Vol.19 – 28 Years of Commitment – Connecting People and Trust at Centre People’s Core
To kick off 2026, (the year of our 40th anniversary!), this week’s Meet the Team article features our longest serving member, with 28 years’ experience at Centre People Appointments – our Deputy Director, Takako Yoshihara. A key colleague in our daily working life, Takako’s constant dedication and commitment to CPA, to our candidates, clients, and colleagues, has given her a truly unique perspective on how times have changed, and how Centre People has stood the test of time.
All those years ago, how did you get started in recruitment at CPA?
“I used to work for my governmental office in my hometown of Miyazaki, and we had around 100 JETs (Japan Exchange Teachers) that I helped to look after – There was a large number of British participants. I became very close friends with one of them, and when she returned to the UK, she got a job at Centre People and she asked me if I wanted to join! It was that simple really. Coming from a very countryside area, I had no idea what the recruitment business was, as this was almost 30 years ago. But I knew I wanted to use my English and work with people, that’s all.”
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
“Outside of work, I love meeting my friends and family. Not just local friends, but from all over the world! We live in London, so many friends come to visit and I love to take them around and show them London – always with good food and drinks.”
“I’ve also practiced Yoga for nearly 20 years, which helps me unwind or de-stress, you know, clear my busy mind, and it’s a good exercise, as well as building positive energy as well.”
What’s something our clients and candidates might be surprised to learn about you?
“I think people are often surprised when they call the office and they say, “Wow Takako you are still at Centre People!”. I’ve helped a lot of people change jobs, but I’ve stayed here for so long. Not only that, but I remember the people, their personal lives and stories, and even after all these years I still personally interview candidates and I love staying close to the daily work and operations here.”
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in recruitment over the years?
“It’s shifted from “traditional recruitment”, which is more relationship driven, to a more technology driven recruitment, I believe. The tools and the platforms have changed a lot, but the people are still the same, still facing the same challenges in recruitment and job searching. You can see the different generations of recruiters though, and although I’m more people focussed, I love to learn from the younger generation too. At Centre People we are still dealing with people, so it’s great to have a balance of these views.”
Is there a moment from your career that you’re particularly proud of?
“It’s probably the long-term relationships I’ve built along the way, really. It’s incredibly rewarding to have these 10, 15, 20 yearlong relationships with companies and their people, they’re not just clients nowadays, it’s become more personalised. I also met lots of friends – originally, many might have been candidates. So this is what I’m proud of.”
What is the biggest challenge in operating a successful recruitment agency?
“To many, recruitment sounds very interesting and fun, but often it’s a battle of speed and quality. We do have competitors obviously, and the clients are results-driven so we work hard to prove that we’re the best option for them. People can often change their minds, and so our work can be unpredictable. We strive to “Make Everyone Involved Happy”, and sometimes everything seems to be going well, but then someone can change their mind at the last minute, which is often beyond our control.”
What makes Centre People different from other recruitment agencies?
“We’re very team oriented, even though it’s a sales team, and I’m very proud of the teams that we have here. Our strength is our people; we focus on hiring people that fit our culture, that understand the Japanese way of working, to provide our “Japan Standard Service”. It’s serious work for us, taking time to understand everybody’s needs – the clients, candidates, and businesses. Not just matching a job spec to a person, but looking at each situation individually and tailoring the service. It’s our business, and changing jobs is one of the most important things you can do, and we take that change very seriously for everyone.”
How do you want to see CPA growing in the future?
“I believe that all our consultants can continue to grow, to develop new skills, and take up new challenges together. Our teams can build their lives here, with lots of opportunities and rewards, this is our growing future. Naturally though, for the business, we want to continue to show our clients and candidates that they can trust us as their recruitment partner, building our brand and becoming the best-known agency within our industry.”
It’s without doubt that CPA owes its continuous growth and success to the dedication of Takako, and we’re very lucky to have her as one of our directors as she leads from the front, setting an amazing example for all our consultants.
Feel free to connect with her here on LinkedIn and follow us to meet more of our fantastic consultants!
#Recruitment #MeetTheTeam #TalentExperts