Your Human Resources department is in a tough spot, no really, you may not think so, but they are. In addition to managing salary and benefits, doing all the hiring (and the occasional unfortunate termination), and administering performance reviews, they also have to play mediator. The HR department can be the mediator between employees, between a supervisor and a direct report, and even between the company and its staff. There’s a lot on their plate, and for this reason, your HR team would like you to keep a few things in mind.

They’re here to help

If you think of your HR department as nothing more than some well-intentioned folks who sit upstairs, process your paycheck, and make you watch office sensitivity videos once a year, then you’re not taking full advantage of one of the most versatile resources your company has to offer. Whether it’s managing your 401(k), getting additional training and development, or just getting a clearer understanding of your career path, Human Resources is happy to help. 
Read more »

Last September, an opportunity to work with Adecco in China on an 18-month assignment caught my attention. It was an opportunity to work alongside other colleagues from Europe to develop sales in China. This sounded like the challenge I was looking for; to learn how to work with one of the largest economic forces in our time, China. I believe this is critical in order to build a prosperous future worldwide.

I am fortunate to work with Adecco account executives from France, Italy, Germany, UK, Netherlands and Japan. We collaborate with our Chinese business development account executives to learn the Chinese labor laws while we help build relations with our respective country businessmen doing business here in China. It is a dynamic partnership benefiting everyone: FESCO, Adecco, and our clients.

One of the services we offer is processing the paperwork needed for relocating Americans to work here as ExPats. This has been fascinating for me as I have met up with friends who work with some of America’s Fortune 500 firms already doing business here or for companies that are just starting to establish themselves. Their visas and expat services were processed by FESCO Adecco.

One thing that has surprised me is the scarcity of good talent.  This is the same in the United States. Clients have presumed that there are plenty of workers to choose from. Actually, this is not the case. There is a scarcity of talent with the bi-lingual skills and work experience needed to fulfill the job descriptions. As a result our solutions are different in order to meet the client’s expectations.

This summer the labor laws are changing. We are awaiting the final decisions. The one thing I know is that all companies will need to be flexible.

You can learn more about FESCO Adecco and its HR services in China in the newspaper China Daily, where FESCO Adecco has a monthly article with HR staffing updates.

Future blogs will include the upcoming changes to China’s labor laws, places were American Expats meet to network, and other points of interest.  Feel free to comment with questions and ideas of what you would like for me to share about what it is like to live, travel or to conduct business here in Shanghai.

Engineers are the problem solvers of today, but with a growing shortage of qualified engineers and many current engineering students shifting to other fields, who will be there to solve the challenges of tomorrow?

Read more »