Introduction
While watching the news and sipping my morning coffee, I noticed something interesting that caught my attention.
Fujifilm HoldingsHowever, the story goes that they invited foreign students attending universities in Europe and the US to their Tokyo headquarters for a two-month internship. While it may not be unusual for foreign students to work at the headquarters of a Japanese company, it is actually still not common in Japanese companies.
Why go to the trouble of inviting foreign students all the way from overseas?
Seeing this initiative, I get the feeling that the human resource strategies of Japanese companies are gradually changing.
background
Japanese companies have struggled for a long time to acquire top talent from overseas."Recruitment"This was a matter of concern.
"Hiring top talent" is the core of recruitment. However, this perspective has been changing somewhat recently.
Japanese companies, especially large corporations, have expanded into diverse businesses in the global market, including semiconductor materials, medical equipment, and tourism, in addition to their traditional core businesses. Therefore, their employees also need to be globalized.
On the other hand, there is the fact that many overseas students are not very familiar with the reality of Japanese companies.
For example, when people overseas hear the name "Fujifilm," they still tend to think of it primarily as a "camera company."
The gap between a company's reality and its brand image.
This has revealed a challenge that the vast majority of Japanese companies are facing.
Main theme
What makes this initiative interesting is that it's not an "internship for recruitment purposes."
For example, Fujifilm aims to increase the number of people in its network of overseas students who understand the company.
In other words,
Investing in broadening "company understanding" before hiringis.
We don't know where students will work in the future.
Nevertheless, if people who have experienced the corporate culture and work environment spread throughout the world, connections will eventually be made somewhere.
A long-term brand strategy, not a short-term recruitment strategy.
That's the kind of thinking that comes to mind.
Specific facts
Let's look at an example from Fujifilm.
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Information sessions were held at 10 overseas universities.
Approximately 100 people applied, and three were selected to handle research and analysis at the Tokyo headquarters. -
Working in the same environment as on-site employees
You join a business division such as healthcare, and finally, you present your achievements to executives. -
Transportation expenses and daily allowances are also provided.
While the costs for companies are not insignificant, it is implemented as a long-term investment in human resources.
Another interesting point is the potential for Japanese companies' work styles themselves to be attractive.
While interns in Europe and the US are often expected to produce results as immediate contributors, Japanese companies have a "nurturing" culture where they carefully teach interns the background and overall picture of the work.
That's what's known as on-the-job training (OJT).
The international students who participated in the internship said they felt a sense of security in the work environment, where employees provided close support.
What's considered normal in Japanese companies might seem novel from an outsider's perspective.
Another trend: Internships are spreading in the service industry.
A similar trend can be seen in the service industry.
Tokyu Hotels & ResortsWe partnered with a vocational school in South Korea and accepted students as interns.
They work at hotels such as "Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu" and "Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu," rotating through roles such as front desk, restaurant, and housekeeping.
What's distinctive is that they're not called "trainees,"
They were able to contribute to the workforce as hourly-wage part-time workers.
Learn Japanese and customer service skills while working on-site.
While this is partly to compensate for labor shortages, the company seems to view it as planting the seeds for future overseas expansion.
Summary
We invite international students to our headquarters and have them work alongside us in the field.
That approach might be closer to "building future colleagues" than to simply hiring.
A company's appeal is often difficult to convey through brochures alone.
The time we spent working together is what I remember most.
I was thinking about those things while drinking my morning coffee.
I hope that today's work will be a memorable experience for someone.
