Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, remote working gained immense popularity across multiple industries. Even though the pandemic is now behind us, remote work is the way forward for many job roles. In addition, many countries now provide hybrid or completely remote working options, making it tempting to extend the same opportunities to personnel in China. However, it is essential to note that the expectations and conditions of remote working in China vary significantly from those in other countries. As a result, it is crucial to research and thoroughly understand the practical implications to ensure you are well-prepared.
Here are some key areas to consider:
Time difference
A key factor to consider is the time difference. China’s time zone is UTC +8, so if you are in Europe or America, you will be asleep through a significant portion of China’s working day. Therefore, your contact windows with your China remote team are relatively small. As a result, it’s possible that your team members in China may not communicate with their colleagues during the morning hours.
Kinyu’s Founder, Benjamin King, experienced this challenge firsthand in his previous role as a China Country Manager. “It can feel quite lonely working from home all day with your colleagues only come online at 4pm.” This disconnect can adversely affect your team’s productivity and impact your operation.
As challenging as this can be, there ARE ways to support your team members and make remote working a successful arrangement for all parties. Our first recommendation is to set clear tasks and instructions for your team member so they wake up with a plan of action. Plenty of programs are available to simplify this process, such as Trello, Microsoft Planner and others (but make sure the software you use works in China!)
Another option is for your employee to consider working later hours, starting late and finishing late, so there is more overlap with the rest of your team. However, this arrangement typically works better for European companies than American companies. You should also check out a Non-fix working time system 不定时工作制, which is a form of employment agreement you register with the local labour bureau. The Virtual General Manager Function in The China Desk is a tool to help with the time difference, where we check in with your team members, as they are often in the same office as our team.
Social insurance
Working remotely opens up opportunities to collaborate with individuals from all over the world, including China. However, it’s crucial to ensure that you comply with local labour laws and employ individuals correctly. This compliance applies domestically in China as well. For example, if you plan to hire someone in Tianjin but are based in Guangzhou, you cannot pay Tianjin social insurance from your company. As an employer, you are responsible for communicating this to your employees and ensuring they understand.
This same principle applies when hiring someone in China from an office in a different country. For more information on this topic, check out our blog on social insurance.
Team engagement
The importance of team engagement ties into the time difference issue in China. If you read about the foundations of Guanxi in our previous blogs, you will know that Guanxi is all about relationships – including those built in the workplace.
Therefore, it is crucial to have regular face-to-face meetings with your team and frequent non-work related video calls to foster these relationships. In addition, organising team-building events once or twice a year helps improve team engagement. For example, at The China Desk, our management team ensures a quarterly engagement trip to visit all China Desk employees and gain insight into their challenges and opportunities in business. This promotes solid relationships and a sense of camaraderie within the team.
Working from home
Whether working from your home office or your Garden Shed, it’s important to remember that many Chinese employees may not have the luxury of space at home. Due to the high population density, most people in China live in small apartments with only 1 or 2 bedrooms, making it difficult to have a separate office room.
Additionally, office amenities may be limited, causing working from home to be less prevalent in China than in the West. Instead, team members in China may opt to work from a local café rather than from home.
At Kinyu, we understand these difficulties and offer The China Desk as a flexible workspace option for your team members in China. This way, they can come and go as they please. So it’s crucial to think twice about the remote working options in China and ensure you have the correct set-up to make your China team member thrive! Download a case study, or book a call to learn more about The China Desk and how we can empower your employees!
