Clear career progression becoming main motivator for job hunters in Chinese mainland

Chinese mainland candidates value career progression as the key motivator when they decide whether to accept a new job, according to recruitment company Hays.

Career progression was chosen by 62 percent of respondents in a survey as the motivator they valued highest in choosing a job, according to a latest web poll by Hays. Salary and benefits were chosen by 25 percent and 13 percent picked corporate culture as the most important factor in their job decision.

“Salary and benefits have long been a key concern for job hunters in the mainland, but with 37 percent more job hunters valuing the importance of identifiable career paths over monetary gains, that’s a significant message for employers,” Simon Lance, managing director of Hays China, said.

Clear career progression is an increasingly important factor for many candidates across key Asian talent markets, and has become the top motivator for job hunters in Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong as well, Hays said.

Sixty percent picked non-career progression as second only to the 65 percent who blamed the lack of competitive salary or benefits as the main reason given by candidates in the mainland for looking for a new employer, Hays said in another report.

Hays said the desire for a new challenge and the lack of training or development opportunities are also important considerations for employees who are seeking new jobs. 

“By providing professional training, an organization can ensure that it has employees with necessary skills and capabilities and that employees are making the best contribution to the company,” Lance said.