The　 role of recruit agencies for Working Japanese Women in Singapore

Yoshimichi YUI (Hiroshima Univ.)

The 4th International Conference On Population geographies

12th. July 2007 The Chinese University of Hong Kong 　

What is Human Resource business in Japan ?

• temporary staff employment agencies

　　 dispatching: regulated by the Law for Worker Dispatching Undertakings

• recruit agencies　　 regulated by the Employment Security Law.

as fee charging employment placement bodies matching between those seeking workers and those seeking jobs

Service Menu of Recruit Agencies in Singapore

[Sales]: Collecting job information from client companies

[Consultation]: Matching between job offers and job seekers Quite high ratio in women

[Staff education/training] [Others]: Translation service etc. (In Singapore, many job offers for

translation )

Recent Tendency of Human Resource Business in Japan

• Liberalization by the deregulation in 1999:influenced by economic globalization

• Increasing, recruiting white-collar workers, engaging in clerical and engineering works.

• Diversified job market:increasing mid-career recruitment and

job change, headhunting, and reemployment support for the middle-aged or elderly people.

Recruit agencies business contents http://www.singaweb.net/

Recrui t Agenci es for Japanese in Singapore http: / / www. singaweb. net/Company name Capital base business content

JapaneseDM:Singaporean

Singaporerecruiting Japanese and Korean, Japanese speaker andKorean speaker

the biggestSingaporean HRnet group

scout (searching human resources)

Japanese &recruiting and manpower dispatching Japanese and localstaff, human resource consulting，

alien corporationtranslation・interpretation，research, convention service,visa-application processrecruiting and manpower dispatching for Japanese andalien companies, like equivalent level of Japan，Human Resource management service

Kelly Service Singapore recruiting and manpower dispatchingStaff Service(Singapore) Pte Ltd

alien corporation recruiting and manpower dispatching

recruiting and manpower dispatching，human affairs outsource，

translation/interpretation，education trainingADECOPERSONNEL PTELTD

alien corporationOn the Japanese branch,recruiting and manpowerdispatching Japanese and Japanese speakerrecruiting and manpower dispatching for Japanese, in-service training for local staff (business manner on-the-jobtraining,telephone skills training, translation・interpretation，business consulting(integrated human resource producing

N-Quest Pte Ltd Malaysianrecruiting, EPrepresentative service，translation/interpretation，

JAC SINGAPOREPTE LTD

PASONASINGAPORE PTE

PEOPLESEARCHPTE LTD

recruiting Japanese and local

J PowerConsultancy

independentJapanesecompany

TEMPSTAFF(S)PTE LTD

Japanese

Y N CAREERCONSULTANTSPTE LTD

independentJapanesecompany

Network of recruit agencies

Network of recruit agenciescompany name gl obal network domest i c network i n Japan

PASONA SINGAPOREPTE LTD

Japan Pasona group Si ngapore HongKong（ ）， ， ，Thai l and Chi na(Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai )， ，Tai wan, USA, Canada, UK

group compani es: 41conect i ng compani es9

PEOPLESEARCH PTELTD

Japan, Tai wan, HongKong, Mal aysi a,Si ngapore(Exect i ve search branch)

no

JAC SINGAPORE PTELTD

London, Si ngapore, Japan, Indonesi a, Thai l and,Mal aysi a, HongKong, Shai ghai , New York

JAC Japan: Tokyo,Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto,Osaka, Fukuoka

TEMPSTAFF(S) PTE LTD Los Angel s, Seoul , HongKong, Shanghai , Thai l and domest i c chai nKelly Service gl obal network of off i ces across Asi a- Paci fi c,

Europe and Ameri cano

Staff Service (Singapore) PteLtd

Bei j i ng Guangzhou Hong Kong, Munbai , New York,， ，London, Shanghai , Si ngapore, Sydney, Tokyo, (gl obalnetwork 230 branch）al l i ance wi th Fai rpl ace London Fai rpl ace，consul t i ng Japan and sel ect appoi ntments(Hol di ngs)

domest i c branch:over 90ori gi nal si te "Oh「J i nj i net」

Y N CAREERCONSULTANTS PTE LTD

no no

ADECO PERSONNEL PTELTD

71 countri es: 6000 branch，Si ngapore 15branches Japanese 1 branch，

Japan: over 130

J Power Consultancy no noN-Quest Pte Ltd Si ngapore (and Southeast Asi a) no

Registration condition

Recruit agencies' requirement of registrationratio ofJapanesecompanie

s

source：http://home.alc.co.jp/db/owa/cr_agency2_src

requirement of registration

AdeccoPersonnel Pte.Ltd.

60%medium level of Englishconversation ability,

university degree or newgraduate possible

availability of interview inSingapore

over 5 years jobexperience

J PowerConsultancy

80%

N-Quest Pte.Ltd.

90%

junior college graduate

English conversationability

work experience (jobcareer)

PasonaSingapore Pte.Ltd.

60%

PeopleSearchPte. Ltd.

60%

English daily conversationability

university or juniorcollege graduate

English conversation ability（TOEIC: over 650）

junior college or careercollege graduate

over 3 years jobexperience, PC skill

strong will to work inSingapore,

SalesbridgeSearch &Recruitment

80%

Staff Service(Singapore)Pte. Ltd.

no data

English conversationability

university degree,other career is depend ondemand

passport holders high school graduate,new graduate possible

if applicant has a strongwill, it is possible to offer inunskilled English

TEMPSTAFF(SINGAPORE)Pte. Ltd.

70%

Y.N. CareerConsultantsPte. Ltd.

70%

well-mannered,personality, PC skill

English conversation abilityfor visa（TOEIC: over 650）

university degree forworking visa

everyone possible,however Englishconversation abilityTOEIC:over700, or TOEFL over500（CBT 173）

university degree (orunder its degree for Spass visa)

Information of recruitment agencies in SingaporeRecruitment information for J apanese job seekers on web site of recruit agencies in Singaporecompany name industries job description

source http:/ / home.alc.co.jp/ db/ owa/ cr_agency2_src：

AdeccoPersonnel Pte.Ltd.

manufacture, general trading, telecomindustry, finance, transport, IT

general secretary, sales support, sales andmarketing, customer service, accounting, IT

J PowerConsultancy

Japanese or foreign affiliate company'smanufacture, general trading, finance,service,

overseas sales and marketing, sales support,system engineer, secretary,

N- Quest Pte.Ltd.

electronic, IT, logistics, service sales and marketing, trading, secretary, SE,engineer, customer service

PasonaSingapore Pte.Ltd.

Japanese or foreign affiliate company'sgeneral trading, manufacture, finance,IT, transport, service

office clerk for sales, secretary, accounting,sales and marketing, customer service,finance

PeopleSearchPte. Ltd.

finance, IT, logistics, trading,manufacture, service,

financing, IT, logistics specialist,accounting, manufacturing sales andmarketing, customer service （call center,travel, hotel）

SalesbridgeSearch &Recruitment

IT・telecom industry, semiconductormaker, finance, general trading,manufacture,

management, sales and marketing, engineer（IT/ semiconductor/ electronics）

Y.N. CareerConsultantsPte. Ltd.

manufacture, general trading, systemengineer, software

sales and marketing, office clerk for sales,clerk, system engineer, customer service

Staff Service(Singapore) Pte.Ltd.

manufacture, IT, telecom industry,finance, service,

sales and marketing, IT, engineer,accounting, trading clerk, clerk for sales,secretary, legal work, customer service

TEMPSTAFF(SINGAPORE)Pte. Ltd.

manufacture, general trading, finance,IT, service, transport,

sales and marketing, office clerk for sales,secretary, general secretary, IT systemengineer, accounting, executive

Information on job offer in web siteInformation on job offer in web site of some recruit agencies

J ob USA Indonesia

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

Malaysia

HongKong

Taiwan

Chaina

Total

IT 1 25 4 1 1 3 35manufacturing 5 1 6Electronics 1 23 19 3 48 23 34 151chemical 5 5 1 11 2 21 45metal, steel 1 1 4 1 1 1 7 16transportation 3 8 1 1 5 18transport 1 9 2 12 1 25construction 1 1 1 1 4service 1 6 2 1 5 4 4 23tradingcompany

3 2 8 12 1 29 1 7 63

finance 13 2 14 2 3 34real estate 1 1 3 1 6media 1 3 3 1 8education 2 2government 1 1total 5 5 96 60 8 1 134 41 87 437Source: some company's registration site (2006.4. )１３

Characteristics of job offers from Japanese and foreign companies: from interview with recruit agencies in Singapore

1. Japanese companies seek more traditional Japanese female employees than real Japanese.

(a great sensitivity to tea serving, and arrangements ).

2. Japanese companies request for personnel thriving on adversity, in negotiation and trouble with local employees and customers.

(Familiar with Singaporeans’ ordinary behavior characteristics)

3. Understanding in culture of the company concerned, and in corporate culture are important

4. Foreign-affiliated companies also need language proficiency for negotiation with Japanese-owned companies.

　 *　Demand for call centers and customer service

Characteri st i cs of regi strants and customer accordi ng to i ntervi ew wi th recrui t agenci essex rat i o characteristics of J apanese registrants

A femal e:80%mal e: 20%，

Excellent human resources who has English conversation and jobperformance is 20%. The rest contains that 30% is merely adequateperformance and 50% is deadstock.J apanese offers who got the master's degree of foreign countries (inAustralia) have less job ability.

B

femal e:70%,age:20' s-30' s. marri ed: 30' s- 40' s

Large part is career changers. Registrants of new graduate is 20 - 30%. THe half ofseekers registrate from J apan. There are many seekers who don't have clearpurpose with a specific goal in mind.Execellent J apanese women tend to get employed in foregin companies.

Cfemal e:80-90%

80% of registrants is J apanese and J apanese speaking.(half and half). 90% of job seekersregistered with internet from J apan.Main customers of job search service is 20's and 30's J apanese women withjunior college level.

D

j ob off ers:hal f and hal f ,regi st rants:femal e 70%

Business offers to young J apanese men increase. J apanese men's seekers are young(20's).Previously, there are many J apanese job seeker who want to get English ability and uppercareer in Singapore. Recently J apanese women who have not English ability increase.

Characteristics and image of registrants according to interview with recruit agencies

Concluding and remarks :the role of recruitment agencies in Singapore

• high demand of Japanese women in Japanese companies 　　　 well attitude for Japanese companies

　　　 arrangement ability of Japanese women• high job turnover in Singapore　　　 both Singaporean and Japanese (Japanese women tend to go back Japan till 35 yrs old)

• Personnel outsourcing 　 major Japanese-owned firms : Japanese companies depend screening on recruit agencies

Small and medium-sized enterprises :

with few applicants even for advertised job in the newspaper, and without HR specialist screening personnel, also have to depend on recruit agencies