There is no end to the list of companies who enter Japan with optimism, but leave before allowing enough time for their business to flourish. Japanese candidates are well aware of these stories, making recruiting in Japan such a challenge.

While much has been written about the difficulties foreign firms face in hiring Japanese talent, relatively little has been written about how to close candidates once they are in your recruitment pipeline in Japan. A transparent closing process to be shared by the employer, recruiter and potential employee is critical in ensuring success for your firm in Japan.

Foreign capital companies operating in Japan often have flaws in their hiring processes and decision making, generally stemming from the lack of experience an expat from HQ has with the new culture and subsequent insecurity in dealing with local business practices. Here are the most common pitfalls foreign capital firms experience in their recruiting processes and how to overcome them.

The changing face of recruitment is a global issue, yet international recruitment is presented with the added challenge of cultural nuances and labor regulations that are country-specific. When you consider recruitment in Japan, new market entrants, regardless of industry sector, can benefit greatly by asking themselves the following six questions to determine if they are taking the right approach to the Japanese market.