GaijinPot Special Feature

This Month: Recruiting

This month's interview is with Mr. Ray Pedersen, CEO of Slate Consulting K.K.

Tell us about Slate Consulting.

Established in Edmonton, Alberta in 1964, Slate Consulting opened their first office in Tokyo in 2003. With locations worldwide, Slate is firmly established as a leading global executive search firm.

Can you give us an idea of your corporate philosophy?

With 6 practice areas divided amongst 3 offices in Tokyo, Slate is a very entrepreneurial organization; allowing ideas to incubate and leadership to be nurtured, with the best practices that evolve within each separate group then peculating up throughout the organization.

What kind of people are you looking to hire?

Ideal candidates are smart, cool, hard-working, team-oriented, pro-active, flexible, risk-takers and highly motivated to succeed.

Straight from the Source!

• Kerry Clark, Business Manager (Commerce and Industry - Financial Services Team) at Wall Street Associates.
• Scotland
• 25 Years Old
• 1.5 years in current position

My first bonus was spent on traveling overseas. It's the perfect way to treat myself after a hectic work schedule and it's always so refreshing to have a break from the urban sprawl of Tokyo. Being from Scotland, I am determined to make the most of having exotic SE Asian countries on my doorstep. So far I have been to Singapore, Malaysia, China and the Philippines.

What does the job involve?

Headhunting is not about wrecking companies, it is about building companies; by finding the high-quality people that will help that company to grow and to succeed. There is tremendous satisfaction to be gained from being a recruiter, as it puts you in the unique position of being able to help both companies find the staff they need and other people to find the new and more rewarding job they deserve.

What do you mean by 'wrecking companies'?

We meet a lot of really talented people who might, for whatever reason, be unhappy at their current employer and looking to change jobs, but if that person is going to join a new company and remain discontented we do not recommend them to any prospective new employers. Our goal is to help build companies, not to wreck them.

What advice would you give to anyone considering a career in Executive Recruitment?

You need to think ahead and be willing to make short-term sacrifices for long-term gain. It is important to realize that in order to achieve personal growth and development you will need to do a lot of hard work and maybe even, for a short while, take a pay cut; but you will be gaining valuable skills and experience and positively influencing your personal future and career.

Straight from the Source!

• Stephen Montgomery, Senior Consultant (Business Development / Executive Search) at Human Associates Inc.
• United States
• 52, going on 48 (I am counting backwards)
• 3 years in current position

A romantic dinner at TABLEAUX (Shibuya) with my beautiful wife; and the money left-over: You’ll have to ask my wife (she has-it), by the way… did I say she is beautiful??

Do candidates have to be fluent in Japanese?

People from over 15 different countries work at Slate, the Lingua Franca is English and whilst Japanese language ability is a plus it is not a factor in being a successful recruiter, what are more important are really good communication and people skills.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Deciding to become an Executive Recruiter is not a job choice it is a lifestyle decision; the work is hard and the demands on your time can be great; but for those people with the hunger and aptitude who last the distance the rewards are tremendous, leading to significantly higher levels of income in the future, whilst developing invaluable work skills and doing a job you'll love.

Spotlight Recruiting Companies

Boyd & Moore Executive Search

We are a high-growth, Ginza-based search firm seeking energetic and motivated individuals. If you are smart, focused, and seeking an opportunity to excel in a firm that offers a truly unique business model in the Tokyo recruiting industry, then we are interested in speaking with you. We offer our consultants an excellent work environment in addition to significant personal, career, and financial growth potential. We currently have openings in the fields of technology, finance, health care, consumer goods and services, and manufacturing.

• Current Positions
• Website

Vision Consulting Services K.K.

Based in Tokyo, Japan, Vision Consulting Services K.K. helps organizations build winning teams. Through executive search, recruiting, and training services, we help Japanese and international companies hire and develop the best talent possible. ?We believe in genuine partnerships where the success of our clients is the key to our continued growth.

• Current Positions
• Website

Slate Consulting, K.K

The Slate Group is always looking to add quality people to our organization. We welcome applicants from anyone and anywhere on the planet. Come work for one of the most innovative recruitment firms in the industry and enjoy a wonderful working atmosphere. Besides the current openings on GaijinPot, we are always interested in considering people to add to our offices in Tokyo, Manila, Vancouver, Bucharest and Edmonton. Please feel free to contact us anytime!

• Current Positions
• Website

The Ingenium Group, Inc.

The Ingenium Group is a leading Asia Pacific executive search firm based in Tokyo, Japan. We specialize in identifying and attracting bilingual Asian executives for firms in Japan and throughout the Asia Pacific region. At Ingenium we know that people come first. And we are extremely proud of our people! Our team is composed of exceptional professionals from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities who are united in their commitment to excellence and providing the highest standards of Client service.

• Current Positions
• Website

Tempstaff Universal

Tempstaff Universal is a temporary staffing agency specializing in employment opportunities for the foreign community in Japan. Our clients include many large Japanese corporations as well as overseas companies operating in Japan in a wide variety of industries including finance, hi-tech, consumer goods, media, sales and marketing, engineering and education. Positions also cover a wide range of fields including translation, proofreading, editing, IT, HR, sales etc. Visit our website to learn more.

• Current Positions
• Website

Human Associates Inc.

Human Associates Inc., founded in 1996, is one of the fastest growing companies as a total solution provider on human resource in Japan. Human Associates, as one of the most prestigious executive search firms in the industry, provides professional recruiting services focusing on mid-senior level to top-level executives. We are a strategic alliance partner with IMD International Search and Consulting. IMD has a successful history of over 30 years providing exceptional borderless executive recruiting services, with over 40 offices in major cities around the globe.

• Website