高い専門技術と柔軟な適応力で、日本企業の競争力を高める外国人材　　　　　気ままなリライト７９

都内の高度外国人材1.34倍　飲食やホテル、幅広く採用 - 日本経済新聞

When the integration of international high-skilled workers is intensifying in Japanese companies, the management are finding themselves inspired to convert challenges into promising opportunities. With many Japanese companies grappling with a shortage of professional expertise, the rapid cross-cultural integration is presenting an opportunity to test their capacity to blend diverse cultural dimensions with their deeply rooted traditions. Designing a work environment not only conducive to, but also appreciative of cultural diversity is remaining challenging. Some companies are driving their international talented employees to carve out their niche, rewarding their enthusiasm about navigating the esoteric cultural and ethical labyrinth of the Japanese corporate world. As those international high-skilled workers are balancing their own cultural insights with the traditional Japanese values, they are standing poised to strengthen the global competitiveness of their respective companies.

Despite the labor market favoring international talents, with certain industries demonstrating higher demand and openness towards hiring them, many international graduate students in Japan are struggling to find the emotional rewards of employment with Japanese companies. Only a handful of international job seekers are finding it worthwhile tackling the challenges posed by the Japanese corporate recruitment policies, which place high value on cultural familiarity, Japanese language proficiency, and long-term commitment to the country. Moreover, a widening gap between the tasks employers expect from international employees and what those employees expect from their companies is leading to an escalating turnover rate. Those international talents, open to considering other alternatives instead of insisting on staying in Japan, are more willing to take risks and change jobs in pursuit of better opportunities for self-fulfillment.

Passionate about enriching diversity and stimulating dynamism through the recruitment of highly-skilled international workers, certain Japanese companies are promoting a work environment enabling those employees to experience deep inner satisfaction in their roles through a sense of inclusion, without forcing them to conform to unfamiliar cultural and ethical standards. In those companies, where non-verbal communication is valued and each employee's skills are considered separate from nationality, the interplay between the fresh non-Japanese perspectives offered by international employees and the entrenched mindsets held by Japanese employers is striking a delicate balance. Tasked with the specific role of accomplishing mission-focused objectives in keeping with the company’s worldwide ambitions, those international workers are willing to emphasize the broader team story to shape their own individual narrative distinctly from. A feeling of being an integral part of the larger team dynamic is granting them a sense of dignity and mental satisfaction in the process of their jobs, thus transforming them into committed contributors rather than mercenaries. That sense of inclusion is inspiring those employees to leave lasting footprints as essential assets on the Japanese corporate landscape, instilling a sense of belonging and self-worth, leading to a profound impact on the Japanese work ethics.

Over the past five years, an increase in the number of international high-skilled workers from neighboring Asian countries has been marked, particularly in certain prefectures, except for the three primary metropolitan areas where international high-skilled workers are always clustering. Those workers, with a residency status under the specific skilled worker program, predominantly came from Vietnam, with a large number also coming from China, South Korea, and India. Businesses struggling with labor shortages have increasingly turned to individuals with those nationalities for recruitment, especially those seeking to expand their operations through subsidiaries within those Asian countries. Outside of the three metropolitan areas, the Tokyo-region prefectures of Ibaragi, Gunma, Tochigi, and Yamanashi experienced doubling of high-skilled international hires in local companies over the period from 2016 to 2021.

In Ibaragi Prefecture, a region battling demographic challenges such as an aging population and a labor shortage, many companies seeking international high-skilled workers have witnessed a fertile ground ripe for cross-pollination with Vietnamese flair. Through a job fair held in November 2022, out of the 1,119 Vietnamese high-skilled job seekers, 60 accepted job offers from 24 companies. Ranging from the automobile to engineering sectors, those companies are counting on those new recruits to be the cornerstones of their business expansion. Sekisho Group, with its subsidiary in Hanoi, an energy production and distribution dynamo based in Chikusei City, Ibaragi Prefecture is standing as a prime model of the company sharing a clear vision of the neccesity of individual international talents linked with expansive corporate objectives among all employees. One of their talents, Dao Cong Hoan, a graduate of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, is finding his niche in Sekisho’s system development sector. He is turning his expertise in IT technology into a driving force to propel the company forward.

Other international high-skilled professionals are carving their own trajectory in the Japanese corporate sector, leveraging their specialized skills to enhance the global reach of their respective companies. One such individual is Nina Sebastian, a Pinay known as their joyful resilience, warmth and strong family ties. She is actively promoting a cultural exchange as an employee of Glory High Grace in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. With five years of experience as an Assistant Language Teacher, her role as a cross-cultural communicator is expanding the understanding of diverse cultures among her peers and customers. Nina’s dream of serving as a cultural liaison between Japan and the Philippines is gradually getting realistic, empowered by her commitment to promoting cultural interaction. Her journey, along with those of five other international employees is underscoring the value international high-skilled workers bring to the Japanese corporate world as Glory High Grace with the total workforce of 21, is cementing a cultural bridge among local communities, honorably recognized by Gunma Prefecture as a model company in fiscal 2021.