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2^nd Quarter Newsletter 2020

SALARY OVERVIEW

Hong Kong - China - Singapore - Thailand 

Message from the Chairman

Dear Friends of Gemini,

It is very encouraging that Hong Kong has had a very low number of virus cases with few fatalities. Nevertheless we are all looking forward to seeing the restrictions lifted progressively and a return to normal (whatever that is). 

On the positive side many people have now taken the opportunity to update their resumes and seek new employment opportunities. So we have plenty of excellent candidates in almost every industry! Please contact your Gemini consultant for help. Virtual interviews can be arranged if required.

Gemini’s Human Resources Consulting Division has also been very busy.  Apart from outplacement counseling offered to companies shedding staff Gemini also covers training and coaching, psychometric and skills assessment, salary and benefits assessments and many other useful services.

Looking around the region, at the time of writing, Singapore and Thailand remain in heavy lock-down but China is becoming very active again. All of the Gemini offices are functioning and  China and Hong Kong are open and fully staffed.

Gemini will be launching an exciting new product in the interim management space soon – watch out for details!

James C Sutherland
Chairman

China

How companies in China are managing

during COVID-19

We have collected some examples from our clients and connections on how they are managing their staff and financial situation over the past few months as a result of COVID-19.

Staff pay, and annual leave
• Reduced staff salaries (ranging from 10%-30% reductions)
• Switched to a 3 or 4-day working week
• One company has moved to a 4 day week, with a 20% reduction in salary
• Asked staff to stay at home whilst on reduced (up to 50%) salary
• One company have asked staff to take 4 days unpaid leave in April
• Another company has switched to “2 days on/5 days off” with no reduction in salary for the time being
• Management salary cut 10%, junior staff 5%

Other cost-saving measures
• Moved office location to help reduce cost. By moving to a cheaper area or downsizing the office space they need
• Annual bonus has been cancelled or deferred until later in the year, pending on company performance
• Some companies are considering/trying to outsource their staff to other companies to make them more ‘agile’

No major layoffs so far
• Companies are reluctant to lay off staff at this stage
• Companies focused on the domestic market are feeling optimistic that poor Q1 performance can be recovered with increased demand in Q2/3/4 this year
• The compensation cost required for laying off staff in China means that many businesses are reluctant to do it, and will find other ways to save money

Some positive stories
• One company involved in the export of Solar equipment to Africa has increased staff salary 5-6%
• An audio R&D company has increased salaries by 12.5%
• Companies focused on the domestic market are feeling very positive
• They are working hard to catch up on orders and production missed during Q1
• One company involved in importing dairy products has seen a huge increase in demand, but the capability is being restricted due to shortage in air-freight capacity from Europe into China.

Work visas and residence permits for China

The start of 2020 and the outbreak of COVID-19 had brought worries to people across the world. From the risk of falling ill, to concerns about money and job security, it really is a worrying time wherever you are.

For companies in China employing expatriates, there has been an extra level of complication added to the list of concerns, following the announcement of the temporary suspension of entry for foreigners with visas into China since 28th of March 2020.

This has left many foreigners stuck in their home countries, with no clear way of returning to their homes and jobs in China. At the time of writing this article, there is no indication of when this temporary suspension will be lifted, leaving a lot of people uncertain about what to do next.

Gemini’s team of Visa Consultants had received a huge number of enquiries and questions from concerned foreigners and their employers about when they will be able to return to China, and what happens if their visa expires whilst outside of the country.

To provide some guidance and assurance, we have asked Lily Zhang, Gemini’s Visa Team Manager to collect the most Frequently Asked Questions her team has received regarding the temporary suspension, to offer some clarity among the confusion.

Frequently asked questions:

1. My employee is currently not in China, and his/her  Residence permit will expire soon. Will they be allowed to re-enter China with a Residence Permit once the temporary suspension is over?

Lilly Zhang: “Yes, they will be allowed to return to China with an expired Residence permit (provided that it expired after the 1st of March 2020 and falls under the automatic 60-day extension policy). Upon arrival in China, they will be issued with a temporary 30-day visa at Customs and instructed to begin the process of renewing the expired Residence Permit as soon as possible.”

2. My employee is outside of China, and their Work Visa will expire soon. What can we do?

Lilly Zhang: “We can work with you to prepare the required documents for the renewal application and upload it to the Labour Bureau application system before the current Work Visa expires.”

3. Is it necessary to send a passport to China for the Work Permit renewal process? How long will this take?

Lilly Zhang: “At this time it is not necessary to submit your original passport to the Labour Bureau for work permit renewals. The policy has been changed temporarily in response to the virus, with an electronic copy being accepted instead of the original passport.”

4. I heard that there is a 2-month automatic Visa extension if you are in China now. Does this apply to all visa types or only those with Work (Z) Visas?

Lilly Zhang: “Yes, this 2-month extension applies to all Visas including L, M and APEC visa types.”

Please be aware that this is a rapidly changing situation, and it is likely that the policies could change in the weeks and months ahead. To ensure that you receive the latest advice support, then please get in touch with us to discuss your situation, and to learn more about how Gemini can help you at this time.

Top 5 Candidates

Director of Program Management - Automotive or Manufacturing

Nationality: British

Based: Shanghai/Global

Availability: One month's notice

 Skills:

• Over 25 years of leading, developing and implementing a variety of expansion initiatives in Automotive and Manufacturing companies.

• Led on product introductions through multi-cultural, cross-functional teams.

• Responsible for multiple new plant set ups and growth, and PMO set up integrating traditional, agile and lean methodologies.

For more information about this candidate, please contact Amy Gui

National Sales Director – Mechanical/Industrial

Nationality: Chinese        

Based: Shanghai

Availability: One month's notice 

 Skills:

• A dynamic and enthusiastic Sales leader with a 17-years history of building and leading successful sales activities in Chinese and Asian markets focused on industrial distribution (OEM, EPC).

• Managed and led people from Chinese, Western and South Asian nationalities and cultural backgrounds.

• Responsible for Wurth value-added service systems, including the promotion of IoT and Industry 4.0 related services and solutions to drive business growth.

For more information about this candidate, please contact Barry Kirkwood

Head of Customer Service - Sales & Marketing - IT/Technology

Nationality: Singaporean       

Based: Shanghai but flexible on location

Availability: One month's notice

 Skills:

• International working experience, with 20 years of managing Sales & Marketing in Tech companies in the APAC region.

• 15 years in leadership role owning P&L responsibilities and strategic planning for software companies in Singapore and Greater China.

• Responsible for P&L and operations startup of 2 major Tech companies when they first enter Singapore (APAC) market.

For more information about this candidate, please contact Cheryl Wan

National Sales Director - Building Materials

Nationality: Chinese

Based: Shanghai

Availability: One month's notice

 Skills:

• 29 years of working experience, covering 16 years in the HVAC field and over 12 years’ experience of leading sales & marketing teams in building material industry.

• Master of leading the teams to quickly improve their performance under the premise of abiding by the enterprise values and have strong business acumen.

• Skilled in integrating the management principles and concepts of international enterprises into the management and market operation of local teams.

• Ability to work under pressure and results-driven.

For more information about this candidate, please contact Helen Yuan

Head of Digital - Advertising/Marketing

Nationality: Chinese

Based: Shanghai

Availability: One month's notice

 Skills:

• 10 years’ of agency experience & good communicant skills especially with clients of luxury or life style brands have wide knowledge of both ATL & BTL including of PR/EPR, production & execution of events, social media, and DSP/DMP, CPS/CPA, new retailing and CRM.

• Managing complex digital projects and ensuring that everything is delivered within budget and on time.

• Attained rich experience in entertainment marketing, content marketing, and working on projects with influencers and artists.

For more information about this candidate, please contact Claire Feng

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