AI Agent × Human Agent

The best candidates aren't applying.

AgentRPO finds them, approaches them, and closes them, while you focus on running the business. AI-powered headhunting, backed by veteran Japan recruiters.

Talk to us See sample candidates

Send a JD, get a sample candidate list. No meeting required.

Trusted by leading companies
across Japan and beyond.

TSE Prime SaaS
Global Industrial
Series C Fintech
Global Consumer
Unicorn AI
Tier-1 Consulting

Why AgentRPO

The candidates you want aren't on job boards.

Every agency in Japan is fishing in the same pool (BizReach, LinkedIn, the same few direct-scout platforms), approaching the same 3% of actively job-hunting candidates. That's why roles stay open for months and response rates keep dropping.

Traditional Agencies

  • Fish in the same BizReach / LinkedIn pool as every other agency
  • Only reach the 3% of candidates actively looking for a new job
  • Candidates get approached by 4-6 agencies simultaneously
  • Narrow candidate pool, response rates declining year over year
  • No visibility into who they're contacting or why candidates decline

AgentRPO

  • 4M+ Japan-focused candidate profiles, 90% Japanese nationals
  • Direct access to passive candidates, including those not actively job-hunting
  • Dramatically less competition on every candidate we approach
  • AI × human hybrid drives scout response rates 40% above Japan industry average
  • Full real-time visibility via the ESAI.work analytics dashboard

How we work

Two specialists per search. AI in the middle.

Client-side work and candidate-side work require very different skills. Generalist recruiters who try to do both tend to be mediocre at either. We segment on purpose: your Business Manager owns the client relationship and closes the deal; your Candidate Manager runs every candidate conversation; Headhunt.AI connects the two.

BM
01

Brief

Your Business Manager runs a 30-minute kickoff with your hiring team: JD, ideal candidate, culture, compensation, red flags. They own the client relationship from here.

AI
02

Identify

Headhunt.AI scores all 4M+ profiles against the brief in under 30 seconds, producing a ranked list of 1,000+ candidates with ESAI Scores from 0 to 100.

AI
03

Approach

AI-generated scout messages, personalized to each candidate's actual career, 40% higher response than Japan industry average.

CM
04

Meet & motivate

Your Candidate Manager takes over every candidate relationship (meetings, motivations, interview prep, feedback), and owns the candidate experience end-to-end.

BM
05

Close

The Business Manager handles the client side: interview feedback, offer negotiation, counter-offers, and onboarding support through Day 1 and beyond.

BM Business Manager · client-side specialist
AI Headhunt.AI · sourcing & outreach
CM Candidate Manager · candidate-side specialist

The AgentRPO formula

AI finds them. Humans close them.

Most recruiting firms are either all-human (slow, expensive, narrow reach) or all-AI (impersonal, low conversion). We engineered AgentRPO so each side does only what it does best.

Headhunt.AI

AI Agent
  • Searches 4M+ profiles in seconds
  • Scores every candidate on a 0-100 ESAI Score
  • Analyzes skills, experience, culture fit & career trajectory
  • Generates native bilingual scout messages
  • Sends tens of thousands of scouts weekly
×

Recruiter Team

Human Agent
  • Builds trust through 1:1 candidate meetings
  • Deep-dives on career goals and motivations
  • Presents your opportunity with emotional resonance
  • Manages the full interview process end-to-end
  • Handles offer negotiation and closing

The numbers · 2026 YTD

Results that stand on their own.

The AgentRPO placement funnel, year-to-date 2026. Each percentage is the share of candidates at that stage who progress to the next. Industry benchmark for offer acceptance: 60-65%.

Stage 1
44%
Resume pass rate
Stage 2
44%
1st interview pass
Stage 3
52%
2nd interview pass
Stage 4
60%
Final interview pass
Close
85%
Offer acceptance

Coverage

Every role, every level, every industry.

Specialist agencies excel in one vertical but miss everything else. Generalist agencies lack depth anywhere. Because our AI understands every function with equal rigor, we hold one quality bar across the whole market, from software engineers to CFOs, from AI research scientists to plant managers.

All Levels

From individual contributors (¥5M+) through to C-suite and board directors (¥30M+).

All Functions

Engineering, sales, marketing, finance, legal, HR, strategy, consulting, and every specialized function.

All Industries

Technology, manufacturing, finance, healthcare, consumer, energy, across every sector.

Transparency

Nothing happens behind a curtain.

Traditional agencies work in a black box, you send them a JD and hope. Tier-1 partners get real-time access to ESAI.work: every candidate we're contacting, every response, every market signal, every week.

Full search visibility

Real-time view of every candidate contacted, scout volume sent, and response rates.

Pipeline management

A live dashboard of every candidate, segmented by interview stage and response status.

Hiring benchmarks

Compare your time-to-hire, pass rates, and close rates against industry benchmarks.

Competitor intelligence

Market data on competitor hiring trends, salary bands, and talent movement.

How to work with us

Three ways to partner.

Whether you need one great hire or an ongoing pipeline, we have a service model to match. All three give you access to the same AI, the same veteran recruiters, and the same 4M+ database.

Most flexible

Contingency

Pay only when we hire.

No deposit, no retainer, no upfront commitment. Send us a job, we headhunt, and we invoice only when you make a hire. Best for companies with occasional senior hires or exploring whether AgentRPO is the right fit.

35% placement fee · 5% discount for 14-day exclusivity or Headhunt.AI subscribers
Learn more →
Most embedded

Dedicated RPO

An extension of your TA team.

A recruiter embedded with your talent acquisition team, full-time or half-time. Your brand, your process, our AI and recruiting expertise. Best for companies hiring at volume or with stretched TA capacity who want a dedicated partner rather than a transactional agency.

Monthly retainer · Priced by role seniority · Scales up or down with needs
Learn more →
Most committed

Tier-1 Premium

Your first-call recruiting partner.

Prepay placement fees as a deposit to unlock guaranteed weekly searches, a dedicated team, and Tier-1-only access to ESAI.work analytics, market research, and competitor intelligence. Best for companies hiring 5+ senior roles per year who want AgentRPO as their primary recruiting partner.

Bronze / Silver / Gold deposit plans · 6- or 12-month terms · Deposit applies to placement fees
Learn more →

About AgentRPO

Built by AI-recruiting pioneers since 2018.

AgentRPO is operated by ESAI Agency K.K., a wholly-owned subsidiary of ExecutiveSearch.AI K.K., Japan's first AI-first recruiting firm, founded in 2017 and acquired by Monstarlab Inc. (TSE Growth: 5255) in 2023. Over eight years of continuous production use has made Headhunt.AI one of the most battle-tested recruiting AIs in the world.

2017
Founded, Japan's first AI-first recruiting firm
TSE 5255
Monstarlab Inc. Group, publicly listed
13-ユ-319155
Licensed fee-charging employment placement
100%
AI-powered outbound since August 2024
ESAI Agency team, Tokyo office

Start here

Let's find your next hire.

Share a job description, we'll send you a sample list of candidates we'd pursue for the role. No commitment, no cost, no meeting required.

Got it, thank you.

We'll analyze the role and send your sample candidate list within 48 hours.

No credit card required No meeting required Response within 48 hours