Prologue: CareerCross sat down with Joseph Tame, founder and creative director of Tokyo-based creative agency Wild Tame. We talked about the company’s roots, which stemmed from Tame live streaming himself running the Tokyo Marathon, his past struggles with recruitment, and how CareerCross helped him grow his team of bilingual creatives.
Can you give me a summary of the company?
J: It all started by live streaming myself running the Tokyo Marathon in 2009 by strapping an iPhone to my head. That turned into an annual challenge, getting bigger and bigger every year, with more iPhones and more supporters (one year we had 42,000 live viewers!), and as a result, people asked me about doing live streaming or video production as a service. I saw an opportunity, and with my wife Satoko decided to give it a go, and set up the business in August of 2011 in our spare room.
We started by making stop-motion videos for our first client, then upon request added photography and translation. Essentially our business grew just by word of mouth and by us never saying no.
Gradually, the range of our services expanded to include full video production, animation, graphic design, cross-cultural content consultation, plus social media strategy, production and analytics. We often receive calls from clients who just don’t know where else to turn, especially when the request is a little unusual. We have a mindset of wanting to help, and love creative problem solving.
We have a true understanding of global branding in terms of design and language, and use this to aid domestic companies in reaching global audiences, or global companies seeking to make inroads in Japan.
This all started with running the Tokyo Marathon and other performance art; while it had not been planned, it gradually grew into the business we have today.
What’s your current team like?
J: We currently have a team of 28 members representing 12 nationalities. We’re diverse in terms of not just nationality but also age, background, and ideas. Running a creative agency right now is an exciting place to be. It’s constant problem solving, but very rewarding.
What was the hiring process before CareerCross?
J: Initially it was really hard to find the right people, we didn’t know where to go to be honest. Our very first hire was made through a friend who does a little bit of recruitment on the side and he happened to know someone. We got lucky there.
We did try some of the bigger recruitment sites, but I tended to find that it felt like the applicants didn’t really want to work with us. They were just applying because they wanted to apply to as many jobs as possible. We’d ask for minimum requirements such as 2 years of experience in an agency, but they had none. We would end up doing interviews scratching our heads and wondering why they would even apply.
It was especially difficult when we needed more bilingual project managers, which is a skilled position. We’re competing with many other agencies, including the big agencies with much more resources. I also tried posting on my social media but what tended to happen was I’d get friends applying, but they weren’t qualified, which was a bit awkward.
How did you hear about CareerCross?
J: I remembered CareerCross because I had used the site way back in 2001 when I first came to Japan. I was looking for work and signed up for CareerCross – so it’s always been there. It’s part of the fabric of Tokyo for me! So I thought “They must be doing something right because they’re still here!”. That’s when I reached out to you guys.
How have the candidates been that you’ve hired through CareerCross?
J: They’ve been great. I think because the candidacy process was very robust we could make those hires confidently. When I’m interviewing someone, I’m not only thinking about their skills, but I also focus on their personality and consider how they would fit with the team. They do need experience of course, and be IT literate, but they don’t need all the specific skills because we can teach them those. However, it’s critical that they are kind, and have a “can do” attitude towards life and work.
There was one particular position that was pretty hard to fill, partly because of the bilingual aspect but also because we needed someone who had a lot of experience. You proactively helped us find exactly the right person for that particular role.
Another great example was when we needed a candidate specifically with experience in domestic Japanese TV production. I had no idea how to find someone in that field who might be interested in transitioning to a createive agency, but sure enough, through you guys we found just the right person, and she’s now a key part of our team.
The people who have been brought in through CareerCross have given us so much, not just in the work that they do, but the fun we have working with them.
What are your overall impressions about using CareerCross?
J: It was quite a game changer, really. Until then our recruitment was all on us, and we were so busy running the company. We’re not at the stage where we need an HR manager, but we don’t have time to do recruitment. Partnering with you guys and having you do the discovery, help us write job posts, and advise us, was a huge relief.
The most important part is that it works! Through CC we’ve found some great people who are really good fits for the company. I’ve also learnt more about recruitment in our industry in general. What used to be a mystery box has now been opened up so I can understand better what kind of people are out there and what kind of salaries to offer.
It’s been great, and I’m very satisfied.