Misunderstanding the “Job-Based” Concept and the Path Toward Skill-Based HR: How Japanese Companies Can Leverage Its Unique Strengths

Is “Job-Based” a Real Term Overseas?

In recent years, the term “ジョブ型” (Job-Based) has gained strong attention in Japan’s HR community. However, on the global stage, the term itself does not exist. This is because HR systems built on job descriptions and job evaluation have long been the global standard. Regardless of the HR system, defining each job is always the starting point. In other words, there is no concept of “Job-Based HR” as something separate—it is simply the norm.

In fact, some Japanese publications translate the term into English as Job Based, which may add to the confusion. Yet, in the global context, Job Based does not carry the unique meaning that it does in Japan.

So, where is the world of HR heading next?

From Job-Centered to Skill-Parallel

The latest global trend is not to replace the job framework but to complement it with skill-based HR systems.

Companies like Unilever, IBM, and Novartis are redesigning careers, workforce deployment, and compensation around employees’ skills and capabilities. In recruitment, degree-free and skills-first approaches are becoming standard, shifting evaluation from “what title or degree do you hold” to “what can you actually do.”

Challenges Facing Japan

Japanese companies, in contrast, have traditionally relied on job rotation to cultivate generalists.

Therefore, shifting toward skill-based HR is more than just a system change—it requires a cultural and structural transformation:

· Career Perspective Shift: From “broad internal experience is valuable” to “deep expertise that is globally competitive is valuable.”

· Reconstructing Evaluation: From seniority and tenure to transparent, skills- and performance-based evaluation.

· Redefining HR’s Role: From “planning rotations” to “visualizing skills and strategically placing the right people in the right roles.”

How Japan’s Strengths Can Be Combined

That said, Japan’s traditional HR practices have produced unique strengths that remain valuable on the global stage:

· Collaboration and cross-organizational capability developed through generalist training

· A corporate culture of long-term investment in human capital development

· Broad perspective and execution ability rooted in on-the-ground experience

By fusing these qualities with a skill-based HR framework, Japan has the potential to create a distinctive HR model of its own.

Conclusion

“ジョブ型” may be a uniquely Japanese coinage, but globally, HR has already begun moving from job-centered to skill-driven approaches. For Japan, the key challenge is not only to keep pace with this trend but also to integrate its own HR strengths into the shift—developing a model of HR that represents an evolution uniquely suited to Japan.

Next Month’s Column

“From Job-Based to Skill-Based: Career Design and Skill Development Across Generations.”

About the Author’s Book

“The Seven Myths and Truths of Job-Based HR: The Real Reason Why It Doesn’t Work in Your Company” is now available on Amazon: https://amzn.asia/d/4LtJtq0

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