【Panel Discussion】
Expectations for Global Talent
and the Role of Global Talent in Fukuoka

 ▼Panelist Ryuzoji Kensuke
  To survive, Honda Kiko has been recuiting highly capable global talent since about 10 years ago, but I believe that small- and medium-sized business owners need to realize the tough competition for highly capable global talent that has been taking place for survival in this global age. Moreover, international students need to actively take some action themselves in the future. It is very important for them to look into companies and then move forward to internship programs or matching services.

2. Japanese Language Proficiency Required by Companies in Japan

 ▼Panelist Sakurai Takafumi
  We often hear from international students that they don't know where the can find job information and employment opportunities or they would like to know requirement for job applications. In particular, as to Japanese language proficiency, international students would like to ask employers to clarify specifically what level of Japanese language proficiency they are required to have. Students majoring in humanities often tell me that they have been rejected at their interview due to problems in Japanese language proficiency. The situation is that Japanese companies tend to require a higher level of  Japanese language progiciency than that recognized by international students.

3. Career Paths for International Students

▼Panelist Sakurai Takafumi
  International students think of specific career paths. Accordingly, Japanese companies need to explain their internal career paths for them. For Japanese companies, most of their career paths are comprehensive work that is not limited to specific job categories. Japanese workers often experience several job categories at one company through job roation and personnel training over a long period of time. Which job new graduates should be assigned to will be determined by the employer. Meanwhile, international students usually wish to find a professional job. They wish to improve their skills in a short period of time. They wish to decide by themselves what sort of jobs they do. There is a huge mismatch there. There are some cases in which international students realize a mismatch in career path, not at the time of recruitment but after joining the company, and as a result, leave the company.

4. Dilenma of Becoming "Japanized"

▼Panelist Sakurai Takafumi
  To eliminate mismatches in career paths, there are two options. One is for the companies to become globalized. This requires management to voluntary diversity and globalize the company, including the personnel system. To some extent, they need to make a dicision. Therefore, only a few Japanese companies select this option.
  The other option is for non-Japanese employees to become "Japanized". Most Japanese companies select this option. In this option, a drastic change in the personnel system will not be made. While maintaining good aspects of the Japanese personnel system, the companies accept certain exceptions for non-Japanese employees become "Japanized", they may be able to understand the good points of Japanese companies, such as family-like management and membership management. In other words, in this option, they will recruit non-Japanese people who are expected to become "Japanized".

▼Master of Ceremonies Yashio Keiko
    Will the Japanese personnel system be accepted by international students?

▼Panelist Sakurai Takafumi
    International students told us that they need to become Japanized at the stage of job interview and to pretend to understand the Japanese way of thinking. If they don't so, they cannot be hired. They are facing a dilenma.
  However, in the meanwhile, there are other cases in which international students experience and realize the good points of the Japanese personnel system after joining the company and are inspired to make up their mind to work harder, or in which international students understand that they can develop thier skiils in comprehensive work and make a significant contribution. Accordingly, we cannot say what is correct and what is incorrect.

5. Japanese Personnel System

▼Panelist Takashima Soichiro
    In Japan, there are old-fashioned ways of thinking, such as called "swabbing the floor," in which you handle routine work at the time of joining the company and then guradually show your ability. I believe that there is also a mismatch here. What are the advantages for international students in the Japanese Personnel System?

▼Panelist Sakurai Takafumi
    One of the advantages for international students in the Japanese Personnel System is the program for "long-term job rotation and career advancement through personnel training." In terms of developing basic skills as a businessman, comprehensive work may be very meaningful for international students' career building.
    The second advantage for them is "employment security." In countries overseas, there are many acquisitions of businesses and employment is not secure, so employees need to improve their career by themselves. However, since the idea of protecting workers is strong in Japan, the companies can secure employment. Moreover, the "employment security" may lead to a certain loyalty to the company and understanding of company culture, and sometimes create additional value. Some examples include "omotenashi spirit" in the restaurant business in Japan. This is additional value created from loyalty to the company and understanding corporate culture.

▼Master of Ceremonies Yashio Keiko
    How do you handle career paths for international students at Honada Kiko?   

▼Panelist Ryuzoji Kensuke
    For the first year after the join the company, non-Japanese employees are dealt in the same way as Japanese employees. From the second year and onward, we will set annual goals every year. We will set the goals, like this year you are expected to be capable of doing this or you are expected to study this and master this. We will review the progress every month at a face-to-face meeting.

▼Coordinator Ota Hiroshi
    I feel that Japanese personnel and recruiting systems are at a turning points. From a global perspective, the Japanese system is very peculiar. While we say "finding a job," in reality, it is "finding a company" to obtain membership in company.
    Recruiting time begins very early, which creates confusion for international students. They need to start preparing for job hunting activities right after the first semester of the first year of their master's course had finished. Moreover, the recruiting period for new gradurate recruitment is only for once a year, not a year-round recruitment, which is also a peculiar aspect of the Japanese system.
    The same thing is true for career paths. In Japan, based on long-term (lifelong) employment, there is basicallly a great deal of resistance by employees to change jobs in the middle of their career, but in countries overseas, it is normal to change jobs to pursue their career. Moreover, your marketability in the job market will increase if you accumelate work experience. In Japan, new gradutes who have no experience are the most valuable in the job market. It is very difficult for international students to understand this. If a company wishes to acquire global talent for globalization of the company，I believe that it is neccessary for the companies to adjust the Japanese personnel system and customes of recruitment in accordance with global standards.

6. Startups

▼Coordinator Ota Hiroshi
    There is a Japanese business challenge that many international students point out. They tell me that Japan is behind in entrepreneur support and innovation support programs and their improvements. The reasons for this include that there are too many regulations, which, international students say, is impeding the revitalization of the Japanese economy.

▼Panelists Fujimi Tetsuo
    It is important to create and how to create a base for aceepting risk taking. Efforts conducted by Startup Cafe to increase people who are interested in startups are one example for creating such a base. If the number of people who take risks increases, then the number of people who are generous with risk-taking will increase.
    For examples, I hear that at Amazon, people who have worked at startups are working there and Microsofts hired a person as a vice presidents who experienced a failed business by driving it into bankruptcy. Even if you fail in business, you can join a startup company to pursure your careers or you may support for creating startups by sharing your experience as a bad example. I believe that if there are many options, you can try anything again even if you fail startup business.

7. Not Knowing is a Risk

▼Panelists Fujimi Tetsuo
    What is neccessary to create startups is "information." If there is something you don't know, that will be a risk. If you know that you will die if you jump off from here, this is not a risk. If you have appropriate information, you can deal with decrease risks. At Startup Cafe we are always trying to provide appropriate information at an appropriate time.

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