Base-tier jobseekers in high demand

Headhunters which have traditionally focused on customized services for executive-level managers, are reaching out to even entry-level human resources, a report said.

The change in strategy comes in the wake of the labor market's increased need for candidates at all levels.

According to a survey by Liepin.com, a Chinese internet-based recruitment service provider, 24 percent of the jobs advertised by employers on its platform were for entry-level staff. Only about 14 percent were for senior managers.

Startups and internet-based firms that have sprung up in recent years tend to have a de-layered management structure. So, even their entry-level staff tend to be skilled workers or professionals these days, industry insiders said.

Enterprises are giving more importance to entry-level employees, many of whom are part of the post-1990s generation that is characterized by an innovative streak, ability to learn new skills quickly and intent to complete their job well, they said.

Given that even entry-level jobs are held by professionals, about 43 percent of jobs advertised on Liepin.com offered an annual salary less than 300,000 yuan ($45,340), compared with 5.8 percent of jobs for the offered annual salary of more than 1 million yuan, the report said.

Among the resumes downloaded on Liepin.com, almost 38 percent were from people in the 30-35 age-group, the "golden age" to be headhunted, it said.

Lower salaries and relatively younger age of potential new entry-level candidates suggest that more ordinary workers can establish links with headhunters through the internet, it said.

Founded in 2011, Liepin.com now has more than 300,000 recruiters. The report sampled 320,000 recruiting agents and 710,000 job advertisements on the platform. It included a questionnaire for over 10,000 recruiters and 50,000 jobseekers.

China has more than 50,000 headhunter firms. The job market's value is estimated at 50 billion yuan. However, 60 percent of employees don't know what a headhunter really does, the company said.

Dai Kebin, founder and CEO of Liepin.com, said every employee needs a headhunter to plan his/her career and guide him/her to promotions and better jobs.

"Headhunters are not luxury products but people who can help you to find better jobs and manage your career," Dai said.

The report also showed about half of those already in employment couldn't resist the temptation of a 30 to 50 percent rise in salary from prospective employers. And about 17 percent of interviewees said they expect a raise of 51 to 80 percent when they apply for a new job.

August is the best month for headhunting since employees tend to change their jobs in September and October, also the peak period for recruitment.

Jobseekers tend to apply for new jobs between 2 pm and 3 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays when their motivation for current work tends to weaken a bit.

For 57 percent of headhunters, it generally takes one to three months to find an eligible high-caliber candidate. They may have to recommend 10 to 20 resumes each week before finally hiring two to four employees per month, it said.

The process includes selecting resumes from massive human resources database, learning about candidates' personal information, checking on their backgrounds and knowing their expectations, it said.