What has been your experience in recruitment in HK?

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  1. #21

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    I've been working in recruitment for just two and a half weeks now...in the UK. Obviously I'm not looking to run before I can walk, but I do like to keep my eye on the future. I work in call centre recruitment for a medium sized company...so no overseas opportunities there, but I'm doing quite well - billed ?4600 so far, expecting a couple of more placements to come in this week. I have no degree. Would I have to work at a large multinational and get transferred or would I be able to find a recruitment job in HK (preferably for a company like Robert Half) with sponsorship quite easily if I built up a track record of high billings?

    As for the subject of shoddy recruitment consultants, at the end of the day our goal is to make money. Good recruiters understand that maintaining a level of ethics and professionalism in their work will ultimately bring them more money, whilst bad recruiters focus on the quick buck. Wasting time with unqualified candidates is an awful habit to get into at any rate, and it's wasting THEIR time too. But if someone is of the right calibre, I'll get them interviews immediately. Sometimes for the very same day.
    My experience has been that the vast majority of recruitment consultants are medicore, though. Especially for high street agencies. It might be something to do with the fact that lots of people fall into recruitment and for all the wrong reasons. Possibly the most misunderstood career on the planet, even by those who enter into it.

    I'm pleased to see all these topics about recruitment spring up, last time I checked these boards there wasn't a thread about recruitment as a career to be found.

    Last edited by Viper; 21-01-2007 at 11:28 PM.

  2. #22

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    Viper

    Doesn't necesarily have to be a large firm etc for you get a role over here, As long as you have Industry knowledge and a good sales record oh and of course some Mandarin/Cantonese then you should be o.k.

    Ah yes just noticed you need sponsorship, With any job here in HK that needs sponsorship you need to be on a minimum salary of $20000 hk a month and also the company needs to prove that they can't hire somebody locally that can do the role instead of you.

    That could be your stumbling block unfortunately, so maybe you might be better off getting your experience where you are and moving to a larger firm who has a presence in HK and try and seek a transfer that way.


  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo:
    Viper

    Doesn't necesarily have to be a large firm etc for you get a role over here, As long as you have Industry knowledge and a good sales record oh and of course some Mandarin/Cantonese then you should be o.k.
    Ahh yes, the language issue...the multinationals don't usually mention anything about that in their "overseas opportunities" literature. Do most recruitment companies in HK that also operate over here focus on recruiting people with English language skills?

    Ah yes just noticed you need sponsorship, With any job here in HK that needs sponsorship you need to be on a minimum salary of $20000 hk a month and also the company needs to prove that they can't hire somebody locally that can do the role instead of you.

    That could be your stumbling block unfortunately, so maybe you might be better off getting your experience where you are and moving to a larger firm who has a presence in HK and try and seek a transfer that way.
    That's unfortunate...I really wouldn't want to change the company I work at for a multinational. Well, maybe Robert Half...

  4. #24

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    Depending on the industry type I would say that English is the definate minimum especially if you're dealing with the Multinationals.

    Mandarin/Cantonese will of course be a bonus as not all the staff you may be dealing with have good English language skills.

    So I'd say English with a basic understanding of Cantonese enough to get you by would be enough.


  5. #25

    Hey people, I've been re-reading some of these posts and they are fascintating. Let's look at a few things here in SE Asia first
    The market - high demand for high skilled people, low supply of them hence the oncome of recruitment companies.
    Clients - inundated with candidates that are either not skilled enough or not cost effective
    Candidates - having problems finding work due to CV's, Visa's and other things.

    Can I just point out, we haven't heard things from people that haven't had a problem finding work! how did they do it? In my experience so far, if someone has the right skill set and comes across well in the interview, the issue of notice and Visa has't been that big an issue, especially with MNC's, maybe that is something to think about.....it is a skill short market out there, so how do you highlight these skills effectively?

    Recruitment companies will go where there is a market for them, there is no doubt that there is one here with the big players locating in the area and each trying to get their brand across, there are also allot of smaller boutique companies as well, hence there are allot of mediocre consultants out there. All I will say is that in this market it is important to work with ethics and high standards, a bad reputation will just spread in such a small market. I hope that I am doing a better job than some of my counterparts, but there is always room to improve, hence I put this posting in the first place.

    I cannot emphasise enough, that when meeting a consultant or agency, check out their credentials, reputation etc first, if you don't trust them, don't use them. simple as that, they should be able to give you valuable insight etc, and if they don't think they can help you, then they should just say so. That's my view anyway, I'll probably burn in recruitment hell for eternity now.......perseverence is key, but also so is a good CV!! (OMG that rhymes!!!!)

    Quote Originally Posted by Viper:
    I've been working in recruitment for just two and a half weeks now...in the UK. Obviously I'm not looking to run before I can walk, but I do like to keep my eye on the future. I work in call centre recruitment for a medium sized company...so no overseas opportunities there, but I'm doing quite well - billed ?4600 so far, expecting a couple of more placements to come in this week. I have no degree. Would I have to work at a large multinational and get transferred or would I be able to find a recruitment job in HK (preferably for a company like Robert Half) with sponsorship quite easily if I built up a track record of high billings?

    As for the subject of shoddy recruitment consultants, at the end of the day our goal is to make money. Good recruiters understand that maintaining a level of ethics and professionalism in their work will ultimately bring them more money, whilst bad recruiters focus on the quick buck. Wasting time with unqualified candidates is an awful habit to get into at any rate, and it's wasting THEIR time too. But if someone is of the right calibre, I'll get them interviews immediately. Sometimes for the very same day.
    My experience has been that the vast majority of recruitment consultants are medicore, though. Especially for high street agencies. It might be something to do with the fact that lots of people fall into recruitment and for all the wrong reasons. Possibly the most misunderstood career on the planet, even by those who enter into it.

    I'm pleased to see all these topics about recruitment spring up, last time I checked these boards there wasn't a thread about recruitment as a career to be found.

  6. #26

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    Oct 2005
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    Kinjamin

    Theres a few lucky ones that had the benefit of an overseas transfer thus they never needed to use a head hunter/agent.

    Of course its a lot tougher for those of us that came over with no job to go to. Theres only so much time and expense you can put into networking etc before you start to think ' is the juice worth the squeeze'


  7. #27

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    Mar 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo:
    Depending on the industry type I would say that English is the definate minimum especially if you're dealing with the Multinationals.

    Mandarin/Cantonese will of course be a bonus as not all the staff you may be dealing with have good English language skills.

    So I'd say English with a basic understanding of Cantonese enough to get you by would be enough.
    Ah, good. Guess I better start learning Cantonese then.


    Are the commission structures a bit more generous over there kin? My top band is 9%.

  8. #28

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    Good luck with the Cantonese Viper. You will most likely need a tongue massage at the end of one session. If you're a native english speaker, Mandarin is a much much "easier" language to pick up.

    And I understand exactly what you're saying Jimbo as I am in that boat as well. We picked a nastier road to travel on. I wish you all the luck you need, I unfortunately have found myself shortchanged by the fact that everything is so finance-oriented. The holy grail of jobs in HK. I currently plan to return to Canada in March where my skills are much more appreciated, monetarily too. Hopefully I can derail those plans during the hiring binge in the New Year, but I am not holding my breath. I am most jaded with the work situation here. And I miss driving.


  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by TwistedFates:

    And I understand exactly what you're saying Jimbo as I am in that boat as well. We picked a nastier road to travel on. I wish you all the luck you need, I unfortunately have found myself shortchanged by the fact that everything is so finance-oriented. The holy grail of jobs in HK. I currently plan to return to Canada in March where my skills are much more appreciated, monetarily too. Hopefully I can derail those plans during the hiring binge in the New Year, but I am not holding my breath. I am most jaded with the work situation here. And I miss driving.
    Yes right back at you, My background is not what you'd call finance orientated either even though I have worked in those industries.

    I'm planning on returning to London too in March if I don't get any firm leads or offers by then too.

    My days are pretty much free at the moment because I'm between interviews/meetings etc so maybe hook up for a coffee somewhere and exchange contacts etc.

    Oh yes I miss driving too, got two cars sitting in my garage in London doing nothing.