Is it safe to hire foreigners who cannot speak Japanese? What are the measures that businesses should know?

　It is a waste to say "I am not good at Japanese = not hired". There is a way to be active.

"This foreigner doesn't speak Japanese very well, but is it really safe to hire him...?"
Many businesses have voiced such concerns to us.
But in fact, there are many **“foreigners who are active enough even if their Japanese is not perfect.
In this article, we will discuss points to consider when hiring a foreigner who has concerns about his/her Japanese language skills and,Measures to be taken by companies and their approach in immigration inspectionsand more will be explained in detail.

✅ What are the Japanese language concerns that businesses have?

• Concern that instructions may not be communicated? Concern that instructions may not be communicated
• Will I get in trouble for customer service and telephone support?
• Worried about being isolated within the company

✅ Is Japanese language ability considered in the examination for status of residence?

• Flexible decision making for "technical, humanities, and international services" depending on the nature of the work.
• Japanese language test equivalent to JLPT N4 is required for "specific skills".

✅ Cases and innovations that enable employment even if you are not comfortable with Japanese

• Examples of translation applications and manuals with images
• In-house "finger pointing" and multilingual postings
• Assignment to a department where you can work in English or your native language
• Use of external Japanese language training services

✅ How do you cover this in your application documents?

• Devices in the Statement of Work to the Immigration Bureau
• Specify that the job description "does not require advanced Japanese language skills".
• Explanation of the company's internal training and support system

🟩 Testimonials

💬 "When I first came to Japan, I could barely speak Japanese, but now I am an indispensable person in the company!"
(Company C, Manufacturing industry)

🟧 Summary

Even foreign personnel with insufficient Japanese language skills,They can be a great asset depending on how they are deployed and internally tailored to the business.
From the viewpoint of immigration inspection, there is no problem as long as it can be shown that the applicant "does not interfere with his/her duties.
In this office,Practical advice for companies wishing to hire foreigners who are concerned about their Japanese language skillsWe also provide
Please feel free to contact us!