What Is a Recruitment Consultant? Job Responsibilities and Why It’s Said to Be Tough

“What kind of profession is a recruitment consultant?” “Can I become a recruitment consultant without experience?” Do you have questions like these?

This article covers the following topics to help answer those questions:

• Job responsibilities of a recruitment consultant
• Salary of a recruitment consultant
• How to become a recruitment consultant
• Tips for successfully transitioning into a recruitment consultant role

in that order.

This article is useful for anyone interested in a career as a recruitment consultant. Please read to the end.

What Is a Recruitment Consultant?

A recruitment consultant is a consultant who either supports companies looking to strengthen their hiring activities or provides career support to job seekers.

Among the management resources required for corporate management — “People,” “Things,” “Money,” and “Information” — recruitment consultants focus their consulting on “People.”

In recent years, talent shortages have been a pressing issue across all industries, and companies must pursue strategic hiring practices to secure talent efficiently. Furthermore, as job-changing has become commonplace, the number of people struggling with career development is on the rise.

As a result, demand for recruitment consultants is increasing.

Professions Easily Confused with Recruitment Consultants

Since there are many types of consultants, there are professions that are easily confused with recruitment consultants. The table below summarizes the professions most commonly confused with recruitment consultants.

Profession	Job Description
HR & Organizational Consultant	Consulting on a company’s HR systems, organizational structure, etc.
Recruitment Consultant (Specialist)	Consulting focused specifically on recruitment activities
Global Talent Consultant	Consulting for companies looking to strengthen global talent development
Labor & Compliance Consultant	Consulting on labor management, social insurance, and related matters

Recruitment consultants are a profession specializing in consulting as an RA (Recruiting Advisor) or CA (Career Advisor).

Job Responsibilities of a Recruitment Consultant

So what kind of work does a recruitment consultant actually do?

The work of a recruitment consultant can be broadly divided into “consulting for companies (consulting as an RA)” and “consulting for job seekers and individuals (consulting as a CA).” Let’s look at each in detail below.

When the Client Is a Company

When the client is a company, the recruitment consultant provides appropriate advice to companies looking to resolve challenges through recruiting. Specific tasks include the following:

So what kind of work is done for job seekers and individuals?

When the Client Is a Job Seeker or Individual

When the client is a job seeker or individual, the recruitment consultant takes on the role of supporting the job seeker’s career development and job search. Key tasks include the following:

As you can see, the scope of a recruitment consultant’s duties is wide-ranging.

Average Salary of a Recruitment Consultant

The average annual salary of a recruitment consultant is said to be approximately 4.7 million yen.

According to the National Tax Agency website, the average salary for all wage earners in Japan in fiscal year 2024 was 4.78 million yen.

This suggests that the average salary of a recruitment consultant is roughly on par with, or slightly above, the national average.

However, since the average salary of recruitment consultants varies depending on experience and skills, some recruitment consultants earn over 10 million yen per year.

Reference: National Tax Agency “FY2024 Survey on Private Sector Wage Statistics“

Future Prospects for Recruitment Consultants

Among those considering a career change to recruitment consulting, many feel uncertain about future prospects.

To state the conclusion upfront, recruitment consulting is a profession with strong future prospects.

As mentioned at the outset, with talent shortages becoming increasingly serious, the number of companies looking to conduct effective recruitment activities is growing. In addition, job-changing has become a normal part of working life, and the number of people seeking career advice is also on the rise.

However, in recent years, there has been a growing movement to leverage AI technology in HR, and many companies are automating tasks such as scheduling and job posting creation.

Therefore, to increase your value as a recruitment consultant, you need to develop strong proposal skills, listening skills, and communication skills.

The Rewards of Being a Recruitment Consultant

Now that we know recruitment consulting has strong future prospects, what kinds of rewards can you get from working as one?

You Can Do Work That Helps People

One of the rewards of being a recruitment consultant is the ability to genuinely help people.

Recruitment consultants work directly with corporate HR staff and job seekers. They listen to the challenges each party faces and make proposals aimed at resolving those issues.

When challenges are resolved — such as “our staffing shortage has improved” or “I landed the job I wanted” — you receive direct words of gratitude from the people involved, making it easy to feel that you are truly making a difference.

You Expand Your Network

Another reward of being a recruitment consultant is the ability to expand your professional network. Recruitment consultants provide consulting services across a wide variety of industries.

For example, industries that recruitment consultants engage with include manufacturing, healthcare, service industries, construction and infrastructure, and many more.

Because you have opportunities to interact with people from all kinds of industries, your perspective broadens and you become able to view things from multiple angles. As a result, people who “enjoy interacting with others” or “want to be exposed to a wide range of perspectives” are likely to find great fulfillment in the work of a recruitment consultant.

You Are Involved in Work That Impacts Corporate Management

Another reward of being a recruitment consultant is the ability to engage in work that directly impacts corporate management.

“People” play a critical role in corporate management. Whether a company can secure excellent talent is directly tied to its future growth.

Recruitment consultants conduct consulting centered on exactly this kind of business-critical talent.

Moreover, when providing consulting, you must make proposals taking into account a company’s management challenges, policies, and vision — making it easy to feel that you are doing work that can genuinely influence a company’s direction.

Skills and Knowledge Required of a Recruitment Consultant

If you are seriously considering becoming a recruitment consultant, you may be curious about what skills and knowledge are required. Below, we introduce the skills and knowledge required of a recruitment consultant.

Logical Thinking

First among the skills required of a recruitment consultant is “logical thinking.” Logical thinking refers to the ability to understand things systematically and think through issues in a structured, reasoned way.

For example, a recruitment consultant is expected to think in the following way:

Consultants frequently use thinking frameworks to understand things logically. In fact, the thought process introduced above is based on the “Logic Tree” methodology.

Problem-Solving Ability

For those aspiring to become a recruitment consultant, developing problem-solving ability is essential.

What is common to all consulting work, including recruitment consulting, is “solving the challenges faced by companies and individuals.” In other words, whether you can resolve challenges using appropriate methods directly determines your evaluation as a recruitment consultant.

Recruitment consultants often face various difficulties, such as “unable to find the optimal solution,” or “the challenge is so complex that it takes a long time to resolve.”

Even in such situations, however, you must find a way forward and guide your client toward resolution.

Communication Skills

Communication skills are indispensable for anyone engaged in consulting work, including recruitment consulting.

Recruitment consultants work with a large number of people. If you struggle with interpersonal communication, daily work is likely to become stressful.

Furthermore, it is not enough to simply communicate — you must also read the feelings of others and build positive relationships.

Therefore, you need to hone your ability to communicate smoothly with clients and project members through extensive interpersonal interaction.

Information-Gathering Ability

Information-gathering ability is also one of the important skills for working as a recruitment consultant.

The duties of a recruitment consultant include market research, competitive analysis, and new client development. Information gathering is essential for carrying out these tasks.

For example, when it comes to competitive analysis, you cannot conduct a proper analysis without gathering a wide range of information — such as what kind of talent competitors are trying to secure, and what their hiring strategies are.

Therefore, recruitment consultants are expected to develop information-gathering skills, such as regularly checking the latest news and keeping an eye on industry trends.

Presentation Skills

Presentation skills are another skill required of recruitment consultants. Presentation skills refer to the ability to explain research findings and proposals to clients in a clear and understandable way.

If your delivery is unclear and fails to convince, it will be difficult to build long-term relationships with clients.

Furthermore, recruitment consultants have opportunities to present not only to clients, but also to managers and project members.

Therefore, you need to clearly understand what information your audience needs and convey it in a way that is easy to understand.

Data Analysis Knowledge

Data analysis knowledge is also required to succeed as a recruitment consultant.

As mentioned earlier, presentations must convince the audience. To deliver a convincing presentation, you need to use facts such as data.

By extracting and analyzing the truly necessary data from a vast amount of information, and then explaining your findings in a clear manner, you will find it easier to gain the agreement of your audience.

Knowledge of Organizational HR

Since recruitment consultants are specialists in human resources, having knowledge of organizational HR is important.

For example, knowing common reasons why companies fall short on talent can be very useful when identifying root causes.

Furthermore, staying current with industry trends — such as the growing adoption of AI in recruitment — broadens the range of proposals you can offer toward solving challenges.

In this way, recruitment consultants are expected to have comprehensive knowledge of organizational HR matters.

Characteristics of People Well-Suited to Be Recruitment Consultants

Here, we introduce the characteristics of people well-suited to be recruitment consultants.

People Who Enjoy Talking with Others

People who enjoy talking with others are well-suited to be recruitment consultants.

Recruitment consultants are in a profession that involves frequent communication with a wide variety of people. Therefore, people who enjoy talking with others are likely to find the work rewarding.

However, since communication with clients and project members is unavoidable, this role is not recommended for those who find talking with others difficult.

People Who Can Put Themselves in Others’ Shoes

People who can put themselves in others’ shoes are well-suited to pursue a career as a recruitment consultant.

Recruitment consultants need to identify the latent challenges faced by companies and job seekers, and make proposals best suited to addressing those challenges.

In order to identify the latent challenges the other party is facing, you need to be able to see things from their perspective.

People Who Enjoy Giving Advice to Others

People who enjoy giving advice to others are also well-suited to be recruitment consultants.

Consulting is a profession that involves investigating and analyzing issues toward resolution, and ultimately providing guidance to clients.

For example, people who “are often asked for advice by peers” or “are good at giving objective advice based on the other person’s situation” have a high likelihood of being well-suited to recruitment consulting.

Is Working as a Recruitment Consultant Really Tough?

When researching recruitment consulting, you may come across the opinion that “the job is tough.”

Whether or not the work feels tough is subjective, but the main reasons why it is said to be tough include the following:

Let’s look at each of these reasons in detail below.

Long Working Hours

One reason recruitment consulting is said to be tough is the long working hours.

Basically, work involving companies must be done during the client company’s business hours. On the other hand, work involving job seekers (career changers) must often be done after the job seeker finishes work or on weekends.

In this way, recruitment consultants must adjust their schedules to prioritize clients, which tends to result in long working hours.

Need to Multitask

The need to multitask is another reason recruitment consulting is said to be tough.

The scope of a recruitment consultant’s duties is broad, and there are many tasks that must be progressed simultaneously.

For those who can only focus on one thing at a time, this may feel like a high-pressure environment.

Quotas May Be Set

Depending on the consulting firm, quotas may be set.

For example, quotas such as “successfully place at least X number of job seekers.” When such quotas are in place, not only may you feel the pressure, but your workload may also increase in order to meet those quotas.

While working as a recruitment consultant may feel tough at times, completing these tasks helps you build skills and increases your potential to become a highly marketable professional.

Qualifications Useful for Recruitment Consultants

Here, we introduce the following qualifications that are useful for recruitment consultants:

Career Consultant

Career Consultant is a national qualification for providing consulting services specialized in career-related matters.

Specifically, the role involves advising on and guiding workers in areas such as occupational choice, career planning, and skill development for job seekers.

To become a Career Consultant, you must pass both a written exam and a practical exam, and register in the Career Consultant Registry.

Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (Sharoushi)

Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (Sharoushi) is a qualification system administered by the Federation of National Social Insurance Labor Consultant Associations and is a national qualification under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Social Insurance and Labor Consultants address labor and social insurance issues, and prepare documents to be submitted to government agencies on behalf of their clients.

You can become a Social Insurance and Labor Consultant by passing the examination and registering in the Social Insurance and Labor Consultant Registry.

Certified Management Consultant (SME Consultant)

Certified Management Consultant (SME Consultant) is a qualification system administered by the Japan SME Management Consultant Association.

As a national qualification, Certified Management Consultants are expected to analyze management challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises and provide guidance.

To become a Certified Management Consultant, you must pass the Level 1 exam, then either pass the Level 2 exam plus complete practical training/diagnostic fieldwork, or participate in a training program offered by the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation (SMRJ) or a registered training institution.

Occupational Safety Consultant

Occupational Safety Consultant is a qualification system administered by the Japan Examination Center for Occupational Safety (JECOH), the designated examination and registration body under the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.

As a national qualification, Occupational Safety Consultants conduct assessments and provide guidance at workplaces with the aim of improving the level of occupational health and safety for workers.

The Occupational Safety Consultant exam covers “General Industrial Safety” and “Industrial Safety Laws and Regulations,” plus one elective subject chosen from “Mechanical Safety,” “Electrical Safety,” “Chemical Safety,” “Civil Engineering Safety,” or “Architectural Safety.”

Career Paths from Recruitment Consulting

What kind of career can you build after becoming a recruitment consultant? Let’s look at the career paths available from recruitment consulting.

Transfer to Another Recruitment Agency

One career path for recruitment consultants is transferring to another recruitment agency.

For example, you might find a competing firm with better conditions, or a fast-growing recruitment agency that is a better fit for you within the same industry.

When transferring to another recruitment agency, you can directly leverage the experience you have accumulated, so the likelihood of a successful transition is high.

Transfer to a Talent Development Division at a General Company

Recruitment consultants can also transition to a talent development division at a general company.

This is because recruitment consultants gain experience in tasks such as market research, competitive analysis, creating job postings, and coordinating schedules with job seekers — all of which are applicable to a company’s talent development division.

For example, you might find an industry that suits you among those you engaged with as a recruitment consultant, such as “I want to be involved in hiring at a healthcare company.”

Transition to Career Counselor

Some recruitment consultants transition to become career counselors. A career counselor is a professional who provides career-related advice to students, job seekers, and working professionals.

To become a Career Consultant, you must obtain the national qualification, and without it you cannot legally identify yourself as one.

While recruitment consultants serve both companies and job seekers, career consultants primarily work with job seekers.

Go Independent

Another career path from recruitment consulting is going independent. Options include transitioning to freelance work or starting your own business.

Going independent as a freelancer allows you to achieve a flexible way of working not tied to a specific location or time, as well as the freedom to pursue the work you want to do.

Furthermore, if you have sufficient skills and experience, you may be able to land high-value contracts, potentially enabling you to aim for a higher income.

How to Become a Recruitment Consultant

So how should you go about becoming a recruitment consultant?

If You Are a Student or Have No Experience

If you are a student or have no experience, it is important to understand the skills required of a recruitment consultant and work to develop them.

Specifically, it is a good idea to improve your communication skills, information-gathering ability, and presentation skills.

For example, since recruitment consultants often have one-on-one conversations with clients, communication skills are crucial. To that end, you might try part-time jobs that help build communication skills, or actively engage with various communities.

If You Have Experience or Are Changing Careers

If you have experience or are changing careers, it is important to understand which of your current skills can be applied as a recruitment consultant, and to look for a position that suits you.

For example, someone with experience at a consulting firm in a different field can leverage their ability to make proposals to clients, conduct interviews, and carry out research.

Alternatively, someone who has worked in an HR role at a company’s recruiting department not only understands the key points companies emphasize in their hiring, but can also communicate smoothly with job seekers.

Tips for Successfully Transitioning to a Recruitment Consultant Role

Here, we explain the key tips for successfully transitioning to a recruitment consultant role.

Build Experience in Sales or HR

For those aiming to become a recruitment consultant, we recommend building experience in closely related fields.

Specifically, gaining experience in sales or HR can be directly applied to the work of a recruitment consultant.

If your current company allows you to request a department transfer, consider moving to a sales or HR department.

Understand Your Own Strengths and Fit

Understanding your own strengths and suitability is essential for a successful career transition.

No matter how much you want to become a recruitment consultant, if your personality, values, or lifestyle are significantly different from what the role demands, there is a chance you may experience significant stress.

Take time to reflect on whether you are suited to work as a recruitment consultant.

Use a Consulting-Specialized Recruitment Agency

For those looking to successfully transition into a recruitment consultant role, using a recruitment agency is highly recommended.

While there are general agencies that handle job openings across all industries, if you want to become a consultant, register with a consulting-specialized recruitment agency. Specialized agencies have deeper industry knowledge and can offer advice tailored to the selection processes specific to the industry.

For example, ConsulNext.jp offers job introductions matched to your preferences, as well as support such as document preparation and mock interviews. Consultations are free of charge, so please feel free to apply.

Conclusion

In this article, we covered the job responsibilities and salary of a recruitment consultant, the skills and knowledge required, characteristics of people well-suited to the role, and tips for a successful career transition.

While recruitment consulting is sometimes said to be tough, it also offers the chance to engage with a wide variety of people and the reward of genuinely helping others — making it a highly fulfilling career.

If you are looking to pursue a career as a recruitment consultant, start by gathering information. ConsulNext.jp publishes a wide range of content related to consulting, so be sure to check it out.