New breed of employees can’t communicate and wilt under pressure

Heard the one about the company employee who got chewed out by her boss? Next day she was absent. Around mid-morning, there came a call from her mother: “My daughter’s afraid of her boss. Couldn’t she be transferred to a different department?”

Or how about the bank freshman inadvertently passed over by an office memo making the rounds. He burst into tears and sobbed, “If I’m being ignored, I quit!”

Shukan Asahi (Oct 23) has a collection of anecdotes like these. The humor inspired by company recruits is no doubt as old as company recruiting, but this year’s crop is different, the magazine says. The significant milestone they represent is the entry on the corporate scene of the first full-fledged members of the “relaxed education” generation.

Relaxed education (“yutori kyoiku” in Japanese) is actually traceable back to 1977, the bare beginning of a gradual softening of the forced feeding that characterized postwar education. Emphasis back then was on a rote memorization of facts. It was so rigorous it seemed to produce psychological symptoms, varying from shrinking timidity to aggressive bullying. Common to both extremes, and to much in between as well, was a perceived inability to think creatively and flexibility, to deal with any situation that wasn’t in the manual.

In 1992, lesson hours were reduced and “yutori kyoiku” began to define the school atmosphere. In 2002, the process climaxed with an end to Saturday classes and a 30% reduction of the curriculum. Teaching, once defined in terms of “guidance,” shifted to a less intensive “support” mode as students concentrated on developing their individuality first, their knowledge second.

Kids who entered elementary school in 1992 are 24 today, and entering the work force en masse—the first generation of recruits educated from the beginning in a comparatively “relaxed” manner. To Shukan Asahi and the employers it speaks to, they are relaxed to a fault, almost to the point of being dysfunctional.

As the magazine tells it, they can’t communicate, have no sense of responsibility or esprit de corps, and wilt under pressure. Even going drinking with the bosses after hours—a time-honored practice in Japanese corporate circles—is too much trouble for them; they persistently decline invitations that previous generations of recruits regarded as an honor. The upshot is that the boss wanting to bring the team together for conviviality and mutual encouragement, must do so over lunch, which has the distinct advantage, from the youngsters’ point of view, of ending at a fixed time.

“I assigned a freshman staffer to design new teaching material,” Shukan Asahi hears from the director of a leading juku (cram school). “When he didn’t do it and I gave him hell, instead of reflecting on his behavior, he just grinned and flashed the peace sign at me. And this is someone who’s been to grad school!”

Mitsubishi-Tokyo-UFJ Bank has developed its own response. Of this spring’s 530 new career-track hires, more than 100 have been deemed so lacking in basic manners that they’re being sent to do time as volunteers at welfare facilities.

“This experience will help them understand what it means to be a member of society and to see things from other people’s point of view,” a bank personnel officer tells the magazine.

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Latest 15 of 53 Total Comments Show All

Beelzebub at 12:49 PM JST - 16th October

I beg to differ. I've worked for Japanese bosses and gaijin bosses and I'll give the nod to the former. Sorry, Jizzeez, if your job hasn't worked out, but I can't agree with you at all. I got a tremendous learning experience about this country, and about life. And made some deep friendships that have stood the test of time. But based on what this article says, if I were to do it again, in this day and age, I might find my co-workers a bit to self-absorbed and dysfunctional for my tastes.
scoobydoo at 01:03 PM JST - 16th October

Old Japanese men (bosses) can communicate? Sure, mostly silly old bullies. Young people have their heads in the mobile phone and jyuku too much so no social skills being developed. On top of it who wants to go wasting their time drinking away the days earnings with bosses and kissing their arses. Not to mention about a hundred other social problems that add to this situation.
Clinis at 06:00 PM JST - 16th October

Read the article idiots! It says that there once was a period where work was too harsh, now work is too easy. Japan has jumped to an extreme, once work was too serious, but relaxed ideals have lead to sloth. I work in Japanese schools and the kids get away with too much. When students misbehave the Teahers do nothing, two days ago I saw a student call a teacher 'Baka!' and the teacher as usual did nothing, that shouldn't fly even in a Western school.

New-age Japanese Teachers want students to be creative because they've given in to pinko ideals, but the students just take the liberty for granted. An adolesents mind is full of crap, give it an inch it will take a mile.

As for video games and texts being responsible that's absurd, that's like someone saying that football is the cause of all rape, bashings and racism in the modern world. (Well okay footbal is most likly responsible for numerous rapes and bashings.)
Triple888 at 10:56 PM JST - 16th October

Glad this breaks the stereotypical Japanese "samurai" worker.
humblesamurai at 11:10 PM JST - 16th October

I wish boss can be scary when talking to 60,70,80,..... years old Ojiichan who does not work much but just enjoying tea time all day long, I wish time comes for these people to retire.
kyoken at 11:44 PM JST - 16th October

What most people miss to see are the implications of these observations.

If these reports are more than mere new propaganda, then Japan lost the age group between 35 - 45 as unmotivated, the group between 25 - 35 as focusing on working as "freeter" and now the new breed of employees. Additionally the workforce is declining rapidly due to the over aging problem.

All this must lead -sooner or later- into a decline of Japanese economical power in the world with severe implications on the wealth and self-image of the Japanese population. We have already seen a shocking shift in the political world said to be driven by fear of the population to lose their self-understanding, that jobs and pensions are safe enough not to need to worry.

If this trend does on, it can rip the very foundation of this country into pieces.
marushka at 12:53 AM JST - 17th October

2Jizzeez: why? is it so bad?
hakujinsensei at 01:55 PM JST - 17th October

This current group of grads are going to pose a significant economic problem for the Japanese economy. I have noticed this change over the last several years because our group deals with volunteers of high school and college age.

Balance is all fine and good in a perfect world but Japan exists as a country with no measure of marketable raw materials sans highly educated, motivated, cohesive employees willing to work harder than their counterparts in competing economies. As the workforce of Japan approaches par with other industrial nations, their economy will be left in shreds.

The pseudo personal freedom that they think they have gained by foolishly downgrading the educational culture will end in a new serfdom as the cost of living and years of inflation and the resulting inability to handle the draconian inheritance taxes here will gut the finances of the majority of families soon to be led by freeters drastically shrinking the middle class. The monied will always be there to take advantage of whatever economy they have to manipulate.

In our organization, I have seen the same thing over and over. People failing to complete tasks disappear when asked to take responsibility, people failing to manage their time and refusing to comply to the time requirements of the group and a complete disregard for any sense of group. Hahahaha, and yes I have been contacted by more than one parent suggesting that having their spineless offspring bear responsibility is just asking to much.

Goodbye Japan Inc, it was a nice run while it lasted.
dishdash at 02:25 AM JST - 18th October

I have to agree with the posts that are stating that things have swung too far the other way. Sure no one wants these grads to be subjected to some of the oji-san brutality but work is a little like school, at some point you need to stand up and be counted. You can't keep on running to mummy and daddy. I feel sorry for the parents because they are going to have to support this lot into their 60's and beyond and with Japanese taxes and all I don't know how they will be able to afford it and when they pass away how will this lot survive? I think Japan will end up being a playground for rich/wealthy tourists and foreigners who live there.
dammit at 07:04 AM JST - 19th October

Mitsubishi-Tokyo-UFJ Bank has developed its own response. Of this spring’s 530 new career-track hires, more than 100 have been deemed so lacking in basic manners that they’re being sent to do time as volunteers at welfare facilities. “This experience will help them understand what it means to be a member of society and to see things from other people’s point of view,” a bank personnel officer tells the magazine.

That's the first sensible thing I've read today. And how refreshing that they didn't just terminate the contracts of the 'more than 100'. But maybe they don't take staff on for a couple of months trial like in the UK, leaving people being chucked out for any old reason at the end of their few months. I hope those useless children (because that's how they behave) actually learn something useful from this experience. If not, maybe they could be sent en-masse to some war/quake/typhoon-torn country and learn how to build them decent homes.

One of my relatives (hubby's relatives actually,) is a junior high teacher, and is frequently frustrated, not just by the attitudes of the students which were fostered in a feeble-minded elementary school, but by the attitudes of the parents. Me, Mine, Want, Do it my way, My child needs more, Give lessons suited to my child. Not to mention the fact that they yak away non-stop and leave their keitais on high volume when visiting the school during class-time. Very rude and ill-mannered, not to mention unbelievably stupid and irresponsible.
Klein2 at 07:30 AM JST - 19th October

Hmm. Japan has weak losers. OK. That means more pie for me. If someone is working on their own or in a small business, they would be able to run rings around the slackers. That has been true lately. Maybe it has always been true. Some other truisms are implied by the article:

--the 80/20 rule

--you can't judge a book by its cover

--the cream rises to the top

etc.

Pardon me for saying that all this seems rather encouraging. If a person is playing heads up ball, they are realizing that doing 10 times the work of a normal person is not just a dream anymore. Getting paid 10 times more for doing simple tasks, if it can be done, puts Darwin back in the driver's seat. Japan is the new land of opportunity for ambitious people.

Shall I share an anecdote? I was walking through an area near Ueno last week and it was early. The stores had not opened up. I found a few small street stands under the tracks where people were just starting to put out merchandise. For different reasons, I needed some walking shoes and did not want to wait around for OIOI to open. I saw some in my size at a stand, and it was a half hour before opening. I asked the vendor how much they were, and he said, "We aren't open yet." I started laughing. I was ready to plunk down 7-10000 yen for a pair of walking shoes, and the guy is telling me, apparently, that he can't handle it without his morning coffee. Idiot. In 30 minutes, he would be shouting IRRASHAIMASE and I would be long gone. It is high time that the early birds take back Japan from the drunkards, fogies, and slackers.
sf2k at 10:15 AM JST - 19th October

I don't confuse idiot shopping with business. If he wasn't open yet why get in his face about it?

You ended up being forced to wait anyway, or to go shopping somewhere else so what was the point? That he wasn't desperate enough for your business is not the same as a population who are afraid of working hard.

Knowing who your clients are and when to be open is also business. Maybe he didn't think you were worth the time.

Back to the topic please.. the issue is young people and their inability to cope. Not having to deal with a difficult overbearing customers and having set business hours is also a blessing.
JmannGod at 10:49 AM JST - 19th October

@ Yelnats - 'The finger' is NOT american in origin - it is european, probably from the med region and is written about as early as ancient rome.
Richard_III at 03:20 PM JST - 19th October

I worked in a Japanese company that was full of the old school guys, where work defined your life and the boss told you when to breathe and take a crap. Unimaginably awful. I stopped going as well, and pledged to myself never to work for a Japanese company again.

It's the only thing you can do when dealing with dinosaurs.
bamboohat at 10:34 AM JST - 31st October

Social darwinism will sort 'em all out eventually...