eNewsletter

The electronics company Sony Corp. recently revealed that it is moving away from Japan’s traditional recruitment process.  Sony announced in late December that they want to break out of the standard strict hiring process to get to know applicants as individuals.

Recruitment in Japan is traditionally conservative and formal.  Companies tend to have formulaic interviews with strict schedules and dress codes.  Japan’s rigid recruiting system also tends to hire the most recent graduates while locking out other applicants.  Older workers or applicants who have been out of college for a year or more are usually not considered at all.

Sony Corp. plans to change this way of hiring for their 2013 new hires.  Instead of the typical one-on-one Q&As that most Japanese companies hold, Sony will have workshops, proposal planning and discussion groups to get to know how applicants might think on the job.  During these interviews, Sony will encourage applicants to have a more relaxed wardrobe and use more informal language.  The company is also extending employment opportunities for applicants who have been out of school for as long as three years. 

Sony hopes that this new method of hiring talent will yield more innovative employees and boost their business.  If this model works well for Sony, other Japanese companies may choose to change their recruiting processes as well.