Chinese smartphone maker looks to beef up manpower

BEIJING--Xiaomi has unveiled plans to hire over 1,000 staff which will include openings for research and development engineers, test and development engineers, operations managers and customer services.

The Chinese mobile handset maker said it would provide attractive remunerations as well as welfare benefits for its staff. In addition, active members on the online forum for its mobile phone, Mi-One, will be able to participate in the company's "Experts Interview Exemption Plan" in which they can apply for a position without needing to go through an interview. These forum enthusiasts are also collectively dubbed, Mi Fans.

"Xiaomi.com will be recruiting about 1,000 personnel to fill technical and service positions in 2012, but the company has never set an upper limit for recruiting talents. We have always hoped to recruit excellent and suitable candidates," said Li Wanqiang, co-founder of Xiaomi Tech Company and head of Xiaomi.com, the company's e-commerce site.

A company spokesperson said: "As long as your interests and abilities match the requirements of the job, you may apply for the relevant positions online. Xiaomi will not reject applications on the grounds of qualifications or the schools you graduated from.

"In addition, Xiaomi.com will be selecting the best from among more than 1 million Mi Fans to join the company. Experienced enthusiasts who have been on Xiaomi forums for more than half a year have the opportunity to join the company without having to go through the interview process."

The spokesperson added that the company often monitors user feedback on its forums to determine what improvements and upgrades to include on its phone.

More detailed job descriptions and requirements are available on its Web site.

Xiaomi.com's merchandise transaction system is currently one of China's largest smartphone transaction platforms and its Mi-One phone has seen strong consumer interest. To date, close to 1 million units have been sold since pre-orders began in October last year. The company registered revenue totaling 1 billion yuan (US$158.7 million) last year and it expects to see annual sales of 4 billion yuan (US$634.8 million) by end-2012.

As of Feb. 10, Xiaomi.com has 2 million registered members.

Li Daishan, CEO of travel site Uzai.com, said Xiaomi.com set a new record in e-commerce by achieving revenue exceeding 1 billion yuan in less than three months.

According to Baidu's ranking of the most searched mobile phone, Xiaomi ranked second after the Apple iPhone.