Will you work in this environment? Need your opinions

16 comments

1. How about you throw in some equity? You’re asking him/her to grow the business together.

2. Is working remotely possible?

3. You’ll find someone, but I wouldn’t say you’ll draw in great candidates.

   There is a large risk joining a start up (especially at this level), with the little reward you seem to be offering, plus the location issues, it’ll be tough finding someone willing to take that sacrifice IMO.

   I see no mention of visa sponsorship. Because of this, you are limiting yourself to only those who are on spousal visas or PRs. I am not sure how businesses are granted permission for visa sponsorship, so maybe you aren’t eligible yet… I don’t know about this part.

   On the other hand, you’ll be able to weed out the visa seekers and others who come to Japan only to freak out when there are no subtitles.

   This, of course, is if you are only seeking foreigners.

   Mentioning if work will be held in an office, at your house, a factory, or remote will also benefit.

   Unsure if you plan on including those disadvantages in your ad… I would advise against it.

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   Either way, good luck. I do think you will find someone though.

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   Edit: about if OP is only seeking foreigners to join.

4. I think the position is attractive for a younger person but I think you should consider cutting the car and housing allowance, bumping the low end of the base salary up to 230,000, and find a way to make the position fully remote. I just don’t see any reason to have to move to Shikoku to manage a social media page etc. and the number of people already living there is probably too few.

5. For a start-up, the hours are pretty reasonable. Pay might be a little low but housing allowances might help offset. And a car provision is a good bonus.

   Overall, it looks semi-competetive

6. Honestly, it’s not a bad offer for someone who has a reason to be in Shikoku. I lived in rural Shikoku for years but left to live in Osaka because of lack of good jobs and pay. I would have stayed in Kagawa or Ehime if I could have found a job like this. Hope you find someone.

7. I would apply if it were fully remote! I currently run social media for a big organization

8. What kind of client are you? Are you very nitpicky and supervise a lot? Or are you more laid back?

   How will you measure if the worker is doing a good job? How will you measure if the worker is doing not well?

   I think these questions should be answered to yourself, before hiring anyone in the remote island.

9. Uhhh.. MODS?

10. Shit, that all sounds good to me 🙂 When can I start? (just joking, and I realize that you stated that you’re not looking for candidates here on Reddit). I’m already doing / have done most of this stuff in a similar circumstances for much lower pay and with longer work hours.

11. You have to put yourselves in the position of a candidate and think of what may motivate them.

    You’re looking for a “digital native” but you also don’t want a remote worker(presumably since “multi tasks” involves a lot more than just running social media, which of course makes sense).

    You’re also offering around the same salary range as some english teachers would be getting, with preferred qualifications that would generally qualify them for a much higher salary range elsewhere. You’re definitely not going to get anyone who’s motivated by that, so you have to find something that sets you apart that might make it worthwhile. Long term growth prospect? Partnership or profit sharing? The ability to work remotely(you’ve nixed that elsewhere but it’s one of few things you can do to make a position attractive)?

    If you’re offering a modest salary(which is understandable for a startup), there has to be something else to make it attractive, especially for the kind of candidate you’re looking for. Otherwise you may find a good candidate, hire them, and once they get 1-2 years of experience they may use that experience to find a better paying job elsewhere, so you need to consider not only how to hire them, but also how to retain them.

12. Unless there is something I am missing, it sounds like this job could potentially be remote. I.E. Social media management, English content creation, web design all seem like potentially remote positions. You may be able to attract more candidates from farther away if you at least offered some kind of hybrid remote/on site work.

    I think you should list annual salary then monthly + bonus if any.

    I think you would only attract new grad hires with that Salary.

13. This sounds like a job that can be done 100%. If you want someone to grow the business with and want them physically there, then maybe change the job description and title and hire a free lance for the social media management. You can find many social media Managers in Upwork and Fiverr.

14. Would be remote work acceptable?

15. I think that, if your approach is open and honest, you will draw some good candidates. As others have mentioned here, be honest about the pros and cons.

    That being said, there are a lot of bright, young people looking for sponsorship and an opportunity to come to Japan. You will surely attract attention from places like the Philippines, Vietnam and India, and you would do well to hire someone from Southeast or South Asia that has good English skills. If you’re looking to grow the business, look for someone who also has an entrepreneurial spirit and some business background (business, commerce, marketing or accounting college degree).

    Also, anyone with basic Japanese skills or higher will always be better than starting at zero. From my 2 1/2 years experience in the deep inaka of Hokkaido, I can guarantee that any employee will feel isolated in the deepest sense unless they can interact with people locally – this despite your best efforts at being their social organizer.

    You are offering a decent salary and benefits package and, more than anything, you seem fully vested in making sure your employee is well taken care of. That goes beyond what most companies who hire foreigners in Japan are willing to do. If I were a youngin’ with no attachments, I’d be there in a heartbeat. 😊

    Good luck!

16. You need to make this full remote. Face reality –no one is coming to middle of nowhere Shikoku to help you start a business for such a low salary/benefits. Especially if they aren’t going to be a partner/have equity.