A recent proposal by the head of Keidanren (the Japan Business Federation) to scrap the guidelines governing its member companies' recruitment schedule for new university graduates comes at a time when this rule, which has been in place in varying forms since the 1950s, is not effectively being followed by many major companies. It also appears to reflect the fact that many uniquely Japanese employment practices, such as the annual one-time mass hiring of new graduates, lifetime employment and seniority-based promotion, that lie behind the recruiting guidelines are changing rapidly.

The Keidanren guidelines set the annual timetable for when member firms can start briefing sessions on company information for university and graduate school students, hold job interviews and give employment promises to successful applicants.

The current guidelines, introduced for the hiring of 2017 graduates and to be applied through spring 2020, stipulates that the firms can start their company information sessions for third-year students on March 1, the selection process such as job interviews and exams for fourth-year students on June 1, and give formal notifications to successful applicants on Oct. 1.