noun
extraordinary efforts to recruit talent
A classical yojijukugo describing a ruler or statesman who goes to great lengths to find and employ wise and capable people. Rare in modern conversation; mainly encountered in historical or literary contexts.
「握髪吐哺」は、昔の中国の故事に由来する四字熟語です。
握髪吐哺 is a yojijukugo derived from an old Chinese historical anecdote.
求賢 means 'seeking out wise people' in a general sense, while 握髪吐哺 specifically refers to the legendary lengths a ruler went to in order not to miss a talented visitor.
From a classical Chinese story in which a ruler was so eager to meet a talented visitor that he would wring out his just-washed hair or spit out his food mid-meal rather than keep the visitor waiting. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is conventionally associated with this anecdote.