China Staff articles from September 2006

China Staff archives from September 2006

DTZ's company alumni: managerial flair and HR innovation exemplified: inspired by Hamel's principle of managerial innovation to look for powerful ideas in unusual places, Cindy Yun Xu and Edward K.C. Cheung of DTZ Debenham Tie Leung (DTZ) share how DTZ Shanghai combined business strategies and HR initiatives to create long-lasting advantages for corporate sustainability.
September 1, 2006... AS a global real estate advisor, DTZ works with clients to create leading edge property, investment, and business solutions worldwide with a range of services that involve numerous international and local landmarks. Globally, DTZ has 10,000...

Investing in HR is no mouse feat: working for a company whose business is making dreams come true may sound like a fantasy job, but at Disney, recruiting and retaining the right people is no Mickey Mouse task.(Corporate Culture)
September 1, 2006... As a company that relies totally on customer satisfaction, Disney naturally places a huge emphasis on effective human resources management. "We are investing in the magic of HR," says Bill Ernest, Executive Vice President and Managing Director...

Corporate wellness programs help those who help themselves: happy employees are productive employees and less stress generally produces a more productive workforce. Cecilia Lui speaks with IPS and American Express on Employee Assistance Programs that proactively address workplace issues and their impact on performance.(Work Safety & Health)
September 1, 2006... From time to time, issues come up in our lives that lead to anxiety, fears, or depression. The personal problems of employees have a dramatic impact on job performance, peer relations, management conflict, and frequent absences or workplace...

Headcount forecasts up again amid more declined offers: Hudson's latest quarterly survey found that every sector surveyed is forecasting greater headcount growth compared to the same period last year. Companies are also upbeat about their prospects for the next six months but are increasingly faced with candidates declining their offers in a hot job market that is Hong Kong.(Hong Kong Hiring Trends)
September 1, 2006... Even after a long period of growth, employment expectations are still rising, with 62% of executives across all sectors forecasting increased headcount in Q3. This compares with 58% in Q2 and is the highest level since Q4, 2000. Banking &...

Can search firms walk the talk in the war for talent? While losing your key employees to headhunters is trying at best but hardly surprising in a dog-eat-dog China talent market, what happens when the hunters themselves become the hunted? Marlene Ye of Boehringer Ingelheim examines how search firms stand up to scrutiny.(Industry Outlook)
September 1, 2006... The effects of China's rapid growth are prevalent. The demand for qualified local talents is far outstripping supply. Foreign companies in China need local talents to help them with the right local business strategy and in strategy execution;...

Increase assignment success via the manager-expatriate partnership: Barrie Zucal, President and CEO of The Global Coaches Network, looks at the long distance relationship between managers and employees on overseas postings, and offers practical advice on how managers can support goal achievement, handle challenges, and optimise the expatriates' experiences.(Expatriate Management)(Column)
September 1, 2006... With today's advancement in telecommunications, staying in contact with anyone anywhere at any given time is no longer wishful thinking but more so a reality limited only by our resources and will. With e-mail, video conferencing, and discount...

Resolving monetary disputes between employer and employee: Pattie Walsh walks us through the procedures as to recovering compensation from errant employees who skip giving their employers notice.(Hong Kong Employment Watch)(Column)
September 1, 2006... Q: We are a construction company. AJ, one of our project managers, did not show up for work last Monday. During the course of the morning, he rang up his supervisor saying that he has taken up employment with another company and would not work...

Should HR documentation be bilingual? Graham Brown and Wei Xin speak out on the necessity and advantages of having important HR documents in bilingual versions.(Labour Law Forun)(Column)
September 1, 2006... Q: I have just been appointed to the HR position in the China subsidiary of a US based company. I have been surprised to find that all HR documentation is in English only. In my previous position, all important HR documents were in both English...

Issues requiring greater attention during due diligence and integration.(Data Page)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Based on a web-based survey on mergers and acquisitions in March/April 2006, companies in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand have a unified view on the top three issues...

New accord to include commissions in wages when calculating holiday-pay.(Hong Kong News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Labour Advisory Board has reached a consensus with six labour representatives and three employer group leaders on how to calculate holiday pay for 600,000 workers whose monthly income is derived mainly from commissions. The parties...

Penalty plan mooted to resolve minimum wage tussle.(Hong Kong News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Never the twain shall meet in the row over minimum wages between the employer camp and employee advocates. And in a bid to defuse the tension comes a proposed demerit scheme to penalise employers who pay their workers unacceptably low wages....

Robust economy pushing up turnover rates.(labor market)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A sharp rise in new job positions and a stable high turnover rate confirm that the Hong Kong labour market has improved further in the first half of 2006, according to the latest quarterly survey by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource...

SOE losses worsened by inflated salaries.(state-owned enterprises)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Senior staff at some loss-making state-owned enterprises in Guangdong are bleeding the firms dry, a research centre claims. According to China Daily, senior managers of some state-owned enterprises in Guangdong are bleeding their organisations...

Guangdong workers welcome minimum wage levels.(China News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Guangdong government has issued new minimum wage standards, effective 1 September 2006 much to the relief of migrant workers employed there. Guangdong Labour and Social Security Department (LSSD) has set new wage levels for different...

Working-age population set to decline.(China News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The growth of the country's working-age population will slow down and lead to labour shortages, according to a report in China Daily. The working-age population was estimated at 918 million in 2005. That group is expected to account for 72.14%...

French president set to approve youth jobs plan.(Jacques Chirac)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... FRANCE -- A contested youth jobs contract that has sparked weeks of sometimes violent protests is expected to be signed into law by French President Jacques Chirac, after a committee of experts removed the last legal obstacle. The...

IBM asks recruiters for refund.(World at a Glance)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... INDIA -- IBM has served notices to a dozen of its hiring agents demanding refund of the professional fees and service taxes dating from 2003 to 2005, following the company's move to sack scores of employees who were sourced through these firms...

Malaysia Airlines to cut up to 5,000 jobs.(World at a Glance)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... MALAYSIA -- Malaysia Airlines said it expects to cut up to 5,000 jobs and spend a maximum of RM850 million (US$217 million) in compensation packages in a move to return to profitability next year. The airline said that between 3,000 and 5,000...