To attract Generation Z who want to improve themselves rather than the company: Recruitment by job type, sauna interviews, video release Companies gathering wisdom

Activities by companies to hire new graduates who will join the company in April 2020 are in full swing, and interviews will begin in June, mainly at Keidanren member companies. Young people in their early 20s, known as “Generation Z,” are very career-oriented, and it is not uncommon for them to change jobs after joining the company. As the labor shortage becomes more and more serious, companies are taking steps to match the characteristics of Generation Z from the hiring stage in order to acquire and retain talented people.

“What kind of people grow quickly and play an active role in your company?”

A representative from a major real estate company came into contact with students during recent recruitment activities and was surprised by such proactive questions. “I feel that Generation Z has a higher desire to grow than previous generations.”

A recruiter at a megabank says, “What people are looking for in a company is changing from a stable life to personal growth and skill acquisition.”

The background is the fluidization of the labor market due to factors such as the collapse of lifetime employment. Students seem to have a growing awareness of the need to increase their market value, and even after joining a company, if they feel that the job is different from what they had envisioned, they tend to immediately start thinking about changing jobs.

On the other hand, due to the declining birthrate, labor shortages have become apparent in many industries. Faced with the tendency of young people to place importance on improving their own skills, companies are concerned about the loss of human resources and are desperately trying to win the hearts of Generation Z.

Sumitomo Corporation has introduced a new system that allows new graduates who join the company in April 207 to choose their first assignment after joining the company. Regardless of your major, you can choose your desired department from among 28 departments, including real estate.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation is expanding the course-specific recruitment system that was newly established in 2019. “The number of students who want to immediately get involved in their desired work is increasing, and there are some cases where hiring them all at once for general positions is not suitable.” Panasonic Holdings (HD) also introduced a hiring system starting in fiscal 2015, in which employees are guaranteed an initial position when they are offered a job offer.

In addition, Boku to I to Co., Ltd. (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), which develops planning and marketing businesses for Generation Z, is conducting “Sauna Hiring” for those who wish to do so. The president and the applicant have a one-on-one interview while enjoying the sauna. President Kento Imataki says, “I can talk to him in a relaxed manner, and I can understand people’s personalities very well.”

Royal Hotel, which operates Rihga Royal Hotel, is increasing the number of demonstrations and hands-on experiences such as cooking at company information sessions. I showed them how to make sweets and had them sample cocktails. The person in charge hopes that this will be an opportunity for people to become interested in hotel work.

An increasing number of companies are making full use of the digital technology that Generation Z is accustomed to. Panasonic HD will gradually introduce a system starting from the 7th year of recruitment, in which when a person enters their major and background on a dedicated website, artificial intelligence (AI) will recommend suitable jobs. Since last year, Kintetsu Department Store has been making interviews with young employees available exclusively to students who have applied on the video posting site YouTube.

Many companies are trying to make their benefits more attractive after joining the company. Nippon Steel, which plans to hire 750 to 780 people (including those with experience) in fiscal 207, will raise starting salaries by 41,000 yen for university graduates and 30,000 yen for high school graduates. The young generation is responsible for the future of companies. Recruitment activities are becoming more heated with each passing year.

Becoming a “company of choice”: Providing detailed explanations for assignments and transfers, Rikkyo University Professor Jun Nakahara

The impression I get from the students I interact with on a daily basis is that the way they look for jobs and how they think about work-life balance is completely different from before. Currently, she begins her internship at a company in the spring of her third year at university, and is in an environment where she is thinking about work from an early age. The “stability-oriented” attitude of wanting to work for a large company with good pay and avoiding small and medium-sized companies if possible remains the same.

However, I am aware that this is not a lifetime employment. That’s why there is a strong sense that “I want to choose my assignment and work location myself.I don’t want to be responsible for something I didn’t choose.” They dislike transfers and long working hours, and respect their own time. It’s logical in that sense.

On the other hand, due to labor shortages, the situation in which individuals choose their own companies is accelerating year by year, and within 10 years, many companies will no longer be able to hire new graduates.

In order to be selected by a company, superiors and subordinates must carefully explain “why we are making this appointment” and “how it will lead to future career opportunities” when assigning or transferring employees. Managers are increasingly being asked to recognize that investing in human capital is what creates competitive advantage. (Interviewer Yohei Ushijima)

More than half of young employees have experience changing jobs

A person in charge at a major energy company in the Kansai region says the reason they are increasing the number of new hires every year is because “the percentage of new graduates who join the company and then quit immediately is increasing.” The abundance of advertisements on the Internet and TV for career change sites is a symbol of the fact that, at least in the minds of young people, “lifetime employment,” in which people work for one company for the rest of their lives, is becoming a thing of the past.

In fact, the number of young employees at companies looking to change jobs is increasing year by year.

According to the “White Paper on Work for Young People 2024,” which was conducted by Leverages (Tokyo), which handles human resources related businesses, among full-time employees and part-time workers between the ages of 18 and 29, 1,000 full-time employees were asked whether they were currently looking for a job change. Approximately one in five people (21.4%) answered that they were currently looking for a job change. This is an increase of about 3 points from 18.2% last year, and is the highest level in the past three years.

Furthermore, when asked if they had any experience in changing jobs, approximately 30% (33.7%) answered that they had done so. When combined with “Currently looking for a job change,” it becomes clear that more than half of young employees have experience looking for a job change. The company says, “The number of young people who are less reluctant to change their working environment is on the rise.”

So why do you want to change jobs? According to the white paper, the number one reason for starting a job change (551 full-time employees, up to three answers) was “Low salary” at 44.6%, and the second was “Lack of sense of challenge or accomplishment” at 29%.・9%, and 3rd place was “poor interpersonal relationships” at 23.0%. This suggests that dissatisfaction with pay and other treatment is a direct cause, and that lack of motivation and interpersonal relationships are behind this. (Yohei Ushijima)