TS Kelly Workforce Solutions Ltd (Tempstaff Hong Kong)
- HKGCC Membership No. :
- HKT0508
Hiring Cultures
“Forty years ago, companies in Japan employed graduates in bulk and trained them up from scratch. The graduates were guaranteed a job for life to secure their loyalty to the companies. Conversely, finding a job at an older age did not come easy in those days,” said Mayumi Honda, President of Executive Search, Tempstaff Hong Kong.
Sharing the story of the founder of Temp Holdings, Honda said, “In 1973, 38-year-old Yoshiko Shinohara, the founder, tried in vain to find a job in Japan. When she travelled overseas, she was amazed by how temporary recruitment agencies opened doors for women managers. This inspired her to found a temporary staffing firm in Japan, named Temp Holdings, to give local women the same opportunities.
“In Hong Kong, you can hire a foreign domestic helper to take care of your children in your own home. The Japanese government, however, does not recognise foreign domestic helpers in general. Not to mention that most nursery schools in Japan close at 3 or 4 p.m., which causes difficulties for mothers in arranging childcare,” she said.
In the 1990s, Temp Holdings expanded into Hong Kong and other Asian markets. Unlike the head office, its overseas offices help clients to recruit mainly permanent, rather than temporary, staff. “For nearly two decades, Tempstaff Hong Kong has served mainly Japanese clients in here. They understand that we offer mainly permanent recruitment services, although our head office continues to act as an employment agency for temporary recruitment in Japan,” she explained.
The company name, Tempstaff, had caused some confusion among many non-Japanese companies in Hong Kong, however. “Our Japanese clients can easily recognise us because of our company name. But recently, I felt it was time to make a change,” she continued.
“While the number of Japanese companies in Hong Kong in the past few years has remained relatively the same, our Japanese clients are hiring fewer staff. Many of them started transferring staff to mainland China and other Southeast Asia markets. There is a risk that if we continue to serve mainly Japanese clients, it will be difficult to expand our business, which is why we plan to expand our client base gradually,” she said.
Japanese employers
The requirements of Japanese and non-Japanese companies clients vary significantly. “Unlike companies in many other parts of the world, Japanese employers seem to be more concerned of how well a candidate will fit in with the corporate culture and get along with other colleagues. Our Japanese clients also put an emphasis on loyalty and conformity when they select new staff,” she said.
As for multi-national companies, Honda said that they tend to look for experienced candidates with the right skills. “When we set up our new retail department in April 2013, we started serving many local and multinational companies. Their requirements are very different from our Japanese clients. Multi-national companies give character less weight in their recruitment decisions, but for Japanese companies, personality is a major consideration,” she said.
However, she has noticed some slight changes in Japanese employers’ attitudes in recent years. “Today, some Japanese employers also select aggressive people, especially for their frontline staff,” she said.
Company: TS Kelly Workforce Solutions Ltd
(Tempstaff Hong Kong)
HKGCC Membership No. HKT0508
Established: 1993
Website: http://www.tempstaff.com.hk
Contact: 2525 8121
