Executive search in Japan
How a search for a senior leader in Japan is run, what retained, exclusive and contingent engagements mean here, what they cost and how long they take. Written for the HR and business leaders who have to choose a firm.
The market
Why hiring a leader in Japan is a search, not a posting
The people who can run a Japanese business for a foreign owner are few, employed, and not reading job boards.
A country manager, CFO or head of HR for a foreign-owned company in Japan needs business Japanese, working English, the credibility to manage a Japanese organisation and the fluency to report to a regional or global line. That pool is small, and most of it is settled: lifetime-employment habits mean senior people move rarely and almost never apply. Job postings and contingent agencies reach the minority who are looking. A search reaches the majority who are not.
That is why the largest share of our work for leadership roles is retained or exclusive, and why we say so plainly when a role would be better served by a contingent brief.
Three ways to engage
Retained, exclusive or contingent
The three models differ in commitment, in who pays for the search work, and in how much of the market gets covered. All three are run by the same consultants to the same standard.
Retained search
For C-suite, country-head and business-critical roles. We are engaged exclusively, paid in instalments across the search, and commit a consultant team until the role is filled. The whole market is mapped and approached, including people who are not looking.
Exclusive search
For senior roles where you want one firm's full attention without a retainer. We hold the brief alone for an agreed period, run a full search and are paid on the hire. Best when the role is clear and speed matters more than market mapping.
Contingent search
For mid-to-senior roles with a reasonable pool of candidates. You pay only when a candidate we introduce starts, and you may brief other agencies too. We draw first on candidates already known to us, so it is fast, but it does not cover the market.
| Retained | Exclusive | Contingent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | C-suite, country head, confidential succession, roles where a first attempt failed | Director and senior manager roles with a clear brief | Manager and specialist roles with a known candidate pool |
| Who else works on it | Nobody: exclusive to us | Nobody, for the agreed period | Other agencies, if you choose |
| Market coverage | Full market map and direct approach | Targeted search plus our network | Our network and database |
| Fee timing | Instalments: engagement, shortlist, completion | On the hire | On the hire |
| Reporting | Weekly progress, written candidate appraisals, assessment of finalists | Regular progress and written appraisals | Candidate submissions as they arise |
What a retained search includes
Five steps, meticulously executed
Establish search priorities
- Briefing with the hiring manager and the regional or global stakeholder.
- A written position and candidate specification you approve before we go to market.
- The search strategy shaped to your priorities: speed, confidentiality, diversity of the slate.
Map the market
- Target companies and the people in the equivalent seats, in Japan and, where relevant, Japanese nationals abroad.
- A research list you see, so you can rule names in or out early.
- Off-limits companies honoured.
Approach and evaluate
- Direct, confidential approaches by a consultant, in Japanese or English as the candidate prefers.
- Competency-based interviews against the specification.
- A shortlist, usually within four to six weeks, with written appraisals.
Present and assess
- Interview scheduling and feedback loops with Tokyo and the regional line.
- Leadership assessment of finalists, with feedback to both sides.
- Referencing, and background checks where required.
Close and land
- Offer construction and negotiation, including the counter-offer that senior Japanese candidates usually receive.
- Contact through the notice period, which in Japan is commonly one to three months at senior level.
- Check-ins through the first months in the role.
Fees and timelines
What it costs and how long it takes
Fees are a percentage of the hire's first-year total compensation, quoted per search. The scarcity of the profile, the seniority and the confidentiality required all move the figure, so we do not publish a single rate. A retained fee is invoiced in instalments across the search: on engagement, at shortlist and on completion. Exclusive and contingent fees are invoiced when the candidate starts. Every engagement begins with a written proposal that states the fee, the guarantee period and what is included.
Timelines. A retained shortlist is usually presented within four to six weeks of the approved specification. Most retained searches in Japan complete in three to four months from briefing to accepted offer. Add the notice period before the start date. A contingent brief can produce first candidates within days, because it draws on people we already know.
Guarantee. If a placed candidate leaves within the guarantee period stated in the proposal, we re-run the search at no additional professional fee.
What makes Japan different
- Candidates are passive. Senior people rarely apply. They are approached, and the approach has to be made well, in the right language, by someone they will take a call from.
- Counter-offers are normal. A good candidate's current employer will usually try to keep them. We plan for it from the first conversation.
- Notice periods are long. One to three months is common at senior level, and a bonus date can add more. A search started in January rarely has someone at their desk before summer.
- Bilingual is a spectrum. Most briefs say "fluent English" and "native Japanese"; most hires need business English and native Japanese, or the reverse. Setting the real bar early widens the pool and shortens the search.
- Discretion is expected. Reputations in Japan travel inside industries. Confidential searches, and the handling of candidates who decline, are part of the craft.
For market data behind these points, see The Hardest Market, our research on Japan's talent market, and How Hard Is This HR Hire? for a read on a specific role.
Where we search
Functions and industries
C-suite and country management
Country manager, representative director, CEO, COO and the leaders who report to them.
Human resources
Head of HR and HR director, HR business partner, talent acquisition, C&B. A core practice; see our guide to hiring an HR director in Japan.
Finance
CFO, finance director, controller and FP&A leadership, and front-office roles across financial services.
Sales and marketing
Commercial leaders who can grow a foreign brand in a Japanese market.
Technology
CIO, CTO, heads of engineering, infrastructure, security and data.
Industries
Financial services, technology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, professional services and consumer.
Questions clients ask before retaining a firm
What is the difference between retained and contingent executive search in Japan?
How much does executive search cost in Japan?
How long does a retained executive search take in Japan?
Do you handle confidential searches, including replacing a current leader?
Which roles and functions do you search for?
What does a search firm in Japan need from us to start?
Start with a conversation
Tell us about the role.
We will tell you how we would search for it.
A thirty-minute briefing is enough for us to say whether the role is a retained, exclusive or contingent search, what the market looks like and what it will take. You get that read whether or not you engage us.
Request a proposal →