Blogs and Articles from Third Way Forum Membrs

・ Younger candidates want to know more about the company’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP), asking “what’s in it for me?” and keen to know especially the following four areas; 1. Workplace: onsite/offsite/hybrid 2. Career prospect and company’s support for personal development 3. CSR/SDGs effort 4. Diversity & Inclusion status

・ Though company leaders want to hire talented young people, it is extremely important that they can offer a matching employee value proposition (EVP) to these young talent. If there is no matching environment, work style and cultural fit etc, even a super talented person could not perform well. Therefore, the role of the HR department becomes more important in terms of representing the company. With the shortage in the labor market, HR needs actively develop and advertise the EVP not only towards concrete candidates but also in (social-) media etc.

・ Even after successful onboarding of new talents, it remains the challenge to retain the employees. There need to be a match between the development needs of the employer to strengthen an experienced team and the own ambition of the employees. Otherwise, the candidate might just use the company for education and then leave.

・ Given the current demographic trend in Japan, it should be obvious that young people have more bargaining power in negotiating with companies. However, it is questionable if they know that. There is highly likely that nobody has told them and they may still feel like they need to conform themselves to the existing eco system of Japan.

・ The social pressure on young people to follow a traditional job hunting practice to join a company is still very strong in school.

・ In the West, people have developed the mindset of finding their own path. In Japan, people have developed the mindset of filling the role well.

・ Despite the fact that young people do have more bargaining power and can drive changes in business practices in Japan, it seems this power is not often recognized or utilized by young people due to the still existing strong social pressure for conformity.

・ Also, many young people are trained for and exposed to only the Japanese domestic business community and not to the growing internationally-minded community in Japan.

・ Fixing Japan’s social eco system to liberate young people from its grip may still take time. But to create a small group of “mutant Japanese leaders” who have much more progressive and international mindset is possible in every company. When this group expands to a certain size with more influence, the entire company could change dramatically.