士自主创业的条件。据教育部说，在许多不同地区已经建立起约110个激励回国人士创业的投资特区。
By the end of 2005, more than 5,000 enterprises had been set up, ranging from high technology and finance to consulting, creating annual value of more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.28 billion).
截至2005年未，有5,000多家企业在中国落户，经营范围从高科技、金融到咨询等等，其每年所创造的价值高达100多亿元人民币(合12.8亿美元)。
Beijing also makes an effort to attract overseas-educated researchers, many of whom are now leading major national scientific research projects, according to Xinhua.
据新华社报道，北京也在努力吸引海外留学研究人员归国，他们中的许多人现正引领着国家重大科学研究项目。
At Peking University's prestigious China Center for Economic Research (CCER), salaries for returnee economists range from $30,000-$50,000 per annum, excluding housing and other perks. A foreign PhD is a minimum qualification for a job at the CCER. On average, there are now 10-15 applicants competing for every opening at the CCER.
北京大学著名的中国经济研究中心为归国经济学者提供的年薪高达30,000－50,000美元，这还不包括住房和其它额外补贴。申请在中国经济研究中心工作的最低要求是要有个外国博士学位。而且竞争该中心的每个空缺岗位的申请者现在平均有10－15人之多。
Among the major cities that a significant number of returnees are heading for, Shanghai seems the most proactive in attracting overseas Chinese professionals.
在有着众多归国人员涌入的各大城市中，上海似乎在运用政策吸引海外华人专家方面最为积极。
In August 2003, Shanghai launched an ambitious three-year campaign to lure 10,000 overseas Chinese to work in the city by offering preferential policies including a Shanghai residence card, which entitles the holder to the same rights as locals and government subsidies for those who start their own businesses in the city.
在2003年8月，上海就曾启动一项雄心勃勃的3年计划――通过提供优惠政策吸引10,000名海外留学生来本市工作，这其中包括发放上海市民身份证使其与当地人享受同等的权利，和提供政府津贴使其在本市创业。
By the end of November, Shanghai met its target ahead of schedule and attracted 10,203 Chinese from 110 countries and regions to work in the city.
去年11月底前，上海吸引了来自110个国家和地区的10,203名海外留学人才在本市工作，可谓提前达到目标。
However, not all returned overseas Chinese students are welcome in the job market at home. This suggests that the problem of human-resources mismatching, a result of economic and social change, is becoming increasingly acute and needs to be addressed.
然而，不是所有的海外留学生回国都受到国内职业市场的欢迎。这表明，由经济和社会转变导致的人力资源失衡问题正变得日益严重，急待应付解决。
After a few months of unsuccessful job hunting, Ying, 25, who has a master's degree in mass communications from a British university, became depressed. She went for further study in Britain soon after graduating from a university in Shanghai in 2005, with the hope of earning more than her home-educated colleagues when she returned to China, but she now finds it even more difficult to make her dream come true.
英今年25岁，拥有英国大学颁发的大众传播学硕士学位，在经历几个月不成功的求职后，变得沮丧起来。她于2005年毕业于上海的一所大学，一毕业就前往英国继续深造，希望学成回国时能比在国内接受教育的同行挣得更多，然而她现在发现要实现原先的梦想仍然困难重重。
Some big companies don't like me because I don't have working experience or the professional knowledge they require, while small companies offer me salaries [that are] even [lower] than a fresh graduate with a bachelor's degree from a local university [would get],'' she said.
英说道，“一些大公司不欢迎我因为我没有工作经历和他们所需要的专业知识，而一些小公司答应提供给我的薪水甚至少于刚刚从国内高校获得学士的大学毕业生。
More than 35% of foreign-educated Chinese students find it difficult to get a job when they return to China, according to a survey of 1,500 returnees conducted by the State Council's Development and Research Center.
据国务院发展研究中心对1,500名海归人员所做的调查，有35%以上的海外留学生认为他们回国时难于找到一份合适的工作。
A few years ago, returned overseas Chinese like Ying began to be called haigui (returned from overseas) , which sounds the same as sea turtles. By contrast, locally educated people were called tubie (local soft-shell turtles). Thus the term haigui suggests that returnees are respected.
几年前，像英这样的归国留学生开始被称为“海归”（从海外归来的人才），这个称呼与“海龟”谐音。相比之下，在国内接受教育的人士被称为“土鳖”（一种国产软壳龟）。因此“海归/龟”这个术语反映了归国人才受到敬重。
But now many of the returnees are called haidai, seaweeds, or job-searching returnees, because of their difficulties finding work. Most haidai are those who have gone abroad to study immediately after completing their high-school or undergraduate education in China and have returned to the country without the overseas work experience or communication skills employers require. They are treated no better than local students. Some haidai have trouble finding jobs because the overseas degrees they hold are not in demand.
但是眼下许多归国人士却因为找工作存在困难而被称为“海待”、“海带”或回国求职人士。大多数“海待”们是那些一旦在中国接受完高中或本科教育就立即出国求学、在既没有海外工作经历也没有雇主们所需要的沟通技能的情况下就回国求职的毕业生们。他们所受待遇不好于国内毕业的学生。有些“海待”们在找工作时遇到了麻烦，因为其所持海外专业学位没有市场。
Employers in China are more rational and practical now. What they look for are candidates who understand both Chinese and Western cultures, are fluent in both Mandarin and a foreign language, and have overseas work experience. A degree from a foreign school is no longer everything.
中国的雇主们眼下更加理性和实际。他们所寻找的是那些既了解中西方文化、又能说流利的普通话和一门外国语、还拥有海外工作经历的求职者。从外国院校获得一个学位已不再能搞定一切。
Sea turtles who plan to swim back home must be prepared for the new environment.
打算返回祖国的“海龟”们一定要对国内的新环境有所准备。