No change in employment strategy for 35% of companies; Top new in-demand skills post-COVID-19

Responses from 115 domestic and foreign-affiliated companies in Japan

On June 4, specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters Japan announced the survey results on hiring activities in Japan post-COVID-19. A total of 115 domestic and foreign-affiliated companies in Japan participated in the survey.

35% reported no change in employment strategy

Even with the impact of COVID-19, 35% of the companies answered that no staffing changes, including hiring activities and maintenance of employment, were made in response to the pandemic. Furthermore, 14% of companies responded that they were hiring additional staff due to rising demand.

Top skills in demand post-COVID-19: “communication” (1st), “management/leadership” (2nd) and “crisis management” (3rd); demand for “health and safety management” & “emotional intelligence” surges

When HR personnel from the participating companies were asked what skills are most in demand within their organisations in a post-pandemic world, “communication” ranked first (65%). 49% responded “management/leadership” and 46% responded “crisis management.” Ranking alongside skills such as digital marketing and cloud computing which have always been in high demand, “health and safety management” emerged as a top skill amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, “emotional intelligence,” which is attracting attention as a leadership skill essential for improving engagement, ranked within the top ten.

45% adopted remote interviews during COVID-19, only 10% did not adopt remote interviews

Out of 115 companies, including Japanese subsidiaries of major global companies, 45% introduced remote interviews for recruitment in response to the spread of COVID-19. 45% have been conducting remote interviews prior to COVID-19 while only 10% responded that they did not conduct remote interviews.

Jeremy Sampson, Managing Director at Robert Walters Japan, who oversaw the survey, commented: “Even with the impact of COVID-19, Japan continues to have a chronic shortage of talent. We have witnessed an emerging trend of progressive companies succeeding in acquiring highly demanded, skilled talent while peers are not bidding on them proactively by quickly introducing remote interviews and onboarding processes. In addition, people with high emotional intelligence and management skills who can unite employees and enhance their productivity even in difficult situations such as a pandemic are receiving increasing attention.”

(Survey period: May 11 to May 25, 2020, Target: Domestic and foreign-affiliated companies in Japan n=115 companies)