Let the facts speak for themselves. Unless my records are incomplete, since February 1986, I count 51 people that have been placed by TMT at Masterfoods K.K., a division of Mars Incorporated.

The Mars company is best known to Japanese people through products, like M&M’s and Snickers, and to dogs and cats through Kal-Kan and Pedigree Chum.

TMT is one of the recruiting firms that has allowed us to take major and even leading positions in a number of product categories.

For the last seven years I have worked with TMT. They are not perfect, but we have thought enough of TMT to want to keep paying them their non-deductible, extra-cost retainer, even when we were on a company-wide hiring freeze for one year.

Some people might think I’m stupid. “There are lots of headhunters in Tokyo. Why spend money on a non-deductible retainer?”, they might ask. Well, we appreciate what TMT helped us achieve, and TMT appreciates the support we give them. They continue to make a genuine effort on less lucrative assignments that other search firms would not bother to work on.

Everyone kind-of-knows that finding good managers and staff will make or break a company. People tell us we are lucky because we built up a strong sales force quickly and continue to get good staff. Well, I do not think it’s luck.

We spend a lot of money on good salaries and on training. And if you want your headhunters and vendors to give you a special effort, and take good care of you, I would advise that you take good care of them.

What do they say? Penny-wise and pound-foolish? For the very reason that TMT has placed 51 people with us, they would be one of the last vendors we would ever consider asking for a discount.

Hirotsugu Wada
Organization Development & Training Manager
Master Foods K.K.
November, 1992