We cordially invite you to the upcoming DIJ Roundtable supported by German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (on-site only):

 

"Big in Japan? Recruitment and training strategies of German companies in Japan" (LINK https://dij.tokyo/big)

March 2, 2026 / 18.00 - 20.00 (JST) 

DIJ Roundtable with Matthias Pilz, University of Cologne, Germany

 

Japan is a highly attractive, but difficult market for multinational companies. Their presence is by far the lowest among the OECD when measured by the stock of foreign direct investment relative to GDP. One of the biggest hurdles is the recruitment of qualified personnel. What strategies do foreign companies in Japan pursue to address the human resource challenge? To what extent do their strategies incorporate practices applied in their home market?

 

We addressed these questions in our interviews with 25 experts from the field of human resource management in ten German companies, along with four external experts. Germany is an interesting case because of its dual apprenticeship system at home and the widely debated idea to transfer it to other countries. The key findings of our study show that German companies in Japan are increasingly hiring older applicants with professional experience. While onboarding is common for all new employees, the dominant form of training for the small number of career starters is on-the-job training. Few if any elements of training modes from Germany are adopted.

 

Our findings are not only of practical relevance. They are also interesting from a theoretical perspective. The strategy pursued by German companies cannot be classified under the standard categories distinguished in the international resource management literature. German companies do neither emulate strategies of larger Japanese companies, nor do they implement their home country's or a global or regional strategy. Instead, they pursue what may be called "independent localisation".

 

Programme:

18:00 Welcome

          Franz Waldenberger

18:10 Recruitment and training strategies of German companies in Japan 

          Matthias Pilz

18:40 Panel discussion

          Panelists: Shigeki Egami, Carolina Kawakubo, Matthias Pilz

          Moderator: Franz Waldenberger

19:10 Q&A

19:30 Networking reception

20:00 End

 

Registration info:

The roundtable will be held in English. Admission is free, registration is required at forum[at]dijtokyo.org.

 

This is a public event. Please be aware that audio-visual recordings may be made, stored, and published during and after the event.

 

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