Recruit Holdings and the Ribbon Model

Description

Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange since October 2014 with $13 billion in sales, Recruit Holdings had created and managed as many as 200 businesses and brands through separate operating divisions across Japan, the rest of Asia, Europe and the United States. The key business of Recruit was that it operated a number of platforms and services that provided client data and could be accessed by many users. But what made it work? What made it sustainable? Interviews with a wide range of Recruit employees shed light on the philosophy, values and business structure that led Recruit to its success.

Learning Objective

This case demonstrates how a large company may be able to facilitate entrepreneurial behavior and create start-ups using an established digital platform.

Keywords

Business unit structure Horizontal growth Performance appraisals Recruit Holdings Ribbon Model