Expanding on ACCJ’s Article on the Japan Talent Crisis

It was an honour to be interviewed by the prestigious ACCJ Journal, published to an audience of CEOs and business leaders. The article Future Ready is a good read. However, they backed away from the real issue at hand (the Japan talent crisis), in favour of a softer tone. Japan (especially in technology) is in a severe talent shortage crisis, and ACCJ acknowledge this. “We have a big problem. It’s a serious talent crisis that is going to get much worse”, was the quotation of mine they highlighted. That can sound heavy and scary, but without the substance and detail it also can sound like fear-mongering or hyperbole. The default […]

I asked ChatGPT for 7 reasons software engineers should move to Japan.

Out of curiosity, I decided to ask ChatGPT to share some reasons why software engineers should move to Japan. It was a question asked in my live interview with LinkedIn, but I don’t think there is a good answer that works for a wide audience. In this blog entry, I will react to ChatGPT’s response. Not a bad effort ChatGPT! If the candidate is from a certain place geographically and career wise, I could find myself agreeing somewhat with most of ChatGPT’s reasons. However, some things need clarification. “High Demand” Is Confusing Demand for software engineers in Japan is at an all-time high, despite the layoffs made famous in Big […]

Almost Everyone Misses This Piece of the Talent Puzzle

When engaging with companies for recruitment, I’m asked a lot of interesting questions. Here are the most common: These questions are asked by impressive and smart people. But! Not only are these the wrong questions, but asking them prevents companies from reaching their talent goals. Of course, I can and often do answer these questions. However, the answers never help the company or hiring manager to unlock the secrets to hiring the right talent. So, what are they missing? What should they be asking? The big missing piece is their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). How is our company and working life seen by the talent market and what can we […]