Are the days of the job-offering "recruiter" numbered? In Japan, recruiters are young employees who help their companies woo recent graduates from their alma maters. But the long-standing practice -- criticized for favoring students from a small circle of select universities -- is giving way to more open and fair practices.

Many experts believe, however, that the recruiting practice based on favoritism will remain rather than die out completely, as academic background and old school ties still count when assessing potential employees.

"The term recruiter first appeared about 30 years ago, but gained wide recognition during the bubble economy between 1987 and 1991," even though such hiring practices were common by large companies before then, said Jun Takahashi, who heads a consulting firm specializing in employment and job-hunting.