As many as 40% of the CVs submitted by Chinese seeking jobs may contain fraudulent information, according to the chief executive of a Cambridge-based consultancy.

Creating CV-enhancing materials such as fake diplomas is big business in China, says Ting Zhang of China Business Solutions (CBS). “You can buy a fake degree on the street,” says Zhang, whose company offers back-office support to companies doing business in China.

A particular problem for recruiters seeking English-speaking applicants in China is that their Chinese equivalents tend to stereotype candidates with certain academic qualifications, she adds. For instance, Chinese recruiters may automatically assume that a graduate with a technical speciality does not speak English because China’s technical schools do not teach the language.

CBS’s services include market-entry assistance, translation, interpretation, meeting arrangement, website localisation, help with employment issues such as contracts, local and national regulations, and pay and benefits packages.

Zhang says clients are increasingly requesting help with recruitment because of China’s labyrinthine bureaucracy.
Recruiters and potential employers should also realise that the average annual staff turnover in China is 20%, Zhang warns.
“People will change jobs for the promise of more money,” she says.