Japan Jobs in Fiscal 2022:

 https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210419/p2g/00m/0bu/035000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Some 22 percent of major companies in Japan are planning to cut new hires for the business year starting next April from the current year, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, indicating many firms remain cautious about the outlook amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In the survey covering 110 firms, many of those planning to curb new hires were in sectors hit hard by the pandemic such as transport and tourism, which saw demand evaporate.

Helped by a recovery in the U.S. and Chinese economies, manufacturers, meanwhile, expect to hire more new graduates, citing business expansion plans.

Ideas:

The pandemic is on going and its not a surprise that many of the companies hard hit by the pandemic are going to reduce their hiring.

ANA and JAL earlier in year already announced that they were going to reduce their hiring.

It would not be a surprise if many hotels decided not to hire or even reduce hiring because of the ongoing pandemic situation.

And then there are all of the restaurants that have been affected by the pandemic situation. While some or many may be small restaurant operations, most likely many of the chain restaurants are probably also going to reduce their hiring for this year.

Article:

Major Japanese companies recruit new graduates at the start of each fiscal year, often beginning the hiring process roughly a year in advance.

According to the Kyodo survey, a total of 24 firms in sectors ranging from materials to energy are scaling back hiring for fiscal 2022. Thirty-seven firms, or 34 percent, said they will maintain the same levels as fiscal 2021.

Only 19 companies, or 17 percent, are seeking to increase new hires and 25, or 23 percent, are undecided.

Some of the firms making no change to their plans for fiscal 2022 drastically cut new hires for fiscal 2021 through next March.

For fiscal 2021, about 46 percent reduced new hires from the previous year while 12 percent increased hiring. Some 37 percent stuck to levels close to hiring for fiscal 2020, the survey showed.

Ideas:

All companies and all sectors do not grow exactly the same and or course they all have different levels of profit or less profit.

As not all companies hire the same amount of workers each year.

But it would be a good idea, or maybe should a good idea to adopt a policy or year round hiring.

The idea of companies only hiring once a year, in April, seems to be an outdate industrial policy not exactly appropriate for the 21st century or even the new digital revolution age.

Companies need to learn to be more flexible in their hiring practices and not just rely on tradition and what was done in the past.

Article:

Kyodo News carried out the survey between early March and mid-April. The 110 respondents include Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Sony Group Corp., Japan Airlines Co., Nintendo Co., and Mizuho Financial Group Inc.

Despite the country's economy emerging from the initial shock of the COVID-19 crisis, economists say it remains on shaky ground, pointing to a divergence between manufacturers and services providers in the pace of recovery.

The pandemic has changed how companies look for promising graduates. All but three companies in the Kyodo survey said they will hold job fairs or conduct interviews online and 52 percent are planning to use online tools actively even after the health crisis ends.

Ideas:

Companies need to find different ways to hire new graduates, along with online interviews, online Zoom or Microsoft Teams job fairs.

Today's graduates are very tech savvy and as such, and with the pandemic situation, companies need to be flexible in how they hire new workers.

New company workers these days are not the company team players of the past. They want challenges, they want career advancement, without having to wait for a long time to move up the ladder of a company.

New company workers, if they have a chance, are more than willing to change jobs, it it meets their needs.

Companies, especially the traditional companies, need to be aware that workers today are not the same workers of even 20 years ago.

And yes, while the manufacturing industry is heading in the right direction, the services sector is a long way from being any where healthy.

Because the services sector is the most varied sector, involving many different kinds of businesses they have been hit the hardest and the services sector, even 2021 might not get back to pre-pandemic levels.

Article:

The COVID-19 outbreak has also brought changes to Japan's rigid corporate culture by enabling more flexible workstyles.

A total of 69 percent of the firms said they will either maintain or expand remote work even after the pandemic subsides.

Asked what challenges teleworking poses, 83 percent pointed to a lack of communication among workers while 61 percent referred to a negative impact on training employees.

However, when asked about the impact on labor productivity, 55 percent picked "no change," while a combined 31 percent said productivity had improved.

Ideas:

Its a good idea that Japanese companies begin to become more flexible in their rigid corporate work culture.

Japanese workers read and see how companies globally are being more flexible in their work cultures and Japanese workers want the same

The idea of a being in an office from 9 to 6 or 7 etc. five days a week might become a thing of the past. 

The pandemic basically has opened the eyes of workers globally that they can still be productive without having to sit a a desk five days a week.

And some companies, in Japan and globally are beginning to see the same thing.

The work culture of the 20 century is gone and dead. Those companies that don't adapt and change are going to remain rigid 20th century companies and not be able to compete in the 21st century.

Yes there are challenges to moving to a more flexible company such as training and communication. Most companies might be able to provide a more flexible work style.

Some days in the office and some days from home instead of only working from home or only working in the office.

It might provide a more positive work life balance which can benefit the company, the worker, and benefit society and the economy.

Article:

"We'd like to help our employees improve the balance between their work and private lives," an energy company said. A firm in the services industry said, "There are types of jobs that are not suitable for teleworking so we need to see whether it is appropriate."

A combined 81 percent already allow or will consider allowing employees to take side jobs.

Forty-two percent already had such a system in place before the pandemic and 7 percent introduced it after the COVID-19 crisis.

Taking side jobs is seen as beneficial for longer-term career development but some companies are cautious because employees could end up working excessively long hours or get jobs at competitors.

Ideas:

Yes there are jobs that are not compatible with teleworking. But companies can still find ways to provide a better work life balance, as much as possible.

Most likely not all companies that have its employees working from home, just like maybe there some companies that can have most of its workers working from home.

But probably a more realistic approach for most companies is a 2 or 3 days in the office or 2 or 3 days working at home.

Companies will need to experiment and see what is best for them and their workers. A happier worker will usually be a more productive worker.

And the idea that a worker is only a part of one company is 20th century thinking. Workers today want to be able to do many different things.

The skills of workers today are such that they can easily free-lance, take on projects outside of their main company along with doing many other things.

Again the day of workers only loyal to one company, even in Japan is the past, its 20th century thinking and doesn't benefit the 21st century worker.

Have a nice day and be safe!