Expanding an executive search business focused on consulting firms

「Revenue from the AXIS Agent (アクシスエージェント) recruitment service was ¥4,247 million, up 53.4% year on year. As hiring demand from major consulting firms, the service's principal customers, began to recover, the company steadily secured recruitment support engagements for manager-level and above positions, its area of strength. Placements at partner level and large-scale engagements also contributed.」

「For AXIS Agent, we have steadily secured manager-level and above hiring-support assignments from major consulting firms, our principal clients. Alongside expanding market share, our presence in the consulting industry has strengthened further. The market for junior mid-career hiring has also been recovering since around the end of the previous fiscal year. In services for operating companies, placements increased against a backdrop of customer growth from awareness initiatives and increased staffing. Overall, placements during the interim accounting period exceeded the previous period.」

「For executive search service AXIS Agent, as junior mid-career hiring by major consulting firms, our main clients, contracted, our market share has risen relatively because we have continued to secure searches by leveraging our strength in supporting hiring at manager level and above. Our presence in the consulting industry has consequently strengthened further.」

「In executive search, the share of manager-level and above placements continued to increase from the second quarter onward as the focus on those positions took effect. In the fourth quarter, strengthened sales initiatives captured business opportunities, increasing placements in higher-revenue manager-level and above positions and delivering record quarterly revenue.」

「In executive search, the shift from measures focused on younger professionals at consulting firms to strengthened coverage of manager-level and above positions increased the share of manager-level and above placements from the second quarter onward. Placements remained sluggish in the third quarter (January–March 2024) while the organization was being prepared for the full effect of the measures, but remained higher year on year as we focused on capturing client demand. The average fee rate remained high, reflecting strong hiring appetite for manager-level and above positions, and average revenue per placement rose close to the year-earlier level. Revenue was ¥2,211.646 million, up 3.2% year on year.」

「In executive search, in response to market changes, the effect of shifting from measures focused on younger professionals at consulting firms to strengthened coverage of manager-level and above positions began to emerge, increasing the share of placements at manager level and above. Placements in the second quarter rose only slightly year on year because the effect of the shift had not yet fully materialized. However, average compensation increased from the first quarter, and the average fee rate also trended higher, reflecting strong hiring appetite for manager-level and above positions. As a result, average revenue per placement rose to around the year-earlier level. Revenue was ¥1,464.893 million, up 5.7% year on year.」

「In executive search, to rebalance our focus from manager-level and above searches toward future business growth, we began targeting younger professionals in the second half of the previous fiscal year. As a result, placements in the first quarter increased substantially year on year, mainly among younger professionals at consulting firms. Average revenue per placement declined year on year as the proportion of younger professionals with relatively lower compensation increased. Revenue was ¥706.284 million.」

「In executive search, as hiring demand at consulting firms remained strong, strategic account management enabled us to focus on clients with strong hiring appetite and increase placements. Strong performance in difficult-to-fill, high-compensation manager-level and above searches at consulting firms also contributed, resulting in revenue of ¥2,918.104 million, up 24.7% year on year.」

「In executive search, we focused on clients with strong hiring demand, particularly consulting firms, and increased the number of hires placed. Strong performance in searches for manager-level and above positions at consulting firms, which are difficult to fill and carry high compensation, also contributed to revenue of ¥2,142.877 million.」