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abk62
Newbie
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 9
Status: Offline
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Sep 16, 2004 - 10:05 AM |
 
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| Post subject: requirements have not yet been met... |
Hello all,
I posted Monday night about a job offer in China that I've been persued and considering for about four months now. A couple nights ago I met with a representative of the company, for the second time, who was suppose to have written documentation of the offer. I have asked on three (3) seperate occasions for written documentation. When it was not produced at the meeting it was then promised to be completed that evening and faxed to me. As of this moment I have yet to recieve it, yet they are making arrangements to fly me to China in a week. I have fulfilled everything, if not all, of what they have asked of me but yet they have not fulfilled my requirement of written documentation. Any suggestions to get them moving as i do not feel comfortable about persuing this without something in writing. Or maybe some opinions, experiences similiar to this any one may have experienced. Basically I'm at the point of just telling them that I am persuing other options since they lack the consideration to provide me with my requirements. Which from what I understand, written documentation is common practice. Any advice would be greatly appreciated...
Thanx
ABK62 |
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Budha
Lurker
Joined: July 21, 2004
Posts: 21
Status: Offline
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Sep 16, 2004 - 10:34 AM |
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Abk62,
Welcome to the world of doing business in China. I had a very similar experience when moving to Shanghia. Written contracts and anything formal were very hard to come by, and I'm working for a US company!! However, for whatever reason the local management and HR staff just did not want to give me anything in writing. When I did eventually get first draft contracts they were of really poor quality. Eventually it all came through and everything worked out, but I can certainly understand you being somewhat apprehensive.
Make the prelim trip over here, it is well worth coming to check this place out before you move over here, but don't be too freaked out by what you see, you'll find the stuff you see in your one week visit is nothing like actually living here..... everything here is pretty civilised (most of the time)!
Just make sure you do your homework, if the company that is going to employ you is a Mutli-national you should be ok, if they are local then get tough with them.
Best of luck. |
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shan_trekker
Barker
Joined: Aug 15, 2004
Posts: 158
Location: where the streets have no name....
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Sep 18, 2004 - 12:42 AM |
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agree with budha. we're accustomed to having practically everything documented in black-and-white before any major business transaction. of course, the aim there is to clarify the terms of agreement for both parties. also, to avert any misunderstandings later on.
here, however, it usually takes a lot of PUSH to get things moving. more than the usual dose of follow-ups, if i may say so.
but do cut them some slack. probably they're still trying to polish the english on the documents.  |
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abk62
Newbie
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 9
Status: Offline
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Sep 18, 2004 - 03:42 AM |
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Cut them some slack? They expect me to leave Friday September 24, and I have nothing in writing. They won't even supply the the agent that's handling the Visa with an itinerary. The ticket for the flight is supposedly an electronic ticket that I won't even see before hand, so I don't have anything in writing to prove I have away back home, a place to stay, etc... Just verbal statements, and those seem to change. At first they couldn't supply anything in writing. Then they could supply the information for the preliminary trip. Then when it was time to get the Visa process going they could supply everything in writing. Salary, benefits, perks, housing, car and driver, etc... Then they don't have the document when I meet them, so they say they'll fax it to me. That was four (4) nights ago.
Just so you know. The people I've been dealing with speak and write English, in fact none of the three (3) people I've dealt with so far is even Chinese. They also have an office in the states. That's were they first contacted me from.
These are just some of my concerns and that's just for the preliminary "week long" trip for interviews. |
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Chairman_Kaga
Lurker
Joined: Sep 09, 2004
Posts: 31
Location: LA, CA
Status: Offline
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Sep 18, 2004 - 09:29 AM |
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abk62,
Depending on your financial situations I recommend doing one of two things. If you can handle paying for transportation, hotel, etc. I'd say take a leap of faith and just go for it. Think of it as an advanture. At worst it'll just be a vacation. Just like what Budha and Shan_Trekker have told you. The chinese have a very different way of doing business. On the other hand if the cost of a short trip to Shanghai (in case things don't work out as expected) is going to be a burden on you then it's different. In the second case you should tell them produced the documents you need to your satisfaction or forget the whole thing.
By the way what line of work are you in any way? I wish I could get well paying jobs in Shanghai too. But I'm in the defense industry. Going to work in China (even if it's not related to defense) might get me in trouble with the US government. |
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abk62
Newbie
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 9
Status: Offline
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Sep 18, 2004 - 03:21 PM |
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I'm in the automotive design/engineering industry... |
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Edgewood
FooSlinger
Joined: Jan 28, 2004
Posts: 3906
Location: Colonial Shanghai
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Sep 18, 2004 - 06:50 PM |
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Go to the meeting. Smile throughout. At the end tell them thanks, but you don't do business with twats. Smile again. Go out and have a drink or 10. Enjoy your vacation.
They'll be crawling back on all fours like the dogs they are, which is the way it should be, and usually is. |
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Conlige suspectos semper habitos |
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