Future 50
A New Generation of Leaders Has Arrived

For rebooting the job search landscape in China

Jiawei Wang has a vision for rebuilding China's post-pandemic workforce. He helped online job site 58 TongCheng establish a virtual job fair for some of the country's 400 million laborers, expanding their opportunities while helping them break free from the limits of traditional recruitment.

Wang went in with a clear goal: “providing blue-collar workers with continuously optimized recruitment experiences and diversified intelligent recruitment products, helping them quickly find their desired positions while also assisting companies in recruiting talents.”

It was a bold and uncharted initiative for 58 that involved myriad projects and stakeholders. But Wang had done his homework and invested in professional development, like earning his Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification. He was ready.

“I enjoy working with teams and helping them achieve common goals,” he says. “I also like working in different environments so that I can learn new things and grow through new challenges.”

During the one-month planning phase, Wang and his team developed processes for how they’d handle communication, risk management and tracking progress. Wang also built out a large cross-functional team that included more than 1,000 members from a range of business units, as well as specialists hired on demand. Taking a strategic approach to resourcing helped Wang ensure he had experienced, innovative thinkers who could make the most of still-emerging tools. The team incorporated AI chatbots that could conduct interviews, leaned on analytics-powered recommendations for the best job fits, and used virtual and augmented reality to develop short video tours of potential workplaces.

Wang also flexed his problem-solving skills. When he discovered that some team members were reluctant to share ideas and opinions, he organized training sessions to boost oral and written communication skills. By emphasizing group discussions, Wang helped to increase the exchange of information and reinforced the need to adapt.

His ultimate impact came in helping people secure jobs, with the project assisting nearly 100 million people find work in industries including construction, manufacturing and service. And now he’s developing an online university that will provide professional development for blue-collar
workers—applying the same strategic, collaborative and risk-focused practices that drove the job fair project. Impressive, but Wang is thinking even bigger. His moonshot idea for transforming hiring in blue-collar industries? Establish an AI-driven system that can automate the entire process, from recruiting and screening candidates to scheduling interviews.

He has a similar vision for project management.

“AI can assist in project planning, scheduling, risk assessment and resource allocation—leading to faster and more accurate decision-making,” Wang says. “And with the widespread application of virtual reality and augmented reality in project management, scenarios such as virtual training and remote team collaboration will also become more common.”

Turns out AI could be a game-changer for his career, too.

Jiawei Wang | Honoree

Photographer: Olmo Reverter

Q&A: Jiawei Wang on digital natives, ChatGPT and Jay Chou’s adaptive mindset

How are young people changing the world of projects now?

Young people are bringing fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. They’re more tech-savvy and comfortable with new technologies and tools, which can help improve project management processes and increase efficiency.

What are you obsessed with recommending right now?

ChatGPT. With its wide range of knowledge, it can provide useful information and advice quickly and accurately, helping users solve problems.

What famous person would you recruit for your team?

Jay Chou. I admire his ability to innovate and adapt to changing trends in the music industry. I believe these skills can be applied to project management, where being able to identify and respond to changing circumstances is critical.

What is Project Management?

Project Management delivers value in a world of change. Learn how Project Managers are driving projects forward every day.

Explore Project Management

Career Navigator

Move your career forward with a personalized action plan to match you with the perfect growth opportunities.

Take the Assessment

Kickoff

Learn the basics of project management in under 1 hour, for free. Even if your title isn't project manager.

Get Kickoff