Keidanren to Abolish Guidelines on College Student Hiring

September 4, 2018

Tokyo- The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, plans to abolish its guidelines on member companies' hiring of college graduates, starting with those to be hired in spring 2021, its chairman, Hiroaki Nakanishi, said Monday.

Under the current guidelines, companies' explanatory sessions with prospective college graduates are allowed to start in March and job interviews in June. The schedule is set to remain at least until the spring 2020 hiring.

"I don't feel it's quite right for Keidanren to oversee hiring schedules," Nakanishi told a press conference.

He also expressed doubts over current hiring practices, including mass hiring of college graduates.

Amid labor shortages in the country, hiring competition among businesses is intensifying. Early hiring by non-Keidanren member firms, including foreign-affiliated companies, is also considered a problem with the guidelines.

A lack of venues for holding company explanatory sessions is expected in 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Nakanishi's predecessor, Sadayuki Sakakibara, has unveiled plans to review the guidelines this autumn.

The abolishment of the guidelines may deal a blow to businesses and students because the guidelines serve as a certain standard for them to plan hiring and job-hunting activities.

"We need to look at solutions" to such consequences, Nakanishi said, indicating plans to listen opinions from the student side.

The Federation of Japanese Private Colleges and Universities Associations is pushing to keep the current hiring schedule in place. Jiji Press