Major Japanese firms welcome prospective new recruits online amid pandemic

Major Japanese companies formally offered jobs Friday to students set to graduate from universities and other schools in the country next spring, welcoming them in online ceremonies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Many firms have selected prospective new recruits online to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with some companies only holding final interviews in person. Some students even said they are not used to face-to-face job interviews.

Kirin Holdings Co. holds an online ceremony for students who had received job offers from the company in Tokyo on Oct. 1, 2021. (Kyodo)

In the morning, brewer Kirin Holdings Co. held an online ceremony for about 60 students who had received job offers from the company.

Ayami Kondo, 25, a graduate student, said before the ceremony, "I'm looking forward to meeting my future colleagues and seniors even on screen. I want to meet them face-to-face as soon as possible after the coronavirus crisis settles down."

The company had been preparing for both online and face-to-face sessions, but decided to go online in order to offer a sense of relief to the students.

A Kirin official in charge of personnel affairs said the company has "a very strong desire" to meet the prospective graduates and will create opportunities for individual in-person meetings in the future.

West Japan Railway Co. did not hold a ceremony Friday, but delivered a congratulatory message online to about 60 prospective new recruits.

Masatoshi Miwa, head of the company's human resources department, said, "Society is changing rapidly due to the impact of the coronavirus. I hope you will provide new perspectives and flexible thinking to bring momentum for growth to the company."

Yuka Takaya, 21, a senior at Doshisha University, said, "I've got a real sense of starting out in work as a member of society. After joining the company, I want to engage in the development of stations and surrounding areas."

According to a survey by Recruit Co., the operator of a job information website, 90.0 percent of university seniors set to graduate next March had secured job offers as of Sept. 1.

The academic and business year begins in April for most educational institutions and corporations in Japan.

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