Vol.11 – Trust-Building Recruitment: “Omotenashi” and Cross-Cultural Insights
Today we met with Andrew Jones, to talk about his 2-year career so far at Centre People. Having lived in Japan for 4 years as an English Teacher before starting at Centre People in 2023, we got his thoughts on Japanese culture and working as a recruiter in the UK.
How did you get started in recruitment?
“When I came back to the UK, I decided to register with Centre People, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Luckily enough, there was a position available, although recruitment was something I had in the back of my mind, it was a new thing for me. I knew I could use some of my skills from working as an English teacher, so that’s how I got into it. We have an amazing team here, I think it’s going very well!”
What’s something your clients and candidates might be surprised to learn about you?
“I’m a massive history nerd, or history “enthusiast.”! I spend a lot of my free time reading about history and have even written historical articles for my hometown of Hereford – a very historical place. When I’m not working, I’ll have my nose buried in a history book or listening to a podcasts. Currently I’m very interested in early modern British history, like the Tudors, the Stuarts, and the English Civil War.”
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
“I’m an avid gym-goer, but in keeping with my love of history, I’m a collector of antiques – I mostly collect from antique fairs or special antique shops. My hometown as well as London, there’s lot of fairs around. My prized possession is an 1875 Martini Henry Mark 3, a rifle!”
What do you think are the key traits needed to work in a Japanese company?
“I’d put it to three key things, which would be resilience, attention to detail, and politeness. Even if you’re not personally succeeding, it’s a team effort. Knowing that everyone is working towards the same goal, if the team is succeeding, you’re succeeding.”
“It’s quite common in British work to be a little slap-dash, just getting the general gist of things, which is fine. But in Japanese companies, things have to be done to a high standard, everything individually is analysed. You have to provide a high level of customer service, bringing that Japanese omotenashi spirit to help your clients.”
What surprised you the most when you started working at ?
“The most surprising thing was the team, in a sense. Interviewing, I could tell the team was very professional, but working with them for two years, I realised everyone just wants everyone else to succeed. Everyone is very open, honest, and accommodating. The quality of the people working here, is really top notch.”
How has working in recruitment changed you personally?
“I think naturally I’m much more of an introverted person, so recruitment certainly does make you more outgoing, talking to lots of people daily. It makes you a lot more comfortable speaking to people.”
“It’s also made me a lot more understanding of the business world, it gives you a good understanding of how companies work, how the job market works, and having that knowledge has given me a better empathy for job seekers, and how challenging that can be.”
What do you think is the most important quality in a recruiter?
“Persistence is the most important quality, so even if you get knocked down, being able to pick yourself up and just continue fighting on. It’s still something I find challenging, but it’s important to get consistent results for your job seekers and corporate clients.”
We’re lucky to have Andrew on our team, providing European based companies with his expertise on cross-cultural employment. Feel free to connect with Andrew here on LinkedIn, and follow us to meet more of our fantastic consultants!
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