Business Relationships in China
Flowery words is what you’ll hear when trying to do business in China.
Unlike our Western brashness and straightforwardness (or maybe it’s just a New York thing), the Chinese are not direct. In conversations you will often feel they are circling the issue with compliments and the like. The trick is to read the facial expressions and body language to interpret what is truly being said. However once you have established yourself as a confidante I have found that you will get more directness, but if you expect that ‘in your face’ feedback sorry you won’t get that.
After spending 1.5 weeks interviewing several candidates from VP, Operations to trying to find my right hand person in China, the quality of candidates I met was really quite good. Chinese candidates, especially with good experience in multinational companies know they can demand more despite the economic crisis that has hit China equally hard. Motivated by money and how their resume reads (upward mobility, greater responsibilities) are very important aspects to candidates.
While it was an exhausting and non-stop 1.5 weeks of interviewing combined with a Global HR presentation to 400 of our managers and staff and new graduate training sessions, I leave with a great sense of personal and professional accomplishment.
The vastness of this land can be overwhelming, candidates traveling up to 3 hours to meet me, but the people put you at ease. I leave China with a greater appreciation of the endless possibilities and potential but overwhelmed with my feelings of homesickness.
Takeoff Roll 