Job Discussion Forums

Monday · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 29

When I got my first job teaching in a Chinese public university, I applied directly to the HR department. When I met the FAO in person, they told me I shouldn't have applied that way and recommended I instead use a recruiter. I thought this was a bad idea, as they might take a cut or might cheat me in some way.

I notice that very few public universities post advertisements for work on their Web sites or on ESL Cafe or other job sites, but I know they have high turn-over so don't know why I never see advertisements, even for schools which I know are looking for teachers. Do they usually prefer to use recruiters to take care of hiring? Are there any major recruiters that public universities in China usually rely on?

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

Monday
Joined: 30 Apr 2011
Posts: 8

Monday, you have been around long enough to have read the numerous posts regarding recruiters in this forum and how they are paid.

Since you have a job in China, you know the various ways in which schools advertise. You might want to do a search on recruiters in this forum if you really don't know. It's not difficult.

You say that you have a job in China, yet you ask this question found at http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=113964&highlight=

That's just today! Did someone just drop you into China?

Monday · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 29

First, I have been with the same school for years, so I know nothing about the hiring process. It isn't something I have needed to know about. As I said, I contacted the HR directly to get my current job, but at the time, they said I should have gone with a recruiter.

Second, although I created an account here in 2011, I have not visited since 2011.

I don't know how schools advertise. I have regularly searched for advertisements from my own school, but never could find any advertisement.

The bear · Joined: 16 Aug 2015 Posts: 483

From my experience, yes. Most universities find teachers through recruiters.

Last year I sent out lot of emails to universities. I went to Wikipedia, looked at cities I was interested in, found the universities and followed the links to their websites. Most didn't have English websites but I could find the contact information, most of it was out of date. It's an uphill struggle to get your foot in the door. No joke I must have sent 60 emails, from memory I got around 10 replies.

Monday · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 29

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

My last school moved from the recruiter model to direct hiring while I was there.
Seemed to be a couple or three reasons. Recruiter started charging for services that were previously free or included in the one-off fee. The other was that the recruiter had a language school and foisted on my school the no-hopers that failed to make the grade in his business.
It seems that the recruiter also loaned his language school teachers to my school at inflated rates to cover classes.
The FAO chummed up to me and asked for the email string of my recruitment process. I complied and for the next recruitment cycle they went at in alone.
I don't know how it worked out as that crop arrived after I left.

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

I worked in schools that employed on-site FTs, recruiters, and office personnel, all of whom collected the fee.

Is this some sort of secret?

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

My take Bud is this: As long as we get remunerated as per our agreement, what happens in the back office needn't concern us.
Where I get peed is when students are blatantly ripped off.

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China