(Yomiuri: October 16, 2015 – p. 11)

 The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) is urging major corporations to move up their schedules for recruiting college students to help its member firms, mostly smaller entities, secure human resources. Large companies are also on the same page, seeking to start the recruitment process ahead of the current schedule. The business community will likely review the current recruitment process from scratch.

 “Various problems have surfaced and it’s not good to maintain the current practice,” said JCCI Chairman Akio Mimura at a press conference on October 15.

 The existing recruitment guidelines, which were put into practice this year, call on big companies to approach college seniors for recruitment from August. Previously, the hiring process began in April of the year when they became seniors. The change was made out of consideration for schools, which were hoping to secure more time for students to concentrate on their studies. The JCCI was initially supportive of this practice.

 But according to the results of a survey that the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a regional arm of the JCCI, announced the same day, more than 40% of companies and about 70% of universities responded that the change is having a negative impact.

 Until last year, smaller firms began their selection of college seniors upon the completion of the recruitment by big-name companies. This year, many of them accelerated the process and suffered setbacks as a result. Many students declined their job offers when big corporations began recruitment in August.

 The JCCI request will likely spur discussions on the recruitment process within Keidanren, or Japan Business Federation. This month, the business lobby group of mainly major corporations will survey about 1300 member firms on their recruitment practices and incorporate responses into a final decision. (Slightly abridged)