“Even if a job advertisement does not specify Mandarin proficiency, candidates should not assume language skills are irrelevant,” says Ms. Wang, a veteran recruiter at a top executive search firm.
Shanghai has established itself as a global financial and business hub, attracting top talent from around the world. However, recruiters here underline that Mandarin language skills are essential for overseas professionals and graduates looking to build their careers in the city.
A survey of 1500 online job advertisements in Shanghai underscores this necessity. It found that 49% of vacancies explicitly required spoken Mandarin, while 51% stipulated written Chinese ability. In contrast, only 1 job posting stated Mandarin was not a prerequisite.
| Written Chinese | Spoken Chinese | |
| Required | 51% 762 | 26% 389 |
| Preferred | 0% 7 | 7% 104 |
| Not required | 0% 0 | 0% 0 |
| Not mentioned | 49% 731 | 67% 1007 |
| Total | 100% 1500 | 100% 1500 |
Vital for Daily Work Needs
Recruiters point out that Shanghai’s working language is predominantly Mandarin, rather than English. “From meetings with clients to interacting with colleagues, Mandarin is vital for day-to-day work needs,” highlights Ms. Li, a hiring manager at a major financial institution.
Data also shows Mandarin abilities are valued equally with English. Among vacancies specifying language criteria, 43.1% required both oral Chinese and written Chinese.
This holds true even at multinational corporations that conduct business globally. “Multinationals in Shanghai need local market insights and relationships with Chinese partners. This necessitates Mandarin fluency,” says Mr. Wang, a tech sector recruiter.
Sample job ad – this international company requires its engineers to know spoken and
written Chinese
Compensating with Other Languages Rare
The survey indicates overseas candidates’ knowledge of other foreign languages generally does not offset the lack of Mandarin skills. Only 2% of ads surveyed showed preference for abilities in languages such as Spanish, Arabic or Korean. Furthermore, over half of these still required proficiency in spoken or written Chinese.
“Mandarin is the common business language here. So fluency in French or German does not provide an edge in the Shanghai job arena,” highlights Ms. Li.
Entry-Level Roles Also Need Mandarin
While Mandarin necessity is highest for client-facing and management-level openings, recruiters clarify language skills are also vital for administrative and technical positions.
“Even in back-office roles, whether in a Chinese or foreign company, you frequently need to read internal communications in Mandarin,” Ms. Wang explains.
Survey statistics substantiate this. Over 50% of advertisements for clerical and craft jobs mandated knowledge of written Chinese.
Language Skills taken for Granted
Not explicitly specifying Mandarin requirements does not imply language abilities are unimportant. The survey found over 65% of recruiters polled later stated Mandarin was required, despite not mentioning this in job advertisements.
“We expect a high level of oral and written Chinese by default for local hires,” says Ms. Li. “Explicitly mentioning this does not cross our minds, since it seems obvious.”
Other recruiters concur Shanghai employers typically assume candidates, especially local graduates, can function in the Chinese language. Failing to meet this unstated criterion likely leads to rejection.
Thus, not mentioning Mandarin requirements presents a frustrating gray area. Overseas talent may spend time applying for roles where Chinese fluency is unofficially critical.
Language in which the job posting was written, by occupation
Learn Chinese in Shanghai
For global professionals aiming to shift their careers to Shanghai, developing strong Mandarin skills is vital. Fortunately, Shanghai offers rich ground for picking up and improving language abilities.
From formal college classes to informal conversation partners, multiple avenues exist for foreign residents to learn Mandarin. Group lessons at community centers with native speakers allow practicing listening and speaking skills. Private tutors can take a customized approach based on individuals’ learning needs.
Shanghai’s cosmopolitan environment also furnishes daily opportunities to interact in Mandarin through workplace colleagues, neighborhood stores and restaurants. Immersing oneself in such scenarios aids long-term retention of vocabulary and grammar.
The Mandarin Challenge
Shanghai’s economic vitality and career opportunities attract international talent. However, lacking Mandarin proficiency can hinder accessing and excelling in the city’s job market. Recruiters are unambiguous – overseas professionals must embrace the Mandarin challenge to fully tap into Shanghai’s possibilities.
Summary and Conclusions
- This research seeks to find out the extent to which Chinese language poses a barrier in seeking employment for job seekers who do not know Chinese. It uses the language requirements stated in online job advertisements as a proxy for measuring employers’ language expectations and requirements on job applicants, and focused on two aspects that can be explored through job advertisements: (a) whether job seekers can read job advertisements, given the language in which they are written; and (b) the language requirements stipulated in the job advertisement.
- Finding out the language expections and requirements of Shanghai employers has significance in regards to both employment and education policies. It should will help determine how labor services and adult education services can help non-Chinese speaking job seekers. It can also help education authorities determine the learning objectives and curriculum design in language education, especially for student who wants to learn chinese as a second language. Although this research does not predict the language trends in the job market five or ten years from now, it shows us the current realities of the job market in regards to language requirements.
- The results show that the lack of Chinese language abilities is a significant barrier for job seekers who do not know Chinese in two main ways. The first is that a large number of jobs are either written in Chinese only, or are partially bilingual but have vital information written in Chinese only. It means that job seekers who do not read Chinese can only comprehend about sixty percent of the job advertisements posted on the internet. The second is that many employers explicated stated in job advertisements that they are looking for candidates who know either how to speak or write Chinese. In the end, job seekers who do not know Chinese only has 19% of all advertised jobs available to them.