Hays : Openness to change and digitalisation of processes will define Japan’s workplace of the future says new report by Hays

Traditionally defined by structured work hours within the office space, Japan's workplaces were forced to make a revolutionary transition to digital, flexible and remote ways of working in the wake of the pandemic. This accelerated change has been necessary for working professionals to build confidence in the future-readiness of their organisation, finds the new 'Uncovering the DNA of the Future Workplace' report by recruiting experts Hays.

Majority say their workplace is not 'future-ready'

The report, that surveyed over 9,000 working professionals across Asia in February this year and again in September this year, revealed that only 26 per cent of respondents in Japan able to confidently describe their organisation as future-ready - the lowest such score in Asia. Similarly, the number of respondents who thought their organisation was not future ready (40 per cent) or unsure (35 per cent), were the highest in Asia. When asked what would improve the future-readiness of their organisation, the majority of respondents said digitalisation of processes (67 per cent), followed by openness to change (63 per cent) and remote and flexible working options (59 per cent) - elements that have been defining of the recent transformation in Japan.

These findings are in line with the regional average, with less than half of total respondents across Asia (37 per cent) being confident that their organisation is future ready, and the majority saying that openness to change (71 per cent) and digitalisation of processes (71 per cent) is what will help their organisation get there.

Significant digital growth

When it comes to digitalisation of processes, the report found that while Japan is globally known for its innovation in a number of industries, its workplaces have not necessarily kept pace. Before the pandemic, only 32 per cent of respondents were confident that their organisation's digitalisation journey was sufficiently placed to maintain relevancy in the next 3-5 years. And while 64 per cent of organisations had video conferencing tools in place, only 37 per cent used cloud-based systems, indicating a lack of paperless ways of working.

In these areas, the pandemic appears to have brought welcome digital transformation to Japan's workplaces, with majority of organisations saying they now offered video conferencing software (77 per cent) and remote working options (71 per cent) - a substantial increase from pre-pandemic statistics. While adoption of cloud-based storage and systems has also increased (44 per cent), there remains room for improvement if workplaces are to truly integrate digitalisation and remote working for the long-term.

Rapid pace of technological change

As a result of these changes, more employees are aware of their organisations digitalisation journey now (64 per cent) than before the pandemic (48 per cent) and almost half of respondents (43 per cent) are now confident that their organisation's digitalisation journey is sufficiently placed to maintain relevancy in the next 3-5 years. The stark rises are promising as not only have they raised confidence in employers but also their attractiveness, as respondents said remote working access (81 per cent), video conferencing software (78 per cent) and cloud based storage and systems (58 per cent) were the three most important tools they would consider when joining a new workplace.

Richard Eardley, Managing Director for Hays Japan commented, 'The majority of respondents in Japan believe that digitalisation of processes will help their organisation be more future-ready and have shown growing confidence in how relevant an organisation will be in the future as its digitalisation journey progresses. A workplace of the future in Japan is then one that will inspire confidence by not only being more digitalised, but integrating its digitalisation journey as an essential element of progress for the long-term, rather than a short-term fix to a circumstantial problem.'

About the Report

The DNA of the Future Workplace report is based on findings from two surveys conducted on more than 9,000 respondents respectively across the five Hays operating markets in Asia: China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore; to measure sentiments on the four core elements we believe will shape workplaces of the future: flexibility, technology, upskilling and purpose. The first survey was concluded in February 2020 at the cusp of the pandemic, with the second having concluded this September. By comparing the two surveys, our findings aim to form a definitive understanding of how the pandemic has altered working sentiments, as well as a barometer for organisations as they seek to understand, attract and retain top talent amidst current challenges and those to come.

Download your copy of the full report here.