Recruitment practices in times of demographic change: The case of Japan
Due to the shrinking number of employable university graduates, companies in industrialised countries are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit qualified young people. This situation is particularly pronounced in Japan, where companies are competing for the best talent. Taking a multi-stakeholder perspective, this study examines the changes in the Japanese recruitment system from the perspective of companies, university career centres and external organisations involved in recruitment.
Based on in-depth interviews with these stakeholders, this study examines how recruitment practices in Japan have changed, what recruitment guidelines are currently followed by companies and to what extent traditional recruitment practices still prevail. As the results show, recruitment activities in Japan have accelerated in recent years, with companies seeking to recruit university students early in their studies in order to secure qualified talent. This study also discusses the implications of the findings for Japan and other industrialised countries with similar demographic problems.
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