interview=Ken Mitsui | Text=Aya Rikitake | Photographs=Kohei Nishiyama
MVP for 4 consecutive years through persistent commitment to "satisfactory decision-making" for each individual
Reeracoen Singapore, a Japanese recruitment agency in Singapore, has an outstanding CA (Career Advisor) who has won MVP for 4 consecutive years since joining the company in 2019. He is Yohei Iida, the company's Head of Japan Desk. How does he keep winning MVPs? We asked him in detail, along with current recruitment market trends in Singapore situation in Singapore.
Studying abroad in India led him to pursue a career in the staffing and recruitment industry.
Mr. Iida was born and raised in Gifu Prefecture where he completed his high school before moving to Tokyo to get his university degree. He not only worked hard on his studies but also played baseball in his school and participated in the national tournament. As it was his dream to work overseas ever since he experienced studying abroad, Mr. Iida joined an automotive company as a sales representative upon graduation as he had an opportunity to be assigned overseas, and he worked there for four and a half years. Having experienced studying abroad, he was keen to work overseas.
Mr. Iida first joined an automotive company with the mindset of “discovering more about the world”. However, as his desire to support people in their careers grew stronger each day, after four and a half years, he decided to make the switch and join a recruitment firm. In 2019, having worked as a Career Advisor (CA) for a year and a half, he made the decision to marry his long-term Japanese girlfriend who was living in Singapore. It was then that he decided to move to Singapore and join an award-winning recruitment firm — Reeracoen Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Speaking of Singapore, it has continued economic growth for quite a long time, and was recently ranked 1st in Asia and 4th in the world in the “World Competitiveness Rankings 2023” as announced by IMD (International Institute for Management Development) on June 20, 2023. Naturally, there are many other companies in the same industry that have expanded from Japan, so why did Mr. Iida choose Reeracoen Singapore? The reason is evident.
Yohei Iida"Having a strong desire to grow quickly, I sought out a company that provides an environment where I can be entrusted and came across Reeracoen."
Achieved the MVP award for 4 consecutive years by helping each and every person in front of him, by focusing on delivering quality rather than numbers.
Upon joining Reeracoen Singapore, Mr. Iida found the environment to be as he had expected, where he was evaluated based on the results of his work. Although he initially started as a Recruitment Advisor (RA), he later shifted to becoming a Career Advisor (CA) after determining that he was more suited for that role. Feeling the satisfaction of being being in an environment where he is assessed based on his aptitude, Mr. Iida built up his achievements in Singapore by integrating his past experiences with the new knowledge he gained. Since his joining, Mr Iida has been selected as the company’s MVP for four consecutive years, starting from his first year. When asked how he was able to achieve the MVP award not just once, but for 4 consecutive years, Mr. Iida responded as follows:
“I believe the first reason is that I continued to focus on the quality of my advice rather than just chasing my sales targets. Just because a candidate has been selected does not necessarily mean they should always join the company. When you are focused on the numbers, you can lose the ability to make sound judgements. I don’t provide my services for the sake of chasing numbers, but rather to assist my candidates in making decisions they are satisfied with. The numbers are the result of that. The second reason is that I am adaptable. Shortly after joining the company, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing significant changes in the marketplace, including affecting the hiring needs of companies and the expectations of candidates. While the fundamental principles remain the same, in addition to our traditional methods, I have adapted to the evolving circumstances by modifying our approach, the information we provide, and our communication methods to ensure we can better support our customers in line with their wishes.”
Mr. Iida focuses on treating each person with care, providing high-quality information, and remaining close to them until the very end. He is equally committed to all KPIs, including applications, interviews, and hiring. In the first place, Japanese people who come to work overseas are not only facing new work environment, but also new living environment, which they are often anxious about it. At Reeracoen Singapore, we provide detailed support for the candidates’ preparation for a new work environment, assisting in areas such as obtaining a work visa, sharing latest updates on living conditions and even finding suitable accommodation.
Characteristics of Companies Strong in Overseas Recruitment
Mr. Iida, who is a 4-time MVP award winner, is currently the Regional Manager of the Japan Desk in Reeracoen Singapore Pte Ltd. He specialises in helping Japanese job seekers who are looking to work overseas. He currently works in Singapore, but handles job placements in a diverse range of countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. He checks job openings and market information in various countries on a daily basis, and sometimes suggests countries other than Singapore if he thinks it is best suited for his candidate. Currently, the majority of the clients are Japanese-affiliated companies, but they plan to increase the ratio of local companies in the future. Among the companies he actually works with, some are strong recruiters while others are not. He explains the difference between the two.
“Companies that are good at recruitment tend to have medium to long-term blueprints that have detailed recruitment strategies, plans, and budgets that take into account the overseas situation, and have also determined the ratio of foreigners and nationalities. In Singapore specifically, government initiatives such as encouraging the hiring of Singaporeans and tightening work visas for foreigners have made recruitment planning more important than in other countries.”
At Reeracoen Singapore, we disseminate live updates about what is happening in Singapore, and other countries through various channels such as blogs, e-newsletters, social media, YouTube, and seminars, catering to startups and companies venturing into Singapore for the first time. However, the presence of Japanese companies is diminishing, and Japan is no longer the lucrative country it once was for Asia. Despite this trend, is there really a demand to work in Japanese companies?
“Not only in Japan, but also in other countries, the situation is changing from time to time in line with economy. Japan still maintains a strong presence in the manufacturing sector, which aligns well with countries like Thailand and Vietnam, who are also known for their strong manufacturing industries. However, there are noticeable differences in terms of salary. Japanese job seekers tend to choose Japanese-affiliated companies for language and communication reasons, making it easier for foreign-based Japanese-affiliated companies to hire Japanese employees without significantly increasing salary levels.
In addition, Japanese-affiliated companies in Japan often present their compensation packages without including bonuses and allowances, which can make their monthly base salaries appear lower compared to other countries. This may be a disadvantage. On the other hand, job seekers coming from Japan to work overseas are motivated more by the nature of the work than specific conditions. They prioritize factors like ‘expanding their horizons,’ ‘making a global impact,’ and ‘acquiring skills up to global standards’ over conditions such as ‘working less than X hours of overtime’ or ‘earning more than X amount of yen in salary.'”
"The role of CA is to help job seekers make decisions"
Many of the job seekers who visit Mr. Iida have their own reasons and goals for working abroad, and it was clear from their conversations that many of them are looking for fulfilment and career advancement rather than salary. It was as if they had gathered together knowing that Mr. Iida himself had come to Singapore for the same reason. Job seekers who have met CAs who share the same vision for their future, would generally feel comfortable discussing their lives with him, and Mr. Iida would in turn offer advice to enhance these job seekers’ lives. These cumulative relationships have resulted in him winning the MVP award for 4 consecutive years.
In 2020, the year following Mr. Iida’s joining of the company, Singapore was no exception to the COVID pandemic. Despite such circumstances, he continued to maintain communication and kept in touch with both job seekers and companies via email and messaging apps. At the same time, he did not stop at simply bridging the gap between companies and job seekers, but worked to create opportunities for both parties to talk to each other and conduct online interviews.
“We are intermediaries, and we strongly believe that understanding each other through direct interaction and communication is far more effective than us conveying information we have heard or seen from both parties. We constantly strive to create opportunities for the involved parties to feel and experience things themselves.”
Mr. Iida communicates both the positives and negatives to job seekers. For instance, he might say, “The salary is high, and with that, you must be prepared to work overtime a lot.”
“We are in jobs that impact the lives of job seekers, but the final decision is made by the job seeker themselves. I will continue to provide as much high-quality information and opportunities as possible.”
Amidst the pandemic settling down, Mr. Iida currently splits his time evenly between remote work and going to the office. There are members who work remotely full-time, so there are scenarios where they would only meet during the company lunch once every six months. Mr. Iida goes to the office for half of the week to meet and exchange information with his team as much as they can. During the weekends, although he was focused on baseball for a while after coming to Singapore, his life has completely changed since the birth of his children in 2023. Since then, everything outside of work has revolved around childcare.
“I hold my children as soon as I finish work. On the weekends, I would make baby food in the morning, feed my children, and take them out for walks. It is tough because they are twins.”
Reeracoen Singapore Pte. Ltd.
3 Anson Road, #08-03 Springleaf Tower Singapore 079909
https://www.reeracoen.sg/ja
Established in 2011, Reeracoen Singapore Pte Ltd currently operates in 10 offices in 6 Asian countries to provide recruitment and staffing services to both Japanese and local companies.
2013: Joined a leading automotive company upon graduating from university
2017: Started work as a career consultant for the manufacturing industry at a Japanese recruitment agency.
2019: Joined Reeracoen Singapore. Achieved top sales at the office and was awarded MVP in January.
2020: Assumed responsibility for the Japan Desk.
Currently serves as the Regional Manager of the Japan Desk in Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, providing comprehensive support for individuals looking to pursue international careers and job transitions.
