Impressions of working in Japan: New recruits

1st of March: New recruits
March in Japan is the time of the year when companies hire new people, that is to say fresh university graduates. The company I work in recruited 11 employees at once. Out of that group there's only female. Now that is a rather male-skewed distribution, isn't it?

It's intriguing to observe the new workers on their first day. They are so diligent and careful. It doesn't matter what is asked or told to do, a firmly pronounced "HAI!" (Eng. YES!) seem to be the single applicable answer. It is untrue, but ironically, if someone would say, "Today you have to line up in front of that open window over there and jump one by one down from the 4th floor", they would do it and with their best effort like good old Lemmings. Boing!

Although in future they possibly will have specific (and more demanding) positions, right now each one of them does the same tasks e.g. inputting survey data into a database. Unlike in most western companies, there new recruits are not hired for particular jobs, instead they find their spot and field of interest by time.

Neckties little too tight, bowing to everyone and everything, a drop of sweat running down the forehead. Uncomfortable and out of course is the overall impression. Hih, just like me little over a week ago.

On this weekend they will have their first nomikai, an evening spent drinking with other employees. Nomikais are demerit for health but merit for building good relationships, it seems.