Yosuke Hasegawa, a researcher at Mynavi Career Research Lab. An increasing number of companies are inviting the parents of prospective employees to orientation sessions to reassure parents about their children’s decisions to join their companies.
© Asahi ShimbunVoices
in
Japan
quote of the day
In a seller's market where the number of university students is decreasing, companies are engaged in a heated battle to attract students. Potential employers are trying to reassure parents, offering them a clearer insight into career paths and company culture.
©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
10 Comments
Login to comment
NotThe One
They are trying to con students into to joining companies where more knowledgeable young people do not see as a viable future because of the low pay, long hours, and very little upward mobility based on ability.
SDCA
The concept of taking in someone straight out of a uni and dying them into your company's brand color has long sailed. Most people change jobs before turning 30 now, so this quest to take in young talent shouldn't require any more resources otherwise it would just be a higher costing prospect that is capable of leaving at will. Why not employ more retired shufus who have the talent, are still malleable and capable of learning to work full-time for the company instead of haken positions? The likelihood that they will be grateful for the company and stay longer is higher than a uni grad student, and the cost to train them shouldn't be any different.
NotThe One
???
GillislowTier
Pulling in fresh grads only with the purpose of putting them in nondescript positions until they are molded into the system ideal office worker has gotten us this far but is now seeing diminishing returns now a days.
Something about convincing my parents that a place is good to work at makes me think they either have a big behind the scenes issue or another problem.
virusrex
This strategy seems more pressure than reassurance, and it may not be specially effective since part of the differences with previous generations is that current university graduates frequently look for a work position different from what their parents considered desirable (no longer aiming for a mediocre but stable job that may become better after a long time being employed for example), that would make their parents recommendations a reason to avoid a company.
grund
This seems quite out of step with time. The days when parents had a say of where the kids should work must surely be over even in Japan.
sakurasuki
When those candidate will be considered as adults in Japan?
TrevorPeace
Corporations running to mom and dad to convince junior to take a job - any job - clearly demonstrates desperation.
Blacksamurai
How about getting the fundamental terminology correct? It is not a 'Seller's market' if the number of students means that there is no over-supply but in fact a lack of competition.
In this case it is a 'Buyer's market' - those that are looking to buy have more choice than ever because they are not competing with the numbers of previous decades. The sellers have to work harder here to persuade the buyers that what they have to offer is better than their rivals.
I get that some people lack the fundamentals of even using the correct sayings these days but come on.