Forecast of Talent Acquisition Trends for Q2 2018

Robert Walters Japan Forecasts Talent Acquisition Trends for April – June 2018

Comment in Response to the December Job Openings-to-Applicants Ratio

• Increased hiring activity in the fintech and automotive sectors
• Demand to rise for programmers specialising in mobile payment applications and robo-advisors
• More inquiries for engineers in the areas of EV batteries, connected cars, self-driving
  

TOKYO, April 27, 2018—Robert Walters Japan, a leading recruitment consultancy with the largest number of registered Japanese and English bilingual professionals, today responded to the Employment Referrals for General Workers statistics announced by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for March 2018. Robert Walters also released its forecast for general employment trends in the April–June quarter.

The effective job openings-to-applicants ratio announced by MHLW held steady at 1.59 for March, with a continuing scarcity of workers. In response to globalisation, more companies in a wide range of sectors are placing and investing in bilingual personnel with strong English-language skills who are familiar with international business practices. During the April–June quarter, Robert Walters anticipates growth in demand, particularly in the fintech and automotive sectors, which both continue to undergo technological advancements and changes in competitive conditions.

A representative from Robert Walters Japan, said, "last year, jobs and hiring activity increased for fintech personnel responsible for strategy and system development in the bank settlement and remittance areas. During the second half of 2017, an increase in cryptocurrency transactions led to more requests for the recruitment of fintech personnel for management teams and compliance at newly registered cryptocurrency exchange companies.

"More recently, we anticipate a certain number of jobs and hirings centred on IT engineers, such as programmers to develop mobile payment applications and robo-advisors for asset and wealth management, as well as IT sales specialists to sell IT services to financial institutions and other businesses.

"As for personnel in the fintech sector, we expect the growth in demand to continue in the April–June quarter at companies in areas such as online services, fintech, consulting and financial services."

They added, "with the rapid advancements in electric vehicles, we have started to see active hiring by EV battery makers. In the areas of connected and self-driving cars, demand for engineers is expected to remain high, with a focus on personnel responsible for the testing of advanced technology and validation, as well as in control systems and telematics services. These trends are expected to continue in the April–June quarter."

Press Release (PDF)

To request further information, please contact PR executive on 03-4570-1500 or info@robertwalters.co.jp