Creating a more diverse environment key to attracting foreign talent

On October 5, specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters Japan announced the second installment of the survey results on foreign employees working in Japan. As Japan continues to experience declining birthrates and an aging population, tapping into overseas talent is seen as one of the primary strategies to address the nation’s chronic labour shortage. A total of 613 full-time employees working for Japanese and foreign-affiliated companies responded to the survey.

Over 70% of foreign employees want to work in Japan for the next 5 years or more

In our previous press release regarding foreign employees in Japan, we mentioned that many foreign nationals have been working in Japan for more than 10 years. When asked for how long they would like to continue working in Japan, 45% responded “over 10 years” and 28% responded “5-10 years.” This indicates that more than 70% of foreign nationals hope to continue working in Japan for at least five more years. 

To identify areas for improvement, we asked respondents what they found frustrating while working in Japan. The most common response with 37% was that “it takes longer to get things done” such as meeting times, settlement processes, etc. This was followed by “low salary levels” (27%), and “many unspoken rules dictate how people behave” (24%). To make Japan a more attractive place for foreign nationals to work, companies may consider these points.

96% of Japanese nationals have worked with foreign nationals

The overwhelming majority of respondents who identify as a Japanese national have worked together with foreign nationals (96%). 

When asked what the positive aspects were of working with foreigners, the top answers were the “opportunity to experience different cultures” (28%) followed by “diverse ways of thinking led to new ideas” (21%). However, 26% stated that they “did not notice any difference between Japanese and foreign national colleagues.” Conversely, when asked what they found challenging about working with foreigners, the most common responses were: “nothing in particular” (38%), “the tendency to voice opinions strongly” (14%), and “the quality of work doesn’t match expectations” (13%). Overall, only a small minority perceive any disadvantages or challenges about working with foreigners, and most professionals are taking advantage of cultural diversity to create new ideas at work.

Nearly half perceive challenges in accommodating foreign company employees

About half of all respondents, regardless of nationality, feel that there are challenges to accommodating foreign nationals at their place of work.

When asked what strategies they believe would help address these challenges, the most common response among foreign employees was “creating a more diverse work environment” (29%). This was followed by “eliminating the separation of ‘Japanese’ and ‘foreigners’ and making the system uniform” (22%), and “improving work-life balance to make it easier for everyone to work” (15%). Among Japanese employees, “improving the English language skills of Japanese employees” (34%) ranked first, followed by “eliminating the separation of ‘Japanese’ and ‘foreigners’ and making the system uniform” (16%), and “creating a more diverse work environment” (14%).

While 34% of Japanese nationals said that improving the English language skills of Japanese employees would contribute towards making the workplace more accommodating for foreigners, only 7% of foreign employees believed that it would solve the issue. Rather than worrying about language skills, more focus should be shifted towards creating a diverse environment and a work-life balance that makes it easy for everyone to work, regardless of nationality.

(Survey period: 7 – 17 July 2022, Target: Company employees registered with Robert Walters Japan and living in Japan n=613)

Press Release(PDF)

About Robert Walters Japan:

Established in London, United Kingdom, in 1985, Robert Walters is a specialist recruitment consultancy with operations in 31 countries around the world. Robert Walters Japan established its Tokyo office in 2000 and Osaka office in 2007.  For over 20 years, we've been a driving force in the Japanese bilingual recruitment market, providing high quality candidates for our clients and access to the best jobs. Our consultants are experts in their respective industries and work in teams to provide recruitment consultation services across a wide range of industries and job categories.

Press contact:

PR & Communications, Robert Walters Japan
Phone: 03-4570-1500  E-mail: info@robertwalters.co.jp