What are the advantages and precautions of hiring Chinese people? Also explains subsidies
The Chinese are the number one country in terms of the number of foreign workers, and many companies would be interested in hiring them. This time, we will explain the benefits and precautions of hiring Chinese people, and the subsidies that can be used when hiring Chinese people.
Also, if you are thinking about hiring foreigners, please check out the following articles.
Points to note when hiring foreigners, and don't forget to enroll in employment insurance
Necessary preparations when hiring foreign workers
Advantages of hiring Chinese people
Many Chinese people are ambitious and have a desire to improve, and this can be a stepping stone when aiming to expand into China. Another advantage is that there are many non-religious people compared to Southeast Asia, so they don't have to worry about the precepts.
You can acquire motivated and aspirational human resources.
People from China who dare to come to Japan and work in Japan are often highly motivated, such as wanting to earn a higher salary in Japan or learning about Japanese culture and business.
These people are ambitious and have a desire to improve, and hiring them will bring great benefits to your company.
A stepping stone to advance into China
China was once positioned as the ``factory of the world,'' a source of cheap human resources, but now economic development is progressing and it is becoming one of the centers of the world economy. For Japanese companies, expanding into China will likely become more important in the future.
Having Chinese talent within the company is a plus for companies aiming to expand into China. Chinese culture and ways of thinking will permeate within the company, and you may be able to make use of the connections of Chinese employees.
Many people are not religious
Other than Chinese, the most promising foreign talent comes from Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam and India. There are many talented people in Southeast Asia, but many of them follow religions such as Hinduism and Islam, and there are cases where it is necessary to show understanding of precepts such as eating and worship.
On the other hand, many Chinese people, like Japanese people, are not religious, and the advantage is that they don't have to be particularly careful about understanding religion.
Points to note when hiring Chinese people
Hiring Chinese people has many benefits, but if you don't take precautions, you may regret it later. It is important to understand not only cultural and language issues, but also work visa procedures.
Differences in culture and common sense
Although China and Japan are part of the same Asian region, there are some differences from Japan in terms of culture and common sense. If you do not understand this difference, you may run into trouble later, so be careful.
For example, Chinese people tend to value their private lives more than Japanese people, and may avoid working overtime or having drinking parties after work. They also tend to be more concerned with individual results than team play, and are not afraid to speak out against their superiors.
language problem
Since China is a Kanji-based culture and Japanese culture is also prevalent, it is a country where language problems are relatively less likely to occur compared to other countries. However, many Chinese people still cannot speak Japanese, so you need to consider communication when hiring them.
Systemic issues such as work visas
In order to employ Chinese nationals, it is necessary to obtain a work visa. The type of work you can do and the period of stay for a work visa vary depending on the type, so if you inadvertently violate the visa, you will be working illegally.
Especially when hiring a Chinese person for the first time, the company is often not familiar with the system, so it is necessary to thoroughly check the system before hiring.
How to hire Chinese people
In addition to full-time employment, there is also the option of hiring Chinese people as technical interns. It is also possible to hire international students for part-time work. When hiring Chinese people, be sure to choose the appropriate employment method from these employment methods.
Hire as a full-time employee
Hiring Chinese people with work visas as full-time employees is the most common employment method. Generally, recruitment is done through a recruitment agency or posted on a job information site.
If your company already has Chinese employees, you may also have the option of recruiting someone you know.
Employ as a technical intern
As an option other than full-time employment, there is also the option of hiring Chinese people as technical interns. Although it is possible for companies to hire technical interns on their own, they are usually introduced through business cooperatives.
Technical intern trainees are an international contribution that conveys Japanese technology to developing countries, so it is important to note that they must not be used solely for the purpose of employment adjustment. In addition, the employment environment of technical intern trainees may be an issue, so careful consideration must be given to their treatment.
Hiring international students part-time
You can also hire international students for part-time work. In order for Chinese international students to work part-time, they must first apply for a "permit to engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted" at the Immigration Bureau.
It takes about a month to apply, so make sure you get it in time for the date and time you want to start employment.
Also, part-time work for international students is limited to 28 hours a week. However, there are detailed rules such as being allowed to work up to 8 hours a day during summer and winter vacations, so be sure to check this before hiring.
Subsidies that can be used to hire Chinese people
When hiring Chinese people, you can take advantage of subsidies such as employment adjustment subsidies and career advancement subsidies.
Employment adjustment subsidy
The employment adjustment subsidy is a system in which the government subsidizes work leave allowances, etc. This can be used when sales suddenly drop for some reason and business is in jeopardy.
Until April 30, 2021, special measures are in place for businesses that have reduced their business due to the effects of the new coronavirus. There may be other special measures or changes to the system in the future, so we recommend checking back regularly.
Career advancement grant
Career advancement subsidies are subsidies for temporary employees and other non-regular employees to promote them to full-time positions and improve their welfare programs. Career advancement subsidies are also applicable to Chinese employees.
However, there are exceptions, such as technical intern trainees and specified skills No. 1 (nursing care, food and beverage, etc.), so be sure to check before using the system.
Since Chinese people are from the same East Asian region, the barrier to entry is lower than hiring foreigners from other countries. By employing talented Chinese people using subsidies, etc., you will be able to aim for further business expansion.
