Why Japanese Companies Are Recruiting Korean Talent

There is often a need for talent who can fluently speak Korean or utilize networks within Korea.

This is closely related to Japanese companies' strategies to explore entry into the Korean market or strengthen communication with Korean customers.

The host explained the situation in Japan, saying, "In Japan, as soon as students are in their fourth year of university, companies are clamoring to pre-emptively recruit them."

It is common for lower-grade students to focus on campus life rather than academics, with employment typically secured before graduation.

She stated that she wanted to live in Korea and deeply understand Korean society.

Moe Kasugai, CEO, introduced her experience studying abroad in Korea, saying, "I actually entered Yonsei University."

Moe Kasugai, CEO, recalled feeling isolated during her study abroad in a small town of 300 people in Iowa, USA, where there were few Asians, facing language and cultural barriers.

This experience made her realize that Korea-Japan relations were not merely an issue between nations but also significantly impacted individual lives.

She explained the situation at the time, saying, "There was the WBC in 2009, did you see it? The very last game was Korea-Japan... a close friend called and I answered. Then he said, 'You are no longer my friend,' and broke off the friendship."

This incident led her to decide that she needed to properly learn and understand the Korean language and culture.

While attending Yonsei University, Moe Kasugai, CEO, observed her peers, who had excellent capabilities, struggling with employment, thus realizing the excellence of Korean talent. She explained the situation, saying, "Because I attended Yonsei, my peers, who were so good at studying and smart, couldn't get jobs."

Consequently, she decided to contribute to improving Korea-Japan relations as a private diplomat and started a matching business to help Korean university students find jobs at Japanese companies.

Moe Kasugai, CEO, emphasized the strengths of Korean talent, stating, "Koreans seem to work very hard. If you ask them to do something by next week, they really put in a lot of effort, unlike Japanese students who don't work as hard."

Korean applicants are highly enthusiastic about learning and work, and they receive positive evaluations for their fast work processing speed and multilingual abilities.

To get a job at a Japanese company, it is crucial to appeal with your potential, based on your attitude and diligence.

Japanese companies are aware that the high barrier of business Japanese and understanding subtle nuances can be challenging. However, they value the attitude and willingness to learn more than language proficiency. Moe Kasugai, CEO, advised, "I believe that if you just have the mindset of 'I want to do it,' that's enough. You learn by doing, and many people have succeeded that way."

Indeed, many Koreans are reported to rapidly acquire language skills through practical experience after joining Japanese companies.

Moe Kasugai, CEO, shared her experience, saying, "If you really push hard, about a year is enough. Many people succeed that way, as they have to communicate in Japanese every day while living there."

It is also known that Japanese employers hire Korean new graduates expecting them to sufficiently improve their language skills within a year after joining.

In job interviews for Japanese companies, preparing and memorizing answers to anticipated questions is an effective strategy. Moe Kasugai, CEO, explained, "Even in interviews, if you memorize enough, people who can speak Japanese to the extent of ordering at McDonald's have successfully found jobs."

In fact, many have succeeded in finding employment this way, even without perfect Japanese proficiency. Additionally, a minimum of three months is given for visa issuance after interview acceptance, providing ample time to focus on Japanese language study during this period.

Moe Kasugai, CEO, explained Japan's visa environment, stating, "These days, in the U.S., there are many visa issues, like not being able to get one without a green card. In Japan, if I'm completely Korean but get a job at a Japanese company, I can come to Japan, and the visa is usually issued easily."

For those with a higher education degree (associate's degree or higher), visa issuance is smooth, and Japanese companies actively support administrative procedures for visa issuance once employment is confirmed.

If Koreans directly apply through general Japanese job search sites, the burden of employment and the likelihood of rejection are high. Moe Kasugai, CEO, stated that she created Korec, a specialized platform for hiring Koreans, to solve this problem. She explained, "That was exactly why I created the company. The job postings and companies listed on Korec are those that specifically prefer Koreans, so it's easier to apply."

Korec selectively posts job openings only from companies that have a clear intention to hire Koreans, identified through their sales process. Many companies, even without a business connection to Korea, hire purely because they highly value the excellence of Koreans.

Since Korec started its Korean recruitment service in 2019, companies that have hired Korean talent have shown a high re-purchase rate. There is an increasing number of cases where companies, having directly confirmed the excellence of Koreans, request additional hires.

Moe Kasugai, CEO, stated, "Korec has been operating since 2019, and it varies by company. Some companies have known us for 10 years, and recently, with the emergence of companies like ours, many more companies are thinking, 'Koreans are good.' About 20 job postings go up every month."

Over 20 Korean job postings are consistently uploaded each month, and a positive perception of Korean talent is spreading in Japan.

This reflects high satisfaction with Korean employees' work processing speed and diligent attitude. Due to the excellence of Korean applicants, there is even a phenomenon where Koreans are preferred when competing with Japanese applicants.

Rather than simply stating that the average Korean is superior to the average Japanese, an Understanding official analyzed, "It's natural that a student who has the challenge-seeking spirit to go from Korea to Japan to 'get a job' and confidence in their language skills is superior when compared directly with an average Japanese university student."

Korean talent who choose to work in Japan generally tend to develop their capabilities through strong motivation and consistent effort.

These characteristics align with the ideal candidate profiles of Japanese companies, leading to positive evaluations.

Korean students, when asked in interviews, 'What was your most diligent experience in university?' tend to answer, 'I did an internship,' and if asked why, they say, 'I did it to put on my resume.' Moe Kasugai, CEO, pointed out, "But that actually doesn't make an appeal."

In Japanese company interviews, it is important whether the applicant gained experience out of personal interest or curiosity. If it appears to be merely resume-building for credentials, it can give the impression of a lack of sincerity, thereby reducing its appeal.

Therefore, given the significant investment in new hire training, they are wary of applicants likely to switch jobs within a short period. Moe Kasugai, CEO, emphasized, "Japanese companies spend a lot of money training new hires, so they don't like an attitude of wanting to leave soon. Employment is like dating; who would hire someone who says they'll break up after two years?"

It is crucial for Korean applicants to clearly express a long-term commitment and loyalty to the company in interviews, such as by saying they will 'bury their bones' there.

Japanese companies view hiring not merely as filling a vacancy but as a long-term investment, thus seeking to confirm the applicant's stable employment intent.

Understanding these cultural differences and approaching interviews with this in mind is essential for successful employment at a Japanese company.