Where To Find Staff?

[SimonMrPics]

Hi all-

Where's a good place to find and recruit some local (CM) Thai staff, Im looking for both an IT related Project Manager and someone to assist with getting new business?

[sunlong]

If you're looking for world-standard experienced and competent Thais that have good English skills, you'll probably need to do a nationwide search, employ recruiting agencies, advertise in the Bangkok Post, and expect to pay at least as much as you would for a westerner.

For the usual hit-and-miss routines, might get lucky, advertise in your local paper, jobsDB and similar sites and contact your local universities. And for anything more than rudimentary English skills, you'll need to pay more than you probably expect.

Once you find people that meet your needs, realize that they're very unlikely to stick around for long, unless you both compensate them well and - more importantly - do your best to make the job relaxing and entertaining.

[klubex99]

If you're looking for world-standard experienced and competent Thais that have good English skills, you'll probably need to do a nationwide search, employ recruiting agencies, advertise in the Bangkok Post, and expect to pay at least as much as you would for a westerner.

For the usual hit-and-miss routines, might get lucky, advertise in your local paper, jobsDB and similar sites and contact your local universities. And for anything more than rudimentary English skills, you'll need to pay more than you probably expect.

Once you find people that meet your needs, realize that they're very unlikely to stick around for long, unless you both compensate them well and - more importantly - do your best to make the job relaxing and entertaining.

And have no qualms about them spending their entire working day on Facebook..... It's true.

Edited June 5, 2013 by klubex99

[tim armstrong]

Simon I don't think you need to do any of that. A while ago now I worked as a lecturer in a regional university here. While the level of English was not high, there were many competent Thai lecturers with credible Masters degrees from Australia,UK, or US who were looking to earn more money, rather than stay in academia.

If I were you I would find out where the best IT programs are taught, go to their post grad dept. and talk to the faculty Dean or others about your needs. Who know you might even get a work placement scheme going and get some good IT people on the cheap.

[sunlong]

"Those who can't do, teach" is nowhere more true than in IT.

I come from that background myself and I've never met anyone *teaching* IT that had a clue about how to actually be competitively productive in the real world.

Why the heck would they settle for teaching wages if they could earn 10x or 100x as much?

And finding someone who is actually productive in business development (sales/marketing) - as in increasing profitable revenues for the company - is even harder

Again, last place I'd look is someone teaching business in a Thai institution.

However they can be great places to get leads on sharp ambitious recently-graduated or part-time *students*, as long as you're willing to invest time to train/coach/micro-manage them, and realize only a small percentage will actually make the grade.

Edited June 5, 2013 by sunlong

[tim armstrong]

Sunlong, it may surprise you to know that many teachers do both jobs ie they are not always full time academics. Some even give it up after they've got their PhDs because there is more money in industry. A few Thais even go and live in a western country to work for an IT company. So what was your useful suggestion again ?

[sunlong]

Sunlong, it may surprise you to know that many teachers do both jobs ie they are not always full time academics. Some even give it up after they've got their PhDs because there is more money in industry. A few Thais even go and live in a western country to work for an IT company. So what was your useful suggestion again ?

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I'm not saying it's impossible to find an IT lecturer who could do the job at a reasonable rate. Just not likely, and especially here.

If he's looking for a high-end staffer, say 40,000K per month plus, then I think what I advised above about a national search stands.

Otherwise best value IMO would be to recruit from recent graduates, or those just about to, probably hiring more than one on an intern basis, part-time.

The absolute top tech wizards I've hired in the states had absolutely no academic qualifications whatsoever. One dropped out at 15 to work for me and was making USD 100K + profit-sharing within a year, and that was seventeen years ago. Biggest problem was fending off his parents who wanted him to be a rabbi.

[SimonMrPics]

Thanks for the various contributions. Dont think this is going to be a quick fix, but if find a couple of stars will be worth the effort (I hope)

[sunlong]

Thanks for the various contributions. Dont think this is going to be a quick fix, but if find a couple of stars will be worth the effort (I hope)

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And keep in mind farang candidates are willing to work for peanuts these days, often less than an on-paper-equivalent Thai would, and many seem to feel actually more productive.

Only downside there are the legal complications if that's an issue for you. . .

Edited June 5, 2013 by sunlong