Qualifications for White-Collar Workers of Japan, USA and UK: Based on Comparative Surveys of HR Qualifications

Abstract

How do Japanese white-collar workers develop their “abilities to work”? In order to support their developments, how could “qualifications” be used? They are questions when this research was started. In 1990s, global competitions and information system progress would force Japanese organizations to change their personnel systems to diversified employments by portfolio and merit based HR systems. Career educations and job consciousness of new college graduates were increased. It might make clear job careers if job-specific employment would be adopted for newly graduates, however, they may suffer limitations of their future careers.

“Qualifications” could be utilized to connect careers to jobs. In Europe and USA, job-specialties were established at many positions in organizations. Accordingly, qualifications have been used significantly. On the other hands, it will need more time that Japanese qualifications, especially those for white-collars such as Business Skills Test to be utilized.

In this paper, current situations of qualifications for white-collars, practical uses in companies, preceding related researches are described. Then, HR qualifications of Japan, US and UK are introduced by samples of qualifications for white-collars to be compared in their purposes, contents, evaluating methods for consideration. Japan’s Business Skill Test (HR Div.), SHRM’s PHR of US and CIPD’s CPP of UK are picked up for the comparative studies. These three HR qualifications are similar to their targets and contents; however, they are different in histories, backgrounds, numbers of applicants and social evaluations. Japanese one seems to be different in many aspects from counterparts of US and UK.

Based on the survey of jobs and qualifications to white-collar workers in Japan, US and UK, results of evaluations about qualifications are analyzed and compared. Merits of qualifications are found in salary increases and job-changes in US and UK responses, but these advantages are not so found in Japanese responses. In spite of such situation, the ratio of qualifications’ holders among Japanese white-collars is similar to those of US and UK ones. Moreover, Japanese respondents show stronger intentions to take more qualifications in the future than American and British counterparts.

It seems to be difficult for Japanese society to quickly set up professional associations and qualifications like in US and UK. So it might be more practical that Japan’s public organizations lead to prepare and establish qualifications for white-collar workers. In order to utilize qualifications, they need to include proper contents from practices at work. It should also require job experiences and OJT to prepare and use new qualifications, which might lead to develop “abilities to work”. More studies of overseas job qualifications and their proper adoptions to Japan will be required. Japan’s national supports to vocational educations and trainings are also expected.