Strengthening Support for Hiring "Immediately Usable Foreign Talent" to Resolve Labor Shortages in Food Companies

<Features of the "Food Industry-Specific Foreign Talent Introduction Service"> [Details Page] Service Introduction Page for Employing Companies

Skilldish Inc. (Headquarters: Itabashi-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hyakutake Igata), which operates the "Food Industry-Specific Foreign Talent Introduction Service," has significantly enhanced its system for introducing "immediately usable foreign talent" who have completed three years of technical training and can transition to the Specified Skilled Worker status* in the same field, in order to address the severe labor shortages faced by food companies. This has established a system that allows companies in the four sectors of food and beverage manufacturing, food service, agriculture, and fisheries to hire immediately usable talent, with the aim of resolving hiring mismatches and improving retention rates.

*Specified Skilled Worker is a status of residence aimed at accepting foreign nationals with a certain level of expertise and skills in industrial fields where it is difficult to secure domestic workers. Like Japanese nationals, they can engage in a wide range of duties, including simple labor on-site, on a full-time basis.

◆ Background: Hiring Needs for "Immediately Usable Foreign Talent" in Food Companies

Due to chronic labor shortages, the following issues have become prominent in recent years in food companies (food manufacturing, food service, agriculture, and fisheries):

・Instability in securing personnel due to busy periods and seasonal fluctuations

・Difficulty in securing staff for specific shifts, such as night shifts and early morning shifts

・Decreased productivity due to stagnation in skill transfer

・Difficulty in hiring young people who can be expected to remain with the company long-term

・Increased hiring costs due to a rise in early employee turnover

For example, in food manufacturing plants, while large-scale staffing is required on production lines, it is difficult to secure domestic workers, leading to a rapidly growing need for immediately usable foreign talent. In agriculture and fisheries, labor shortages during harvest and landing periods are constant, and securing experienced workers is directly linked to business continuity.

In response to these challenges, our company has been working to support the entire food industry supply chain by strengthening our introduction system for Specified Skilled Workers and reducing the hiring burden on companies.

◆ What is "Immediately Usable Foreign Talent"?: Experienced Workers Sought by Food Companies

There are two main ways for food companies to hire Specified Skilled Workers: hiring "candidates residing overseas who will be working in Japan for the first time," and hiring "foreign nationals who have completed three years of technical training and can transition to Specified Skilled Worker Category 1 in the same field" and have prior work experience in Japan.

The "immediately usable foreign talent" that we are strengthening refers to "foreign nationals who have completed three years of technical training and can transition to Specified Skilled Worker Category 1 in the same field."

Having accumulated three years of practical experience through technical training, these individuals possess the following characteristics sought by food companies:

● Practical experience in food manufacturing lines (processing, packaging, inspection, quality control, etc.)

● Work experience in agricultural and fishery fields

● Long-term living experience in Japan, leading to high retention rates in the workplace and community

● Basic communication skills in Japanese

● Employment possible for up to five years under Specified Skilled Worker Category 1

These characteristics are highly valued by food companies because they can become productive immediately after hiring.

◆ Strengthening Details: Solving Challenges in "Hiring" and "Retention" Faced by Food Companies

[Hiring Aspect]

In the hiring process for food companies, issues such as "untrained individuals require a heavy educational burden," "insufficient Japanese language proficiency," and "difficulty finding experienced candidates, leading to prolonged recruitment activities" are becoming apparent.

Skilldish has expanded its pool of candidates with the Specified Skilled Worker status of residence, primarily focusing on those who have completed three years of technical training and have work experience in Japan, to approximately 400 individuals (a 162% increase year-on-year). Many of these candidates are immediately usable talent with experience in food manufacturing lines and agriculture, and the interview pass rate is a high average of 78%.

Furthermore, by introducing candidates with strong Japanese language skills (N3 or higher), we reduce the communication burden on-site. While many other companies take 2-3 months for selection, our dedicated consultants provide consistent support from clarifying job requirements to arranging interviews and completing hiring procedures, achieving hiring from application to offer in an average of two weeks. Our strength lies in our ability to quickly and stably secure the "immediately usable foreign talent" that food companies seek.

[Retention Aspect]

"Post-hiring retention" is essential for the successful hiring of Specified Skilled Workers. While the average retention rate for general Specified Skilled Workers after one year is around 70-80%, Skilldish maintains a high retention rate of 91% after one year.

Individuals who have completed three years of technical training and transitioned to Specified Skilled Worker Category 1 in the same field have a significant advantage due to their long-term living experience in Japan and high adaptability to workplace culture.

Additionally, our company provides various support systems to alleviate concerns about daily life and has established a follow-up system tailored to the specific needs of food company workplaces. By carefully addressing concerns related to "hygiene management," "night shifts," and "seasonal fluctuations," which can often lead to problems, we minimize the risk of turnover. As a result, we can achieve long-term stabilization of food companies' production systems.

Benefits Food Companies Can Enjoy

● Increased productivity as they can become productive immediately after hiring

● Reduced training costs and burden on the workplace

● Stable resolution of labor shortages during busy periods and seasonal fluctuations

● Low turnover rate, leading to long-term employment

● Employment possible for up to five years under Specified Skilled Worker Category 1

● Reduced hiring costs due to fewer hiring mismatches

Expected Contributions of "Immediately Usable Foreign Talent" in Food Company Workplaces

● Food and Beverage Manufacturing: Hired as immediately usable talent for production lines or as leaders for on-site operations, increasing production capacity during peak seasons.

● Food Service: Hired as kitchen assistants with knowledge of Japanese food hygiene standards, stabilizing staffing levels in restaurants.

● Agriculture: Experienced workers hired for agricultural and livestock operations such as harvesting, sorting, and shipping, improving work efficiency.

● Fisheries: Experienced workers hired for tasks such as processing catches and feeding aquaculture cages, increasing productivity.

◆ Features of the "Food Industry-Specific Foreign Talent Introduction Service"

The "Food Industry-Specific Foreign Talent Introduction Service" is a service that allows companies to pinpoint and hire talent with high retention rates that match their recruitment plans.

Only candidates who have been pre-screened based on employment conditions can be interviewed, significantly reducing the burden on company representatives. Furthermore, the speed of completing the process from recruitment to offer in an average of two weeks, and the success-based fee structure where no costs are incurred until hiring is confirmed, make it an accessible system for a wide range of food companies, including those in regional areas.

<Recruitment Schedule>

*Talent introduction is for full-time employment only.

For our brand vision and service details, please refer to the links below.

<Service Introduction Page for Employing Companies>

https://skilldish.com/lp.html

https://skilldish.com/column/press-food-foreign-talent-service/

<"SkillDish," the Foreign Talent Recruitment Platform Specialized for the Food Industry>

https://skilldish.com/

◆ Skilldish Inc.

Company Name: Skilldish Inc. Headquarters: 5th Floor, DT Oyama Building, 12-2 Oyama-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Representative Director: Hyakutake Igata Business Activities: Foreign talent business specializing in the food industry Development and operation of the Specified Skilled Worker Foreigner Recruitment Platform "SkillDish" *Target Fields: Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Beverage Manufacturing, Food Service Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare License: Paid Employment Introduction Business Number 13-ユ-317066