Better talent-attracting programs needed

It seems some smaller cities in China have suddenly realized the indispensability of people, especially talented people, to their cities’ development. But these cities’ talent-attracting policies look the same: similar sets of introduction standards, preferential policies on housing and hukou (household registration). Which is weird, as different cities should have different development plans, and thus different policies for luring talents.

What’s more alarming is that in the increasingly fierce battle for talents local governments are playing a leading role while market demands are not given enough attention. Yet it is the demand of the local market that should determine the number of job openings and the direction of local industrial development.

What the governments could and should do is to reduce administrative restraints on talent introduction and provide social security for those talents, that is, offer quality administrative service, rather than setting difficult targets for introducing a certain number of talents in a certain number of years.

If the terminology is not corrected, the promises cannot be transformed into action. Likewise, the market demand should be allowed to play a bigger role in the introduction of talents.

The competition for talents is raging not only among first- and second-teir cities, but also thirdtier cities. The public, particularly graduates, have generally welcomed this competition, as it promises to brighten their career prospects.

Generally speaking, this scramble for talents is a good sign, because it highlights the local governments’ awareness of the importance of talents to economic development. Yet more discretion and vision are needed to ensure the talent-introduction program is scientific and rational. Most cities have set a standard mainly based on academic qualifications, and professional and technical diplomas, which could prevent the talents without these attributes, but badly needed in

Liu Xiangbing, president of China University of Labor Relations