Chinese companies eyeing US business expansion struggle to fill jobs in hostile climate
America-based teams ponder how to succeed as perception of working for a Beijing-tied entity deters many prospective applicants
In July, senior executives from Midea, a leading Chinese consumer-electronics brand, travelled to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to host a recruitment event amid the company’s push to localise operations and boost its American presence.
The event at one of the world’s most renowned research centres saw Midea’s top managers sharing stories of personal growth and inviting jobseekers to explore opportunities in the US, the company’s second-largest market.
But the nearly 100 prospective job applicants, mostly mainland students attending universities in greater Boston, bore a more pressing concern: how was the firm navigating a politically hostile terrain for Chinese businesses?
The question and the challenges it encompasses have vexed countless mainland companies and prospective employees alike.
One Boston University student asked if Midea planned to set up a manufacturing plant in the US given the rising zeal of “Made-in-America” branding.
Another asked how the company protected customers’ personal data or if it planned to build a local data centre. Several said they were looking for jobs in Asia – not stateside.
