China is ground zero for the COVID-19 coronavirus and it comes as no surprise that it was the most severely affected nation. However, in recent weeks, the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases has been decreasing in the country. As such, the nation’s daily life and economy is very slowly but surely returning to normalcy. However, many are still taking extra precautions to ensure the coronavirus does not pick up steam again.
As such, universities and tech companies in China have been launching recruitment platforms in order to help both job-seekers and recruiters across the country stabilise employment amid the continued threat of COVID-19.
March is generally considered to be the peak hiring period for Chinese businesses. The month after Lunar New Year usually means bonuses are handed out and many employees move on to look for better opportunities. However, traditional recruiting activities like on-site job fairs have all been cancelled to avoid mass gatherings, and the whole process was moved online.
Students and experienced talent alike have all been taking measures to prepare themselves for the online hiring process and some have even voiced their approval at the ease and efficiency that these platforms offer.
According to China’s Ministry of Education, there are about 8.74 million graduates this year, 400,000 more than last year. Most universities and colleges across the country have established special online platforms in conjunction with major job-hunting websites to help graduates jumpstart their careers.
One such example comes from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), located in the southwestern city of Chengdu. They have arranged three online job fairs with a total of around 500 participating companies looking for new talent.
For employers, unlike in the past, their promotional sessions have also been moved online. They have also been inspired by “cloud recruitment.”
“The new practice just helps us address the urgent need of talents with high efficiency and low costs. It can reach a wider range of people. Even when the epidemic is over, we will continue to take this approach in the hunt for talent,” said Wang Youqiang, general manager of the Chengdu Guibao Technology Company.
This movement towards online hiring does not necessarily mean that everything is going just fine. The COVID-19 outbreak has definitely caused major damage to economies around the world, China especially. It is undeniable that a large number of companies have suffered large losses amid the lengthy business suspension which has resulted in fewer job opportunities in the market.
You Jun, vice minister of Human Resources and Social Security, said in late February that China will take more targeted measures to ensure stable job creation, including encouraging online hiring and providing financial support for small firms, to mitigate the impact of the outbreak on employment.
