Episode #46: Leading Youth Dilemmas

Japan is entering a scary world of work. The tried and true assimilation methods of the past, for injecting youth talent into firms, are starting to falter. Every generation feels a gap with its successor, but the size of the impending chasm in Japan is generating fresh challenges.

Millennials, defined as those becoming adults around 2000. At different times, it has been poor pickings for Varsity graduates in Japan to find a full time job. This year, Covid-19 has put the brakes on hiring graduates. But the demographics are clear. There are now half the number of 14-24 years olds in Japan, than there were 20 years ago. You don’t have to be a genius to see what is coming around the corner – the war for recruiting and keeping youth is going to hot up.

A smaller pool of available hires and a new found freedom to jump out, without any social stigma, is empowering this Millennial generation in new ways. The issue is going to be how to attract these Millennials to your company and how to keep them happy enough to stay with you?

There are thirty human relations principles outlined in the book, “How To Win Friends and Influence People” and they seem tailor made for dealing with Millennials. Sage advice like “Don’t Criticise, Condemn or Complain” will perfectly address delicate youth sensitivities. Remember we don’t leave companies, we leave bosses.

Principles such as “Talk in Terms of the Other Person’s Interests”; “Be a Good Listener - Encourage Others to Talk About Themselves”; “By Sympathetic With The Other Person’s Ideas and Desires” will be a challenge for supervisors who like to do all the talking and directing.

Companies are well advised to re-train their leaders to deal with this hotly contested youth worker supply problem. Otherwise, they may find they cannot engage or keep this next generation, so vital to fulfilling their firm’s succession planning.

Organisations will also be more attractive in recruiting and keeping Millennials, if they have more relevant training on offer for them. They lack experience, so they want practical information, not lecture or theory. They want concrete skills to make them more successful and they want them now.

Prepare your organisation for this brave new world of Japanese Millennials or brace yourself for the unfolding nightmare.

Action Items

Recognise the demographic trend is not in your favour
Educate your leaders to become better communicators
Embed Dale Carnegie’s Thirty Principles of human relations into your company culture
Provide practical skill training for the Millennials