Talent Trends 2026 Tokyo Edition: How AI Is Reshaping Talent and the Way We Work

On Thursday, 12 March, Robert Walters Japan welcomed senior executives and HR leaders to the Talent Trends 2026 Networking Dinner Tokyo edition at The Fairmont Hotel, bringing together over 80 decision‑makers from across IT, professional services, healthcare, consumer goods and financial services.

As our annual flagship client event, Talent Trends provides a platform to explore the market forces shaping workforce strategies in Japan. This year’s dinner focused on one of the most pressing and complex questions facing organisations today: how AI is reshaping talent, leadership and the way we work — particularly in a talent‑short market such as Japan.

An Evening of Insight, Dialogue and Connection

The evening opened with a keynote presentation by Rachna Ratra, Managing Director – Tokyo, followed by a panel discussion featuring:

• Kayo Ito, CEO, NTT Ltd. Japan Corporation
• Arjun Sarwal, General Manager, Global Business Solutions, TikTok for Business Japan
• Tom Verbeke, VP People & Culture, Philip Morris Japan

The discussion was moderated by Clive O’Brien, Senior Director at Robert Walters, and was followed by a networking dinner that allowed guests to exchange perspectives with peers and the Robert Walters leadership team in a casual atmosphere.

Keynote Highlights: Talent Trends Shaping Japan’s Workforce

Demographic Shifts and a Shrinking Workforce

Japan’s labour market continues to tighten. Nearly 90% of companies report concerns about talent shortages, driven by ongoing demographic decline. At the same time, the composition of the workforce is evolving. Market data — supported by Robert Walters’ own candidate insights — shows a growing share of foreign professionals and senior talent aged 50+, particularly among experienced male candidates opting for temporary or contract‑based roles.

Salary Expectations and Rising Job‑Seeker Confidence

While fewer organisations plan to implement salary increases compared to the previous year, employee motivations are shifting. In 2025, salary overtook career progression as the primary reason for job change, reflecting persistent inflationary pressure. Candidates are also showing greater confidence in the job market, a trend that is likely to result in firmer negotiations, faster decision‑making and increased selectivity.

AI as a Collaborator, Not a Competitor

Although AI is often seen globally as a threat to jobs, the picture in Japan is more nuanced. Despite slower policy adoption, relatively few professionals fear that AI will replace them. In a talent‑short market, AI is increasingly viewed as a partner that can augment human capability. With sufficient investment in transformation, robotics and reskilling, AI has the potential to help organisations offset labour shortages — provided that clear guardrails are in place to manage bias, ethics and security risks, particularly within HR and hiring processes.

Panel Discussion Highlights: How AI Is Reshaping Talent in Practice

The panel brought these themes to life, grounding them in real organisational experience across digital, data infrastructure and consumer sectors.

Arjun Sarwal described AI as foundational to TikTok’s operating model, emphasising a balance between scale and human judgement:

“Our approach is very much ‘AI plus human’. AI gives us efficiency and insight at scale, but humans remain essential for creativity, context and safety.”

He also noted that AI is changing hiring itself, with candidates increasingly using real‑time AI tools during interviews — prompting TikTok to reintroduce mandatory in‑person interviews to ensure authenticity and fairness.

Kayo Ito highlighted the structural and cultural challenges Japan faces in accelerating AI adoption, while underscoring its potential impact:

“Japan has enormous potential to benefit from AI, but we must shift from a process‑driven mindset towards outcomes‑based leadership.”

She stressed that while AI can democratise opportunity and act as an “equaliser”, critical thinking, curiosity and human judgement remain essential — particularly when evaluating AI outputs and making strategic decisions.

Tom Verbeke focused on leadership and culture, sharing how Philip Morris International is investing in AI literacy while keeping people firmly at the centre:

“In an AI‑first environment, leadership matters more — not less. The fundamentals haven’t changed, but the emphasis has.”

Drawing on Philip Morris’s specific AI use cases such as AI Voice Agents and utilising live chatbots for early career recruitment interviews, he explained that successful AI adoption depends on enabling experimentation, collaboration and trust, supported by transparent governance and responsible use.

Across the discussion, a consistent message emerged: AI delivers value when it augments human capability, not when it attempts to replace it.

What Attendees Said

Feedback from guests highlighted both the relevance of the topic and the practical value of the discussion:

“The presentation had good tone, clarity and narrative added to summarise the change over time.”

“The way to use AI is a big issue for hiring procedures — it made me realise I need to think about it more.”

“Good insights and examples from the panel speakers despite a still evolving theme. I found it very useful for my position.”

Looking Ahead

The Talent Trends 2026 Networking Dinner reaffirmed the importance of open dialogue between business leaders, HR teams and industry peers at a time of significant transformation. As organisations navigate demographic pressure, rising candidate expectations and rapid technological change, the ability to combine human insight with intelligent tools will be critical.

Robert Walters Japan will continue to host Talent Trends events to share market intelligence, challenge assumptions and create meaningful connections among senior leaders. We look forward to welcoming our clients to future editions as we explore what’s next for talent, leadership and work.