As a company with sales, manufacturing and R&D bases in a number of different countries, Sony is promoting the localization of these operations by working to secure local human resources that best respond to national, regional and location-specific needs. Additionally, with the aim of securing talented human resources crucial to growing its global business, Sony recruits university graduates overseas to work in Japan.

Early in the 21st century, Sony expanded the scope of its efforts to recruit students to work in Japan, who were mainly from Europe and North America previously, and began to actively seek out promising university and post-graduate students in China and India. Recruiting in China began in earnest in 20001. As of April 2012, Sony had recruited a cumulative total of 264 university and post-graduate students in China. Recruitment from universities and graduate schools in India began in earnest in 20079. In both countries, recruitment efforts benefited from the cooperation of local Sony Group companies, which ensured that Sony secured top-level human resources. To encourage acclimatization, Sony provided new recruits with a variety of training, including Japanese language lessons, both before and after they began working in Japan.

Sony has also established a Global Internship Program, which welcomes university students from Europe, North Americathe United States, China and India, among others. Sony is conducting recruiting presentations at universities, graduate schools and research facilities around the world, as well as for groups of overseas students studying in Japan.

In its efforts to help change Japan's traditional approach to hiring new graduates, Sony has adopted new recruiting practices in the hope of attracting applications from individuals who identify with its corporate culture. To promote greater understanding of the Sony Group's various businesses, products and services, 20 Group companies got together to stage joint recruiting fairs. In these activities, Sony is striving to effect a change in the way job recruiting is done in Japan.
With the aim of encouraging young people in Japan to develop a more global perspective, in fiscal year 2011 Sony offered new domestic recruits the opportunity to polish their global skills by undertaking temporary assignments to Sony EMCS (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., the Sony Group's largest strategic production base. Interested individuals were encouraged to apply for the program through a campaign that invited them to "put their diplomas to work in the rain forest." On another front, Sony offered internships to university students that focused on participation as support staff for its public viewing project in Tanzania. This initiative gave interns the chance to see Sony's commitment to social contribution in action. Participation in the public viewing project also enabled interns to experience firsthand both the challenges faced by many African countries and the dynamic potential of the continent's emerging economies.