Trouble in charge of hiring foreigners "I want to suppress the retirement of foreign employees" What are the effective measures to improve the retention rate?

Among companies that recruit and employ foreigners, there are many managers and hiring managers who are worried that ``even if they hire foreigners, they quit immediately.''
In this column, I will explain from the perspective of an administrative scrivener who is a visa professional, from ``What are the causes of foreign employees leaving the company?'' to ``What can be done to reduce the retirement rate of foreign employees?''

XNUMX. XNUMX.Will foreigners quit soon?What is the turnover rate?

　In recent years, the number of Japanese companies hiring foreigners has increased, and in 2016 the number of foreign workers exceeded 100 million nationwide, and in October 2019 it was 10 (up 165% from the previous year). , Has increased significantly.
However, it seems that many companies have the image that even if they hire foreigners, they will quit immediately.Although it cannot be said unconditionally depending on the industry, it can be said that foreigners generally have a higher turnover rate than Japanese people in terms of statistics.

この"High turnover rate of foreigners"The cause of“What companies can do to increase the retention rate of foreigners”I will explain what can happen.

▼ Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare survey results

TurnoverIs an index that shows how many of the workers who were in work at a certain point in a certain period of time left the job due to retirement.

To compare the turnover rates of Japanese and foreigners, let's take a look at the results of a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Looking at the turnover rate of Japan as a whole from the "Overview of the 30 Employment Trend Survey Results" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the turnover rate of Japanese working under the condition of "no fixed employment period" is 8.6% for men. The percentage of women is 12.4%, and the average of men and women is 10.1%.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Japan on the turnover rate of new graduates within 3 years after employment, the turnover rate of new graduates within 28 years after employment in 3 was 32.0% for university graduates.

On the other hand, according to a survey of the foreign worker turnover rate by the same ministry, the foreign worker turnover rate was 44.5% across all industries and all business sizes (Summary of notification status of "Foreign employment status") .
The turnover rate in Japan in the same year was 16.2% for all industries and all business sizes, so it can be said that the rate of foreign workers resigning is relatively high.
However, the distribution of industries in which foreigners engage is biased, and the percentage of regular employees is not the same, so a simple comparison cannot be made.

The main reasons why foreigners retire are said to be as follows.

• -dissatisfaction with salary
• -workplace relationships
• -I am unable to utilize my expertise and skills at work.
• -Dissatisfaction with working conditions such as working hours and holidays (especially overtime and working on holidays)
• -Advanced Japanese language skills required

2.Points to raise the retention rate by hiring foreigners

Now, let's look at the points to reduce the turnover rate of foreigners, which is generally high, and increase the retention rate.

▼ Working conditions

Even in working conditionsSalaryaboutMust be at least equivalent to Japanese employees with the same experience and job category..
This is natural since it is one of the conditions for being granted a work visa such as "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services," but it is also because there are many foreigners whose purpose in working in Japan is to earn money. , dissatisfaction with pay increases employee turnover.
for that reason,Set salaries without a sense of unfairness and equalize treatmentContributes to improving the retention rate.

Including interpersonal relationships in the workplace and work methods“Improving the working environment”will also be a point.
Many foreigners feel that the concept of the relationship between superiors and subordinates and the order of seniors and juniors, which is often seen in Japanese companies, is unique.In addition, in companies where the horizontal connection of synchronous hiring employees, which is born from the employment practice of new graduate recruitment, is a characteristic of human relations,Foreigners often find it difficult to get into the circleIt will be.
In addition, both internal communication and external communicationAdvanced Japanese language skills are often requiredThis may also be a high hurdle for foreigners.
in addition,Internal instructions and communications are unclearFor many foreigners who expect culturally clear instructions,DissatisfactionYou will feel it.

To improve this situation and reduce the turnover rate, the following points are important.

• -Build a support system for internal communication (use of foreign mentors to act as advisors, etc.)
• -Clarification and transparency of evaluation criteria
• -Creation of business manual
• -Clarification of instructions and communication
• -Communication in easy Japanese

I believe that improving the working environment will contribute to improving the retention rate of foreigners.

▼ Cultural differences

Even if you say a foreign country, there are various cultures and ways of thinking depending on the country or region, and the differences also affect how you perceive "work."
For example, rather than workPrioritize familyIf there is a national character that has a culture and values ​​to doReligion is our top priorityThere is also a national character to do.
In Japan, I think there is a strong belief that work is given priority to a certain extent, that it is natural to contribute to the company, and that overtime and working on holidays are tolerated to some extent.
However, for foreigners who have values ​​that prioritize family and spending time with them, this Japanese way of thinking is difficult to understand, and they feel strongly dissatisfied with being forced to work overtime.
The idea that "because this is Japan, foreigners should also follow Japanese values ​​and ways of doing things" does not match the reality of the Japanese labor market in the future, and in the futureWe approach each other from a global perspective and coexistIs required.

like thisRetirement due to cultural differencesThe following points are important to prevent.

• -If you need to work on holidays, adjust your work days.
• -Thoroughly explain that overtime pay will be paid (sometimes the employee may not even know that overtime pay exists in the first place)
• -Do not force employees to attend social gatherings, etc. outside of working hours.

▼ Language differences

For Japanese companies, even if it is a global company, it is possible to contact them for business within the company.日本語Is often used.
If Japanese is required in all situations of reading, writing, and conversation, and the evaluation of work includes Japanese ability, it is difficult to get a higher evaluation than Japanese employees who are doing the same work. This reduces work motivation.

Therefore, please pay attention to the following points.Effect of suppressing retirementCan be expected.

• -Lower the standard of Japanese used in business and try to use easy Japanese.
• -Introduce communication using English
• -Provide Japanese language training to foreign employees within the company