Counter-offers of up to 25 percent are becoming more common, but is it wise to accept one?

As a financial services professional in the Middle East, you don’t need telling again that times are tough currently. However, in certain positions, employers are so keen to keep hold of their staff that they’re putting counter-offers of up to 25 percent on the table. [Middle East]

Private equity faces talent crunch in China

Many private equity and venture capital funds are investing in China. According to data provider Zero2IPO, six Chinese and foreign funds have recently finished new rounds of financing. But managers say finding the right talent is difficult because of a lack of people who have experienced complete deal cycles. [Hong Kong]

As bonuses wane, a new breed of highly paid investment banking HR professional is born

Forget compensation and benefits professionals: the buzzword in investment banking HR is now “talent,” as in “talent management,” as in “how to retain staff when you can’t afford to pay them cash bonuses any more.” “Talent management is a real buzzword right now,” says April Vale, of the human resources team, at recruitment firm Morgan McKinley. “We’re also seeing quite a lot of hiring in compensation and benefits generally,” she adds. [UK]

The job market is so competitive that even semi-experienced candidates are applying for graduate roles

Having not received any calls in late Q4 and early Q1, I have suddenly been asked to all kinds of interviews, be they by phone, face to face or at assessment centers. In the past two weeks alone, I had six of them. I have this conclusion: the job market is very competitive, with a capital C. [China]

An anonymous Russian trader at Deutsche Bank in London explains how to build a trading career

eFinancialCareers continues its series of interviews with Russians who have moved to work abroad. This week, we’ve spoken to a senior trader in Deutsche Bank’s London office who has asked to remain anonymous. [Russia]