日本大規模招收應屆畢業生製度正迎來轉捩點

在日本，有一種獨特的製度，叫做「應屆畢業生大量招聘」。公司每年同期招聘應屆畢業生，並在他們還在校期間進行面試和測試。然後，他們僱用一定數量的學生，並讓他們畢業後立即工作。

In Japan, there is a unique system for hiring new graduates en masse. Companies conduct interviews and tests while students are still in school, and they hire a certain number of students to begin working immediately after graduation. This recruitment system allows companies to hire employees in a lump sum, training all recruits at once and then utilizing them as part of the workforce.

在日本，有一套獨特的集體招募應屆畢業生的製度。企業在學生在校期間進行面試和測試，並聘用一定數量的學生，畢業後立即開始工作。這種招聘系統允許公司一次性僱用員工，一次培訓所有新員工，然後將他們作為勞動力的一部分使用。

In the past, this system was very effective in securing a large amount of uniform labor for the mass production of high-quality products, which in turn supported Japan's rapid postwar growth. In June s1953, the Japanese government made an agreement with schools and companies regarding the hiring process under this system. The hiring process would begin in mid-October of the year before graduation and last about one month.

過去，這種制度非常有效地保證了大量的統一勞動力，以大規模生產高品質的產品，從而支撐了日本戰後的快速成長。 1953年6月，日本政府與學校和公司就該制度下的招募程序達成協議。招聘過程將於畢業前一年的10月中旬開始，持續一個月左右。

However, this agreement was abolished in 1996. The penalty for violating the agreement was minimal, and many companies began to neglect the agreement. Since then, most Japanese companies have based their recruitment on the mass hiring of new graduates without strict rules.

然而，該協議於1996年被廢除。此後，大多數日本公司的招聘都是以大量招聘應屆畢業生為基礎，沒有嚴格的規定。

Limits of Mass Recruiting

大規模招聘的局限性

In recent years, competition among companies for human resources has intensified. An increasing number of companies are beginning to screen university students long before the official job-hunting period under the mass recruiting system. They do this through what they call an internship program.

近年來，企業之間對人力資源的競爭愈演愈烈。越來越多的企業早在正式求職期前就開始透過大規模招募制度篩選大學生。他們透過所謂的實習計劃來做到這一點。

This mass recruitment system worked well during the high-growth period. However, is it effective for today's Japanese companies, where lifetime employment and seniority systems are collapsing? And will it be able to compete with foreign companies that do not follow this system and hire year-round? Amid these questions, this mass recruiting system has reached a turning point.

這種大規模招募制度在高成長時期發揮了良好的作用。然而，對於當今終身僱用制和年資制正在崩潰的日本企業來說，這有效嗎？它是否能夠與不遵循此制度並常年僱用的外國公司競爭？帶著這些疑問，這個大規模的招募系統已經到了一個轉捩點。

Studying or Job-Seeking?

讀書還是找工作？

From the perspective of educators, it is time to rethink the system of mass recruiting new graduates. During my time as a lecturer at Waseda University, I was often frustrated by last-minute absence notices from students just before class.

從教育工作者的角度來看，是時候重新思考大規模招收應屆畢業生的製度了。在早稻田大學擔任講師期間，我經常因學生在上課前最後一刻發出缺席通知而感到沮喪。

My classes emphasized presentations and group discussions, which meant the absence of a student from a part of the class for which he or she was responsible caused inconvenience to other students. It necessitated a change in the schedule for the next and subsequent classes.

我的課程強調演示和小組討論，這意味著學生缺席他或她負責的班級部分會給其他學生帶來不便。它需要改變下一堂課和後續課程的時間表。

In one instance, a student was summoned by a company that was a major member of Keidanren. It coincided with the day Keidanren's announcement that it would not discourage students from studying during job-hunting was reported in the press.

有一次，一名學生被一家經濟團體聯的主要成員公司傳喚。恰逢經濟團體聯宣布不會阻止學生在求職期間學習的消息被媒體報道。

The mission of universities is to provide young people with the basic knowledge to enter the workforce during the transition from student to professional life. In Japan today, however, many young people are entering the workforce with inadequate education. The time they should be spending on their studies is being cut short by job-hunting activities.

大學的使命是為年輕人提供從學生到職業生涯過渡期間進入勞動力市場的基礎知識。然而，在今日的日本，許多年輕人在未受過充分教育的情況下進入勞動市場。他們本應花在學習上的時間因求職活動而縮短。

No Time to Study

沒有時間學習

The practice of hiring all new graduates at once was effective during the high-growth period, but it is not suited to the current era. If many companies adopted a year-round hiring system instead, students would be able to focus on their studies and personal development. Universities would also be able to raise the level of education.

一次聘用所有應屆畢業生的做法在高成長時期是有效的，但不適合當今時代。如果許多公司採用全年招聘制度，學生可以專注於學習和個人發展。大學也將能夠提高教育水準。

The stereotype of Japanese university students has been that they enter university after facing fierce competition in entrance examinations. However, after entering the university, they spend their time in club activities and part-time jobs, somehow graduate, and find employment without much effort.

日本大學生的刻板印像是，他們在面臨激烈的入學考試競爭後進入大學。然而，進入大學後，他們把時間花在社團活動和打工上，不知怎麼就畢業了，不費吹灰之力就找到了工作。

Recently, however, an increasing number of students are spending much longer on job hunting. They have no time for study, let alone club activities or part-time jobs.

然而最近，越來越多的學生花在找工作上的時間越來越長。他們沒有時間學習，更沒有時間參加社團活動或打工。

Decline of Japanese Universities

日本大學的衰退

Some universities are compensating for the decline in student enrollment caused by Japan's declining births by enrolling more foreign students. Others are moving to consolidate their operations with other financially struggling universities. The plight of Japanese universities is becoming more serious. At the same time, the quality of education at Japanese universities is being questioned.

一些大學正在透過招收更多外國學生來彌補日本出生率下降造成的入學人數下降。其他大學則開始與其他陷入財務困境的大學整合業務。日本大學的困境正變得更加嚴重。同時，日本大學的教育品質也受到質疑。

In the past, Japanese companies used in-house training programs to teach new hires the basics of business operations and interpersonal skills. Moreover, they gave new hires thorough and detailed employee training as if to say, "Forget everything you learned in college because it is useless, and start learning the basics today."

過去，日本公司利用內部培訓計畫向新員工傳授業務營運和人際互動基礎知識。而且，他們對新員工進行了全面細緻的員工培訓，彷彿在說：“忘記大學裡學到的一切，因為它們沒有用，從今天開始學習基礎知識。”

However, few companies in Japan today can afford to train their employees as much as before. In recent years, an increasing number of people working for companies in Japan regret not studying more during their school years.

然而，如今的日本很少有公司能夠像以前一樣負擔得起培訓員工的費用。近年來，越來越多的日本企業員工後悔在學生時代沒有多學習。

Job Dissatisfaction

工作不滿意

Gallup, an American research firm, annually surveys workers aged 15 and older in nearly 160 countries to determine employee engagement - in other words, the degree of involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace.

美國研究公司蓋洛普每年都會對近 160 個國家/地區 15 歲及以上的員工進行調查，以確定員工敬業度，換句話說，即員工對工作和工作場所的參與程度和熱情。

According to the company's report for FY2023, the percentage of "employees who are motivated and proactive about their work" was only 6% in Japan. Compared to 23% for the world and 33% for the United States, Japan's figure is notably low.

根據該公司2023財年的報告，日本「對工作積極主動的員工」比例僅6%。與全球23%和美國33%相比，日本的數字明顯偏低。

In contrast, the "percentage of people who

相比之下，「