聘用

• Pinyin: pìn yòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 聘 = 耳 + 甹 (ear + summon — formal selection); 用 = 卜 + 中 (divination + centre — to apply or use purposefully)

Meaning

To employ; to hire someone for a position or task. Emphasises the utilisation of someone's skills and services through an employment relationship.

聘用 is slightly less formal than 聘任 and focuses on the employment relationship itself rather than the specific title or post. Common in contracts, HR policies, and official notices. 聘用合同 = employment contract. 临时聘用 = temporary engagement.

Examples

1. 该研究中心聘用了来自十二个国家的科研人员，致力于构建真正多元化的国际学术团队。 The research center has hired researchers from twelve countries, aiming to build a truly diverse international academic team.
2. 公司通过灵活的外部聘用机制引入行业专家，有效弥补了内部团队在某些专业领域的能力短板。 Through a flexible external hiring mechanism, the company has brought in industry experts, effectively making up for gaps in the internal team’s capabilities in certain specialized fields.
3. 依据最新出台的劳动法规，雇主在聘用外籍劳工时须依法为其缴纳社会保险，不得以任何理由规避。 Under the latest labor regulations, employers must legally enroll foreign workers in social insurance when hiring them and may not evade it for any reason.

Usage Guide

Context: HR, labour law, business, government

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 人力资源部门在聘用新员工时，需严格核查其学历证书的真实性和相关职业资格证书的有效期，以防范用人风险。(When employing new staff, the human resources department must rigorously verify the authenticity of academic certificates and the validity of relevant professional qualification certificates to guard against employment risks.)
• 为应对季节性业务高峰，公司每年夏季都会通过劳务派遣公司聘用一批临时人员，待旺季结束后依合同约定结束聘用关系。(To cope with the seasonal business peak, the company engages a group of temporary staff through a labour dispatch agency each summer, terminating the employment relationship in accordance with the contract once the busy season ends.)

Don't Say

• 聘用 implies a formal employment relationship with agreed terms — do not use it for purely informal or volunteer arrangements; 义务帮忙 or 自愿参与 are more appropriate in those cases

Origin & History

聘 (to engage formally) + 用 (to use, to employ — 卜 + 中 — to apply purposefully)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal