Masayuki (Masa) Koito is a Director at Makana Partners based in Japan. Having more than 20 years of executive search experience. His practice area focuses on senior level search within financial industry including investment bank/bank, asset management, insurance, fintech and also covers ESG/sustainability, data scientist, outside director positions across industries. Prior to joining Makana Partners, he worked for Tiglon Partners as an Executive Director for 7 years, UBS Securities as a Recruiter/HR for 1 and half years, Global Sage as a Director for 4 years, Sheffield Haworth as the Head of Research for 2 years, Russell Reynolds Associates as a Research Consultant for 1 year, Eban as the Head of Research for 10 years and Nishimura & Partners. Masa studied music (jazz/bass) in New York for 4 years. He has a Bachelor of Law from Aoyama Gakuin University (Tokyo, Japan). Headhunt like Jazz As a headhunter, I always strive to remain flexible. It is essential to be adaptable in order to respond to the needs of clients across various industries, positions, and candidate profiles. The demand for talent constantly changes, and the ability to swiftly adjust to these shifts is crucial in today’s talent services landscape. Additionally, being able to provide support not only within Japan but also globally is an important aspect that sets a competitive headhunter apart. Just like improvisation in jazz, it is crucial to respond quickly and effectively to unpredictable situations in the field of talent services. While AI and technology are streamlining processes, it is clear that a more flexible approach that goes beyond traditional frameworks is needed in this era. Even as AI analyzes and filters vast amounts of information in real time, we, as headhunters, must focus on assessing the "human value" of candidates. The meaning behind the title "Headhunt like Jazz" is that, even as technological advancements continue, the creative aspects of our work—such as our ability to adapt to unexpected situations—remain vital. Just like a jazz session, we adjust and improvise according to the needs of both clients and candidates to achieve the best possible match. This is the mission that I believe we must continue to uphold moving forward. ジャズのようなヘッドハンティング ヘッドハンターとして、私は常に柔軟でありたいと考えています。クライアントのニーズに合わせて、幅広い業界やポジション、そして候補者層に対応できるような柔軟性は、現代の人材サービスにおいて不可欠です。特に、企業が求める人材は日々変化しており、その変化に即応できるよう、柔軟なアプローチが求められます。さらに、日本国内にとどまらず、グローバルにサポートを提供できることが、競争力のあるヘッドハンターの条件でもあります。 ジャズにおける即興演奏のように、人材サービスの分野でも、予測不可能な状況に迅速かつ効果的に対応することが重要です。AIやテクノロジーの進化によって、業務が効率化される一方で、従来の枠にとらわれない柔軟なアプローチがより一層求められる時代です。AIによって多くの情報が瞬時に分析され、選別される中で、私たちヘッドハンターは「人間的な価値」を見極めることが大切だと考えています。 「ジャズのようなヘッドハンティング」というタイトルに込めた思いは、技術革新が進んでも、私たちの仕事におけるクリエイティブな部分や、予想外の状況に即応する力が重要だということです。クライアントと候補者それぞれのニーズを、まるでジャズのセッションのように即興で調整し、最適なマッチングを目指していくこと。それが、今後も持ち続けるべき使命だと考えています。