More Japan firms seek to keep new hires by allaying assignment fears

TOKYO (Kyodo) — A growing number of major Japanese firms are beginning to cater to the needs of new recruits who are worried about what roles they will be assigned to, for fear of losing talent.

The emerging trend is a pushback against Japan’s practice of leaving new graduates in the dark about the place of work, job responsibilities and other details until they join their new company.

“Haizoku gacha,” a phrase describing uncertainty surrounding job assignments, has become a buzzword in Japan, as young people liken it to vending machines for capsule toys known as “gacha-pon” or “gacha-gacha” that keep people guessing what is inside a capsule until they get one.

Japan’s job market remains tight, with labor shortages particularly severe in the services sector, resulting in fierce competition for talent and giving job seekers more options.

Around 85 percent of new university graduates set to start working next year want to know where they will be assigned before accepting a job offer, according to a recent survey by Recruit Co., a staffing company.

The high percentage reflects students’ strong concerns about their career development and dislike of uncertainty about the future, according to the survey.

Under its new recruitment system, Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. has asked its prospective new hires for next year about their job preferences, allowing them to pick from around 30 types of job. After screening and interviews that will begin in November, the around 300 new hires will be notified where they will start their careers before they begin work next April, the start of the fiscal year in Japan.

“It will give me an opportunity to develop my career the way I want,” Reo Adachi, a senior at Waseda University in Tokyo, said at a meeting held by Sompo for its new hires.

Electronics maker Panasonic Holdings Corp. allowed job-hunting students to choose from around 150 positions within the group while beverage firm Kirin Holdings Co. decided to offer 10 major career paths.