Govt To Ask Top Firms To Delay College Recruiting

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Alarmed by the trend of college students starting their job searches in their junior year, the government has decided to urge the business community to hold off until they are seniors.

The ethics charter of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, strongly encourages member companies to refrain from recruiting activities for college students before Dec. 1 of junior year. The government plans to draft proposals asking them to extend the embargo to April of senior year and make hiring decisions around August. The Japanese academic year begins in April.

The moves are aimed at letting juniors focus on their studies the entire year and work as interns during winter break.

Those who study abroad in Europe and the U.S. -- typically returning to Japan around June of senior year -- would also benefit. Right now, many cannot start looking for work in December of their junior year.

A youth and women's forum will take up the issue when it meets at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday. The government hopes to adopt the change starting with students graduating in the spring of 2015.

But the business community will likely oppose the idea. Keidanren just revised its ethics charter in March 2011, pushing back the start of recruitment from October to December of junior year.

A further delay would pose a risk of nonmember companies, such as foreign-owned firms, approaching talented students while member corporations are waiting on the sidelines.

Small and midsize businesses -- which often start hiring after large companies make their decisions -- may also have more difficulty taking on students if they must compete with big firms.

(The Nikkei, March 15 morning edition)

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