Sony and Bandai Namco raise salaries to attract new young talent to their studios
In response to the growing competition for skilled professionals, Japanese giants Sony and Bandai Namco have decided to include winter bonuses in their employees' base salaries. This step is aimed at making companies more attractive to potential employees, especially young professionals.
Here's What We Know
Usually, Japanese companies pay employees two bonuses per year - summer and winter. However, Sony and Bandai Namco decided to change this practice by including the winter bonus in the monthly salary. In particular, the starting salary at Sony increased by about $330 per month. At Bandai Namco, after the increase in 2022 from $1500 to $1980, the salary has again increased by $100 per month.
These changes come amid reports of staff reductions at Bandai Namco. In particular, the company has transferred about 200 of its 1,300 employees to positions with no responsibilities, leading to the voluntary resignation of almost half of them. This practice, known as "exile rooms" (oidashi heya), is used in Japan to encourage employees to leave voluntarily.
Raising base salaries may be an attempt by companies to improve their employer image and attract new talent, especially in a fiercely competitive labour market. However, it is a mystery why other people had to be laid off.
Source: Automaton
