Hiring in China from the US involves more than simply identifying qualified candidates.

US tech companies face practical challenges such as coordinating interviews across different time zones, selecting online meeting platforms that are accessible within mainland China, and reliably verifying each candidate’s relevant experience.

Additionally, navigating language barriers, cultural expectations, and local regulatory requirements can complicate the process.

Companies must also ensure secure data exchange and maintain clear communication throughout the hiring stages to overcome logistical and operational obstacles inherent in international recruitment. 

When you’re interviewing a SaaS sales manager in China, ask them about sales targets, customer relationships, and finding new business.

For a customer success manager, the questions should be around onboarding, product use, renewals, and dealing with customers. 

This guide covers how to set up remote interviews, how to assess candidates, and how to manage the process in a way that takes account of the local hiring requirements. 

Related reading: Need help defining the role prior to interviewing? Job description checklist for SaaS Sales and Customer Success Managers in China to help you prepare for your next hire.  

1. How should US tech companies structure their online interviews?

Start by working out what the job requires. What experience should the candidate have, and what should they be able to demonstrate in the interview? 

A simple process can include four stages:  

• Initial screening: look at the relevant experience, current responsibilities, and availability.  
• Role-specific interview: discuss sales performance, account management, or customer retention.  
• Practical assessment: Give the candidate a small task to do based on the actual job.  
• Final interview: talk to the hiring manager about the roles and responsibilities, how you’ll be working, and what is expected of you.  

Clear interview stages help keep the recruitment job hiring in China process organized, from the initial screening to the final interview. 

A tech recruitment firm in China can help US tech companies define the job requirements and arrange interviews with suitable candidates.

A staffing agency in China may also assist with candidate screening and interview scheduling, depending on the services agreed upon. 

Before the interview, send the meeting link, agenda, and details of who will be interviewing. Inform the candidate what each stage will cover and when they’ll receive feedback. 

Related reading: Hiring is just the first step. Find out how to get your SaaS Sales Managers off to the best possible start with our guide to onboarding SaaS Sales Managers in China. Hiring in China? Contact SVA Recruitment  

2. What online interview platforms can be used in China?

Before confirming an interview, verify that the candidate can access the selected meeting platform, as certain platforms widely used by US teams may face accessibility restrictions or function differently within mainland China due to local internet regulations and digital infrastructure. 

Tencent Meeting and VooV Meeting are both good options. Tencent is a local service; VooV is for international use. Pick whichever one is appropriate depending on where everyone is joining and how the meeting is set up. 

Microsoft Teams requires attention. Microsoft ended Teams for personal use on mobile devices in China and discontinued personal desktop and web access from August 17, 2026. This change applies to personal accounts, not Teams for work or school. Work or school meeting access remains available under the applicable account and organization. 

If you use Zoom or another platform, test the meeting setup first. Don’t assume every candidate has the same access or experience. 

Before the interview, check that the candidate can:  

• Open the meeting link and join successfully.  
• Use their mic and camera.  
• Share your screen if needed.  
• Get access to the account or application as required.  

Have a backup method of contacting the candidate in the event that the connection drops. 

Remember candidates in mainland China might use different digital tools than your US team. Ask which meeting platforms they can use and test your choice ahead of time. Store interview notes and records in your company’s approved systems. 

Need support hiring a SaaS Sales & Customer Success Manager in China? Contact SVA Recruitment  

3. How can you coordinate interviews across time zones?

China Standard Time is UTC+8, and they don’t observe daylight saving time. The time difference from the US will vary depending on where you are and what time of year it is. 

When setting up interviews, always include the date, time, and time zone in the invite. If possible, show both the US team’s local time and China Standard Time. 

A simple recruitment tracker can help you record:  

• Candidate name and position  
• Interview stage and date  
• Interviewer feedback  
• Outstanding questions  
• Next action and follow-up date  

Have one person handle feedback and contact the candidate after each interview. This helps, especially when considering several SaaS Sales or Customer Success Managers for the same job. 

Double-check the meeting time with the candidate instead of just sending a calendar invite. Agree on response times and next steps so everyone knows what to expect. 

A tech recruitment company in China such as SVA Recruitment can also be used to coordinate interview schedules, candidate updates and feedback between the US hiring teams and the candidates in China.  

4. What questions should US tech companies ask?

Ask what candidates have done, how they solved problems, and what the results were. 

Questions for SaaS Sales Managers  

Ask questions about sales experience and customer relationships:  

• What kind of customers have you worked with?  
• What sales targets or KPIs were you accountable for?  
• How did you come up with new business opportunities?  
• Can you give an example of a tough sale you’ve done?  
• How did you deal with a customer who had an issue with a product or a proposal?  

If a candidate gives a vague answer, ask them to explain their role, actions, and the outcome. 

Questions for Customer Success Managers  

Focus on onboarding, account management, and customer retention:  

• How have you supported customers through onboarding?  
• What did you do when a customer were having difficulty using the product?  
• Can you give an example of a difficult customer escalation you dealt with?  
• What experience do you have in terms of renewals or customer retention?  
• How did you pass on customer feedback to Sales, Product and/or Technical?  

These questions enable US tech companies to see how a candidate’s experience maps the job’s actual responsibilities. 

Understanding guanxi in business relationships  

Guanxi refers to the network of personal and professional relationships that play a critical role in Chinese business and social environments. In the context of hiring, understanding guanxi is essential because it influences how individuals establish trust, foster cooperation, and maintain long-term business partnerships.

Candidates’ ability to navigate and leverage guanxi demonstrates their aptitude for building sustainable customer connections and effectively managing client relationships within the cultural framework of China. 

For customer-facing jobs, ask candidates to share a time they built trust, resolved a disagreement, or maintained a key customer relationship. Focus on real experience instead of assuming everyone acts the same. 

Related reading: Not sure what skills to be looking for in an interview? Check out our guide to the key skills for SaaS Sales and Customer Success Managers in China to help with your assessment.  

5. How can practical exercises help in the assessment of candidates?

A brief exercise will tell you how the candidate would get on in the job. 

For a SaaS Sales Manager in China, you could ask the candidate to:  

• Respond to a customer’s objection.  
• How would they go about a new sales opportunity?  
• Deliver a short product pitch.  

For a Customer Success Manager in China, the exercise could involve:  

• Responding to customer escalation.  
• Outlining an onboarding plan.  
• How they deal with the customer retention issue.  

If the job involves Chinese customers, use a scenario matching the real duties, such as asking the candidate to address a typical customer inquiry specific to the Chinese market or resolve a common issue faced by local clients.

If the candidate will work with US colleagues, include a situation involving working across time zones, for example, by having the candidate plan how they would coordinate a customer onboarding call with participants in both China and the United States, ensuring all parties are accommodated despite time differences. 

Give candidates clear instructions and a fair time limit, and use the same criteria for all. Don’t ask for long unpaid tasks that are unnecessary to judge their fit. 

Need support hiring a SaaS Sales & Customer Success Manager in China? Contact SVA Recruitment  

6. What should US tech companies be looking for in a video interview?

A video interview is all about giving the hiring team a chance to get a feel for the candidate’s experience and working style. It’s not about who looks the most presentable or who sounds the most “on camera.” 

Consider the following:  

• Customer communication: Can the candidate explain a product or deal with a customer’s query?  
• Commercial awareness: can they talk about sales targets, account management, and customer retention?  
• Problem solving: Can they explain how they would have dealt with a difficult situation?  
• Remote collaboration: Can they describe how they share updates and coordinate with their colleagues?  
• Stakeholder management: can they explain how they work with customers and internal teams?  

Discuss how work will be arranged. If the candidate works with a US team, explain how much working time will overlap and how customer meetings will be scheduled. 

A tech staffing agency in China can assist US companies in defining the job spec and sourcing the right candidate with the requisite experience.

The hiring team will of course still be the ones to make the final decision as to who they want to hire. 

Related reading: Cross border hiring will of course also have to take into account local employment requirements. See our guide to the legal considerations for employing foreign sales managers in China.  

7. How should US tech companies compare candidates?

After interviews are completed, apply consistent evaluation criteria to all candidates in order to facilitate a fair comparison. Record observations regarding the following aspects: 

• Relevant SaaS experience  
• Previous responsibilities and achievements  
• Sales or customer success knowledge  
• Answers to role-specific questions  
• Practical assessment results  
• Communication and problem-solving  
• Experience working with remote teams  

For example, a SaaS Sales Manager in China might excel at finding new business but have less experience managing current accounts.

A Customer Success Manager might be strong in onboarding but less familiar with renewals. 

The best choice depends on the job’s requirements. Tracking these differences helps the team focus on what matters, not just who seemed most confident in one interview. 

Reference checks can also provide further information on previous roles and work history (where appropriate consent is obtained and where applicable requirements are met).  

When you’re working with a technology recruitment firm in China you should agree in advance as to how you’re going to share feedback on candidates and what questions you still have before you make your decision. 

Related reading: Planning your hiring budget? Check out our guide to SaaS Sales Manager compensation in Beijing and Shanghai for more information.  

8. Is a face-to-face interview necessary?

You don’t necessarily have to meet in person. A remote interview and a practical task can be all the information the hiring team needs to make a decision. 

For senior / strategic roles, a US tech company may still be inclined to meet the shortlisted candidate in person.  

Possible arrangements include:  

• A hiring manager in China.  
• A local rep to help co-ordinate the meeting.  
• An invitation for the candidate to come to the US where appropriate.  

The decision depends on the job, budget, timing, and reason for the extra meeting. Before planning to travel, determine what the hiring team still needs to know. 

For US tech companies that require local interviews, IT agency recruitment in China may be able to assist (depending on the services provided by the agency).  

Need support hiring a SaaS Sales & Customer Success Manager in China? Contact SVA Recruitment  

9. When can Local Recruitment Support help?

Hiring from China can take time, especially if your US tech company lacks a dedicated recruitment team in China.

A local recruitment partner, such as SVA Recruitment, can support the process by assisting with candidate sourcing, conducting initial screening, coordinating interview scheduling, and facilitating communication at each stage. 

When comparing tech recruitment firms in China, don’t just consider how many CVs they send. Ask if they understand the job, can explain candidate needs, and help communication between candidates and your team. 

Before starting, clarify who will:  

• Source and screen candidates.  
• Schedule interviews and provide updates.  
• Collect and share feedback.  
• Coordinate reference checks.  
• Make the final hiring decision.  

If you’re looking into IT agency recruitment in China, check which services each provider offers. Do the same when comparing tech staffing agencies or other recruiters. 

If your business is reviewing recruitment and hiring in China, agree early on who does what. This helps avoid confusion later. 

SVA Recruitment supports international companies with technology and commercial recruitment in China. Our team can discuss your hiring requirements and the recruitment support you need.

Related reading: Before moving forward, understand the potential costs involved. Read our guide to the cost of hiring a SaaS Sales Manager in China remotely.  

Final Thoughts

If you are hiring SaaS Sales Managers or Customer Success Managers in China remotely, it is important to plan.

US tech companies should choose a meeting platform that works well for candidates in China, set up a clear interview process, and prepare questions that fit the role. Taking these steps will help you better evaluate each candidate’s skills and experience. 

Think about time zones, internet access, and interview logistics before you start.

Taking care of these details early can help you avoid delays and keep the process running smoothly. If you need extra help, a local recruitment partner can assist with scheduling and coordination. 

Adjust your interview process for each role and keep each stage simple with questions that matter most. This will help you make better hiring decisions.

If you want to hire tech talent in China, reach out to SVA Recruitment to talk about your needs.