Zhang Xue Motor faces criticism over campus recruitment salaries

Zhang Xue, founder of Zhang Xue Motor, has sparked significant debate following a campus recruitment drive at Chongqing University. The company offered annual salaries ranging from 120,000 to 150,000 yuan for research and development roles and 100,000 to 120,000 yuan for non-research positions targeting graduates from prestigious 985 and 211 universities.

Many students expressed dissatisfaction, noting that competing offers from major new energy vehicle companies like BYD and Seres often range between 200,000 and 350,000 yuan. In response to the criticism, Zhang highlighted a long-term employee, Qin Pan, who rose from a junior college background to earn an annual salary of 500,000 to 600,000 yuan and holds equity valued at 30 million yuan.

Zhang also announced that candidates possessing specific practical skills—such as motorcycle riding experience, long-distance touring, the ability to disassemble and reassemble vehicles, and proficiency in 3D modeling—could receive a 30% to 40% salary premium. The company aims to bridge the gap between academic software training and the hands-on mechanical expertise required in the growing motorcycle manufacturing sector.