Hebei goes all out in luring top talent

Hebei's Xiong'an New Area rolled out 16 policies to lure talent, including offering a flat of at least 200 square meters (around 2,152 square feet) in size, at least 3 million yuan (HK$3.22 million) in daily expense subsidies and at least 20 million yuan in scientific research funds to top scientists.

Fresh graduates with good results can also live in "talent dormitories" for free, and if they work in Xiong'an for five years, they will get as much as 3,000 yuan in living subsidies monthly.

The policies came after Xiong'an announced last month that it is facing a manpower crunch of some 20,000 people.

China announced the plan to establish the Xiong'an New Area in April 2017 chiefly to serve as a development hub for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic triangle.

The new schemes target talent from industries including information technology, life science and biotechnology, new materials, aerospace, green energy and finance technology.

The new area will provide up to 300 million in funds to state key laboratories, national technology innovation centers and major technological infrastructures.

Meanwhile, innovation consortiums - jointly operated by companies, tertiary institutions and scientific research institutes - can receive funding ranging from 50 million to 100 million yuan.

Human resources consultant Suen Lap-man, director of Watson Consultancy, told The Standard that it is hard for Hong Kong to follow suit, as it may trigger accusations that the government "gives too much attention to particular sectors."

He continued: "If too many incentives are offered to people from finance, for example, then other industries like healthcare may think the government tilted its resources.

"Hong Kong could only provide policy-oriented incentives, instead of cash, to attract talent."

Suen is not worried that Hebei's recruitment scheme will affect Hong Kong's talent scheme, as the targets of the two schemes do not overlap.

He also noted that Hong Kong has not focused much on aerospace technology, instead focusing on finance and healthcare professionals.

He added that scientific development is promising in the mainland, making it attractive for top scientists seeking long-term development.

Echoing Suen, Hong Kong Institute of Human Resources Management executive director Kandy Lui Siu-kan said Hebei's talent policies would not affect Hong Kong's competitiveness in attracting overseas talent.

Hong Kong also has housing incentives to lure talent, who can get back the extra stamp duty paid in purchasing homes after they become permanent residents, she said.

She suggested the SAR can copy Hebei in building "talent dormitories" to cater to overseas talent.

In response to The Standard's inquiry, a government spokesman said Hong Kong has been working with other cities in the Greater Bay Area to make the region a "talent highland."

The SAR has seen over 180,000 applications to its talent-hunting schemes in the first 10 months of this year, with 110,000 having been approved. "The enthusiastic response to these measures demonstrates Hong Kong's attractiveness to talent from around the world," said the spokesman.