What is the state of the bilingual recruitment market in Japan?
Nicholls: It’s an extremely interesting market, very different from that of the UK where I worked in recruitment for 10 years. At RGF, we typically deal with multinational firms. A high level of Japanese proficiency tends to be a minimum requirement for most positions. As a result, both candidates and clients tend to be bilingual Japanese. It’s a highly competitive market with candidates in short supply.
How do recruitment businesses differentiate themselves?
Most recruitment businesses don’t have a unique selling point. Success, therefore, tends to boil down to the quality of people you employ and how well you train them. Most recruitment firms use the same client and candidate sourcing methods.
How important is branding?
It’s one of the few areas in which recruitment firms can really set themselves apart. Japan, in particular, is an extremely brand-conscious country, where big, established brands tend to be trusted more than others.
Does RGF benefit from being part of the Recruit Group?
Yes, being the bilingual division of well-known Japanese enterprise the Recruit Group gives us a huge competitive advantage, given its high profile and heavily advertised brand. It’s especially useful in candidate sourcing. The best candidates tend to be extremely picky about which agencies they entrust with their next career move. At RGF, our professional approach combined with the power of the Recruit Group brand means that we represent the best candidates on the market.
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www.rgf-hragent.asia/japan/
