Exclusive | Huawei scales back external hiring in new focus on graduates and internal transfers to fill talent gaps

Huawei Technologies, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment supplier, has scaled back recruitment efforts for mid-career candidates in favour of hiring more fresh graduates and will also speed up internal staff transfers as part of its new strategy to fill key jobs, according to an internal memo obtained by the South China Morning Post.

The majority of vacant job posts within the company will be filled by fresh graduates, according to the internal memo, which reflected a decision made at a September 29 board meeting and approved by Huawei’s rotating chairman Eric Xu Zhijun.

In principle, external recruitment will still be open to management level positions but Huawei aims to hire more students graduating from overseas universities and will fight to keep outstanding graduates who receive job offers from the company but decline to accept.

The Shenzhen company said it will speed up internal transfers to help fill the talent gap, adding that its tightening up of external hiring does not mean it will shut out external talent with key skills that are in scarce supply.

“We have noticed the false reports on Huawei’s cessation of external recruitment,” Huawei said in a statement on Thursday, responding to Chinese reports on Wednesday that said it had shut the door completely to experienced talent outside the company. The company declined to comment on the internal memo.