In my fourteen years of involvement in both corporate recruitment and agency search/contingent work in the Asia Pacific region, I’ve seen some quirks in this part of the world that may differ from the rest of the globe. Even within Asia, some candidate sourcing practices are different; for example between Singapore and Japan. It is important not to see Asia as a homogeneous entity when it comes to doing business, let alone candidate sourcing. Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll share with you some of the recruitment idiosyncrasies in this growing economic powerhouse.

Many American-based multinational corporations have launched direct candidate sourcing capabilities starting with their own backyard; that is in the US. Firms that have reaped the benefits on their return-on-investment, especially in reducing the cost-per-hire compared with the over-reliance of recruitment agencies, have rolled-out, in a wholesale fashion, carbon copy sourcing strategies for the rest of their global operations, including Asia. The premise is, “If it works in the US, it will work for the rest of the world!”

However, I’ve seen roadblocks when firms try to push through a candidate sourcing model in Asia with the exact structure as the one in the US. The result can sometimes be frustrating if one does not consider cultural nuances.