"Nakamata-san, what is 'Jibun'??" Searching for the right answer is meaningless. The answer lies within yourself. (Part 1)

This is part of a special dialogue from the book adaptation of "The Classroom Connecting You and Society," titled "Why Do You All Start Talking About the Same Things When It Comes to Job Hunting?" In a discussion featuring Hiroyuki Nakamata, who works on educational initiatives for children with disabilities at LITALICO, they explore the concept of "individuality." Nakamata points out that the loss of individuality among students stems from problems in corporate hiring methods.

Demanding individuality from students is corporate "ego"

 

New graduate hiring is about potential

Nishii: The book's title is "Why Do You All Start Talking About the Same Things When Job Hunting?" Mr. Nakamata, you have HR experience. Do you personally feel this phenomenon described in the title?

 

Nakamata: At my previous job at DeNA, I handled recruitment, and it's true everyone talked about similar strengths. Since many students were involved in free newspapers, we even called them "free paper guys." I think there is this phenomenon where students talk about similar experiences from their student days. However, I don't think the students are responsible for this.
Mid-career hiring is straightforward: we look at specs, ask "What can you do?" and "What are your achievements?" But new graduate hiring focuses on potential, so the evaluation methods vary widely. Yet, many companies use the same hiring approach. I think this is the root cause. Companies have identical hiring requirements and identical hiring methods, yet they ask students, "Why are you all the same?" That's pure corporate ego. I believe the biggest problem is the uniformity of corporate hiring styles.
We recruiters went through the same experience when job hunting ourselves. The fact that our perspective shifts the moment we step into the company's shoes makes us bad adults.

Sasaki: I strongly agree with the idea of evaluating potential over specifications.
There's a famous quote: "Imagination is far more important than knowledge." Companies should strive to understand what's inside a student's heart, not just the knowledge already in their head. How did you assess potential, Mr. Nakamata?

Nakamata: First, the company must decide what kind of person they want to join and what kind of person would be happy working there. Clearly articulating the desired candidate profile is the starting point for assessing potential.
Next, since it's difficult to assess potential solely through formulaic interviews and conversations, we create many situations where we can truly evaluate them. I believe the hiring side should spare no effort, resources, or money in making this assessment.

Nishii: When companies adopt this kind of hiring approach, what can students do?

Nakamata: They should simply be sincere. Companies cannot control whether a student is sincere or not. That sincerity is something the student must demonstrate.

Choosing based on social necessity

 

Nishii: In the "Connecting Yourself to Society Classroom" program, you discuss identifying "what you are," communicating that if you believe it's valuable during job hunting, and finding companies that accept that message as a good fit for you—meaning you don't need to compromise yourself. That said, you also mention that understanding "how others perceive you" can be a strength when connecting yourself to society.
Mr. Nakamata, you've made various life choices over the years. What criteria do you prioritize when making decisions?

Nakamata: I try to view things objectively, not just from my own perspective, but as if looking down from above. In my generation, there are about 400,000 job seekers. I stand in the position of thinking, "If I were God, how would I allocate these 400,000 people to jobs?"
I currently run a company supporting people with disabilities. This is something society needs done. However, there aren't many people with high business literacy committed to this field. Cutting-edge industries like the internet have both people and money, so someone will do it; it doesn't have to be me. Considering the world, socially necessary work is better, which is why I chose my current job.

Nishii: So you base your decisions on what should be. When making choices, is it better to have many options or to narrow them down yourself?

Nakamata: I believe one choice is enough. When selecting that one path, I want to live a life where I consider the world and feel it's my destiny.

※The second part of this conversation will be updated on Friday, December 26.

You can also read it here on AdTie!

 

Book available here:
Sendenkaigi Online:http://www.sendenkaigi.com/books/new/3393