Chinese firms to see rising demand for bilingual talent, experts in Internet technology and human resources in 2018

Chinese companies will continue to see rising demand for bilingual talent, experts in Internet technology and human resources in 2018 amid globalization and China's Internet Plus strategy.

People who move to new jobs can expect an average salary increment of 10 to 20 percent while those who stay in their jobs can see a 5 to 8 percent rise in China in 2018, according to a report by Robert Walters, a global recruitment consultancy.

This year is likely to see a generally steady salary increase with an average 15 to 20 percent rise, cooling from a rally last year.

With China being the biggest e-commerce market globally with rapid development in digital payments, automation, big data and artificial intelligence under the Internet Plus strategy, employees in information technology companies who change jobs may see a 12 to 18 percent jump in salary, according to the report.  

The Belt and Road initiative and the Go Globally strategy are also driving Chinese companies to pursue bilingual professionals who have experience in international companies and understanding of local markets.

"The demand for bilingual talents is expected to rise sharply by over 50 percent in several years," said Sean Li, associate director of the Shanghai branch of Robert Walters.

The report also said that human resource specialists with a global mindset and international experience or knowledge of overseas labor law will be needed to help Chinese companies with plans to internationalize.

"We expect salaries to remain stable, except for candidates with in-demand skills and international background who will be able to command higher salary increments," said Rachel Wang, head of the Shanghai and Suzhou branch of Robert Walters. HR professionals who move jobs next year can expect a rise in salary of up to 20 percent, which is similar to that in 2017.