Recruitment in Japan During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Recruitment in Japan During the Covid-19 Pandemic

In this article, we would like to introduce job-hunting activities in Japan during the Covid-19 pandemic. The way to find a job in Japan has changed dramatically. The most significant change has been the shift to online recruiting. During the Covid-19 pandemic, about 80% of companies introduced online recruitment activities.

Previously, job-hunting in Japan saw job-seekers attend face-to-face career fairs where they listened to briefings from multiple companies in one day, as well as visiting companies to attend information sessions and partake in the screening processes. Nowadays, internships, company information sessions, and interviews are all conducted online.

We believe that there will be continued opportunities to conduct interviews online in the future. So, we have compiled the following tips for online interviews. Please try to put them into practice.

【Points to Note for Online Interviews】

■Conduct the interview in a location with a stable Internet connection.

From the companies’ perspective regarding online internships, a disadvantage mentioned was that “communication troubles are likely to occur and communication is delayed.”

When communication troubles occur, it is inconvenient for companies and conversations may be delayed. Troubles may also reduce participant self-promotion time, and, as a result, they may become panicked and find it difficult to express themselves well. Having a stable internet connection will help you avoid such problems during the interview.

■ If you take the interview at home, make sure the room is not cluttered.

Clothes, bags, etc. in the background of an interview can give the impression that you are unorganized, untidy, or careless. Use a wall as a background or a virtual background to avoid showing information that is not relevant to the interview.

■Pay attention to the distance and angle of the camera.

To ensure that the person you are talking to can see your face clearly, keep your gaze and camera position straight, and keep your upper body at an appropriate distance from the camera. If the camera is facing down, the person you are speaking with cannot see your face. On the other hand, if the camera is facing upward, it may appear that you are looking down.

Please consider the position of a camera not to give a negative impression and how you appear on the screen during the online interview.

■Look at the camera instead of the person’s eyes when speaking.

Also, during the web interview, you should look at the camera and not at the person’s eyes on the screen. This is because even if you make eye contact with the person on the screen, you are not looking at the camera. After all, it will appear to the other person that you are not looking at them.

■Do not operate a computer during a web interview.

During the web interview, try to avoid operating the computer as much as possible. You may want to take notes on the computer, but the microphone will also pick up the sound of mouse clicks and keyboard typing. If you’re going to take notes, use a pen and paper.

Also, close all windows except the one you will be using, since an application notification or error alerts may make sounds.

In addition, it is important to “speak more clearly than during a face-to-face interview” and to “check the company’s emergency contact information in case of any troubles”.

Many international students may not be able to come to Japan due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but let’s make good use of online interviews and succeed in finding a job in Japan!