Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area was recently ranked among the most attractive places for talent on the Chinese mainland in 2020 by online recruitment platform Zhaopin.com, thanks to its favorable talent policies.

For others looking to get ahead of the pack when it comes to talent, the first step would be to learn about the target groups of the city brand promotion, said officials at Zhaopin.com. The company found that highly educated young people make up the bulk of incoming talent.

In 2020, more than 40 percent of first-time job seekers throughout the country have been between the ages of 21 and 25, and more than 70 percent of them have bachelor's or graduate degrees.

Salary, benefits, as well as training and career prospects are the top three priorities for these job seekers.

Preferential policies regarding housing and getting settled as well as cash subsidies are effective tools to attract young professionals — especially recent graduates — according to Zhaopin.com.

Among the winners of Zhaopin.com's China's Best Employer Award for 2020, many are second- and third-tier cities such as Chengdu, Qingdao and Wuxi, which stand out due to their strong ability to attract talent.