Episode 381: Why Japan’s Talent Crunch Makes Retention A Core Strategy

Why is “recruit and retain” becoming the central talent strategy in Japan?

Japan faces a demographic crunch: too few young people can meet employer demand, and this shortage has persisted for years. Since 2015, the shrinking youth population has pushed competition for early-career talent higher. With a smaller talent pool, every hiring decision carries more risk, and every resignation hits harder.

Turnover among new recruits has started climbing again. A few years ago, more than 40% of new recruits left after training; the figure now sits around 34%, and it may rise further. Companies spend heavily to train early-career hires, so losing them soon after onboarding forces employers to pay twice: once to train and again to replace.

Mini-summary: Japan’s talent pool keeps tightening, and early departures turn training spend into replacement cost.

How does the traditional April intake model still shape recruiting in Japan?

Major firms still run large-scale April intakes at the start of the financial year, with uniformed new recruits seated in rows. That model remains visible and important, but it no longer tells the whole story. As demand for young workers intensifies, companies can’t rely only on a predictable, annual graduate cycle.

Mid-career hiring of younger workers is moving into the spotlight. In practical terms, HR teams shift from one big annual intake to continuous recruiting throughout the year. As the labour market grows more fluid, firms compete for talent in real time—not just once a year.

Mini-summary: The April intake remains, but year-round mid-career hiring becomes strategically central.

Why will mid-career poaching intensify, and what does that change for employers?

Younger employees increasingly know their market value, and recruiters actively scout them. As a result, more young workers will likely move jobs more frequently. Recruiters lean into poaching because high volume can make the model profitable even when individual fees stay modest. Expect a “free-agent” rhythm where people recycle through roles every two to three years.

That churn reinforces itself: recruiters place the same cohort repeatedly, younger workers normalize frequent moves, and employers feel instability as a default condition. If you want stability, you must treat retention as a core strategy—not an afterthought.

Mini-summary: Poaching becomes systematic because volume pays, and frequent moves become a market norm.

When should retention start, and who should it target?

Retention starts earlier than many leaders assume—right when a candidate says “yes.” Accepting an offer triggers second thoughts for some people, especially when competing messages, family opinions, or pressure from a current employer shows up.

So retention doesn’t only apply to current employees. It also applies to new hires who haven’t started yet. Stay in contact, reinforce the decision, and remove the space where doubt grows.

Mini-summary: Retention begins at “yes,” not on day one, because buyer’s remorse can derail hires before they start.

How should employers respond to counteroffers and the rising cost of replacement?

Incumbent employers will counteroffer more aggressively because replacing people costs more than paying to keep them. Don’t wait for a resignation to act. Increase pay and improve conditions before people decide to leave, rather than matching numbers after they quit.

Replacement costs stack fast: lost time, reduced productivity, internal friction, recruiting effort, and onboarding load. If you wait until resignation to respond, you often choose the most expensive option overall.

Mini-summary: Proactive pay and retention reduce costly churn; reactive counteroffers arrive too late and drain productivity.

What is different about onboarding mid-career hires in Japan, especially in large firms?

Mid-career hires arrive one at a time, not in large cohorts. In big firms, HR teams typically manage onboarding, paperwork, and training, but routine can hide weak execution. When teams run a process on autopilot for years, quality slips without anyone noticing.

Treat onboarding like something you continuously inspect. Review how you bring people in, and ask recent hires what worked and what didn’t. In a retention fight, onboarding becomes a front-line capability—not a box to tick.

Mini-summary: Large firms need to audit onboarding quality, because autopilot processes can quietly undermine retention.

What do smaller firms need to change to retain mid-career hires?

Smaller firms often provide only the basics: payroll setup, insurance, a desk, and a phone. That approach doesn’t protect retention. Busy leaders sometimes avoid investing time in a new hire, but that “time-saving” move often backfires. Under-support raises the risk of early departure—right when the hire matters most.

Owners and senior leaders need to show up more than they used to. Treat talent like gold because the market won’t supply easy replacements.

Mini-summary: Small firms must increase leader involvement, because minimal onboarding drives expensive churn.

What does a “well organised and welcoming” onboarding programme look like?

Build a full daily programme in advance: briefings, self-study, mentoring, and training. New hires watch for signals of professionalism, and a clear plan sends a powerful one. That first impression shapes whether they see the company as a stable, well-run home.

Design onboarding templates and reuse them. A template lowers friction, reduces randomness, and makes each new hire’s experience more consistent over time. Do the design work upfront and you’ll improve execution—and retention—later.

Mini-summary: Planned daily onboarding and reusable templates strengthen first impressions and improve retention by making quality visible.

About the Author

Dr. Greg Story (Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making) serves as President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He has won the Dale Carnegie “One Carnegie Award” twice (2018, 2021) and received the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, he delivers global programs across leadership, communication, sales, and presentation skills, including Leadership Training for Results.

He has authored several books, including three best-sellers—Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery—along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. Japanese translations include Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban “Hito o Ugokasu” Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー).

Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He also hosts six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan’s Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows—The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan’s Top Business Interviews—that executives use as ongoing resources for succeeding in Japan.