When hiring global talent, how crucial is Japanese language proficiency? What’s the ideal blend of English and Japanese skills?
The significance varies based on the role and other factors. In a previous article, we shared three tips for Japanese employers recruiting foreign talent.
For many Japanese companies, the first step in accepting foreign employees is to minimize the language barrier and to make the corporate culture more welcoming to employees with a lower level of Japanese.
In this month’s marketing analytics feature, our team analyzed the English and Japanese language levels of individuals who joined GaijinPot Jobs in 2023.
Here are some highlights from the 2023 data on new users
- Approximately 27.7% possess conversational Japanese.
- The majority, 36.2%, have basic Japanese.
- Around 8.9% have business-level Japanese or higher.
The data indicates that individuals with business-level English generally exhibit a higher proficiency in Japanese as well. This means that native English speakers with high-level Japanese are more rare.
Highlights by English Proficiency:
- Native English Speakers:
- 37.5% have no Japanese ability.
- 9.4% have business-level Japanese or higher.
- Fluent English Speakers:
- 42.4% have no Japanese ability.
- 7.8% have business-level Japanese or higher.
- Business-level English Speakers:
- 33.8% have basic Japanese.
- 11.4% have business-level Japanese or higher.
Japanese level of new job seekers who joined GaijinPot Jobs in 2023
Conclusion
As the largest job board for foreigners in Japan, GaijinPot serves as a significant gateway to understanding the diverse foreign demographics in Japan. Our new user data provides valuable insights into the types of candidates arriving to the country.
It’s crucial to recognize that even top global talent may initially lack the desired level of Japanese proficiency. By considering candidates with varying degrees of Japanese ability, your company can access a broader pool of strong global candidates.
Our data also reveals a continuous influx of new bilingual candidates joining GaijinPot daily. Despite the competitive landscape, GaijinPot remains a proven portal for acquiring bilingual talent!
Are you trying to hire multinational employees?
If your company is looking to hire multinational talent, please contact the GaijinPot Jobs team to see how we can help.
