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How Chinese Companies Acquire Talent From Silicon Valley
Article

How Chinese Companies Acquire Talent From Silicon Valley

An Interview With JD.com's Chief Technology Officer Zhang Chen

36Kr, 2017


Editorial Rating

7

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  • Applicable
  • Eye Opening
  • For Beginners

Recommendation

More and more Chinese Internet giants like JD.com have set up R&D centers in Silicon Valley to keep up with the latest trends and innovations in the hi-tech industry. In this interview conducted by Chou Hsiao Lin, JD.com chief technology officer Zhang Chen talks about how his firm acquires top talent in Silicon Valley and what it’s like to work at JD.com compared with American rivals. However, Zhang doesn’t mention the talent retention strategies of other companies and doesn't explore whether all Chinese Internet giants could benefit from recruiting international talent rather than scouting primarily Chinese workers. getAbstract recommends this article to business leaders interested in the talent development strategies of Chinese Internet giants in Silicon Valley.

Summary

Global companies used to be highly popular among Chinese job seekers, for these firms provide an excellent working environment and platform for talent development. However, it’s not the case anymore. Chinese Internet companies have developed and grown rapidly and have overtaken global rivals in terms of talent recruitment and retention. Currently JD.com’s Silicon Valley R&D center houses more than 30 staff members, and the senior management works hard with other teams to build a strong local workforce.

The talent recruitment strategy for JD.com mainly focuses on acquiring and developing artificial intelligence (AI) professionals. Since 2005, JD.com has concentrated on three aspects: best customer service, lowest cost and highest efficiency. But for the next decade, JD.com has realized...

About the Author

Chou Hsiao Lin is an international news reporter for 36Kr, a tech and science media platform.