Study shows companies need to take into account value changes of blue-collar Chinese workers

Purpose: The authors wanted to find out if workers' values had changed compared with previous generations. This is a vital issues for HRM departments who need to know how to keep their workers from moving elsewhere. Design/methodology/approach: The author conducted semi-structured interviews into the work values of Chinese blue-collar workers. The interviewees were 25 employees at German multinationals in the auto-making industry in Shanghai. There were 17 blue-collar workers and eight white-collar managers. The blue-collar interviews focused on personal demographics, perceptions of the job and company, attitude toward work, goals in life, main reasons to quit and incentives offered to stay. The white-collar interviews were more focused on managerial issues. Findings: The authors concluded that HRM systems should be adapted to meet the preferences of the employees. Companies needed to take into account the value changes of blue-collar Chinese workers. Interviewee comments also revealed that, although pay was still important, career development had become more significant for some workers. Originality/value: The author said her paper could help talent managers to get the best out of their employees. In particular, if HRM processes were improved it would reduce voluntary employee turnover, a major problem for employers.