Recruiter

Who you are

You’re a connector, a builder, and a great judge of people. You believe the right hire can change the trajectory of a company, and you’re obsessed with making that connection happen. You're not just filling roles — you're crafting founding teams.

You thrive in fast-paced environments, love engaging with top talent, and think like a founder when hiring. You bring energy, discipline, and genuine care to every interaction, from cold outreach to closing the offer.

Traits we look for:

At WAY, our values shape how we hire and who we hire. Here’s how they come alive in this role:

• Customers are our obsession
  You view candidates and hiring teams as your customers. You seek to understand their aspirations, challenges, and needs, and you create experiences that build trust and long-term relationships.

• Everything is possible
  You’re resourceful in finding candidates others miss. You experiment with outreach, platforms, and tactics to keep pipelines strong and diverse.

• Strength in diversity
  You go beyond surface-level fit. You evaluate talent through an inclusive lens and champion people from all walks of life. You know, diverse teams are stronger teams.

• Grit
  Recruiting is full of highs and lows. You stay focused, bounce back from setbacks, and keep your eye on the mission: helping world-class people find their place at WAY.

• Energy and execution
  You follow up, follow through, and move fast. You juggle candidates, hiring managers, and shifting timelines without dropping the ball.

• Curiosity enables potential
  You ask thoughtful questions that go beyond resumes. You seek to understand what drives a person and whether WAY is the place for them to thrive.

• Pragmatic about purpose
  You’re not just filling roles — you’re helping people find the place where they can do their life’s work. You think long-term and care deeply about building teams that can grow together, endure tough moments, and create lasting impact.

About the role

WAY is a company builder — we invest in and launch technology startups, while also acquiring and consolidating existing businesses. As a recruiter at WAY, you’ll play a pivotal role in building and scaling these companies by sourcing and attracting world-class operators and critical early hires.

You’ll serve as the talent engine behind multiple high-stakes teams, owning everything from outreach to onboarding. This isn’t a traditional recruiting role — it’s a high-impact, strategic position at the core of our people-driven approach to company building.

What you will do

• Own end-to-end hiring for key roles across WAY and our portfolio companies

• Build, manage, and grow a talent pipeline for core roles (founding partners, Growth Operations Managers, sales, product, engineers, etc.)

• Source candidates through outbound outreach, referrals, events, and creative campaigns

• Design and run structured interview processes aligned with our values and competencies

• Create exceptional candidate experiences and communicate regularly with top talent

• Partner with founders and hiring managers to understand hiring needs and team goals

• Help shape our talent brand through storytelling and outreach content

• Build and nurture a strong network of referrers and a long-term talent community — staying connected with high-potential individuals even before roles open up

How we work with AI

At WAY, we believe AI is not just a tool — it's a competitive edge. Everyone on the team, regardless of role, is expected to:

• Identify and automate parts of your job that can be made more efficient using AI.

• Experiment with AI tools to increase productivity, improve quality, and unlock new ideas.

• Share what you learn with your teammates so we all get better, faster.

Who we are looking for

• 2–4 years of experience in recruiting, executive search, or talent acquisition (agency or in-house with a focus on proactive talent sourcing)

• Proven ability to run fast, high-quality hiring processes

• Excellent communication skills in both Japanese and English

• Deep curiosity about people and business — you’re energised by conversations that matter

• A builder’s mindset: proactive, organised, and outcomes-focused