Throw away your salary survey!

Your salary survey is probably wrong. I just got another salary survey in my inbox. It was very well done and probably took a great deal of time to create. It is also very misleading. The salary surveys that I see being created and distributed, and sold, give the impression that you can pay what is being paid in the market right now. This is the case only if you are looking for average employees. You are looking for top talent. The fact is, however, that if you are reading this blog you are not looking for average employees. The average employee in China does not speak English, he does not work in a foreign firm, he does not think outside the box, understand western reporting structures, go to a top university, or have a chance of getting hired into your firm. (When is the last time a hiring manager asked for a "really average candidate?" You are looking for the cream of the crop in China and you are going to be very frustrated if you use a salary survey to create your budget. I recommend that you call a recruiting firm like AdMark China (8621-6288-9292) and ask a consultant what you will have to pay. We know because we are on the ground talking to candidates every day. One thing we do at AdMark (www.AdMarkChina.com) to ensure that our clients are aware of current market demands is provide them a Real Time Report of the market as it relates to the positions they are trying to fill. This report compares your position criteria in terms of compensation, years of experience, and responsibilities to what companies of similar size and type are offering. We provide you with a profile of the talent market as it is right now. The RTR enables you to modify your search criteria to meet present market demands without wasting time or missing out on candidates. It helps you make the decisions you need to to get talent on your team without running afoul of a budget that was created using a salary survey that is not applicable to your needs. Call your recruiter to find out what you need to pay for your team members, if he doesn't know maybe you should get a new recruiter.