Published by ChinaMNC · Qingyun

Personnel Files in Dezhou: A Practical Guide for Foreign Founders Hiring Graduates

What foreign founders operating in Dezhou should know about China's personnel file system, where graduate files go after hiring, and how to check file status through official channels.

Why Personnel Files Matter to Foreign Founders in Dezhou

For foreign founders building teams in China, hiring fresh graduates brings a compliance detail that is easy to overlook: the personnel file. In China, this file begins as a student record (xueji dang'an) during school and becomes a personnel file (renshi dang'an) after graduation. According to the Dezhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, it serves as a primary basis for employment assessment and carries legal effect. It is also required for procedures such as probation-to-regular status confirmation, professional title applications, and pension insurance-related certifications.

Many graduates lose track of where their file went, and only discover the problem when a procedure requires it. For employers, understanding file routing helps avoid delays when onboarding graduates and handling later administrative steps.

The Five Destinations of a Graduate's File

The Dezhou guidance describes five possible destinations after graduation:

• Continuing study at the same institution: the file remains at the school.
• Continuing study at another institution: the file is transferred to the new school.
• Employer has file custody authority: the file is transferred to the employer.
• Employer lacks file custody authority but has arranged collective entrusted storage: the file goes to the relevant public employment and talent service agency.
• Employer lacks custody authority and has no collective arrangement, or the graduate is unsigned, unemployed, or freelance: the file returns to the public employment and talent service agency in the county (city or district) of the graduate's household registration location.

What This Means for Your Company

Most foreign-invested companies and smaller private employers do not hold file custody authority. If you hire a graduate whose file cannot be stored at your company, the practical routes are collective entrusted storage with a public agency, or the file returning to the employee's registered locality. The source does not describe the application process for collective storage, so founders should confirm requirements directly with the relevant agency.

Where to Check File Status

If an employee is unsure where their file is, the Dezhou guidance points to the "Ai Shandong" mobile app and its Alipay mini-program. After downloading, registering, and logging in, users can search for "personal file status query" (个人档案状态查询) on the home page and enter the service to view file information.

Dezhou Agency Contact Directory

The source publishes a list of流动人员人事档案管理服务机构 under the Dezhou human resources and social security system. The following details are reproduced from that list:

• Dezhou Public Employment and Talent Service Center — Room 315, 3rd Floor, Human Resources Building, 1001 Guofang Road, Dezhou; 0534-7908051
• Decheng District Public Employment and Talent Service Center — 53 Xinhu South Road, Decheng District; 0534-2671723
• Lingcheng District Public Employment and Talent Service Center — 4452 Lingzhou West Road, Lingcheng District; 0534-8221147
• Ningjin County Public Employment and Talent Service Center — Zone F, 2nd Floor, Building A, New Convenience Service Center, Ningjin County; 0534-5216725
• Qingyun County Public Employment and Talent Service Center — Room 703, Building B, Government Service Center, Qingyun County; 0534-3785629
• Linyi County Public Employment and Talent Exchange Center — 266 Yongxing Street, Linyi County; 0534-4361130
• Qihe County Public Employment and Talent Service Center — Room 201, 456 Qilu Street, Qihe County; 0534-5321157
• Pingyuan County Public Employment and Talent Service Center — Room 303, Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2069 Xinhua South Road, Pingyuan County; 0534-4211922
• Xiajin County Public Employment and Talent Service Center — Room 108, Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 80 Cuigong West Street, Xiajin County; 0534-3211743
• Wucheng County Public Employment and Talent Service Center — 57 Zhenhua West Street, Wucheng County; 0534-6211042
• Dezhou Tianqu New Area Social Affairs Management Department — Room 422, 4th Floor, Building 2, Jinghua Road High-Tech Innovation Center, Tianqu New Area, Dezhou; 0534-2753181
• Leling City Public Employment and Talent Service Center — 262 Zhenxing East Road, Leling City; 0534-6990128, 6990157
• Yucheng City Public Employment and Talent Service Center — 1st Floor, Human Resources Market, 6 Fuhua Street, Yucheng City; 0534-7365322, 7221784

Practical Steps for Founders

When recruiting graduates in Dezhou, it is worth confirming early whether your entity has file custody authority. If not, identify the relevant public agency and clarify whether collective entrusted storage applies to your situation, or ensure the employee understands that the file may need to return to their household registration locality. Employees can then verify the file's location through the official app before any procedure requires it.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.