Foreigners in China… What is a Halfpat?
A new name has been coined for foreigners living (/drifting) in China long term: “halfpat“. “Expat” on the other hand, according to this definition, means temporarily-relocated big-corporation type people… those people who never get into “the real china” and enjoy salary/benefit packages from their firms virtually identical to what they get at home.
There are pros and cons for hiring either of these types of Western-trained non-local staff. The strength of an expat is their long-term understanding of an industry and their ability to manage business units back home. Halfpats, on the other hand, are more stable and committed to China in the long-term and they have significant cultural, linguistic and market understanding.
For many companies though, the bottom line is a financial one. The staff retention, and overall success rate, of expats is not particularly impressive – particularly in contrast to that of halfpat staff, who do not require expensive relocation packages or language training as they have already taken on those costs themselves.
…
There are more than simply financial benefits to hiring halfpat staff. Perhaps the greatest advantage is their cultural understanding and language skills – which simply cannot be underestimated in a market like China. These two characteristics allow halfpats to hit the ground running and give them a sustainable advantage over traditional expat managers.
Probably the strongest advantage of halfpats is their weird ability to live in China and not get sick of it…
The overall stability and long-term commitment of halfpat staff is also superior to that of the average expat. In fact, many remain in China for a 5-10 year period which makes them less of a risk in terms of failing to complete their assignment. Its estimated that 60% of expats are unable to complete the duration of their assignments.
Via: Allroadsleadtochina
