HR firm only wants to hire loyal 'dogs'
(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-04 11:12

A Human resources company in Jilin Province doesn't want any rats, snakes or sheep on its staff. It does want lots of dogs, however.

A group of students from Fudan University are complaining that the company is discriminating in its hiring.

Jilin Jiangshan Human Resources Development Co Ltd, a company based in northern Jilin Province, noted in its online recruitment ad that it would only hire people who were born in the Year of the Dog.

A human resources manager for the company surnamed Dong explained that the firm highly appreciates the character of dogs, which are said to be honest, loyal and quick.

"We consider the requirement necessary to select employees who match our corporate culture," Dong told the Youth Daily.

The Fudan students are not the only one concerned about discrimination by employers. A recent survey indicated that nearly three-quarters of job seekers have encountered discrimination.

Zhaopin.com, one of China's leading Web-based headhunters, asked more than 12,000 university graduates and 120 employers throughout the country about their attitude towards employment discrimination.

About 29 percent of students surveyed said that they had been turned down by recruiters due to the employer's unfair gender requirements, while another 25 percent of respondents also complained that place of birth became another obstacle for them to land a good job.

Other students complained about discrimination based on age and appearance, according to the survey.

Meanwhile, about 74 percent of employers surveyed admitted that they pay special attention to applicant's age, looks, place of birth and other details, rather than just worrying about their working abilities.

Most recruiters won't tell applicants why they didn't get a job, the survey said.

"It is easy to understand discrimination about an applicant's age, gender and appearance as every employer tends to hire young, good-looking people with excellent working ability," said Liu Hao, Zhaopin's CEO.

China's labor law says people have equal rights to employment, but it has no specific language about what is or is not allowed.