I’ve mentioned several times in this series that I’ve worked in various locations around the world and been involved in a wide range of jobs. Among those roles was one that, while unassuming and often overlooked, was nonetheless crucial: human resources. Alongside tasks such as payroll, employee benefits, and training, human resources management also involves staff recruitment. Overseas, regional headquarters and main offices typically recruited personnel through appropriate local recruitment agencies, but branch offices often sourced candidates through their own channels, conducting interviews and making hiring decisions independently. A typical example of this was hiring through referrals or recommendations from local employees—essentially, recruitment by word of mouth.
When it came to hiring and managing local staff, the language barrier was the first obstacle we faced. This was during my time working in Panama, in Central America. A local HR executive was in charge of recruiting, and the applicants were mostly young men and women of mixed European, indigenous, and African descent—known as Mestizos and Mulattos. They understood English and could speak it reasonably well. This was because, given the close relationship between Panama and the United States, English was quite widespread among the population. However, the moment you stepped out onto the streets, it was a world of Spanish. The English proficiency of the young applicants varied, and they generally seemed to prefer communicating in Spanish. So I studied Spanish so that I could conduct interviews, give simple speeches, and handle everyday small talk in that language. This was because communicating in Spanish—their native language—was essential for building close personal relationships.
My experience working in Turkey on a long-term business assignment was a bit different. I rented a desk at a local accounting firm, and they introduced me to several of their staff members who understood English. They were all dedicated to their work and efficiently handled tasks such as analyzing and evaluating financial statements. An executive at a U.S. bank branch remarked that Turks are highly capable, noting that the younger generation in particular is diligent, and reflected that their success in expanding into Turkey was, in part, thanks to them. While Turkey traditionally had close ties with Europe—particularly Germany—its relationship with the United States strengthened after World War II, and it seems that more people took the initiative to learn and speak English. Their English also struck me as having very little of an accent.
My experience in South Korea was also somewhat different. There were no language barriers, as all the young men and women who applied understood and could speak Japanese. Japanese companies offered outstanding benefits, including salaries and retirement packages, so many young people were studying Japanese with the goal of securing employment at a Japanese firm. I felt as though I could work in my native language, much like a native English speaker striding confidently across the globe. However, it seemed this perspective was only one side of the story. According to what a local executive quietly confided to me, the majority of employees hid the fact that they worked for a Japanese company from their relatives. They explained that it was a shameful act—one they couldn’t even tell their parents about, let alone their relatives. I’m not sure if this mindset persists today, but it seems to have been commonplace in South Korean society nearly 40 years ago, when anti-Japanese sentiment was strong. The fact that Japanese companies offered good salaries and other benefits was an incentive to get people to work there despite the shame—it was a kind of premium paid for that very reason. And it may have been the price paid for experiencing that sense of “English-speaking national identity.”
My experience in New York City—a nation of immigrants—was completely different. In this series, I’ve written about my time working in an office inside the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where I was also in charge of hiring staff. New York was truly a melting pot, bringing together people of every race, religion, and nationality from around the world. Whenever American executives posted job openings, a wide variety of people applied. The applicants were incredibly diverse—including people of Irish, Jewish, Italian, Mexican, German, and Greek descent, as well as Japanese Americans—but one thing they all had in common was that English was the language of communication. However, it was necessary to proceed with hiring this diverse talent while carefully considering their suitability for the job. For example, we based our selection on common perceptions such as: people of Italian or Mexican descent are generally cheerful and easygoing, making them well-suited for sales, but less suited for meticulous and precise tasks; Jewish or German descendants tend to be better suited for such work; and Irish or African descendants, who are often physically large, are well-suited for security guard positions.
In this respect, the Waldorf Astoria branch may be considered a microcosm of the United States. Indeed, it could be argued that this establishment was a miniature microcosm of the world. Although it was a small branch, it was a “melting pot” of people from all over the world. My job was to gather talent from around the globe, allow each person to demonstrate their strengths and unique abilities, foster healthy competition among them, and channel that energy into expanding the branch’s overall performance. What was crucial was ensuring that, even while competing fiercely, everyone worked together harmoniously, transcending race, religion, and nationality. And that was achieved naturally—truly, naturally. Certainly, they had grown up in different cultural backgrounds, ate different foods, and spoke their native languages among themselves, but within the confines of that small branch, they coexisted peacefully and harmoniously while respecting one another. Looking back on those days, the current state of the world—still plagued by war—is truly regrettable.
