[Work Style Choice Survey] Over 50% Prefer 'Merit-Based' System! What Employees with Different Values Commonly Seek in Performance Evaluations
A survey by Professional Studio revealed that over half of Japanese employees desire a merit-based work system, surpassing the 30% who prefer seniority-based. Regardless of their preference, a common demand was for highly transparent performance evaluation criteria.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 19:41 (9h 9m after Collected)
Discussions are ongoing in Japan about shifting from a seniority-based system to a merit-based one, leading to increased interest in "job-type employment." In this changing environment, what kind of work style do business professionals desire?
To understand the values sought in work styles and expectations for performance evaluations, Professional Studio Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Ryutaro Ichikawa), which provides comprehensive HR support services for startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including HR system design consulting and the IT tool "FirstHR" (https://first-hr.jp/), conducted a survey targeting 262 full-time employees nationwide aged 20-49.
The results of this survey showed that even employees with contrasting values regarding work styles commonly have a high demand for highly transparent evaluation criteria in performance evaluations.
## Key Results from This Survey
- Approximately 50% of employees desire a "merit-based" system, exceeding the approximately 30% who prefer "seniority-based."
- Approximately 80% of merit-based proponents and approximately 60% of seniority-based proponents desire "documentation" over "discretion" in performance evaluations.
- Among men in their 20s, approximately 90% desire "documentation" in performance evaluations.
*For details on the survey methodology and target audience, please refer to the "Survey Implementation Overview" below.*
Survey Results (Excerpt)
1. 50.5% of employees prefer a "merit-based" company, surpassing the 33.0% who prefer "seniority-based."
What kind of evaluation system do current business professionals wish to work under? First, we asked whether they would prefer to work at a company based on "meritocracy" or "seniority," considering their own values. The definitions are as follows:
- Merit-based: A company with strict goal management where salaries can significantly increase based on results.
- Seniority-based: A company with moderate goal management where salaries gradually increase based on seniority.
The percentage of respondents who chose "merit-based company" was 15.4%, and "somewhat merit-based company" was 35.1%, making the total merit-based group 50.5%. On the other hand, the total seniority-based group, which includes "seniority-based company (10.0%)" and "somewhat seniority-based company (23.0%)," was 33.0%.
As for the underlying values regarding work styles, over half of the respondents chose a "merit-based" environment. However, more than 30% also chose "seniority-based," indicating that preferences for work environments vary among individuals.
## More detailed insights from this survey are available in the original article published on our media.
The original article also provides detailed information with data on the following:
2. Reasons for desiring meritocracy and satisfaction with evaluations
3. Reasons for desiring seniority and stability orientation
4. Documentation of evaluation criteria sought regardless of values
5. Creating highly transparent evaluation systems that respond to diverse values
## Survey Implementation Overview
- Survey organization: Self-conducted survey
- Survey method: Internet survey (Fastask by JustSystems Corporation)
- Target area: Nationwide in Japan
- Target audience: 262 full-time employees aged 20-49
- Survey period: March 23-25, 2026
- Valid responses: 262
*This release uses weighted aggregation according to the gender and age composition ratio of regular employees in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Labor Force Survey.*
Except for direct reproduction of this press release, please include the following link as the source when quoting the survey results, graphs, or data.
About Professional Studio
Professional Studio's mission is "Creating an era where startups and SMEs shine," and it provides comprehensive HR support services for startups and SMEs.
It offers talent placement services for management-level positions in startups and SMEs, talent placement services for hard-tech/deep-tech companies, and HR system design consulting and planning/development of the IT tool "FirstHR" for startups and SMEs.
## Professional Studio Inc.
- Established: April 2020
- Headquarters: 3F, Tokyo Tatemono Yaesu Sakura Dori Building, 1-5-20 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0028
- Representative Director: Ryutaro Ichikawa
- URL: https://professional-studio.co.jp/
- Business activities: Comprehensive HR support services for startups and SMEs
To understand the values sought in work styles and expectations for performance evaluations, Professional Studio Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Ryutaro Ichikawa), which provides comprehensive HR support services for startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including HR system design consulting and the IT tool "FirstHR" (https://first-hr.jp/), conducted a survey targeting 262 full-time employees nationwide aged 20-49.
The results of this survey showed that even employees with contrasting values regarding work styles commonly have a high demand for highly transparent evaluation criteria in performance evaluations.
## Key Results from This Survey
- Approximately 50% of employees desire a "merit-based" system, exceeding the approximately 30% who prefer "seniority-based."
- Approximately 80% of merit-based proponents and approximately 60% of seniority-based proponents desire "documentation" over "discretion" in performance evaluations.
- Among men in their 20s, approximately 90% desire "documentation" in performance evaluations.
*For details on the survey methodology and target audience, please refer to the "Survey Implementation Overview" below.*
Survey Results (Excerpt)
1. 50.5% of employees prefer a "merit-based" company, surpassing the 33.0% who prefer "seniority-based."
What kind of evaluation system do current business professionals wish to work under? First, we asked whether they would prefer to work at a company based on "meritocracy" or "seniority," considering their own values. The definitions are as follows:
- Merit-based: A company with strict goal management where salaries can significantly increase based on results.
- Seniority-based: A company with moderate goal management where salaries gradually increase based on seniority.
The percentage of respondents who chose "merit-based company" was 15.4%, and "somewhat merit-based company" was 35.1%, making the total merit-based group 50.5%. On the other hand, the total seniority-based group, which includes "seniority-based company (10.0%)" and "somewhat seniority-based company (23.0%)," was 33.0%.
As for the underlying values regarding work styles, over half of the respondents chose a "merit-based" environment. However, more than 30% also chose "seniority-based," indicating that preferences for work environments vary among individuals.
## More detailed insights from this survey are available in the original article published on our media.
The original article also provides detailed information with data on the following:
2. Reasons for desiring meritocracy and satisfaction with evaluations
3. Reasons for desiring seniority and stability orientation
4. Documentation of evaluation criteria sought regardless of values
5. Creating highly transparent evaluation systems that respond to diverse values
## Survey Implementation Overview
- Survey organization: Self-conducted survey
- Survey method: Internet survey (Fastask by JustSystems Corporation)
- Target area: Nationwide in Japan
- Target audience: 262 full-time employees aged 20-49
- Survey period: March 23-25, 2026
- Valid responses: 262
*This release uses weighted aggregation according to the gender and age composition ratio of regular employees in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Labor Force Survey.*
Except for direct reproduction of this press release, please include the following link as the source when quoting the survey results, graphs, or data.
About Professional Studio
Professional Studio's mission is "Creating an era where startups and SMEs shine," and it provides comprehensive HR support services for startups and SMEs.
It offers talent placement services for management-level positions in startups and SMEs, talent placement services for hard-tech/deep-tech companies, and HR system design consulting and planning/development of the IT tool "FirstHR" for startups and SMEs.
## Professional Studio Inc.
- Established: April 2020
- Headquarters: 3F, Tokyo Tatemono Yaesu Sakura Dori Building, 1-5-20 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0028
- Representative Director: Ryutaro Ichikawa
- URL: https://professional-studio.co.jp/
- Business activities: Comprehensive HR support services for startups and SMEs