At Noon Elite we have now been serving the best positions in China to candidates from English speaking countries all over the world. By doing this we have provided endless lifetime memories and development for both candidates, schools and students alike. But recently, there has been an issue with our system that we can no longer overlook.
A tough problem
Recently, we have had a small number of isolated cases of candidates successfully securing our positions, signing the contract of job offer and requesting the school to commence processing their visas and relevant paperwork over. These teachers have then quit the positions with no consideration for their school or students. This has lost our schools thousands of yuan in wasted expenses and showed a small number of our applicants in a bad light. As ex teachers ourselves, we have been rather deeply hurt by the lack of consideration these teachers have had for their employers and their students awaiting them in China. We pride ourselves on having the best TEFL teachers in the entire world and so when something like this happens it hits us hard.
Our first priority at Noon Elite Recruitment is and will always be our teachers. Our motto ‘amazing jobs for amazing people’ means we have to provide the best jobs in the world. But to qualify for the world’s best jobs we need serious, responsible and passionate candidate willing to be sincere and professional to their new employers.
What are we doing about this?
To address this issue of bad faith, we have made the decision to further increase our selection process and introduce a modest financial commitment for all applicants securing our position. The bond is £250 and is refundable within 60 days of candidates starting their first day of work. Should you not fulfill your commitment the deposit is forfeit. The great thing about this bond is that should you commence work as planned you get it back, so this will only affect the small handful of applicants who break their commitment to accept the position.
Why is this issue so important?
In the world of international business and recruitment agreements are more important than ever as the complex web of international boundaries and gaps in communication make rules extremely difficult to enforce. By accepting a limited position with your employer and wasting it you are depriving someone who really wants that position from having it. Furthermore, when you accept a position your employer, in good faith invests a large amount of money in processing your paperwork and preparing you the relevant documents to come to China and start your adventure. On average, each wasted position costs the school about £800 in lost costs*. In a country where many people live on less than £200 per month, this is a huge loss that we hope to prevent from reoccurring in the future.
How will it affect me?
For applicants offered positions from 7th April 2017 the simple change in process will mean that should you be successful in passing our selection process then along with your job offer you will be requested to pay the £250 securement bond in order to accept and secure your position. The process is simple and straightforward, with full instructions provided to you should you make it to this stage of the process. The payment is charged through paypal.
Does this mean we pay to apply for these positions?
No. Absolutely not. Our positions are free for candidates and always will be. The bond is only a temporary deposit which is then refunded should you fulfill your job offer. In the case of candidates forfeiting their deposit through not fulfilling their commitment to work at their accepted position the money is used as compensation for the lost expenses and effort wasted.
Why we tried to avoid this
We have tried for years to avoid requiring a deposit. Many of our applicants are fresh from university, as a young team of recent graduates we understand more than most that cash flow straight after graduation can be a nightmare, but we are confident that as the total proportion of all costs and expenses the bond is not a huge amount and should be affordable to our candidates.
Let us know what you think
We hope you understand our reasons for the new procedure and appreciate our commitment to our applicants and our school partners. As always, please give us any feedback you have using our feedback form.
With warm regards from the Noon Elite Recruitment team.
*based on calculations performed in house on a sample size of over 100 schools across China by agents at Noon Elite Recruitment.