May 2023

Company Introduction 51job (前程无忧 Qiánchéng wú yōu) is a prominent Human Resources company based in China that has established itself as a leading platform for job recruitment and career-related services. While most commonly referred to as 51job, the company’s branded name in China is actually 前程无忧 (Qiánchéng wú yōu), which translates to ‘A worry-free future’.  Since its founding in 1998, the firm has played a significant role in connecting job seekers and employers, facilitating efficient and effective talent acquisition in the Chinese job market. The company has developed a comprehensive suite of services, leveraging technological advancements to address the evolving needs of both job seekers and employers. In this article we dive in to the history, offerings, growth, and uses of the mega hiring platform, 51job (前程无忧)!  51job’s Historic Highlights Here is a history of the organization broken down in to some key milestones: 1998: 51job’s Founding Rick Yan and Kathleen Chien found the company, with its headquarters in Shanghai. The original goal was to provide a platform for job seekers and employers to connect online. 2004: Initial Public Offering (IPO) In December 2004, the company went public on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol “JOBS.” This move helped the company raise capital to support its growth and expansion. 2005: Expansion of Regional Offices To extend its reach across China, the organization expanded its operations by establishing regional offices in key cities like Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. This expansion allowed the company to better serve job seekers and employers nationwide. 2006: Launch of 51job University Launched “51job University,” an initiative to provide professional training and development programs for job seekers. This service aimed to enhance job seekers’ skills and increase their competitiveness in the job market. 2011: Acquisition of HR Solutions Provider In October 2011 they acquired HR Solutions, a company specializing in recruitment outsourcing and human resources services. This acquisition expanded 51job’s portfolio of services, allowing it to offer a broader range of solutions to its clients. 2014: Introduction of Mobile Apps Introduced mobile apps for iOS and Android platforms. These apps enabled job seekers to search and apply for jobs conveniently using their smartphones. 2015: Acquisition of Yingjie Sheng In April 2015 the firm bought Yingjie Sheng, a fast-growing job and internship site focused on recent college grads. 2017: Strategic Investment in Lagou In September 2017 the company announced that it would invest USD $120 million in Lagou (拉勾) to obtain a 60% stake in the company. Lagou is a leading job platform in China focused on the IT sector.  2018: Strategic Partnership with WeChat In June 2018, the company entered into a strategic partnership with WeChat, a popular messaging and social media platform in China. This collaboration aimed to enhance the recruitment experience by integrating 51job’s services with WeChat’s extensive user base. 2022: 51job is Taken Private ‘JOBS’ is delisted from the NASDAQ through a merger with Garnet Faith Limited, in a deal valued at around USD $4.3 billion. 51job employees outside of company headquarters What 51job Offers 51job (前程无忧) provides a range of services and features to both job seekers and employers in China. Here is a breakdown of the services and functions offered: Job Search and Application Job Search: Job seekers can browse and search for job opportunities posted by employers on the company website or mobile app. They can filter jobs by various criteria such as industry, location, salary, and experience level. Application Submission: Those seeking employment can submit their resumes and application materials directly through the platform for specific job listings. Resume Database Creation: Job seekers can create and upload their resumes to the 51job platform, allowing employers to find their profiles easily. Resume Search: Employers can search the extensive resume database to find suitable candidates for their job openings. They can use filters to refine their search based on qualifications, experience, and other relevant criteria. Company Profiles Employers can create and manage company profiles to showcase their organization’s information, culture, and job openings. These profiles help in attracting potential candidates and enhancing employer branding. Career Resources and Training 51job University: 51job (前程无忧) provides training and professional development programs through 51job University. Job seekers can access various courses, workshops, and resources to enhance their skills, career prospects, and job market competitiveness. Career Advice: 51job (前程无忧) offers career guidance, articles, and resources to assist job seekers in navigating the job market, improving their resumes, preparing for interviews, and advancing their careers. Value-added Services Recruitment Advertising: Employers can purchase advertising space on 51job to promote their job openings to a wider audience. Recruitment Outsourcing: 51job offers recruitment outsourcing services, assisting employers in managing the entire recruitment process, including candidate sourcing, screening, and selection. Background Checks: 51job provides background screening services to employers to verify candidate qualifications, employment history, and other relevant information. Mobile apps 51job offers mobile apps for iOS and Android platforms, allowing job seekers and employers to access its services conveniently on their smartphones and tablets. Users Who benefit from 51job’s Services Job Seekers: Individuals looking for employment in various industries and roles can utilize 51job to search for job opportunities, apply directly to listings, create and upload their resumes, access career resources and training, and receive career advice. Employers: Organizations of all sizes can benefit from 51job’s services. Employers can post job openings, search resumes, manage applications, create company profiles, utilize value-added services like recruitment advertising and outsourcing, and streamline their hiring processes. 51job Advertisement Example Growth Snapshot 51job’s growth, starting from its launch in 1998 has been solid and steady. Since going public in 2004, the company has publicly filed key figures on its growth. Here are a few of those highlights: Annual Revenues went from RMB479.9 million (US$58.0 million) in 2004 to RMB4,420.4 million (US$693.7 million) in 2021, growing to nearly 11 times over! Total User Base grew to 155 million by 2021.  Monthly Active Users (MAU) grew to nearly 20 million as of December 2022. In comparison, global HR giant ZipRecruiter has roughly 25 million MAUs.  Active CV

BOSS Zhipin, also referred to as BOSS App or BOSS直聘, is the largest hiring and recruitment platform in all of China by monthly active users (MAUs). Founded in 2014, the company has quickly established itself as a leading online HR portal, connecting job seekers with employers in a user-friendly and efficient manner. In this article, we dive into the history, offerings, (incredible) growth, and uses of the mega hiring App, BOSS Zhipin!  Hiring in China? We can help. Historic Highlights Here is a timeline breakdown of the key events related to the Chinese HR company BOSS Zhipin: 2014: BOSS Zhipin was founded and launched its platform for part-time job seekers in China. 2015: Expanded to include full-time job postings and had over 1 million registered users. 2016: Raised $50 million in funding from investors and had over 10 million registered users. 2017: Had over 50 million registered users and was one of the top job search platforms in China. 2018: Named one of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies” by Fast Company, and its user base continued to grow rapidly. 2019: Hit over 100 million registered users and was the largest job search platform in China. Tencent leads a large round of funding (look up how much). 2020: BOSS Zhipin merged with Kanzhun, another Chinese HR company. The newly formed entity ‘Kanzhun Limited’ became one of the largest HR companies in the world. 2021: BOSS Zhipin reached over 200 million registered users and more than 10 million active job postings. In June 2021, Kanzhun Limited went public on the NASDAQ stock exchange of New York, raising $912 million USD.  2022: Kanzhun Limited listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. BOSS Zhipin Team at NASDAQ Listing in 2021 What BOSS Zhipin (BOSS直聘) offers There are MANY recruiting platforms in China, so what makes BOSS Zhipin different? Boss Zhipin aims to disrupt the traditional recruitment industry by connecting job hunters directly with employers using artificial intelligence and big data analytics. It also touts the ease of conversations between candidates and employees/recruiters via the Boss Zhipin app. The company calls this the “direct recruitment model” and is aimed at efficiency and time-saving. BOSS Zhipin Advertisement with Gal Gadot features BOSS Zhipin claims these main features help them stand out from the pack:  Mobile-native. We started as a mobile app, and we were built for the era of mobile internet. Our highly interactive mobile-native platform improves user experience and recruitment efficiency by enabling job seekers and enterprise users to engage in meaningful communication anytime, anywhere. Recommendation-based. We provide targeted job and candidate matches and recommendations through a feed stream format, which leverages large, live datasets to deliver accurate and tailored matching results. Direct chat. Users can initiate direct chat with their counterparties on our platform. Direct chatting ensures that our users are active with real demands, and they can confirm each other’s intentions and their suitability before the interview, which makes the job-hunting experience highly informative and efficient. BOSS Zhipin Advertisment in metro station Functions To dive a little deeper, here’s a list of the FUNCTIONS the platform provides: Job search: Allows job seekers to search for job postings by location, industry, job function, salary, and other criteria. The platform offers a wide range of job postings, from entry-level positions to executive roles. Resume builder: BOSS Zhipin provides job seekers with a free resume builder tool that allows them to create professional resumes and cover letters that can be customized for specific job applications. AI matching: The platform uses AI technology to match job seekers with job openings that are relevant to their skills and experience. Interview preparation: BOSS Zhipin offers a range of resources and tools to help job seekers prepare for job interviews, including interview tips, sample interview questions, and mock interview sessions. Employer branding: Offers a range of services to help employers build their brand and attract top talent. This includes customized company profiles, job postings with rich media content, and targeted employer branding campaigns. Mobile app: BOSS Zhipin has a mobile app that allows users to search for jobs, apply for positions, and receive job alerts on the go. Social networking: Offers a social networking feature that allows job seekers to connect with other professionals in their field and expand their network. Data insights: The platform provides employers with detailed data insights on their recruitment process, including candidate sourcing, applicant tracking, and time-to-hire. BOSS Zhipin Advertisment: “Talk to the Boss” Growth Snapshot BOSS Zhipin’s growth since launching has been nothing short of phenomenal. Since going public in 2021, the company has filed key figures on its recent growth. Here are a few of those highlights (in Chinese Yuan): Annual Revenues went from 999 million in 2019 to 4.5 billion in 2022, about a 450% increase in just 3 years! Monthly Active Users (MAU) increased from 19.8 million in 2020 to 28.7 million in 2022, nearly a 45% increase in only 2 years. Total paid enterprise customers increased from 2.2 million in 2020 to 3.6 million in 2022, around a 64% increase in only 2 years. Net income went from -502 million in 2019 to +107 million in 2022, making the company profitable on paper for the first time since reporting. BOSS Zhipin Ad: “Book an interview in 10 minutes” How to Use BOSS Zhipin (BOSS直聘) For Job-seekers Job seekers can sign up on BOSS Zhipin for free via their mobile app or website. Once signed up, users can: Upload their CV and/or use the CV support tools. Search for and apply to jobs. Sign up and attend online recruitment events. Use the career development resource center. Exchange direct messages with employers & recruiters.  For Companies & Recruiters To sign up as a company or recruiter, organizations will need a Chinese entity registered as well as an active legitimate office location in China. After entering company information, BOSS Zhipin staff will be in contact to verify the account (likely via a video call in your office location). Once a business account