Dec 15, 2011 (PRN): The dispersal of personnel out of Tokyo post-earthquake, the integration of mobile technology and demand for bilingual skills are among the top issues that will dominate Japan's recruitment market in 2012, according to recruiting experts Hays.

The recruiter notes that three challenges from 2011 will continue to impact the market, namely post-earthquake operational diversification, the European debt crisis and Japan's ageing population.

It also points towards a number of new challenges for the market in 2012. Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays in Japan, says many of these challenges have the potential to reshape our workforce.

"We are seeing a radical shift in the attitudes of candidates, which is forcing some fundamental changes onto Japan's recruitment landscape. Those companies that adapt quickly to these changes will be in the strongest position to secure the top talent in 2012."

According to Hays, the top ten recruitment issues for 2012 are as follows.

Continuing challenges from 2011:

1. Post-earthquake operational diversification: "Candidates and companies will continue to move out of Tokyo and Japan," says Christine. "The trend of companies diversifying their operational centre into Kansai as well as into other Asia Pacific countries, rather than concentrating teams in Tokyo, will change the face of Japan's workplace. As companies build their personnel base more widely across Japan, candidates are contacting us about job opportunities on offer. Many are embracing the opportunity to secure a role closer to home and this trend is certainly one to watch in 2012."

2. European debt crisis: "European Sovereign debt issues are impacting the global economy and here in Japan the banking and financial sector has been hit hard. But sales and marketing roles are increasing, which is a good indication of a healthy recovery in the retail and consumer sector. Nevertheless, instability in the Eurozone will remain a feature of the global market in 2012 and its impact will continue to be felt in Japan."

3. Ageing population: "Our ageing population will remain an ongoing challenge in 2012. The impact of this huge demographic shift will be a growing shortage of skills, which will significantly influence the way we all recruit. It will force companies to examine their attraction strategies and look at alternative candidate pools."

New challenges:

4. Develop an EVP: "The attitudes of candidates are changing. No longer is their primary motivation to secure a role with a big brand and they are also moving away from accepting autocratic, authoritative or command and control leadership styles. As a result, in 2012 companies will need to develop a strong employee value proposition (EVP) to attract and retain staff. They will also need to consider management styles, succession planning and offer a solid career path, which includes training and development."

5. Career changers: "Today's candidate pool is not only made up of new entrants to the labour force. Career changers are now a significant proportion of the candidate pool. These career changers are shrugging off the mentality of lifetime employment by making a mid-career job change. As our population ages and skills shortages deepen, we expect to see more companies recruit career changers and benefit from their experience."

6. Diversity: "Along with career changers, companies will also need to embrace diversity as part of their strategy to overcome skills shortages. For example, age limits restrict the pool of potential candidates that can be considered for a vacancy. We advise employers to be more open to considering older candidates and returners to the workforce, such as those returning from maternity leave or career breaks to study or travel. This will naturally lead to companies reviewing and improving their training and development programs."

7. Focus on bottom line results: "Companies in Japan are traditionally activity focused rather than focusing on end result. Consequently, candidates who want to be recognized for their contribution to bottom line results have had less choice in an employer. But as Japanese companies enter the global market, more are changing the way they measure their success by looking at efficiency rather than volume. This will have implications for recruitment in 2012, as more employers will look to attract suitable employees who can help drive this change."

8. Use of social media: "Employers are using social networking sites to screen applicants, but some are taking this a step further and using the content on these sites to help them decide who they will hire. We caution against this, and advise employers to authenticate the information they find online. Just as some candidates embellish their CV, we have seen cases of candidates exaggerating their skills, experience or qualifications on networking sites. So in 2012, we advise employers to work with a recruiter or adopt more thorough background and reference checking procedures before making a hiring decision."

9. Mobile technology: "We expect to see further integration of mobile technology into the recruitment process in 2012. Candidates have a growing appetite for information that merges easily with mobile technology, so organisations will look for ways that the recruitment process can make this simple."

10. Bilingual skills: "The demand for bilingual skills is increasing rapidly. In 2012 we expect to see an increase in the number of requests for candidates with strong bilingual skills. As the business community becomes increasingly globalised this is essential in helping organisations do business across the globe. Candidates who have worked overseas will also find themselves snapped up quickly."

Hays, the world's leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.

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