Many companies will find solutions by digitising features and moving systems to the Cloud.
Digital solutions and digital transformation are expected to become crucial next year as part of the trend of some of the top 10 most sought-after talents in the country in 2021.
The global epidemic of the new coronavirus and the subsequent self-restraint from going out will force companies to change their operations in 2020, accelerating changes in the way employees work, stated global recruitment firm, Hays.
Approximately two-thirds of domestic companies are encouraging telecommuting, arguing that the traditional salaryman lifestyle, symbolised by packed commuter trains and long working hours in the office, will be a thing of the past.
“This social change means that companies will have to restructure their operations next year,” said Richard Ardleigh, managing director of Hays Japan. “Many companies will find solutions by digitising features and moving systems to the cloud. In such an environment, hybrid and remote workers play their respective roles in the same way they work in the office. It can be done seamlessly.
In addition to coronavirus-related issues, Japan in 2020 has been working on issues related to big data use and security, he noted.
“The newly appointed Prime Minister Kan is now a government agency called the Digital Agency, scheduled for early 2021,” Ardleigh said. “It is at the forefront of its founding efforts and is expected to reduce people’s anxiety over the use of corporate customer data, and companies are prepared for the contingencies that these moves can cause.
According to Hays the challenge of procuring highly qualified and experienced bilingual talent remains an issue for the Japanese job market.
Perhaps most notably this is in the areas of accounting, where CPA is lacking, and in the area of compliance, where finding candidates with the right skills is likely to be the biggest challenge for employers.
“Overall, Japan seems to be better able to deal with the corona epidemic than any other country, and 2021 could not only show a recovery in the job market, but also a recovery that is significantly larger and better than it once was,” said Ardleigh.
