Introduction of a “Self-Nomination System” for Overseas Assignments, Deloitte Tohmatsu Aims to Cultivate Global Talent that Will Shine on the World Stage

Working overseas as a Japanese person

“Working in a completely different manner from Japan is what allowed me to grow significantly,” reflected Taichi Murakami from Deloitte Tohmatsu. After joining Deloitte Tohmatsu's Tax Corporation, Murakami engaged in international tax projects at Deloitte’s Amsterdam office. His primary role was comprehensive support for Japanese companies entering the European market, covering a wide range of areas.

“Rather than our usual operations, I needed to respond to a variety of consultations, which required discussions with various professionals in our Amsterdam office. To facilitate operations, I needed to actively communicate about why I came from Japan and what I aimed to achieve,” Murakami explained.

Another individual, Yuko Tsuruta from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC, was assigned overseas in Michigan, USA, from 2018 to 2020. In the US, she primarily managed several subsidiaries of a local Japanese holding company. During the busy season, she traveled alone almost weekly by plane to various subsidiary factories across the US, working as an audit site manager with assistance from USI (India Office). In her second year, she played a key role as a main team member of the holding company's parent company.

“I had never left my hometown of Nagoya until I graduated from university and had no experience studying abroad. Yet, taking that step completely transformed my career," she said.

As the business world becomes increasingly globalized, the skills required of Japanese business professionals are also becoming more international. It is natural that many young people will aspire to excel not just within Japan‘s domestic market, but also on the global stage. In response to this trend, more companies are recognizing the importance of overseas experience and are actively providing opportunities to gain such experience. Deloitte Tohmatsu is one of those companies.

Deloitte Tohmatsu's “Public Application System for Overseas Employment”

Saeko Nakamura, who manages Deloitte Tohmatsu's Public Application System for Overseas Employment, stated, “Working abroad not only enhances the scope and quality of a person’s work, but also provides a precious opportunity to challenge personal limits and discover new capabilities. We believe that members who incorporate new business essences from abroad can contribute to our growth in Japan.”

At Deloitte Tohmatsu, overseas assignments are not only directed by official orders, but now also by a new public application system in which enthusiastic members can volunteer for overseas opportunities based on their skills and career aspirations. This system allows members to check what positions are available globally within Deloitte Tohmatsu and apply accordingly.

Working abroad enables business professionals to experience many things that could not be learned within Japan. Misunderstandings and conflicts in different cultural contexts are inevitable, but overcoming these challenges naturally enhances a person’s communication skills and persuasive abilities. Successful projects with overseas colleagues and clients will become highly valuable assets in their careers after returning to Japan.

Nakamura added, “Successful experiences abroad definitely build a person’s confidence. Moreover, the ability to adapt to new environments and solve problems enhances their ability to deliver the best outcomes under any circumstances.” These experiences not only promote personal growth, but also contribute to strengthening the organization's international competitiveness.

Deloitte Tohmatsu aims to provide diverse learning and growth opportunities and actively encourages its members to make use of the Public Application System for Overseas Employment. By understanding different cultures and learning how to incorporate them into their business skills, members can build a foundation to grow as professionals who shine both domestically and internationally.

Required self-promotion skills: “No one will notice unless you speak up”

The two individuals mentioned at the beginning of this article, Murakami and Tsuruta, had experienced overseas assignments even before this system was implemented. At Deloitte Tohmatsu, our members have been actively pursuing overseas assignments even before this system was in place.

Reflecting on his time overseas, Murakami stated, “In the Amsterdam office, I also served as a sales contact for Japanese companies. Sometimes I made proposals, and other times I received consultations. The content varied by company, and custom-tailored responses were required.”

Murakami, who grew up in the Netherlands during his childhood, had always aimed for an overseas assignment. “However, I believed that unless I could produce certain results in my job, an overseas assignment wouldn't materialize. Thus, I focused on the work in front of me first. Just when I thought it might be time, I had started studying the language, and my supervisor asked if I wanted to go to Amsterdam.”

Murakami certainly made his own appeals too. Although he had young children at the time, he was able to smoothly move his family abroad for his work because they had discussed it extensively beforehand. But was it all smooth sailing at work?

“No, at first, it was nothing but challenges. Since the tasks were ambiguous and could not be handled by just one department, I needed to actively interact with people in the office and build relationships that would make it easy to consult with them when something came up. Also, unlike in Japan, there was absolutely no notion of 'someone will notice if you're doing a good job.' I had to report in detail to my local supervisor about what initiatives I was taking and what results they were yielding.”

If deemed unnecessary by his superiors, there was a possibility that Murakami could be replaced by another Japanese member. Murakami achieved results and earned recognition by clearly explaining the outcomes of his initiatives.

“In Japan, there is a notion that an 'unspoken understanding' suffices, but this is not the case in Europe. Therefore, I needed to consciously explain my purpose and reasons to those around me. However, upon returning to Japan, I realized that this approach is also crucial here,” he explained.

Murakami also mentioned that he was no longer overwhelmed by his work.

“During my assignment, there were few routine tasks, and it was often difficult to determine what constituted realistic work goals. Initially, I experienced a lot of mental stress and had to experiment with different approaches.

However, it's normal for tasks not to go as envisioned, and I realized that I had to do the best I could under the circumstances. This isn't about ignoring the needs of those involved and selfishly carrying out tasks; it's about setting personal boundaries, aiming to satisfy stakeholders, and doing your best.”

After his overseas assignment, Murakami stated that he developed a broader perspective and a guideline for action, allowing him to manage business not strictly according to a blueprint, but in a way that could lead to success in any form.

The need for extremely careful communication due to cultural and societal differences

Yuko Tsuruta, with no prior overseas experience, became a site manager in the United States.

“From childhood, I aspired to work unbounded by national borders. However, I felt I needed to have a specialty to work globally, which in my case, was becoming a Certified Public Accountant,” Tsuruta shared.

Tsuruta chose to study management in university based on advice she had received from others that stated while she could learn English on her own, she should study areas that are hard to master independently.

Tsuruta would then go onto join Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC. She stated, “A decision was made in which a senior colleague that I was close with was assigned overseas, and while this made me sad, I also realized that my own overseas assignment might not be so out of reach.” She was under the impression that most married women transferred overseas with their family. But after seeing someone take on an assignment alone, she began thinking that anything could be possible.

In 2017, Tsuruta utilized an internal system for a one-month study program in the UK, marking her first time living abroad. “Through the discussions I had with business professionals from various parts of Europe, the prospect of working abroad seemed more realistic. I also realized my lack of English proficiency and began studying the language more seriously.”

In essence, Tsuruta took proactive steps, and whenever she had a realization or encountered a point of reflection, she treated these as challenges to be addressed and improved upon. Then in 2018, she went to America. Was she anxious about suddenly working as a site manager?

“Even though it was an overseas assignment, it was still Deloitte, so the manuals we used were the same. The only difference was that they were in English instead of Japanese, so it wasn't like I was changing jobs completely, which made me feel less anxious,” she explained. Having expertise in accounting and remaining within the same Deloitte organization gave her the confidence that she would be fine working overseas.

“The bigger challenge was communication. Coordinating with the India office was done online, and since this was before the COVID-19 pandemic, we were both unaccustomed to such an arrangement, which initially caused stress for both sides,” Tsuruta explained. To facilitate smoother work processes, she proactively engaged in communication with her counterparts in the India office. “I made efforts to get to know them through ice-breaking activities and continued to communicate with them on topics beyond just work.”

She similarly engaged actively with her American team. “While attending training at Deloitte University, I deepened my connections with members I became close with through meals and social gatherings. When I first went to America, I felt a sense of loneliness, but since people are people, regardless of the language, I shared more about myself and interacted with others with an open attitude.”

Having experienced an overseas assignment, Tsuruta shared insights that would not be obvious to someone raised solely in Japan. “Generally, only a handful of people speak the polished English that many Japanese imagine. No matter how rough their English may be, most people will try desperately to convey what they’re thinking to the other party. Despite being embarrassed by their poor English or afraid of making mistakes, people will still act. Seeing this, I thought I should do the same. Many people might think, 'There are many other members who can speak English and excel at what they do, so where does that leave me?' I don't have that high of a self-esteem either. But when I tried, I managed to accomplish more than I expected. So, I truly believe that it's better to try and fail than not to try at all.”

What we want to convey about working abroad

Both individuals unanimously agreed that “It's better to go abroad if you can.” Commenting on the public application system, Tsuruta stated, “It's a system that offers opportunities to those who are motivated.”

“I was never in an environment where opportunities were always available, which is why I strongly believe that opportunities do not come along all the time. Being part of a large group like Deloitte Tohmatsu, it's essential to seize the opportunities that come your way, as they can completely transform your future. Before my overseas assignment, I was handling small and medium domestic enterprises, but now I am in charge of global corporations. It's not about which is better; rather, the range of options available to you significantly broadens before and after you go. A major turning point might be right in front of you, so why not take that step forward?”

Nakamura also discusses the Overseas Employment System, stating, “We spare no effort in supporting our members to succeed abroad. We provide programs not only to improve language skills, but also to foster understanding of different cultures, enabling them to excel on the global stage. We aim to develop talent capable of thriving in a global environment, targeting 25% of our entire membership of about 20,000 members. It's essential to have practical experience from abroad for this. We hope that many of our members will use this opportunity to exceed their limits and achieve significant growth.”

At Deloitte Tohmatsu, members who have experienced overseas assignments are utilizing their experiences to contribute to the overall growth of the organization upon their return. Nakamura commented on this point as follows:

“Members who have returned from overseas assignments are applying the knowledge and experience they gained abroad to their work in Japan. They possess a global perspective and are leveraging the networks they built locally to demonstrate leadership in international projects. Additionally, their ability to identify new market opportunities has increased, contributing to the expansion of our business.”

At Deloitte Tohmatsu, the experience of working abroad not only fosters personal growth, but also contributes to the sustainable development of the entire organization. Having our members gain international experience will not only contribute to their own careers, but will also have a positive impact on the future of the entire firm.

“We will continue to provide unwavering support for our members to succeed internationally, and their experiences will be leveraged across Deloitte Tohmatsu to continue delivering high-quality services to more clients,” concluded Nakamura.

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