Interview with Cindy Gong,
global mobility specialist in Shanghai
“When I moved to Shanghai from Wuhan in 2008 the financial crisis had just hit. I was fortunate to get a position at a recruitment agency who helped US law firms to process Chinese visas. That kind of got me into the Chinese global mobility sector and I have never looked back.“
The words are from Cindy Gong, our new colleague and global mobility specialist in Shanghai. Recently, we met her at Human Entrance office in Shanghai for a chat about the Chinese global mobility market and the latest financial data emerging from the 2017 National People’s Congress.
Eventually Cindy joined a global relocation company to help the global mobility team at one of the world’s leading telecom and consumer electronics companies in China. The company now has around forty retail stores in China, so relocation and staff mobility was a strategic task.
– I learned so much from that experience, says Cindy. That client always expects something efficient, non-traditional and want to move fast to cater to market changes. My main take-away was that the mobility team needs to act quickly to follow market trends and be creative in finding the best solution for every client.
What are important trends in the global mobility sector in China today?
– Today’s mobility services in China are all about developing great client experiences before, during and after the relocation. There are many local relocation providers to choose from so choosing provider and coordinating both immigration and relocation services are vital.
We want to make sure that our clients always have a unique, tailored and high quality experience throughout every touch point with us, both in real life and online.
How is the Chinese economy performing right now?
The Chinese government recently arranged the annual National People’s Congress meeting. After the meeting, they published a report on the Chinese economy. The key take-aways are:
- Economic growth: In 2016, China contributed to 33,2 percent of global economic growth
- Import giant: China currently imports 10,1 percent of the world’s traded goods
- Global spender: Chinese tourists are now the largest tourist group in the world, spending almost 110 billion USD abroad
- Poverty eradication: The number of Chinese living below the poverty line decreased from 122,4 million in 2011 to 43,4 million in 2016.
- Voting power: China has increased its voting power in both the IMF and the World Bank, reaching the third most powerful countries in both organizations
- Emission reduction: In 2014 emissions in China were reduced for the first time
What do these trends mean for Scandinavian companies doing business in China?
– Chinese imports are growing and consumer demands are changing. Therefore, since Swedish and Scandinavian companies are very strong within the environmental friendly sector and health care products, the potential is great.
Chinese consumers are also more interested in quality child care products which also represents a big opportunity. Lastly, with the increase of Chinese people traveling abroad, there are great opportunities for Swedish companies in the travel and hospitality industry.
Where do you see Human Entrance in this?
– The Chinese economy is not only growing; Chinese consumer behavior and preferences are changing. Human Entrance wants to help cater to that. Having a local representative in place helps keep the client services, information and policies up to date.
Being available in the same time zone means we can help overcome both language and culture barriers when managing local Chinese immigration and destination service providers.
About Cindy Gong
Age: 31 years
Bio: Cindy has a University degree from Wuhan University. She started as an HR intern at Alstom, got a Management Traineeship and started working as a specialist in compensation and benefits. In 2013 she joined Sirva. Since 2016 she is a Senior Consultant, Global Mobility Services, at Human Entrance in Shanghai.
Email: cindy.gong@humanentrance.com
Phone: +86 21 6217 1521
