As the face of the company, at the forefront of new graduate and overseas recruitment

I work in HR at an IT company, mainly handling new graduate recruitment and overseas recruitment.

For new graduate recruitment, we attract students by participating in scouting sites and events, and then conduct interviews to lead to job offers. For those who receive offers, we hold individual social gatherings to help them learn about the company, and for those who accept the offer, we plan events to connect employees and create opportunities for offer recipients to interact. We do a full range of follow-up until they join the company.

Overseas recruitment involves hiring foreign nationals or outstanding individuals from overseas universities as new graduates. We actually participate in Japan job fairs held overseas, conducting interviews in Japanese or sometimes in English, and hiring outstanding foreign nationals.

Originally, we had a subsidiary overseas, and when the pandemic started to calm down, a Korean employee informed me about a recruitment event in Korea for those interested in working in Japan. I proposed to the company that there must be many outstanding individuals, and I started searching for overseas opportunities myself. I've always loved traveling abroad and wanted to go on business trips, so when the company started considering overseas recruitment and I looked around the office, I was the only one who seemed likely to be interested in or fond of overseas work, so I was the first to be approached. I think it was good that I had expressed my interests and desires.

I didn't expect to become an HR professional. However, even before joining the company, I wanted to have connections with overseas and help overseas individuals in Japan or Japanese individuals going abroad, so in an unexpected way, I think I've finally achieved that.

I think HR has various roles, but in terms of recruitment, I do feel it's the face of the company. I'm often told 'you're the face of the company,' which I didn't quite understand, but externally, for example, the first person a new graduate meets at a company briefing or interview can shape their impression of the company. When I ask new employees about their job hunting experiences, some say they found my company interesting based on their impression of me and moved to the next step, so I think HR is the face of the company for external individuals too. Internally, although there are many departments, with 10 or 11 large ones alone, it's often difficult to connect with people from other departments. However, HR can, in a good way, infiltrate all departments without feeling out of place and get to know people from various departments, thus also playing a role in connecting employees. I feel that HR holds a position as the face of the company for internal purposes too, based on what I hear from others.

I make sure to have the interviewee understand the intent behind my questions. Foreign nationals often don't provide answers that capture the intent unless it's explicitly stated, so I often say 'I'm asking this with this intent' to ensure clarity. Even with Japanese individuals, who often grasp the intent and respond accordingly, there can still be miscommunications or misunderstandings, so I often vary my approach for each person, considering what might resonate with them or what questions to ask. During peak interview times, I conduct about three interviews a day, so adapting to each person requires a lot of thought. After each interview, I take a 10-minute break.

If I had to brag about something, it's that I can influence people's lives. Although it might sound grandiose, I believe that through my calls and conversations, I can influence someone's career path, whether they end up working with me or with another company. The fact that my encounter can have some impact on someone's life is something I'm quite proud of.

Since I talk to various people, I encounter different ways of thinking, and even differences in word choice and speaking style. By listening to someone's way of speaking and their past experiences, I can discern their thought patterns and potential for success, and how they might perform after joining the company. Not everyone is skilled at talking, so the process of discovering this together is quite fascinating.

In terms of my job preferences, overseas work would be number one, followed by a sense of purpose, and money would come in third.

In the future, I want to be able to do multiple things. I believe that combining different things can create synergy, leading to originality or uniqueness. So, I'm not so much about dedicating my entire life to one job. I see it as one aspect of originality.

Not everyone can conduct HR or recruitment interviews, so I think it could be a strength or a weapon in my future career, depending on my personality.

Work often doesn't go as planned, and there are times when you have to do things you don't want to do or end up doing things by chance. However, I believe that through accumulating work experiences, one day you might suddenly feel a sense of purpose or achievement. It's not something you can obtain immediately or by desire, but I think the accumulation of work experiences and the feelings and gains derived from them can lead to happiness.

I'm actually not very good at thinking about the future, and I can only think about a year ahead or about wanting to visit a certain country. In terms of work and career, I don't have a clear goal at the moment. Looking back, I think I've had many opportunities to broaden my perspective and consider things from others' standpoints, so I feel my horizons have expanded. So, if I had to give a very vague answer for 5 years from now, I'd like to be someone with depth in life and as a human being, but I'm not sure how to achieve that.

HR is a role that represents the company both internally and externally, so there might be pressure due to how others perceive you. However, I believe it's a job with significant influence, as your behavior and actions can positively impact many people. I think those in HR should take great pride in their work.