My Rakuten Experience: Shwetz
Shwetz is Assistant Manager for the Engineer Recruiting Section and Vice Manager for the Executive Recruiting Group under the Global Talent Acquisition Department in Japan.
Current job
I currently lead a team of 12 recruiters responsible for recruiting executives and mid-career engineers. We are always looking for ways to expand and improve our services for our clients.
Having worked at Rakuten for almost two years, I can confidently say this is a company that values communication, respect and consideration for one another. I am fully entrusted with my responsibilities and have adopted a managerial perspective. During my time with Rakuten, I have been able to develop my ability to execute tasks and deliver results independently.
As a recruiter, I have a vision of how to enhance diversity and cooperation in the workplace that is perfectly aligned with Rakuten’s philosophy. All employees work together as “One Team” while operating businesses in 30 countries and regions around the world. Together we are united under the shared mission of “empowering people and society through innovation.”
Why Rakuten?
One reason I decided to join Rakuten was because I wanted to work at the headquarters of a large, global company where important decisions are made. Rakuten has an open culture and a vibrant business ecosystem. It is also the most globally oriented company I have worked for.
The best part of working at Rakuten is that the company offers more than 70 offline and online services, including e-commerce, FinTech and telecommunications. Another important factor in attracting international talent is that English is the official language of the company. Rakuten’s “Englishnization” initiative, which many other Japanese companies have begun to follow, is key to attracting talent from around the world. Rakuten is highly respectful of diversity and differences in culture and customs. It is also a workplace where people can communicate freely with each other. In addition to that, the company offers free healthy meals and provides an excellent office environment, with a gym and multiple social spaces. These are just a few examples of how Rakuten makes coming to work worthwhile and stimulating.
Career development
I started my career at a human resources firm which granted me opportunities to work with a wide variety of clients. I initially joined the company to learn the basics of recruiting. However, my curiosity soon extended beyond the recruitment process and led me to explore the entire candidate journey and how they can grow within organizations. As such, I transitioned from the human resources firm to the role of a recruiter at another company, immersing myself in various countries and recruiting for industries spanning IT, airlines and retail. Each industry presented unique aspects and pace, providing me with ample learning opportunities.
These experiences have proven instrumental in my duties as a recruiter for executives and mid-career engineers. At Rakuten, I am entrusted with a great deal of autonomy in executing tasks. Through earning the trust of my supervisors, I have been empowered to work independently with my own ideas.
Skill development
One of the most interesting and challenging tasks I’ve recently undertaken involved the strategic reorganization of my team. In October 2022, we launched a project with the aim of strengthening our engineer recruitment efforts. At that time, our focus extended beyond hiring alone but also on improving the hiring process. To figure out the best approach for attracting top-tier engineers, I first reviewed past recruitment data.
I also proceeded to optimize our internal recruiting resources. It became evident that we needed to increase our roster of recruiters by seven, which we consequently recruited and trained. Simultaneously, I worked to rebuild the organization from various perspectives, including developing new key performance indicators with an emphasis on improving overall satisfaction with the recruitment process. While we are still implementing a long-term strategy to achieve our goals, I am very thankful to have played a pivotal role in this project. I believe that by helping to recruit talented professionals, I can make a direct contribution to Rakuten’s business.
What are some things that being at Rakuten allows you to do, and how would you convey that to a job candidate?
I always make sure to convey to candidates Rakuten Group’s mission to empower people and society as one global team. Furthermore, I share my personal experiences as a non-Japanese employee at Rakuten to illustrate the growth opportunities within the company. Through this process, I often succeed in dispelling preconceived ideas about working for a Japanese company.
I believe Rakuten’s greatest strength is its diverse corporate culture. Thanks to Rakuten I can work together with employees of various nationalities and backgrounds to achieve shared goals and improve ourselves through knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
What are your future goals, and how will the culture of Rakuten help you achieve them?
The Global Talent Acquisition Department is a large unit with approximately 200 employees, which requires divisions into multiple teams. While the ongoing project aimed at strengthening engineer recruitment remains a priority, I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to take on new challenges. Concurrently, I will continue to fulfill my current executive recruiting responsibilities.
One of the great appeals of Rakuten is its open culture, which allows me to proactively pursue new challenges and assignments. Within this dynamic environment, I aspire to challenge myself by working on a wide variety of projects offered by the company.
For more information about available positions click here.
