The FocusCore Podcast

On the latest episode of the podcast we are thrilled to be able to welcome back our very first guest, Hideo Goto. Hideo is the President of Schick Japan and has more than 20 years experience in the health and beauty industry, and a strong track record of driving results and being incredibly innovative in his approach. If you are an APAC business leader in Japan looking to innovate in a traditionally risk averse business culture, listen to this episode to learn how to encourage a fearlessly innovative culture in your company.

In this episode you will hear:

• Advice for APAC leaders working in Japan
• How to be innovative in a traditionally risk averse country
• Strategies Hideo employs to attract talent in a challenging market
• Some of the most important lessons Hideo has learned from his decades of successful and innovative business leadership

About Hideo Goto:

Hideo Goto has been the President and Representative Director of Schick Japan since August 2022. Hideo has more than 20 years of experience in the health and beauty industry, and a strong track record of driving results.  

He started his career at Johnson & Johnson in 1996 in sales and marketing.  In 2005, he joined L’Oreal and spent 11 years there, where he turned around several businesses and scaled the growth.  He held various leadership positions throughout his tenure including GM of Active Cosmetics Division in Japan, GM of Consumer Product Division in Taiwan, and GM of Professional Product Division in Japan. Hideo Goto was promoted to Country General Manager of Henkel Beauty Care Japan and Korea in 2021 having joined Henkel Beauty Care in 2017 as GM of the Professional Division.

Hideo earned an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management in the U.S. in 2003 and a BBA from Meiji University in 1996

Connect with Hideo Goto:

Schick Japan website: https://schick.jp/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hideo-goto-8854b4ba/

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

This week on the podcast we switch things up and have guest host Simon Jelfs, Managing Director of FocusCore Japan, interviews Dr. David Sweet to find out what makes him tick, in business and in life. David is originally from Denver, Colorado with 25 years recruitment experience in Japan, all of it in leadership roles. He established FocusCore Japan in 2011. He's a father of two, a keen runner, a writer, and an ukulele player. Listen to the episode to learn more about how David manages to be so proactive and motivated in business and in life, and gain some invaluable insight into the Japanese labor market and recruitment landscape. 

In this episode you will hear:

• About David’s love of running marathons and his plans to run the Barcelona marathon
• How David manages to stay so proactive and motivated in business and life in general
• How international business leaders view the Japanese market
• David’s advice to APAC leaders looking to improve recruitment performance in Japan
• About the ageless leadership skills that stand the test of time

About Simon Jelfs:

​Simon is from the UK and has over 20 years accounting and finance recruitment experience in Tokyo.  He is the Managing Director of Focus Core which focuses on providing executive search in Japan.

About David Sweet:

David Sweet is the founder and CEO of FocusCore Group.  For the past 25 years, he has helped companies hire the best executive talent in Tokyo.  He is also a certified executive coach and  author of Sweet Success, Sweet Sales, Recruit! Becoming the Top-Biller, as well as having been interviewed for the book, “Facebook & LinkedIn 対応履歴書いらずのソーシャルメディア転職術” for his expertise in using Social Networking for recruitment in Japan. He also is a published poet, including Gus (illustrated by Jennifer Shinkai),  Split Infinity Forward, and Pop Rocks. He holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Development and a M.A. in Communications from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. 

Connect with Simon Jelfs:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonjelfs

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

The automotive industry is currently experiencing a lot of change and innovation globally with, among other things, the increased development and adoption of electric cars and autonomous vehicles. Leaders in this industry are increasingly having to be agile and innovative as well. This week we talk to one such agile leader, Magnus Hansson, CEO/Representative Director of Jaguar Land Rover Japan. In the episode Magnus shares with us some of the innovations and challenges currently being experienced by the automotive industry in Japan, and globally. He also shares with us some insights gleaned from his decades of leadership experience.

In this episode you will hear:

• About the similarities and differences between Japanese and Swedish leadership styles
• About exciting innovations within the automotive industry
• Some of the big challenges facing automotive companies today
• About recruitment strategies being utilized by Jaguar Land Rover Japan
• How Jaguar Land Rover Japan is pursuing diversity as a company
• Magnus’ insights into being a business leader in Japan

About Magnus:

Magnus Hansson has been the CEO/Representative Director of Jaguar Land Rover Japan since 2013. Born in Sweden, Hansson began his career with Saab in 2000. Before arriving in Japan, he worked in Sweden, Canada and Hong Kong. Magnus is an Internationally schooled and experienced Automotive Executive with excellent strategic, analytical, organizational, and creative abilities. He has proven and leading skills in general management, planning, product, marketing, aftersales and sales operations at both global & national levels.

Connect with Magnus:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/magnus-hansson-aab5b71

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

This week on the podcast we delve into Web3 technology with Steve Pang. Steve is an innovative disruptor, entrepreneur, author, coach, speaker, and was my mentor when I started FocusCore, 13 years ago. Steve is also the co-founder of the social network disruptor, ZAG Network and NFT project, PSYOP ZOMBIES. If you have been hearing a lot about NFTs, AI and Web3 technologies and want to know how they might apply to your business, recruitment or professional online networking, this will be a valuable discussion to sit in on.

In this episode you will hear:

• How Steve went from working in the recruitment industry to the Web3 space
• About Steve’s social network disruptor ZAG Network and how it is disrupting the social media landscape
• What data sovereignty is and why it is important
• How ZAG Network empowers users to monetize their own data
• The different ways Web3 technologies are being utilized in recruitment

Things mentioned in the episode:

NFT project PSYOP ZOMBIES: www.psyopzombies.com

ZAG Network: www.zag.network

About Steve:

 A Web3 native since 2017, Co-founder of the social network disruptor, ZAG NETWORK (www.zag.network) and a fun NFT project, PSYOP ZOMBIES (www.psyopzombies.com) linked to ZAG Network, a revolutionary SocialFi Network For Professionals. With a multifaceted background that spans leadership, career advising, coaching, vlogging, and authorship  

Having spent over two decades as a seasoned business leader in executive search and recruitment across the dynamic Asia Pacific region. With 8 years of working experience and living in Australia, 5 years in Japan, and 15 plus years in Singapore, Steve's understanding of diverse markets and cultures across Asia Pacific makes him stand out from the pack 

 As a co-founder and advisor on Web3 ventures since 2017, Steve has been actively engaged in technology and non-tech projects. His passion for the transformative potential of Web3 technology and the decentralized movement is evident, making him a true "Web3 Degen" Just like a mullet haircut, Steve is business in the front, party in the back! 

 Beyond his entrepreneurial endeavors, Steve is a natural and direct communicator. As an author, Steve has penned two highly regarded books: "Everything You Wish To Ask A Headhunter" and "ZAG's Expert Guide to Personal Branding & Job Seeking." These literary accomplishments further showcase his dedication to empowering individuals to navigate their professional paths with confidence and success. Above all, Steve is fueled by a profound belief in the innate entrepreneurial spirit within every human. To him, entrepreneurship isn't merely about starting companies but rather the instinct to create, shape destinies, and take control of one's life.  

ZAG Network launched 24 August 2023, the world eagerly awaits the impact of this Web3 SocialFi Network For Professionals. With a dynamic mix of high energy passion, innovation, and an unyielding commitment to personal and professional growth, Steve continues to shape the future while inspiring others to do the same.  

Connect with Steve:

ZAG Network: www.zag.network

Sign up for an account on ZAG Network and we are instantly connected!

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevexzag/

X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/ZAGNetwork @zagnetwork

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

This week I am excited to turn the podcasting tables on my guest Catherine O’Connell, who is host and cohost of two fantastic podcasts; Lawyer On Air and Jandals in Japan. If you haven’t listened to those two podcasts I highly recommend them both! Catherine is the principal and founder of her boutique commercial law firm based in Tokyo, Catherine O'Connell Law. She is the first foreign female to set up her own law practice in Tokyo and won Tokyo Foreign Lawyer of the Year Award in 2022, Boutique Law Firm of the Year Award in 2023, and is the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2020. One of Catherine’s missions in life is to change the boardrooms of traditional Japan from the inside, sharing her lived experience through board coaching programs to demystify and open pathways for people to access and attain roles on Japanese corporate boards.

In this episode you will hear:

• How Catherine went from being a tour guide in New Zealand to studying law and working as a foreign lawyer in Japan
• What motivated Catherine to set up Catherine O’Connell Law, her own law firm in Tokyo
• About the lack of diversity in terms of board governance in Japan
• What Japanese companies can do now to diversify their boards
• What women leaders can do to open boardroom doors for themselves and others

Things mentioned in the episode:

Statistical Information about female board members in Japan: https://www.nikkei.co.jp/nikkeiinfo/en/global_services/nikkei-bp/female-board-member-survey-which-japanese-company-has-the-highest-percentage-of-female-board-members.html

About Catherine O’Connell:

Catherine O’Connell is Principal & Founder of her boutique commercial law firm based in Tokyo, Catherine O’Connell Law. She is the first foreign female to set up her own law practice in Tokyo. She won Boutique Law Firm of the Year Award 2023 and Foreign Lawyer of the Year Award 2022 and is the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2020.

Significantly, Catherine has been appointed in June 2023 as an Independent Audit & Supervisory Board Member of TOYOTA Motor Corporation. In June 2022 she was appointed as Outside Audit & Supervisory Board member of FUJITSU Limited. Through both of these appointments she has become the first non-Japanese female in Japanese corporate history to serve in this role on any Japanese Board. She is also Statutory Auditor on ASX-listed Japan subsidiary of CSL Behring.

Catherine presides as Vice-Chair of the Australian & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce of Japan, is co-Chair of the Legal Services & IP Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and is immediate Past President of NPO, Women in Law Japan (2021-2023).

Prior to launching her law practice in 2018, Catherine was Head of Legal and APAC Regional Legal Counsel for Molex Japan LLC. She held senior In-House Legal Counsel positions Panasonic, Olympus and Mitsubishi Motors, and has extensive private practice experience at Hogan Lovells (Tokyo and London) and Anderson Lloyd (New Zealand).

Catherine hosts the award-winning “Lawyer on Air” Podcast sharing inspirational stories about women working in the law in Japan and she co-hosts the “Jandals in Japan” podcast about successful New Zealand business in Japan. 

Connect with Catherine O’Connell:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/

Website: www.catherineoconnelllaw.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lawyeronair/

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Welcome back to the FocusCore podcast. We are excited to bring you another year of insightful and inspirational guests, as well as timely and topical solo episodes. This week we have our first guest of 2024, Ashley Harvey. Ashley is a C-Suite leader, with a 25-year international career beginning in sales and expanding out into marketing, branding, partnerships, hospitality, destination management and leadership. Ashley has a wealth of knowledge to share with us about being a business leader globally and in Japan specifically. This discussion is a master class in how to thrive as a new business leader navigating the unique benefits and challenges of the Japanese market.

In this episode you will hear:

• How the Japanese market differs to other international markets and why it has been a good fit for Ashley
• Advice for business leaders looking to expand their reach in Japan
• The importance of having a strong employee acquisition strategy
• How flexibility and nimbleness as a leader helps weather unforeseen challenges, like COVID
• The importance of creating an environment where open and honest communication can thrive

About Ashley Harvey:

Ashley Harvey is a C-Suite leader, with a 25-year international career which brings the benefits of a breadth of knowledge, diverse experience and interdisciplinary thinking to an ever increasingly complicated business landscape.

Building from a sales background, Ashley’s career grew to build a depth of experience in marketing, branding, partnerships, hospitality, destination management and leadership.

He successfully built & led marketing strategies, tactics and teams in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, as well as in the UK.

Past roles and clients include VisitBritain, Go Central Japan, Brand USA, Tourism Switzerland, a giga project in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Tourism Authority, NYC & Partners, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Shangri-La Hotels, Hilton, Dusit Thani Group, Andaru Niseko, and, Marriott. 

His MBA (2005) comes from the University of Leicester, UK. In 2022 he completed the Mini MBA Marketing from Marketing Week.

Connect with Ashley Harvey:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyjohnharvey/

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

Welcome to the Year of the Dragon, and to another episode of the FocusCore podcast.  In this first episode of 2024, David Sweet reflects on the last year for FocusCore. He discusses some highlights and some insights into what the organization has seen happen over 2023. David also predicts what he thinks might happen in 2024 in the recruitment and talent acquisition landscape in Japan. 

In this episode you will hear:

• About our FOCUS search methodology for APAC leaders seeking top tier talent in the Japanese market
• How more companies are wanting employees to go back to working in the office, and how that might conflict with employees preferences for hybrid work models 
• About an increased focus on diversity and inclusion in Japan
• Why employer branding will be increasingly important in 2024
• More of David’s predictions for 2024!

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

"Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

This week we revisit an episode of the podcast that originally aired on March 15th 2022. 

Do you want a better way to hire employees that will save you time, money and ensure you are hiring the best candidate to join your team? In the latest episode of the FocusCore podcast, host Dr. David Sweet takes you through a proven and tested hiring method and shares a simple five-step strategy to hire the A-player candidate.

Introducing you to Topgrading, a recruitment methodology proven effective by some of the best companies in the world including General Electric and Barclays. 

In this episode you will hear:

• How to engage your HR and executives to hire A-Players

• How to document and create scorecards

• Learn the easy, time-saving technique for screening candidates 

• Why are reference checks so important

• The simple process and the questions to ask  

These five steps are the bare bones of creating a recruitment process for your organization that our clients say attracts and retains the top talent.

Utilizing topgrading as a method to hire talent is the best way to sort through B and C talent and find the A-grade candidate that you want to join your organization and will ultimately save you time, money, energy, and most importantly, save you from making a hiring mistake.  

If you would like samples of a scorecard, please feel free to email me at [email protected].

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

This week on the podcast we revisit an episode that originally aired on 15th March 2023. 

Love or hate them, great Human Resources professionals are worth their weight in gold to organizations when you have the right person. Without them, businesses struggle to retain and attract top talent, navigate compliance and legal labor laws, and create an inclusive company culture. In Japan, hiring the right HR director is absolutely critical for successful businesses, not least because they need to understand the local landscape due to a unique market with its own cultural norms, its own values, and its own unique labor laws. 

But what else do you need to consider when hiring HR leaders in Japan? David Sweet shares his top must-haves when hiring an HR director in Japan.

David covers:

• Knowledge and deep understanding of Japanese Labour laws 
• Ability to foster positive stakeholder relations 
• Experience in recruitment and retaining talent 
• Established networks 

If you need help with your recruitment needs in Japan, please get in touch with FocusCore Japan and we’ll be happy to assist. We specialize strongly in HR directors and other C- Suite recruitments, specifically around country managers, CFOs, supply chain directors, and marketing directors.

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’. 

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne. 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2 Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

This week we revisit an episode of the podcast about navigating the Japanese business landscape that aired on 26th May 2023.

Are you doing business in Japan, or would like to, and feel like you could use some guidance on how to maximize your time and effort? 

If you are an APAC or global business leader, and looking to navigate the business landscape in Japan and build successful, long-term partnerships with Japanese companies, it's essential to approach business in Japan with a mindset of respect, cultural sensitivity, and a willingness to adapt to local customs and practices. In this episode I discuss ten factors that I’ve found incredibly important to keep in mind for APAC and global business leaders looking to do business in Japan.

In this episode you will hear:

• About Japan’s unique culture and business practices
• How important long-term business relationships are in Japan
• The expectations placed on business leaders in Japan including strong work ethic, respect for hierarchy and seniority
• About the importance Japanese companies place on consensus decision-making

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ 

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ 

Are you enjoying the FocusCore Podcast? Please take a few minutes and leave a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Scroll down the show page, select leave a rating, and tap ‘Write a review’. 

The FocusCore Podcast is hosted by David Sweet and produced by Podlaunch with Jayne. 

Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co and check out his new album, FIFTY​/​50. https://music.cdavisshannon.com/album/fifty-50-2 Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide