According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of people aged 60 and over is estimated to double to more than 2 billion by 2050. As the average age of populations across the globe increases, older workers will soon represent a greater proportion of the workforce and businesses must make sure they are utilising the skills of more mature workers.

Japan’s movements towards a cashless, paperless society, along with its implementation of 5G networks will shape the country’s job market for 2020, says recruiting experts Hays, as part of the country’s top 10 talent trends for 2020.

The ever-complex labour market in Japan has seen a significant number of challenges in recent times. One of the more positive developments however, has been the implementation of a new labour law that aims to transform Japan’s notorious culture of ‘overworking’. The result of this has been a rise in hiring activity for strategic, senior HR professionals and the increasing use of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), underlined by a consistent demand for recruiters and talent acquisition skills.

Three-time J-League winners, Yokohama F. Marinos, are based in Yokohama, Japan’s second largest city. The popularity of football has grown in Japan in recent years and is fast becoming the most popular sport in the country. The Club’s Nissan stadium is the largest sports stadium in Japan, with capacity for over 72,000 fans.

Organisations value productivity because it’s one of the two main drivers of business and economic growth – the other being increases in the number of people working. But, according to Hays, many organisations are starting to question the current ways of measuring productivity.

The implementation of the revised Worker Dispatching Act is coming into force from the 1st of April this year in Japan as a part of Work Style Reform, and this prohibits the unfair and imbalanced treatment between the full-time workers and temporary workers. The implementation requires dispatch providers to select between an “Equal Pay and Benefits” or “Labour Management Agreement” method of dispatch.

Gamification is a term that refers to the use of gaming mechanics, such as achievement badges or leader boards, to encourage engagement or increase motivation among its users. If the user enjoys the experience they are more likely to use the application again or retain their learning.

A declining population that will need the tech industry to step in and make the labour force more productive and efficient, as well as an impending 5G network transformation will pushing businesses to develop even more efficient and intuitive digital experiences and tools to meet these demands.