Jonathan Cant’s Post

𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 "𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆" 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒆𝒕: 𝘈 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 🍾 I wanted to share a recent win that really highlights what's possible when we challenge traditional hiring approaches in Japan. One of our global tech clients had been struggling for nearly a year to fill their Japan Country Manager role. Two search firms had already tried and failed, and three candidates had turned down offers. It was becoming a familiar story - the "perfect bilingual candidate" challenge that so many foreign companies face here. What made the difference? We had an honest conversation with the client about their real needs versus their ideal wishes. Instead of hunting for the unicorn (20+ years in the exact same industry, perfect bilingual abilities, and an impossible list of specific experiences), we focused on leadership capability and potential. The changes we made were pretty straightforward: 🔍 -Looked at leaders from similar industries rather than exact matches ✒️ -Shifted from requiring perfect bilingual skills to business-level English, and strong communication skills 💰 -Built a more locally competitive package including a guaranteed first-year bonus ✂️ -Cut down the marathon interview process to something more reasonable The result? We placed a fantastic leader within three months. They came from a parallel industry and brought fresh perspectives that actually accelerated business growth. Six months in, they're exceeding targets and have built strong relationships both locally and with HQ. The real lesson here? Sometimes the best candidate isn't the one that matches your original checklist. In Japan's competitive bilingual market, success often comes from knowing where you can be flexible and where you really need to hold firm. #JapanRecruitment #ExecutiveSearch #LeadershipHiring

What will happen to Japan's talent market in 10, 20, or 30 years? There are many reasons why hiring talent in Japan is challenging for global companies: lack of bilingual talent, lifetime employment, a passive job market to name a few. I have been feeling my job as a recruiter is getting tougher every year. The latest statistics are mind-blowing. Japan's population is around 122.7 million, with only 14 million children under 15. This means just 11.4% of the population are children, highlighting a rapidly aging population and shrinking workforce. What could be the solution to grow the talent market in Japan? #recruiting #japan #talent #hiring

🌟 Winning Over Top-Tier Japanese Employees 🌟 👋 Want to conquer Japan's competitive job market and attract top talent? 🇯🇵 Check out our latest blog post for some key strategies: 1️⃣ Build your reputation: Promote your company, share impact and mission, highlight employee testimonials, and communicate all the benefits of working for your organization. 2️⃣ Ask for referrals: Bring in candidates endorsed by your employees to ensure cultural fit and empower your team. 3️⃣ Long-term relationship building: Attend industry events, join trade organizations, and stay in regular contact with potential candidates to build trust and widen your network. Ready to dive deeper? Read the full article here: https://zurl.co/jsrE Download our free e-book here: https://zurl.co/aYS5 Let's win the talent game together! 🏆💼 #recruiting #pharma #japan #toptalent

🇯🇵 Is Japan the Most Lucrative Recruitment Market in the World? Coming from the UK, I've always been aware of the mixed reputation recruitment can have there. But since working in Japan, I've been amazed by how different this market is. In the UK, standard recruitment fees typically range from 15% to 20%. However, Japan is a candidate-short market, with standard fees around 35% and some exceptional roles even reaching 100% 🤯 . The focus in Japan is really on finding top candidates, which can be challenging, especially in an aging population where the standard retirement age is 60. This makes it particularly difficult for some industries to find the right talent. Recruitment in Japan is less transactional and more about building rapport and networking, as job hopping is frowned upon. To all my recruitment connections in Japan - you are truly recruiting into a one-of-a-kind market💸💸💸. At the right company, your opportunities are endless. Please reach out if you are curious to find out about other recruitment companies and opportunities. 📨 #Recruitment #Japan #CareerOpportunities #JobMarket #Networking #Rec2Rec #Opportunities #Connections #Tokyojob #tokyorecruitment

It was a pleasure to meet the CEO/cofounder Paul McMahon of #TokyoDev last week. As a fellow Canadian, I was eager to hear about his journey to Japan and learn more about his business. Despite being competitors in the industry, I really enjoy the meeting with him and learning more about his perspectives in Japan IT industry. Recruitment is a very competitive industry. This is why I think prioritizing being a human being and offering genuine help is really important. Sometimes I even refer candidates to other agencies when needed (if we have no roles for them) and I do enjoy supporting informative Linkedin posts from competing agencies. Building a network based on collaboration and support is key factor. Recruiters often face negative stereotypes, but I do hope these perceptions in Japan change soon. So many people have a bad impressions of recruiters. If you type into google "Recruiters are." the following pops up right away: - Recruiters are Trash - Recruiters only care about money - Recruiters or annoying - Recruiters are not you friends I have been in this industry for 5 years now, I understand the competitive nature of the industry. However, I believe that prioritizing client and candidate satisfaction and happiness is more important than focusing on ruthless competition. I often have lasting relationships with candidates and clients who appreciate my approach of genuinely caring about them. I do look forward to connecting with other TA/HR managers and agency recruiters to exchange insights and gain different perspectives. Genuine care and dedication are the cornerstones of building lasting relationships in recruiting, and that's the recruiter I strive to be. Sorry if this post was too chessy. #EHO #tokyo #recruiter #japan

Some issues to recruiting in Japan, my thoughts 🤔 Recruiting within Japanese Domestic companies. One challenge commonly seen in traditional Japanese companies is that promotions to management positions often occur through self-recommendation or political connections rather than proven talent.  Cases show where employees with strong track records aren't elevated to management, leading to hiring strategies disconnected from actual talent market needs and candidate expectations.  Recruitment strategies are developed without understanding candidate needs or market trends, creating misalignment with talent acquisition realities. The result is losing top candidates to foreign companies and declining quality of hires. Recruiting for Foreign Companies in Japan. Some foreign companies in Japan overemphasize English language abilities in their promotion criteria, resulting in managers with limited capabilities but who are English “fluent”.  Consequently, Western business practices are implemented without adaptation, causing friction with both local and regional offices. Global recruitment practices applied without considering unique aspects of Japanese hiring culture and market and the result is high turnover and decreased effectiveness in the Japanese market. #recruiting #japan #japanjobs

🌟 Winning Over Top-Tier Japanese Employees 🌟 👋 Want to conquer Japan's competitive job market and attract top talent? 🇯🇵 Check out our latest blog post for some key strategies: 1️⃣ Build your reputation: Promote your company, share impact and mission, highlight employee testimonials, and communicate all the benefits of working for your organization. 2️⃣ Ask for referrals: Bring in candidates endorsed by your employees to ensure cultural fit and empower your team. 3️⃣ Long-term relationship building: Attend industry events, join trade organizations, and stay in regular contact with potential candidates to build trust and widen your network. Ready to dive deeper? Read the full article here: https://zurl.co/jsrE Download our free e-book here: https://zurl.co/aYS5 Let's win the talent game together! 🏆💼 #recruiting #pharma #japan #toptalent

🌟 Hiring for Cultural Fit: Why It Matters! 🌟 In today's competitive job market, finding candidates who align with your organization's culture is crucial. Cultural fit goes beyond personality; it includes shared values, communication styles, and attitudes toward collaboration. Employees who feel a sense of belonging are more engaged and committed, enhancing retention and overall success. In your hiring process, remember to assess cultural fit alongside technical qualifications to build a motivated and cohesive team. If you want to know more about cracking the code on recruiting in Japan, download our free e-book 👉https://zurl.co/aYS5 🔗 Read & Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://zurl.co/ONIp #HiringInJapan #Morunda #Japan #Recruiting #Pharma #Medtech #Lifescience

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻? Recruiting in Japan requires a deep understanding of local customs and acknowledges the tough challenge of finding the best talent in a competitive market. Finding the right people to start a business in Japan is tough because of language differences, cultural differences, how companies are set up there, what skills people have, and the fact that there might not be enough of the right talent available. Skip the legal setup hassles and complex hiring procedures for rapid market penetration with only one service fee. Talk to our Japan’s representative. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dgm9nYg2 #setup #newbusiness #business #japan #recruitment #hiring #talents #sourcing #EOR #linkcompliance #humanresource #HR

Why is recruiting in Japan through #LinkedIn often not so effective? That’s the #MostAskedQuestion I encounter whenever I sit down with hiring teams outside of Japan. The cold, hard fact is that only about 3% of the Japanese population is on LinkedIn, compared to significant numbers ranging from 48% to 70% in places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. So, how is this 3% engaging on the platform? Cultural factors play a massive role. Before I dive deeper into this in the comments, I’d love to hear your thoughts: What strategies do you think could improve recruitment effectiveness on LinkedIn in Japan? #TT24 #TheExpectationGap 📑 https://lnkd.in/g_iVsejA Source: World Population Review #Recruitment #APAC #LinkedIn #TalentAcquisition #Japan #HRInsights