Thoughts
Insights on Recruitment, AI, and the Future of Talent
Recruiters are right to feel uneasy – AI and market shifts are changing the ground under our feet. The question isn’t if things change, but how we adapt.
This blog is my take on recruitment and executive search, grounded in 20 years of leading firms in Japan and Asia. Sometimes sharp, sometimes experimental, always focused on the future of hiring.
I write around three themes:
Recruitment – the craft itself, with emphasis on search and RPO.
Artificial Intelligence – separating signal from noise.
Our Platform – how we’re building tools to stay ahead.
If you’re a recruiter, HR leader, or business owner curious about what’s next in Japan’s talent market, you’re in the right place.
— Murray Clarke, Co-Founder & Chief Recruiter at TalentHub
Hiring By The Adoption Curve
The adoption curve isn’t just for products — it’s a powerful tool for hiring. In a startup, you don’t want people waiting for the “right time” to join. You want innovators and early adopters, the ones who lean into uncertainty, see opportunity in risk, and want to shape something new. Later adopters are vital once the business is stable, but bring them in too early and it’s a cultural mismatch. The curve explains it all.
What Should We Automate?
AI will absolutely wipe out a large number of recruiters. Not overnight - it’ll happen slowly, like boiling the frog. One day, those recruiters will look around and wonder why they’re not making money anymore. The reality is that their processes will have become outdated, their speed uncompetitive, and their clients will have moved on to faster, sharper alternatives. The answer will be simple: because they were too slow.
Do You Have Control Over Your Future?
Most recruiters think AI means plugging ChatGPT into their workflow. That’s bolt-on productivity — faster tasks, same problems. The real shift is AI-native platforms that automate beneath the surface, giving recruiters smarter outreach, market visibility, and trust. Companies won’t fix this; most won’t invest. Recruiters who’ve outgrown their desks must decide whether they control their future — or let their company control it for them. TalentHub is being built for those ready to take ownership.
In executive search, it’s about the Why, not the What.
Most mid-career recruiters struggle to break into executive search. The skillset, mindset, and presence required are different. This article outlines 8 essentials for making the shift - from finding mentors and building executive presence, to sharpening storytelling and focusing on the Why over the What.
Compliant Use Of ChatGPT
ChatGPT isn’t just a productivity tool — it’s a compliance risk hiding in plain sight. “Export Data” means anyone on your team can pull entire datasets with a single click. For recruiters, that could mean CVs, salaries, and client details out the door. Encryption won’t save you — only trust policies, smart access controls, and API-driven setups will. AI adoption is inevitable, but without compliance, it’s a liability.
The Barbell Effect in Recruitment
Recruitment is experiencing a barbell effect: RPO and automation dominate volume hiring, executive search retains its premium, and the mid-market is squeezed. In-house teams handle most mid-career hiring, supported by embedded RPO providers, while leadership roles demand high-touch search. Mid-market recruiters must adapt — move into executive or niche search, embrace AI, or risk being left behind. TalentHub is built for this future, combining tech-enabled RPO with executive search through an AI-powered recruiter platform.
原点回帰：なぜ再び東京に戻ったのか
日本で3社のエグゼクティブサーチ会社を成長から買収まで導いた後、私はニュージーランドでのテクノロジー開発に専念するため一度現場を離れました。家族も成長し、私たちのプラットフォームも整った今、再び東京に戻り、TalentHub Partnersを立ち上げます。本書では、これまでの取り組み、日本がいまも私の拠点である理由、そしてこれからの展望をお伝えします。
Coming Full Circle: Why I Returned to Tokyo
After leading three search firms in Japan through growth and acquisition, I stepped away to focus on building technology in New Zealand. Now, with my family grown and our platform ready, I’ve returned to Tokyo to launch TalentHub Partners. This letter shares what we’ve been building, why Japan is still home, and where we’re heading.
Who Am I and Why Listen?
About the Author
I’m Murray Clarke, Co-Founder and Chief Recruiter at TalentHub Partners. Over the past 20 years I’ve led at three search firms in Japan – each achieving a successful exit, including one I built from scratch and sold to ManpowerGroup.
I do not profess to know everything and I don’t always get it right, but as an early-stage leader at a firm that scaled to 200 consultants across APAC, and later during a major ownership transition, twice receiving Best Leader awards, I have seen how some of the best in our business do things. My time at VMware gave me direct experience of how global vendors scale in Japan, insight I later applied to help foreign firms navigate the country’s toughest hiring challenges.
I’m passionate about emerging technologies that do social good by improving business outcomes. At TalentHub, our mission is to use technology and AI to raise the standard of recruitment – improving candidate experience, enabling recruiters to succeed, and helping companies hire better people faster. For too long, the industry has depended on time-strapped recruiters working with cumbersome tools. The future looks brighter, though uncertain, and I’m committed to building solutions that make a lasting difference.
I split my time between Auckland and Tokyo, so feel free to hit me up for a coffee and in-person chat sometime.