Staffing for high tech in China: finding the right leaders for global initiatives

Purpose – As almost all multinational companies (both large and small) continue to place increased emphasis on the Chinese market, they face a significant challenge of identifying and recruiting the right leadership talent. The huge demand for leadership talent in China has created an unbalanced talent gap there. This article aims to address this issue from the angle that companies not only need to find the talent, but also must find the right talent by matching skill sets with the particular business objectives of the companies in China. Design/methodology/approach – The “three stages of globalization” concept was developed through a series of one‐on‐one discussions with several clients and candidates. Some of the stories used as examples in the article come from the author's own experience with Heidrick & Struggles clients while others were based on publicly disseminated news stories. Findings – The article finds that China's talent gap will not be solved in short term. In fact, it is likely to get worse before it gets better. Therefore it is critical that companies have a full understanding of their particular stage of globalization and seek to recruit the right leadership talent for that stage. Originality/value – Companies at different stages of globalization have different needs. This article emphasizes the importance of the link between the globalization concept and the business objectives. It will be of value to companies of any size that to seek to capitalize‐through expanded operations or increased revenue, for instance‐on the potential of the business market in China.