Not So Grim Up North-Macau Business Interview with MSS Recruitment

Overtime

Three years ago Macau was a major focus for human resources agencies as job openings piled up in the booming gaming and hospitality industries. Americans, Australians, Europeans and Hong Kongers flocked here, with or without employment contracts, in search of a slice of success as the city transformed itself into the Las Vegas of the East.
Failure wasn’t an option and salaries were interesting enough to justify a full relocation, family and all, often including pets.
Then the bubble burst.
For many the second half of 2008 delivered the hammer blow of redundancy. Upping and leaving was the option many chose but what about the dispossesed who stayed ?
Engineer John Nash is one of them. He is looking for a job in the Pearl River Delta region (PRD). With a solid background in managing production lines, that is his first choice but if that route doesn’t pan out, he’ll head north, to Shanghai or even Beijing.
“I am looking for jobs anywhere. Shenzhen is a possibility, although many factories are closing, thousands, I heard. But employment prospects for expatriates are rosier there than for Chinese people,’’ he told Macau Business.
Another option is opening his own company if things become gloomier: “I am looking for business opportunities. If I can’t find a job in the region I might end up opening my own company, basing it in Macau”.

Shrinking

Amid the global financial crisis, the mainland has been positioning itself as a friendly working destination for the professional expatriate community despite the global downsizing trend.
Recently, China Daily reported that Chinese firms are actually hiring more, especially in the fields of high-tech, engineering, research and development and the pharmaceutical industry.
For Jiji Tu, Managing Director of MSS Recruitment, who specialise in recruitment and visa services in Macau, the signs are not bright for expatriates laid-off from the gaming industry.
“Other probable gaming destinations such as Philippines are hiring just as cautiously and selectively for the time being,” she said.
“Those in hospitality will also find opportunities to be scarce although they have broader options in terms of destination choices. Bigger cities and other popular destinations in China are sensible options should they want to relocate to the mainland,” she adds.
But Tu says most of those laid off in Macau have returned home.
A CEO of a major mainland recruitment firm, with over 400 consultants and offices in 12 cities, offers some hope. “The global recession has had a greater impact on multi-national corporations in the mainland when compared to local companies. While US or Europe-based companies in China are laying off staff, there is a good growth of job opportunities in Chinese companies, especially in the fast moving consumer goods sector [such as supermarkets or stores where consumers buy on a regular basis], education and the pharmaceuticals industry. But there seem to be fewer opportunities for westerners in China,’’ the CEO says.

Hope springs

Being optimistic in times of crisis is something Chinese people learn young, and several financial institutions from Shanghai are trying to make the most out of the crisis, according to its municipal government. Officials recently toured some major Western cities to look for expatriates willing to move to the mainland.
Last December, Fang Xinghai, director of the Shanghai Municipal Financial Services Office, said a delegation from the office and representatives of almost 30 financial institutions operating in the city visited Britain and the United States and received over two thousand job applications for openings in financial firms such as banks, asset management companies and brokerages.
Applicants from Macau and Hong Kong were also present, representinga around three per cent of the total applications received.
The idea is to profit from the crisis and attract talented professionals to one of China’s most vibrant cities and its equally vibrant financial centre – Pudong.
However, Jiji Tu takes a more conservative line: “Generally, a booming economy creates bigger demands for skills that may or may not be available locally in a given country. China’s exponential economic growth may partially give rise to a perception that professionals have been moving eastward’.”
For Nash, having a good network of contacts in the mainland is all it takes to find the opportunities.
“Companies might close, as well as factories, but some businesses can’t just stop producing. People still have needs. My idea is to accept whatever comes, even it means a reduction in salary. I have some money saved and am calling business friends from the mainland that are looking for a cheaper work force with my kind of
experience.
It all comes down to money: “Some jobs are there, but if expatriates won’t compromise on the salary they won’t get much”.

by Joyce Pina

About MSS Recruitment:
 
MSS Recruitment is the leading recruitment and HR firm based in Macau. We specialize in identifying and introducing highly qualified Macau and overseas talent covering mid to executive level management for companies operating in Macau and Asia. Our comprehensive services include permanent recruitment, contract recruitment, executive search, work permit visa services, payroll/bookkeeping and other business support. Our executive search focus on gaming, hospitality, entertainment and MICE industries. Our experienced and qualified team is committed to sourcing, screening and delivering professionals to our clients.  We offer both retained and contingency services.
 
Media Contact:
info@mss-recruitment.com 

SOURCE: http://www.macaubusiness.com/news.asp?newID=1084&categoryID=5  Macau Business 31/3/2009