New survey shows need for Japanese employers to do better in managing foreign workers
Language has emerged as the top barrier for communication between Japanese employees and their foreign colleagues, according to reports.
Japan Today reported on Monday a new survey from Staff Service Holdings Co that polled 1,467 employees who currently work with or have experience working with foreign staff.
According to the poll, 45.8% of the respondents have experienced communication difficulties.
They attributed this difficulty to language issues (57.3%), as well as misunderstandings or mistakes arising from insufficient Japanese comprehension (32.3%).
Despite these barriers, 53.4% of managers, executives, and senior employees said their organisation does not have a programme where foreign staff can learn Japanese.
Integrating foreign staff
The findings show that Japanese employers need to foster better work environments to integrate their foreign employees, according to the Japan Today report.
The poll comes as more employers in Japan tap on foreign talent due to an ageing population and declining birthrates.
Data from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare showed that Japan is already accommodating more than two million foreign employees as of October 2023.
In addition to seeking foreign talent, the Japanese government has been carrying out further measures to enhance work-life balance and reverse the country's sinking birthrates. It recently expanded childcare benefits to offer more flexibility to working parents.
