New recruitment approaches to winning the recruiting competition

The basic recruitment strategy companies employ is to have a clear picture of the type of candidate who has the skills, knowledge and values the company seeks, and commence recruitment activities or implement a recruitment system to secure such a candidate. However, the competition for outstanding candidates in recent years have become increasingly intense. Japanese companies are finding it difficult to secure Japanese speaking personnel in the competition with other local businesses and foreign companies. What kind of approaches have the Human Resource Departments implemented to attract exceptional candidates? This article focuses on recruitment methods unlike those used before.

Do not be fixated on traditional recruitment methods

Compared to local or foreign companies which appeal to outstanding candidates with their attractive salary and career enhancements, Japanese companies compare unfavorably in terms of working conditions such as the “glass ceiling” and lack of leisure time outside of working hours. Additionally, there competition between Japanese companies for the few Japanese speaking personnel is equally fierce. If usual job listings cannot secure candidates, companies can secure them through their own sites instead.

Utilizing social media for social recruiting and employer branding

One approach to recruiting is through social media. Many foreign companies are active on social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter but this is not yet common among Japanese companies. Social media allows a company to interact with a community where candidates gather and through this community, they are able to approach candidates who fulfil their recruitment conditions. Companies can also showcase a positive existence through their social media page. There are an increasing number of companies who use employer branding as well.

Observe platforms and media related to the industry

By targeting online platforms which exchange knowledge and know-hows related to the company’s industry, potential candidates can be found in the new community never accessed before. Such platforms include Q&A sites on engineering or programming. Some companies are also actively using media not traditionally utilized in recruitments. For example, they upload videos to YouTube and appeal to the audience about the charms of working environment, or create podcasts which explain job descriptions and introduce existing employees. There are many different and eye-catching approaches to be used depending on the effort placed into promoting. Such methods will surely be used in cooperation with existing recruitment sites in the future.

Advancements in mobile accessibility

No matter what recruitment strategies are employed, accessibility to job seekers is extremely important. In particular, an increasing number of people from developing countries “job seek through mobile searches” thanks to the spread of mobile devices such as smartphones. Companies should ensure smooth mobile access to their career opportunities and recruitment information.

The spread of the internet and mobile devices is continuing to cause significant changes in how people seek jobs. It is time to review recruiting methods.

Read more about Japanese recruitment information, see Japanese-Jobs.com ( https://jp.japanese-jobs.com/en).