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Innovation

In China, contests and karaoke debut in factories

Would a karaoke room at work keep you from leaving your employer? Some factory owners in China, pinched by a workforce shortage, are betting on perks like this to keep their employees happy.
Written by Kirsten Korosec, Contributor

An unprecedented shortage in China's workforce has prompted companies to offer unconventional perks--in addition to financial incentives--in an effort to hang on to employees and attract new ones.

China's working age population fell by 3.45 million people in 2012 to 937 million and the National Bureau of Statistics predicts the decline will continue until 2030. While the number of migrant workers in China rose 3.9 percent last year, companies in the construction, mining and other industries are still fighting for quality staff.

Pay has risen as a result with the average monthly wage for such workers rising 74 percent in the past four years to $395 in the first quarter. Still, higher salaries are not enough for a generation of workers seeking a better work-life balance, reported the WSJ.

Factory owners have a lot riding on their ability to keep and attract workers. Facing stiff competition from other manufacturers, some factories have responded with efforts to make work more fun.

Some of the more unusual benefits include building karaoke rooms on campus, sponsoring dating events, holding singing contests and organizing small dinners between managers and top workers, according to the WSJ.

Foxconn, a manufacturer that produces Apple's iPhones, has tried to combat the worker shortage in the Guandong province by opening plants further inland. Several of the company’s competitors, including Quanta Computer, Pegatron, and Wistron, have done the same. In order to meet its production quotas, Foxconn is even considering implementing robotic workers to make up for the labor shortfall.

Photo: Flickr user Renato Ganoza

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com

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