[Dramatic Changes in the Japanese-English Bilingual Labor Market in the US] 12. Differences in Hiring Speed and Process Between Japan and the U.S. (Part 2)
In the previous section, we discussed the differences in hiring speed and processes between Japan and the U.S.
Let’s dig a little deeper—there’s more to this topic than meets the eye.
Naturally, the size of Japanese companies operating in the U.S. tends to be much smaller than that of their headquarters in Japan. As a result, their HR departments are also smaller in scale. Because of this, it’s common to see hiring responsibilities split between HR and each business department.
For example, the HR department may receive résumés, but the rest of the hiring process is often handled entirely by the department seeking the new hire. HR is only informed of the final hiring decision.
Then, HR conducts the background check for the candidate. This often includes drug testing. Even if a substance is legal in some states, depending on state laws and the nature of the job or workplace, it may still lead to disqualification.
From a compliance and risk management standpoint, HR is responsible for protecting the company. So even if a candidate has an excellent background, education, and personality, HR may firmly reject them if there’s any risk involved.
In some companies, once a candidate passes, the HR rep’s only remaining task is to explain detailed benefits and onboarding information.
You could say the HR department prioritizes the “protection” function above all else when it comes to hiring.
With clearly defined roles between the HR team and the hiring department, this kind of division of labor is widespread, and in the U.S., where talent acquisition is a competitive race, hiring speed is absolutely critical.
Since discrimination based on race, nationality, gender, or skin color is strictly prohibited in the U.S., companies inevitably interview a wide variety of candidates.
In one recent case, a South American candidate who had legally immigrated to the U.S. and was authorized to work underwent a background check that took around four weeks—far longer than the usual 10 days—due to a past name change and multiple address changes across states.
Though rare, these kinds of situations do happen in a multicultural society like the U.S.
Japan, on the other hand, is largely a homogeneous society. If hiring systems continue to be built around “common sense” assumptions that only apply within Japan, it’s clear that companies will struggle to adapt to the growing number of foreign workers as the population declines.
While the American hiring model isn’t perfect, there are certainly aspects that Japan could learn from—especially in terms of flexibility, speed, and clarity in role distribution.
There’s a Japanese expression: “honne and tatemae” (true feelings vs. public face), which captures the nuances of social behavior. In contrast, American society is more about “honne vs. honne”—people directly expressing what they really think. In such a system, individual rights and freedoms are recognized and respected, even within corporate environments. As Japanese companies aim to globalize, I believe this cultural difference is a key point to keep in mind.
Written by Masato Fujihara, President
Interesse International Group
Came to New York as an expatriate for an HR company in January 1994. Became independent in 1996 and started own business in defiance of return-to-Japan order by the company. Currently, Interesse International Group has 11 locations in the United States and established a Japanese subsidiary in 2022. With 30 years of knowledge and experience in the HR industry, Interesse International Group delivers practical information to clients.
