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Slackers unite! Turn down the promotion!
Apparently, there are some good things about paying The Man a big wage.
TOKYO -- Hidekazu Nishikido, a 24-year-old agent at a staffing company, recently got promoted to help manage a small group of employees. The new job means a higher salary and a better title.
But he isn't happy about it. Now he often works past 10 p.m., leaving him less time with his girlfriend. So Mr. Nishikido flatly told his bosses at R-live Inc. he isn't interested in further promotions.
"My job is important, but it's not what makes me tick," Mr. Nishikido says.
In a country once proud of its success-driven "salarymen," managers are grappling with a new phenomenon: Many young workers are shunning choice promotions -- even forgoing raises -- in favor of humdrum jobs with minimal responsibilities.
The Hodo-Hodo Work Force
Even as Japan faces a sharp recession, civil servants are opting out of career-advancing exams and information-technology workers are flocking to headhunters to switch to less-demanding careers. A study this year by the consulting firm Towers Perrin found just 3% of Japanese workers say they're putting their full effort into their jobs -- the lowest of 18 countries surveyed.
But he isn't happy about it. Now he often works past 10 p.m., leaving him less time with his girlfriend. So Mr. Nishikido flatly told his bosses at R-live Inc. he isn't interested in further promotions.
"My job is important, but it's not what makes me tick," Mr. Nishikido says.
In a country once proud of its success-driven "salarymen," managers are grappling with a new phenomenon: Many young workers are shunning choice promotions -- even forgoing raises -- in favor of humdrum jobs with minimal responsibilities.
The Hodo-Hodo Work Force
Even as Japan faces a sharp recession, civil servants are opting out of career-advancing exams and information-technology workers are flocking to headhunters to switch to less-demanding careers. A study this year by the consulting firm Towers Perrin found just 3% of Japanese workers say they're putting their full effort into their jobs -- the lowest of 18 countries surveyed.
That's prompting companies to craft delicate strategies to nudge young workers up the corporate ladder. "I tell them to break news of promotions gently," says Makoto Iwade, a lawyer who advises companies on labor relations. "They should feel employees out first to see if they're ready. Don't shock them."
In a sign of the times, "Otaryman," a comic-book series about a less-than-driven salaryman, has become one of this year's surprise hits. In the book, the protagonist passes his days worrying about his colleagues' files spilling onto his desk rather than trying to impress bosses. "He just plods along (in) life, and has very small ambitions," says Makoto Yo****ani, the series's 28-year-old author. "I think people my age find that comforting."
Law firms say the trend has companies scrambling to seek legal counsel on whether they can fire employees who refuse promotions. CyberAgent Inc., a Tokyo-based Internet advertising agency, is offering the unambitious a different way out. The company puts these workers on a "specialist" track where they can remain rank-and-file employees but have similar salaries as managers. This ensures the company "doesn't lose qualified employees by pressuring them to accept promotions," says Tetsuhito Soyama, general manager for personnel at the company.
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