Japan

With the world's third largest economy, Japan is an attractive market for Western companies. Cultural differences, a rapidly aging population, and a slowing economy, however, can be barriers to success in Japan.

As a result of changing business conditions, human resources and recruiting issues are also changing rapidly in Japan. In a shift away from the system of lifetime employment and pay based on seniority, employees in larger cities are changing jobs more frequently, and pay for performance is becoming more prevalent. Strategies to recruit Japanese executives have also changed, and mid-career job changes are much more common.

PBI has been active in recruiting and HR issues in Japan for the past 20 years. In addition to several native Japanese speaking recruiters in our US headquarters, we also have an office in Tokyo and partners throughout the region.