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年功人事

ねんこうじんじ
noun★Intermediate💡 seniority-based personnel system
💼Business
formal

A personnel management system where promotions, raises, and job assignments are primarily based on an employee's length of service (seniority) rather than performance or merit.

年功人事のもとでは、若手社員は長期間低いポジションに留まることが多い。

Under a seniority-based system, young employees often remain in low positions for long periods.

💡

Common in traditional Japanese corporate culture, though modern companies are increasingly shifting toward performance-based evaluations.

Collocations

年功序列seniority hierarchy年功序列型賃金seniority-based wage system年功序列社会seniority-based society

Synonyms

年功序列年功序列人事

Antonyms

成果主義人事実力主義人事

Related Phrases

終身雇用phrase
lifetime employment
企業戦士phrase
corporate warrior

💡Pro Tip

Cultural Context

This system emphasizes loyalty and long-term commitment to a single company, contrasting with Western models where job-hopping for advancement is more common. It creates predictable career paths but can limit innovation and younger talent.

⚡Gold Rule

Key Distinction

年功人事 prioritizes tenure over performance. Do not confuse with 成果主義 (merit-based system), which evaluates results rather than years of service.

📖Word Origin

Combines 年功 (ねんこう, 'years of service') and 人事 (じんじ, 'personnel management'). The term reflects a system where experience (measured by tenure) directly correlates with career advancement.

📝Usage Notes

While historically dominant in Japanese corporate culture, this system is gradually being replaced by merit-based evaluations in many organizations due to globalization and calls for diversity in the workplace.

Word Breakdown

年功
years of service/experience
noun
+
人事
personnel management
noun
和英辞典

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