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Q: Are expat recruiters better or worse than Chinese recruiters?
With Chinese recruiters, their lack of ethics is a product of the society they grew up in. Expat recruiters deliberately give a false sense of respectability to other expats when recruiting new teachers, and make a conscious decision to be unconscionable.
From my view point, recruiters have the same lack of scruples as Jews that processed other Jews into the gas chambers during WWII. They know what they are sending the teachers to, but don't care.
If not worse, are expat recruiters any more reliable than Chinese recruiters?
10 years 40 weeks ago in Business & Jobs - China
I don't have any experience in dealing with Western recruiters. If it's TEFL you're referring to, it's been all Chinese for me and has been a mixed bag to be honest. Can't say I've had any particularly nasty experiences though am well aware of certain individuals that need to be avoided, especially in Beijing (won't name names but if you know what I'm referring to then I'm sure you know who I mean).
Putting aside the existence or non-existence of 'Gas Chambers' - I have to say that's a helluva nasty comparison. Traitor Jews sending their own to death wth?
But exaggeration aside I see your point. I would expect an Ex-Pat to be realistic and give genuine fair-warnings AND yes they should 'sell' the good aspects too.
But yeah.. I mean.. gas chambers? Was your life THAT bad after all?
I'd be more worried about those with criminal records coming here by photoshopping their criminal history (something I can easily spot). I had a huge reply typed out, but I hit tab and backspace too quickly, and it was obliterated. Ah well, here goes.
I provide the following to foreign teachers:
1) Visa counseling. Up-front, and before we begin, I inform them that any school which tries to find a teacher on anything other than a Z or X (depending on the circumstances) is trying to get you to work illegally. I outline all of the laws, and tell them not to accept any jobs without a Z, unless they're already studying and have permission to work on an X.
2) Travel expenses. The school gives me a travel deposit to be returned when nothing happens after the contract expired. In some cases, I find schools willing to pay for a passport and plane ticket for a qualified foreign teacher. This is a bit risky, but I've had success with 2 people (they were friends, so I knew I could trust them). I have a wider pool of teachers to choose from since I do not advertise on expat websites.
3) Contact. I keep in touch with the schools and teachers, and in some cases I visit personally (I've been traveling all over China in the past few weeks). I make sure everything is going good on both sides, and I often contact the teacher for follow-ups. This is really just a matter of chatting on Skype/QQ/IRC/the phone/etc and takes little time.
4) China survival guide. "Don't get in a fight with a local unless you want to get jumped by a mob of ignorant people who dislike foreigners," and other useful tidbits. I also give them their rights as a foreign teacher. Lots of dos and donts, etc. It's turned quite a few people off, but why surprise them? I don't care about money that much. Besides, people who know what they're getting into in advance make better teachers, and they're more likely to stay.
5) Contract reviewing. The foreign teachers are strongly advised to give me a copy of their contracts. My wife and I will proof-read it to make sure nothing fishy is going on, and that it matches the English component, word for word. Keep in mind that when signing a contract in China, only the Chinese version counts as far as Chinese law is concerned. They could promise you the world in the English counterpart, but give you something entirely different in the Chinese version. We prevent that.
6) Blacklisting. Yeah, I blacklist schools. Lots of schools are begging for foreign teachers, and I do not have enough qualified teachers to fill all positions. If they screw a foreign teacher, and I have proof of it, I will blacklist them. If they tell me they won't hire a black teacher from the "big five," I blacklist them. I'm up-front about this with the schools.
7) Salary. I do not take a monthly salary from any foreign teacher, although it's tempting to snipe about 1k per month. I take a one-time fee plus a deposit to be returned in the event that nothing happens after the contract expires. This allows the school to offer higher salaries to the foreign teacher, but it's been my experience that the headmasters just pocket most of the extra cash for themselves.
You can decide to use a Chinese recruiter who will tell you nothing, who will cheat you and use you, or someone who will tell you everything they can. It's an easy choice if you ask me. 
Traveler:
But most importantly, always check with the Chinese consulate in your home country whether the recruiter is registered, and whether the school is licenced to employ foreign teachers. Break any laws, and the recruiter and/or school can turn against you under the new visa laws.
Hulk:
Could you give more information on these recruiter registration requirements? Never heard of 'em. Recruiters simply search for, and direct teachers to the school for an interview. As for SAFEA authorization, it's a no-brainer.
Traveler:
Every business in China must be approved and registered with the government. If a recruiter is not a registered business, do not deal with them.
Every foreigner in China must be approved for the job they are doing. The government does not allow foreigners to work "freelance" without an employer.
Hulk:
Well it's good the company was registered by my wife, then. I just do the interviews and advertisements on non-Chinese sites. My wife handles the Chinese parts.
Traveler:
This sounds almost exactly like what the foreign teacher's union recommends. And we all know that's not a good thing.
I can tell you, there are a couple of foreign run/owned recruiters I know who I now won't touch with a barge-pole.
One in Shenzhen and one in Guangzhou.
CARLGODWIN1983:
Any foreign agent who isn't straight is the worst agent you can deal with. They should know better.
