Adam Sands works for Hays Japan, which originated in the United Kingdom. Hays provides human resource support and consulting services to a wide range of diverse, international clients. Adam has a lot of experience in human resource processes and recruitment consultancy, having managed a team of 16 consultants for many years. In this role, Adam has grown his professional development skills and received many accolades along the way.
Fortunately for us, Adam was able to answer several questions we had about his profession and the nature of his industry.
Adam, why did you choose recruitment consulting as a career option?
For me, I have always enjoyed working with people, so professional services seemed the most logical choice. Human resource processes have always been something I have been passionate about and fascinated with. Adding an extra dimension in the form of IT just makes it even more exciting. In 2011, Hays presented me with a career opportunity that I couldn’t turn down, and I have been with them ever since.
In layman’s terms, what exactly do you do as a manager of recruitment consultants?
Well, as a manager of recruitment consultants, our team focuses on connecting our clients (who need new employee talent) with the pool of candidates currently looking for work. We convene with our clients to ensure that they get access to the right personnel, while remaining cognisant of their core capabilities and functions. Basically, if you need to hire someone, regardless of the position type or contract length, we can assist you with the hiring process. We bridge the gap between the workforce and the hiring manager, thereby streamlining the recruitment process and saving our clients money and time.
Why would an international business need you?
We have many international businesses come to us for help. For example, any firm that wishes to establish or expand its business operations into Japan should come to us in order to augment this process. Indeed, we’ll make sure that you get access to the best corporate, IT talent that your business will need to thrive and succeed in the Japanese market. We are particularly reliable when it comes to assisting businesses who want to place specialist IT candidates and prospective workers in Tokyo.
In your opinion, why do you think you have been successful in this role?
I think the most important thing I do is work hard. People make mistakes all the time and it’s a matter of learning from them. However, you can’t teach hard work. This is a corporate attribute that needs to be cultivated and honed over time, which is something I have been able to do throughout my career.
Another thing that I think I do well is that I look towards the future. When you work in a space like consulting, you need to have a critical and analytical mind. You need to be able to balance long-term goals while considering and appreciating you short-term needs. At the end of the day, your business plans need to be executed in accordance with a set time frame.
How important is maintaining a work-life balance?
The corporate world has changed a lot since the 20th century. It is now in the best interest of the business to be providing employees with a certain level of autonomy and freedom over their work schedules. Thankfully, Hays is very good when it comes to work life balance. In fact, I can pursue other things that interest me in my free time, such as volunteering for the Save The Children Foundation, which remains one of the oldest and most influential charity organisations in the world.
What awards have you received in recognition of your achievements?
For my efforts in recruitment consulting, I have received several awards. I won back-to-back Huawei Gold Awards for Mid-Career Recruitment in 2017 and 2018, which recognised me and my team’s efforts in connecting clients with reliable and authentic employee talent.
Thank you Adam for your time!
You can follow up and connect with Adam Sands at linkedin.com/in/adamsands