Fellows Creative Staff Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Managing Director
Junya Oishi
interview=Ken Mitsui | Text=Aya Rikitake | Photographs=Kohei Nishiyama
Our mission is to foster the growth of the creative industries as a bridge between individual companies and creators
The specialized human resource agency for creators, “Fellows”, marks its fifth year in Singapore. Despite expanding overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has managed to get on track. We interviewed Junya Oishi, the Managing Director of the Singapore office, about the reasons behind this success and the recruitment situation in Singapore.
A Creators’ Agency Agent That Goes Beyond Dispatch and Referral Services
―First, could you please tell us about your career background?
Since my student days, I have always wanted to work using English, and so I enrolled in Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. In 2010, during my studies, I applied for a school scholarship program and participated in an exchange program at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Naturally, at the university, speaking English as a first language was a basic requirement. At that time, I keenly felt that qualities like personal strength and communication skills were more important than fluency in the language itself.
With this mindset, I began my job hunt and encountered Fellows. Drawn to their creator-first approach and their reputation as a team of specialists with high personal strengths, I joined the company in 2012. After joining, I was assigned to the Broadcast & Visual Section, supporting the video industry. In April 2020, I assumed the role of Managing Director at Fellows Creative Staff Singapore Pte. Ltd., the company’s first overseas base.
In Singapore, we focus on providing management services dedicated to creative talents. Currently, about 70% of our clients are Japanese-affiliated companies. There are five members of our company in Singapore, including myself. Three of them are agents (consultants at Fellows), and handle marketing, production, etc., and others are engaged in marketing and PR.
Overall, Fellows has 16 offices in Japan and overseas, supporting professionals across a wide range of industries including video, web, mobile, graphics, games, anime, spatial design, and products. There are over 55,000~ registered creators and 6,200 client companies.
―What is your main business?
In terms of sales share, it is the Full-time Placement business, but our motto is to support the development of creators and clients themselves, rather than focusing solely on the two axes of recruitment and temporary staffing. We have implemented a “double-sided agent system” where one person is responsible for both supporting creators and conducting business activities with clients. We propose the most appropriate method whether it be recruitment staffing, or consignment contracting.
For job seekers, their desired work style and job content differ based on their life stages, careers, and skills, and we believe that our mission is to provide the best opportunities for each individual. That is why we position ourselves as a creators’ agency.
―What are the advantages of creators working as a temporary staff basis through your company rather than being hired directly?
I think one of the advantages is that by having our company act as an intermediary, the arrangement of compensation for labor is clarified and creators can continue to receive remuneration commensurate with their labor. In addition, even if they work for the same company for a long time and improve their skills, it is not easy for creators on individual contracts to ask for a raise in salary. With us as an intermediary, we can negotiate with the company, and if we can’t come to a compromise, we can support the creator in changing jobs.
―What kind of industries do you have clients in?
When I was in Japan, my main clients were broadcasting companies (TV) key stations and local stations, program production companies, video editing companies, video shooting companies, and video technology companies. As a company, we broadly deal with video, web, social media, game, anime, and design-related fields. Kentaro Nogi, the president of our company, used to work for a creative talent agency before founding the company, which I think is one of the reasons why we have a strong presence in the video industry.
Singapore is an Ideal Hub for Southeast Asian
―Why did you decide to establish your first overseas base in Singapore?
Just as we were considering our desire to contribute to the creative industry overseas from Japan, we learned that a recruitment agency in Singapore was seeking a successor. Nogi and I met with the company’s representative, which was performing well in Singapore and showed promising potential in the human resources sector there.
Convinced that this opportunity aligned with our goal to support the development of the creative industry in Southeast Asia, we decided to expand into Singapore by acquiring the company. Although we formally established the company on April 1, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed my physical entry into the country until June.
―Wasn’t it difficult to conduct business activities due to the outbreak of COVID-19?
Taking over the existing human resources business was successful, and since we did not start from scratch in terms of clients, we were able to initiate communication through introductory greetings. However, from the perspective of the other party, with a change in representatives, complete trust wasn’t immediately granted.
Initially, we took the attitude of “we’ll handle anything if given the opportunity.” Gradually, we earned their trust through our track record as a creators’ agency, and thanks to that, we are now celebrating our fifth fiscal year.
―Could you tell us about the characteristics of the human resources business in Singapore?
Singapore is considered ideal for test marketing due to its diverse population encompassing different races, religions, and nationalities. Many companies choose to establish their headquarters (regional office/command center) in Singapore to expand their market across Southeast Asia. For example, companies based in Singapore may request creators who can speak Indonesian to support business expansion into Indonesia.
There are also instances of companies expanding from Southeast Asia into Europe. We engage daily with numerous job seekers, considering factors such as nationality, age, experience, and industry expertise, to provide human resources not only for businesses in Singapore but also for the broader Southeast Asian region.
―Japanese-affiliated companies often use the membership-based employment system even overseas. How do Singaporeans react to this?
The membership-based employment, where employees are nurtured for long-term commitment, may initially offer lower salaries compared to the job-based employment system, where salaries increase through job changes. In Singapore, there are individuals who prefer stable employment where they can work long-term, as well as those who need time to demonstrate their abilities and deliver results. On the other hand, many multinational corporations adopt job-based employment, rewarding high salaries to employees based on performance and dismissing those who cannot meet expectations. Our discussions with job seekers and hiring managers reveal a preference among some for the stable membership-based model typical of Japanese companies.
Even Japanese-affiliated companies are exploring with job-based approaches, and we strive to accommodate job seekers accordingly. Moreover, Japanese-affiliated companies looking to recruit top talent may benefit from expediting the interview-to-hiring process.
Most of the job seekers I’ve interacted with in Singapore apply to multiple companies simultaneously. Multinational corporations typically conduct interviews promptly upon reviewing resumes, and finalize hiring decisions after just one or two rounds of screening if all criteria are met. In contrast, Japanese-affiliated companies tend to take more time and effort from interview to hiring decision. Consequently, talented candidates often opt for multinational corporations that move more swiftly. Furthermore, if approval from the head office is required, the process can further delay hiring decisions. Therefore, it is important for Japanese-affiliated companies to establish systems that empower local subsidiaries to make autonomous hiring decisions. Creating a streamlined process across the organization is crucial for Japanese-affiliated companies as they undergo recruitment reforms.
The consulting that leverages job seekers’ abilities is indeed the value of human resources company as intermediary
―Please tell us about the situation of creators in Singapore.
Firstly, let’s proceed with the understanding that creator jobs encompass not only designers, photographers, and other content creators, but also marketing, PR, and other professions that help created content reach a wide audience. The number of job seekers for creative roles consistently reaches tens of thousands, yet in Singapore, the number of creative jobs available does not sufficiently match the number of job seekers.
Many positions rely on project-based hiring, making it challenging for creators to sustain themselves solely through such work. Additionally, recent surveys indicate that numerous business companies, including Japanese and other foreign-affiliated companies, do not have in-house creative departments, and instead outsource to local or neighboring countries’ creative agencies. Conversely, there is a growing trend among creators towards freelance and multiple-job practices, broadening the scope and depth of consulting services. Agents are increasingly expected to address not only staffing and recruitment services for clients but also to solve their business challenges.
Singapore’s HR industry is evolving day by day, with webinars for HR professionals being popular lately. With AI advancing rapidly, recruitment agencies that merely match candidates based on resume data may face declining demand in the near future. We believe that agents who can actively propose solutions to companies not only from the client perspective but also from the job seeker perspective will create value. This is the intermediary value that Fellows aims to achieve.
―Your company is a latecomer to the human resources market in Singapore. How are you differentiating yourself?
I think one of our distinctive features is our specialization in creators. We’ve been deeply involved in the creative industry for a long time, making us a priority for local job seekers interested in Japanese TV, gaming, anime, and fashion roles. For Japanese-affiliated companies seeking to hire, they value our ability to support them in overseas business expansion and test marketing through talent-focused services.
Looking ahead, as every company will need manpower, we anticipate that services like ours, which manage and provide individual creators as an alternative to traditional hiring or outsourcing options, will become increasingly sought after.
―In that case, the fact that your headquarters is in Japan is an advantage.
Yes, that’s right. Thanks to this, Fellows has been able to establish itself as a leading company in the talent agency sector within Japan’s creative industry. The credibility and recognition we have in Japan are beneficial for communicating with Japanese-affiliated companies and creators who are considering business expansion and growth in this region.
―Lastly, please tell us about your future prospects.
In terms of our aspirations, we aim to become a company that creators throughout Southeast Asia aspire to register with. Celebrating our 22nd year since establishment, we have begun diversifying our business around the central theme of ‘contributing to the creative industry.’ Initiatives include the Fellows Film Festival (for discovering creators), children’s musicals (to nurture the next generation of creators), Creative Academy (educational initiatives), and Creative Dining (food and beverage ventures).
Since my joining Fellows, Mr. Nogi, the president whom I deeply respect, has instilled in me the values of “keeping one’s word” and “perseverance is strength.” Now in my 12th year at Fellows, I aim to translate my dreams into concrete goals and achieve them step by step through dedication and integrity.
Fellows Creative Staff Singapore Pte. Ltd.
20 Anson Rd, #11-01, Singapore 079912
https://www.fellow-s.com.sg
Established on April 1, 2020, “Fellows” carries the meaning of colleagues and comrades. We aim to be a trusted presence as allies of creators and companies striving in their creative endeavors, focusing on “creating opportunities for fruitful encounters between creators and companies.”
Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1990. While enrolled at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, studied abroad at the University of Western Ontario in Canada in 2010. Joined Fellows Co., Ltd. in 2012. Engaged in supporting the video industry in the Broadcast Visual Section.
In April 2020, appointed as Managing Director of Fellows Creative Staff Singapore Pte. Ltd., the first overseas base of Fellows. Providing specialized talent management services focusing on creative professionals and specialized talents in Singapore.
