REPORT
Tipping the balance A
Managers in China are demanding more work- life balance from their companies – but can they really have it all?
role offering more responsibility and a higher salary has usually been enough to lure Chinese managers to another
company. But this year, candidates are demand- ing even more from employers, putting work-life balance at the top of their priority list. According to a MRI China Group survey of
more than 3,000 mid- to senior-level managers in mainland China and Hong Kong, the three biggest motivators for candidates to make a job move are an increase in responsibility, compensa- tion and improved work-life balance. It’s the first time that lifestyle has ranked so highly as both an employee retention and attraction factor in the recruitment firm’s annual talent index. “Most of the white-collar market has moved
through a cycle of very rapid compensation and responsibility increases over the last five years,” said Chris Watkins, MRI’s country manager for mainland China and Hong Kong. “Our interpretation [of the data] is basically
that these guys now want it all: more money, more responsibility and work-life balance.” Te rising trend is also due to a shift in de-
mographics: Over the last five years, there has been a rise in the number of managers in the 30- 40 age range who are buying a house or car, hav- ing a child and looking to settle down. Meeting work-life expectations will likely be difficult for the country’s firms – especially at a time when these needs are loosely defined and the war for talent is on.
Job seekers’ market
Recruiters argue that China is currently a job seeker’s market. Despite the high number of col- lege graduates in China – more than 6.3 million entered the job market in 2010 – companies are facing a talent shortage for positions requiring more expertise. About 64% of MRI’s survey re- spondents said they received at least one job of- fer in the past 18 months. Of this group, 73% received two or more offers. “In China, there’s been a high demand for
employees in general,” said Mette Leger, man- aging director for Grow HR, a human resources firm based in Shanghai. “In the fourth quarter of 2010, many companies increased in size, but there was a shortage of talent. Tat means it’s now more important that companies think about how to attract and retain candidates.” Tis includes taking a more proactive strat-
egy, instead of simply fattening the wallets of candidates and employees. Watkins stresses the importance of coming up with sustainable remu- neration packages that companies can afford and finding a way to manage employee expectations. “You can’t have 30-40% salary increases, promo- tions and work-life balance,” he said. Whether it’s the responsibility of employers
is also debatable. One recent survey by Hays, a global recruitment firm, showed that about 40% of workers in China think work-life balance is attainable, but say it is up to themselves to make it happen. A further 36.6% of respondents said a flexible employer is the key to managing profes- sional and family commitments. At the same time, the meaning of work-life
balance isn’t easy to define. Expectations are spe- cific to each individual. And while candidates of- ten have demands about travel and work sched- ules, other aspects – like pressure – are more difficult to measure. Personal needs often change, too. “In China,
IN TANDEM: About 36.6% of Chinese workers believe a flexible employer is the key to attaining work-life balance
8 China Economic Review • May 2011
families can hire ayis to help with housework. Parents sometimes live with their adult children to help them with the kids. In this case, I feel it’s easier to balance work and home life,” said a Shanghai-based marketing director, who works in the consumer electronics industry and asked to remain anonymous. “When I worked in Can-
Phototex
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