How to win over top talent in the spring hiring season in China?

If you’re wondering why hiring is so hard right now, you’re not alone—many of your peers are grappling with the same question.

Organisations across industries face a tight labor market in 2025. A shortage of highly skilled talent and other challenging hiring trends are leaving many roles unstaffed while negatively impacting employee workloads and morale.

Traditional recruitment approaches are becoming less effective, complicated by changing workforce preferences and the increased need for technology expertise, especially in the field of AI.

Firms must implement innovative tactics that balance careful resource management with the pressing need to keep projects on track. A majority seem to be willing to try.

Obstacles company leaders face

Intense talent competition. Skilled professionals remain in high demand, with supply falling well short of employer needs. This hiring trend forces companies to either delay strategic projects or proceed with understaffed teams.

Growing skills gaps. A number of managers say they have skills shortages on their teams, jeopardizing work quality and project schedules.

Budget constraints. Many organisations face headcount budget restrictions affecting their ability to hire needed talent.

Technical debt burden. Companies that have failed to modernise their systems face mounting technical debt, making it harder to attract tech professionals who often prefer working with current technologies and clean code bases.

Cross-functional collaboration. For businesses that operate in silos, it’s harder to attract talent who increasingly join the job market to seek environments that foster teamwork and cross-functional innovation.

Employee engagement. Low employee engagement drives higher turnover as workers seek more meaningful and fulfilling work experiences. It also makes it harder to attract new talent, as poor engagement visibly impacts company culture and shows up in employee reviews.

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Five effective strategies to attract top talent

In today’s competitive job market, attracting top talent requires more than just a job offer—it takes a compelling mix of competitive pay, enticing perks and a hiring process that balances speed with strategy. Here are five strategies to implement to attract top talent to your organisation:

1. Show them the money

Compensation remains crucial in the candidates’ decision whether to accept your job offer. Organisations offering below-market packages will struggle to attract high-caliber professionals who have entered the job market. Use comprehensive resources like the Salary Guide From Robert Half to ensure your compensation aligns with or exceeds industry standards.

2. Add perks and benefits

Top candidates typically fall into two categories: candidates actively looking in today’s job market and passive candidates currently employed. Either way, you have your work cut out for you. You’ll need to offer in-demand professionals a better deal than they have at their current employer or may be offered by a competitor of yours.

How can you up the ante? Start by digging into the data. Workers say the perks and benefits they value most are hybrid working/remote working, flexible work options and agreed bonus, according to Robert Half's latest Salary Guide research. When you know what matters most to employees today, you can craft offers that stand out.

Also, consider what your competitors are up to. What are other companies that seem to be snapping up talent offering new hires? Signing bonuses? Innovative employment benefits on par with unicorn companies? A four-day workweek?

Talk to contacts in your network and read the business press to see what you can learn about benefit offerings that are working for other firms. A recruiting agency can also provide valuable insights because they are in constant communication with job seekers and employers.

3. Move quickly (but not too quickly)

Top candidates remain available only briefly. Streamline your recruitment process by:

Minimizing interview panels to include only critical decision-makers

Organizing consecutive interviews to enhance candidate experience

Securing pre-authorization for compensation packages

Implementing video interviewing solutions and AI-powered screening tools

One word of caution: Don’t move so quickly that you skip key steps in the hiring process. You still need to do your due diligence before bringing anyone on board. Take time to conduct thorough reference checks and assess whether the candidate is likely to thrive in your organization’s workplace culture. Otherwise, you risk making a costly hiring mistake.

4. Be flexible

Here’s an essential truth about the hiring market that surprises many employers: Your ideal candidate may not exist. And some of the hiring challenges you currently face may be of your own creation.

Think of it like buying a house. Your wish list might include four bedrooms, a large yard, and a prime location. But you'll likely need to compromise on some criteria to find a home that fits your core needs and budget.

Similarly, when hiring, focus on the skills and qualifications that are truly essential for success in the role: Consider which criteria are "must-haves" versus "nice-to-haves." You may be able to hire a candidate who doesn’t check all the boxes of your job posting but still shows great potential and an eagerness to upskill with your company. By being flexible and prioritizing potential over credentials, you can widen your talent pool and potentially uncover excellent candidates who might have been overlooked with more rigid criteria.

5. Establish contingency measures

Even as you take pains to hurdle hiring challenges and bring skilled talent on board quickly, have a plan in place so you’re not caught flatfooted if the hiring process drags on.

To manage workloads and prevent current employees from becoming overwhelmed during an extended candidate search, consider these options:

Engage professionals to handle immediate needs

Bring in interim management consultants for senior-level roles

Use managed services providers for critical initiatives and functions

Increasing the use of contract professionals can help you stay on top of business demands as you search for the right permanent hire.

Though hiring is challenging, the right strategies can help you succeed. By staying aware of market trends, understanding what candidates want, and using new technology effectively, you can build stronger teams—whether hiring remotely or locally.

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