With around 410 Japanese companies in the city area and around 650 companies in the region, Dusseldorf is the biggest hub for Japanese companies in continental Europe. The first Japanese companies found their way to the city more than 60 years ago and until this day, Dusseldorf has lost none of its attractiveness for Japanese companies. Many of them have their European or German headquarters here and use the strong economic environment and excellent infrastructure to develop their markets. Thomas Hartenfels, Director of Robert Walters Dusseldorf: “Robert Walters has an international footprint in 31 countries, and we’re specifically well established as a market leader in Japan. The fact that our German business is currently quickly growing makes this the perfect moment to launch bespoke services for our local Japanese clients.”

Cultural differences

Thomas Hartenfels, Senior Director South at Robert Walters, will take over the management of the Japan Desk. Hartenfels has many years of experience in the selection of specialists and managers in an international context. Hartenfels explains: “Through my close contact and regular exchange with our Japanese colleagues, I have learnt a lot about the differences between German and Japanese culture and am aware of the challenges faced by Japanese companies and specialists. I have therefore made it my mission to support Japanese companies setting up in Germany in finding the right specialists and managers for them.”

The Japan Desk can help bridge gaps in terms of cultural differences between the German and Japanese companies, as well as advise on setting up recruitment processes bespoke for local needs. The team will focus on recruitment across our specialisms in the region: Finance & Accounting, Sales & Marketing, HR, IT and Legal.