Where Every Connection is a Gift

When Maria Gherman joined Makana Partners for her internship, she was a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Twente with a background in non-ferrous metal forming and international diplomacy simulations, Maria was eager to see how her analytical skills could translate into the high-stakes world of executive search. During her time with us, Maria supported sourcing, data management, and a wide range of marketing projects—from designing the cover of the Makana Issue to experimenting with AI videos. Her ability to turn complex data into clear, engaging visuals and her proactive approach to mastering new tools like Loxo were instrumental to our team's success. In this spotlight, Maria shares her experience navigating the high-context professional culture of Japan, what she learned about the strategic nature of candidate research, and how her time at Makana Partners has refined her professional communication and teamwork skills. 1) Before joining Makana Partners, what was your understanding of executive search, and what has surprised you most about the industry since starting your internship? Before joining, I thought executive search was mainly about filling roles and networking. What surprised me the most was how strategic and research-driven it actually is. I learned that it is about deeply understanding client needs and candidate fit. I was also surprised by how personalized the process for each search was. 2) You supported sourcing for roles. What did you learn about identifying strong candidates and approaching sourcing strategically? I learned that strong candidates aren’t always the ones actively applying. A big part of sourcing is researching, understanding career paths, and looking beyond job titles. There are many details to consider, such as the amount of time the candidate spent in a role or company, the skills they possess, or their progression within the company. 3) How did working with Loxo, including managing bounced emails and updating candidate data, change your perspective on the importance of accurate information in executive search? Using Loxo showed me how critical accurate data is in executive search. Managing bounced emails and updating profiles made me realize how small changes can impact communication and credibility. I became more detail-oriented and understood that clean data makes the entire process more efficient. 4) You worked on Makana Issue, including market trends content, article summaries, and contributor posts. What part of the e-magazine process did you find most interesting or rewarding? I really enjoyed working on market trends content and summarizing articles. I am most proud of the design of the cover of the last Makana Issue. I had the opportunity to utilize my creative skills and research various marketing aspects of visual presentation. Seeing the final version of the magazine come together was rewarding. 5) You created a wide range of marketing assets—such as job posters, filled-position announcements, AI videos, and data visualization posts. Which project are you most proud of, and why? It was exciting to turn information into engaging content that people could easily understand. Seeing those posts go live on LinkedIn made me feel like my work had a real impact. I am most proud of the filled poster design. I consider it eye-catching, and I am happy that I got creative freedom to work on this project. 6) How did creating data visualizations and captions influence the way you think about communicating insights to a professional audience? Creating visuals helped me understand how important it is to captivate from the first moment or first look. I learned that professionals prefer clarity; however, it is effective to package it attractively. I started thinking more about what message I wanted to communicate and how to present it in a simple, visually appealing way. 7) You managed multiple time-sensitive tasks, including LinkedIn scheduling and content calendar updates. How did you stay organized and prioritize your workload? I relied a lot on simple to-do lists and additional notes when needed. I prioritized tasks based on urgency and complexity, and I made sure to communicate if I needed clarity on deadlines. Planning my days in advance helped me stay on track without feeling overwhelmed. 8) What did working closely with consultants and the marketing team teach you about collaboration in a professional services environment? Working with consultants and the marketing team taught me how important communication is. I learned to ask questions, take feedback positively, and adjust my work quickly. It showed me how different teams bring unique perspectives to the same goal. 9) Looking back, which part of your internship challenged you the most, and how did you handle it? I had a good time during my internship. I think one of the most challenging aspects of my time here was adapting to the culture and style of communication. I found the high-context culture of Japan to be quite overwhelming at times. However, with time, it became easier, and I gained more understanding of the lifestyle. 10) What key skills or insights are you taking away from your internship at Makana Partners that you’ll carry into your next role? I learned a lot about marketing, the importance of how a message is conveyed and presented for it to gain traction and reactions. There are plenty of subtle details in digital communication, and I found it quite fascinating. I hope to learn more about this and develop this skill further. Another skill that I practiced a lot during my internship was communication and teamwork. Keeping communication clear is detrimental to harmony in the workplace for task flow, progress. I learned how to stay proactive and became more professional.

The operational stability of multinational corporations (MNCs) in Japan is currently facing a dual-pronged crisis: a demographic collapse that has reduced the pool of available leadership talent to historic lows and a traditional recruitment paradigm that fails to account for the catastrophic financial hemorrhage caused by unfilled executive roles. As of mid-2025, the Japanese labor market is characterized by an unemployment rate of approximately 2.5%, a figure that masks a much more severe shortage of bilingual, high-caliber professionals capable of navigating the complex intersection of global corporate strategy and local market execution.1 Within this context, a vacancy in a critical leadership position—such as a Country Manager, Sales Director, or Finance Director—is often viewed through the narrow lens of "saved salary" rather than the more accurate and alarming lens of "revenue loss." To maintain competitive parity in one of the world’s most sophisticated and relationship-driven markets, MNCs must transition toward a "Revenue Recovery" model of recruitment. This framework shifts the perspective of talent acquisition from a back-office administrative function to a front-line revenue protection tool. For positions that remain vacant for over six months, the financial and hidden costs—including team burnout, turnover risk, and the erosion of brand equity—frequently exceed the annual salary of the role itself by a factor of three or more.4 The following analysis provides a comprehensive diagnostic of the current Japanese executive talent landscape, quantifies the direct and indirect costs of leadership voids, and offers a strategic roadmap for shortening the hiring cycle to a 90-day target. The Macroeconomic Context of Executive Scarcity in Japan The difficulty of recruiting for senior-level roles in Japan is not a transient byproduct of global economic cycles but the result of permanent structural shifts. The working-age population is shrinking at an unprecedented rate, with the number of individuals aged 65 and older reaching a record 36.25 million in 2024, accounting for 29.3% of the total population.2 This demographic pressure has created a "talent desert," particularly for professionals in their 30s and 40s who possess the requisite business-level English proficiency to serve as effective conduits for global headquarters.7 The Bank of Japan’s Tankan survey recently reported a diffusion index for employment conditions at -35 across all industries, indicating that labor shortages have reached their most acute point in three decades.3 While nominal wages rose by 3.5% as of April 2025, and negotiated wage increases for the year reached 5.26%, the actual pool of available candidates remains static.3 For MNCs, this means that top-tier candidates are often managing three to four simultaneous offers, leading to a "bidding war" that further extends the hiring cycle as firms struggle to align their internal compensation benchmarks with the reality of a hyper-competitive market.7