"Grades and Academic Background Don't Matter" – The Key to Employment in Japan is 'Reason for Experience' and 'Challenger Spirit'

The recruitment culture of Japanese companies shows a distinctly different pattern from South Korea. Unlike South Korean companies that emphasize quantitative indicators such as academic background, grades, and major, Japanese companies prioritize the applicant's experiences and the values revealed through those processes. Kasugai Moe, CEO of Bewell Korea Co., Ltd., who appeared on the YouTube channel 'Understanding: All the Knowledge in the World', explained that Japanese companies evaluate 'what experiences they had and how they solved problems' more importantly than an applicant's specifications.

'Self-Analysis' and 'Challenger Spirit' More Important Than Grades or Academic Background

According to CEO Kasugai, Japanese companies rarely require grades, and there is a tendency to view high or low grades as being as insignificant as differences in blood types, providing no competitive edge. Regarding academic background, she noted that it does not have a significant impact because recruiters at Japanese companies often do not clearly recognize the hierarchy of universities in South Korea. In the video, it was mentioned that many recruiters do not even know the names of major universities like Yonsei University, with only Seoul National University being widely recognized, meaning academic background is not a major variable. Many majors are also not heavily considered during recruitment.

Instead, Japanese companies focus on the applicant's 'story.' Taking the question about hobbies as an example, CEO Kasugai said, "It is not simply about what the hobby is, but rather they grasp the applicant's way of thinking through 'why they like that hobby'." For instance, they judge the applicant's tendency differently depending on whether the reason for liking cooking is 'to make people around them happy' or 'because they like designing efficient preparation processes.' To achieve this, the ability for 'self-analysis' to logically explain one's own experiences is essential.

Furthermore, a 'challenger spirit' that can respond to a rapidly changing environment is cited as a major evaluation factor. CEO Kasugai added, "It is very good if you can explain what kind of challenges you have undertaken through episodes such as traveling alone to India." Japanese companies use a method called 'Huk-pa (deeply digging questions)' to delve deeply into an applicant's experiences through questioning, aiming to verify the essence of the applicant. Because the questions go very deep, applicants must sufficiently prepare their experiences.

Characteristics of Japanese Companies: 'Job Rotation' and 'Strong Manual Culture'

One of the structural characteristics of Japanese companies is a culture of training new employees to develop them into talent, and a 'Job Rotation' system where one can experience various duties regardless of their major. Through this, opportunities to find a new duty that fits one's aptitude after joining the company are opened. Particularly in the case of global Japanese companies, it is also a characteristic that opportunities for overseas assignment may be given to South Korean applicants instead of Japanese employees who avoid working abroad.

On the other hand, the strict rules and manual culture unique to Japan can act as a disadvantage for South Korean applicants. CEO Kasugai explained, "Rules and manuals are very detailed and well-established, so if you act outside of them, you may be watched closely or face difficulties within the organization." The restriction of personal mobile phone use during working hours or the separate operation of business and personal mobile phones were mentioned as typical aspects of Japanese companies. As seen in the case where phones must be put inside a desk upon arriving at work, compliance with manuals is emphasized to the extent that a training period to master the manuals is required.

In terms of employment stability, Japanese companies have an advantage. Since it is very difficult to dismiss employees due to the legal and social atmosphere, it is cited as a major advantage for applicants to expect long-term service after joining. Japanese companies tend to be very cautious when hiring people, because the structure allows an employee to work for a lifetime if they set their mind to it. CEO Kasugai mentioned this employment stability, stating, "It is very difficult by law for the company to fire me."

Low Discrimination Against Foreigners and High Value as 'Overseas Career'

Regarding discrimination against foreigners in Japan, she explained, "Many South Koreans are already working in high positions in Japanese companies," and noted that it is rare for growth to be limited due to prejudice. Citing the case of global companies like SoftBank, she analyzed that the 'glass ceiling' where one suffers disadvantages in promotion or work due to being a foreigner is not large. She mentioned that there are actually cases at SoftBank where a South Korean employee who joined 30 years ago is active in a high position.

However, when preparing for employment in Japan, it is important to possess Japanese language skills at a level capable of 'Tiki-taka (natural communication)' with locals, beyond simple language acquisition. She advised that learning subtle nuances through actual interaction, rather than language learned only from books, is the way to increase the success rate of employment. It is necessary to go through the process of interacting with locals and sensing the social atmosphere or subtle nuances.

In terms of salary and entry barriers, the analysis suggests that the period as a new recruit is relatively advantageous. The monthly salary for a new recruit is introduced to be at the level of 2.2 million to 3 million yen, and welfare such as transportation expenses, housing subsidies, or company housing may be provided. While the starting salary may be relatively low, it is a structure where the salary increases as one stays with the company. Since experienced hires are strictly evaluated on Japanese language ability and previous work performance, even if the job preparation period in South Korea has become long, a path is open to challenge as a new recruit if they are under the age of 30.

Finally, CEO Kasugai cited 'securing overseas career experience' as an advantage of working in Japan. In a situation where employment competition in South Korea is fierce, the analysis is that job experience in Japan can be a powerful competitive edge when returning to South Korea in the future. Experience in a Japanese company can be an important asset in designing a future career path.