The Jobboard Finder team will help you to recruit in Japan with this complete guide for recruiters. It may seem that Japan has a similar business culture to the Western world but according to PWC’s 15th Annual Global CEO Survey of 2012 it remains one of the most difficult countries to source, find and attract talent. Many recruiters struggle with the task of hiring Japanese professionals because of a lack of experience with the culture and local business practices. Here at Jobboard Finder, we have put together some essential information for companies looking to recruit in Japan and a list of our highly recommended job boards.
Make the first move to recruit in Japan
Japanese candidates usually prefer to be contacted by recruiters who they trust and recognize or companies that they have dealt past relationships with as they are less comfortable with unknown recruiters. On top of this, the Japanese disapprove of direct communication and cold calling, which makes the process of connecting with and persuading a candidate much more complicated. Applicants prefer being contacted through a friend or by a personal reference and face to face meetings are advised. Jobseekers are also less likely to go out and actively look for new opportunities. They don’t approach recruiters as there is a stigma that is slowly disappearing in Japan surrounding moving jobs.
Do your homework
A recruitment campaign that may have worked in Europe won’t work in Japan. Forget your usual recruitment methods. Be aware and respectful of the language, culture and local business practices in Asia that will inevitably determine the outcome of your recruitment drive. Adapting to these changes and customizing a process that will suit the target audience in Japan will give you a solid starting block for a positive and effective campaign. Furthermore, job seekers appreciate companies that have studied the Japanese market and that demonstrate an understanding of the unique culture.
Say no to social media
Japanese professionals are not keen on using social networking sites to actively look for and apply to job offers. Severely contrasted with Europe and the US, LinkedIn is hardly used at all and has been struggling to increase its user numbers and traffic since it arrived in Japan. Only 1% of companies are using the site to recruit employees. Facebook has a strong audience but is still viewed as an ineffective and passive platform to search for jobseekers. For that reason, we strongly advise you use popular job boards for maximum exposure.
Top 5 Job boards in Japan
Here at Jobboard Finder, we have put together a list of the top job sites in Japan that we believe will make a significant improvement to your recruitment campaign and to help you have a better understanding of how to recruit in Japan.
We hope our article on recruiting in Japan has been helpful! If you have any suggestions for our blog, we would love to here them.
Author: Maria
« Shaking off the summer recruitment lull
Reducing the cost of recruitment »