interview=Ken Mitsui | Text=Aya Rikitake | Photographs=Kohei Nishiyama
Employer Branding Improves the Fortunes of Japanese Companies in International Markets
Pasona Recruitment (Thailand) was founded in 2012 to lead the Pasona Group’s Thai operations. Japanese companies are at risk of losing ground in Thailand and other markets. What is Pasona’s strategy for dealing with this issue? How should Japanese companies respond to these challenges?
We spoke to Panunun Cardini, the company’s Vice-President, who is well-versed in both Japanese and Thai culture.
Started her career at the company as a junior employee. Appointed Vice-President at her 7th Year at Pasona.
―Can you tell us about your company?
Pasona Group is a general HR company founded in 1976. We provide support in all HR related fields, including recruitment, employee training, salary calculations, HR consulting, and re-employment. We currently have offices in 169 locations in Japan and 55 locations overseas in 15 different regions. Pasona Recruitment (Thailand) (hereinafter Pasona Thailand), the center of our operations in Thailand, was founded in 2012. 70% of our clients are Japanese-owned companies. The remainder are mostly Thai.
―Can you describe your career so far?
After graduating from a Japanese university, I returned to Thailand and began working for Japan Airlines. After getting married and having a child at age 27, I spent three years as a homemaker. When my children started going to school, I registered with Pasona to work as a freelancer. But my career advisor told me that working full-time, rather than as a freelancer, could be an option when considering my career long-term. I followed this advice and decided to become a full-time employee.
At that time, I was not thinking deeply about a future career. If I hadn’t received that advice from the career advisor, I don’t think I would be sitting here now. This experience encouraged me to play a useful role in the human resources industry. I joined Pasona Thailand in October 2013 and I am now in my 10th year here. Now, as company Vice-President, I manage the overall recruitment support and consulting business.
―Why did you decide to study at a Japanese university?
When I was little, I loved Japanese cartoons and music, and tried hard to study Japanese. My dream was to study in Japan and pass the Japanese language proficiency test, so I decided to enter a Japanese university. I found Japanese people to be kind and warm, and wanted to work at a job that brought Japan and Thailand together. I was motivated to give something back to the Japanese people, and that is why I joined a Japanese company, Japan Airlines.
―When you started working for Pasona, you began in a junior position?
That’s right. As I had previously worked as a cabin attendant, I did not know anything about recruitment. Even my PC skills were lacking. When I joined the company in 2013, I was already 30. I realized that I would have to make an extraordinary effort. I gradually improved my skills as I sought to meet my goals for each month. I became a senior employee in 2014 and was appointed team leader in 2015. My manager was skilled at training employees, and would not get angry even when I made mistakes. They gave me a lot of support and guidance. That manager taught me that the job of the team leader is to provide support to maximize the contribution of team members.
From 2016, I worked as a recruitment team leader and took on various other projects. For example, I helped organize a Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) internship project. The project, which is still running, provides Thai people wishing to work for a Japanese company with internship experiences at Japanese companies looking to hire non-Japanese staff. METI projects have created opportunities for Thai people to work at Japanese companies and for Japanese companies to begin importing and selling Thai products. In 2018, I was promoted to lead an even larger team. And then in 2020, I was appointed as Vice-President.
―Has the number of people applying for METI internships been affected by the pandemic or the growing influence of companies from other countries?
Japanese companies remain popular. We still receive around 4000 applications every time METI looks for interns. We receive applications from all over Asia, but only a maximum of 20 people from any individual country can go to Japan. It is quite difficult to get selected. Feedback from participants indicates that it meets their expectations. Many participants develop an even more favorable opinion of Japan. I find working on this program rewarding. Some interns receive freelance contracts from Japanese companies after they return to Thailand.
―What is the criteria to get into the METI internship program?
There are four basic criteria: required skills, motivation for participating, communication and language skills, and enthusiasm. It is not enough to say that you just want to study through the program. You must make it clear how you wish to improve yourself and contribute to society through your participation. Applicants must take the initiative. The program operates in four different industry categories. There is business planning, which includes management, sales and sales promotion; service industry work, which includes tourism promotion and hotel work; IT engineering; and then an open category.
A Focus on Designing Employee Evaluation Systems, Salary Surveys, and Leadership Training
―I hear that you started a new business project following your appointment as Vice-President.
That’s right, we launched an HR consulting business. That project is part of our drive to become a “one-stop service.” We are improving the precision of our recruitment matching, as well as designing training and evaluation systems for employees once they are recruited. We are also working to improve our support systems to help employees who are let go when a business scales down.
We are involved in multiple consulting projects, and currently our primary project is an employee evaluation system. There are still many Japanese companies without a proper evaluation system in place. Traditionally, Japanese companies did not require evaluation systems. They offered lifetime employment, with all employees of the same cohort receiving the same scheduled salary increase. But Japanese companies are now moving towards a system of defined jobs and roles. Japanese companies now need evaluation systems to recognize and reward high-performing employees in order to compete in a global market.
Another ongoing project is our salary survey project. If companies are unable to benchmark their salaries, they end up missing out on high-performing personnel because they offer salaries that are too low. Companies should also expect talented staff to leave for jobs that offer better salaries. In Thailand, people will change jobs if they can increase their salary by 30%. Another way to look at this is that a company paying 30% below the market rate will see people leave.
―What areas are you focusing on right now?
All of our projects are important, but our recent focus has been on leadership training. Throughout the year we run courses designed to turn today’s team leaders into tomorrow’s managers, covering everything from mindset to technical skills.
The Importance of a Corporate Culture That Involves the Whole Workforce in Company Growth
―What do Japanese companies need to do to improve their presence in the recruitment market?
To hire and retain talent, Japanese companies need to analyze people’s perceptions of the company, branding, salary competitiveness, and potential career paths and improve in all of these areas. That is the responsibility of human resources rather than management. Companies need to present their human resources managers with a suitable mission and reward them appropriately.
We see that the more conscientious an HR manager is, the more likely it is for them to rigorously follow documentation. They may fall into the trap of thinking that growing the company is not part of their job. I think that in Japanese companies, not limited to the HR department, all employees must contribute to the growth of the company, including through better employer branding. People and companies without that awareness cannot survive in today’s society.
―Please tell us about your consulting service and how it improves HR skills and employer branding.
We provide many services, including a one-on-one coaching service delivered by an HR manager with 40 years of HR experience in Thailand. There is one session per month over six months. Many of the people who take the course have come from other fields to work in HR. People who were worried about workplace relationships and managing opinions are, by the end of the course, able to take a balanced perspective and work with awareness of where they and their company need to go. Many people find that the course motivates them. In some cases, it leads them to propose business improvement plans to their company president.
People selected for management positions are usually capable individuals, but they will not succeed without upgrading their skills. That’s because the role of a manager differs from that of a regular team member. The more effective someone is as a team member, the less likely they may be to notice they need different skills as a manager.
A 360° personnel evaluation can be effective in these circumstances. The feedback from those around them may prompt people to notice that they need to change their mindset. Evaluation systems are also a useful way to avoid ambiguity. Vague KPI can be transformed into useful metrics grounded in an evaluation system.
Salaries Are Not Simply a Cost, They Are an Investment in Future Profitability
―Finally, do you have any advice for Japanese companies looking to thrive in Thailand?
A key issue for Japanese companies is to pay internationally competitive salaries. People in Thailand thought Japanese companies paid higher salaries than Thai companies, with bonuses, good employee benefits, and an honest approach to management. But management salaries at foreign-owned companies are rising by 20 to 30%, and salaries at Japanese companies remain stagnant. No one is interested in working for a company with poor salaries, no matter how attractive the company might otherwise be. The more talented someone is, the more this principle applies.
I once introduced a sales manager with the best sales track record in their industry to a Japanese company. This man was asking for a 30% increase on his current salary of 150,000 Baht, but the Japanese company never offered more than 160,000 Baht. In the end, he did not join them. However, hiring talented people boosts productivity, which leads to better profitability. Recruitment expenses are not simply a cost, they are an investment. It is true that Japanese employees may also be interested in aspects beyond salary, such as a sense of mission, significance, motivation, and contribution to society, all of which are attractive attitudes. I personally decided to join a Japanese company after being inspired by the way Japanese people are motivated by their work. I am proud that Pasona’s business strategy is focused on making a social contribution.
Pasona Recruitment (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
26th Floor, Sathorn Square Office Tower, 98 North Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
https://pasona.co.th
Pasona Recruitment (Thailand), founded in 2012, is a general human resources service company, serving as the central hub of the Pasona Group in Thailand. Under the motto of “resolving social issues,” the company provides expert services (personal dispatch), BPO services (outsourcing and contracting), HR consulting, education and training, global personnel sourcing (overseas personnel recruitment services), and career solutions (recruitment services, support for re-employment).
After graduating from a Japanese university, Ms. Cardini worked as a CA for a Japanese airline. After getting married and having a baby, she joined Pasona Recruitment (Thailand) in 2013. After working as a sales consultant and sales manager, she was engaged in recruitment support mainly for Japanese companies, and was appointed to her current position as Vice President in 2020. Now she focuses on developing and expanding HR consulting services to meet clients’ needs.
