In nationality statistics on foreign residents in Japan, Vietnam remains the third-largest group after China and South Korea. Hiring Vietnamese talent has become a realistic and important option for Japanese companies, especially in manufacturing, food processing, construction, and nursing care. Yet as hiring volumes rise, employers still often say staff “did not perform as expected” or “left earlier than anticipated.” In many cases the root cause is not skills or language ability, but workplace mismatch born from insufficient understanding of cultural background.

This article is for HR professionals and executives hiring Vietnamese talent. From a practical standpoint, it organizes Vietnamese values, communication styles, and everyday culture. Beyond checking legal compliance, it shows concretely how frontline cultural understanding directly affects retention and productivity.

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The current state of Vietnamese talent: why hiring is growing and why cultural understanding is under scrutiny

According to statistics from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, the number of Vietnamese residents in Japan reached about 560,000 as of the end of 2023. They work under a range of statuses of residence, including Technical Intern Training, Specified Skilled Worker, and Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services. Even as the Technical Intern Training Program transitions toward the Employment for Skill Development Program, Vietnam continues to hold an overwhelming presence as a source country of talent for Japan.

Typical reasons Japanese companies choose Vietnamese talent are (1) diligence and strong motivation to learn, (2) the large number of Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) holders, and (3) affinity with values shared across Confucian cultural spheres. At the same time, the idea that “there is affinity” can easily lead to overconfidence. Meaningful differences exist between Japanese and Vietnamese workplace cultures. If those differences are treated as “personality issues,” the organization never builds a proper acceptance framework, and the more capable people leave earliest.

The measure of hiring success must be reset from “getting people through the door” to “making them productive and retaining them.” The starting point is correctly understanding Vietnam’s cultural context.

For the fundamentals of procedures and systems in foreign hiring overall, see Fundamentals of Hiring Foreign Talent | YourBright. Please also refer to it for legal and status-of-residence perspectives.

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Vietnamese values and social structure: foundational knowledge to grasp before hiring

Confucian order and “face” (mentsu) culture

Like China, South Korea, and Japan, Vietnam is grounded in Confucian family and social order, but how that appears has its own characteristics. Respect for seniors and a sense of belonging to the group are strong, while sensitivity to “losing face” is higher than many Japanese people imagine. Public criticism or reprimand can cause serious psychological harm.

In Japanese workplaces, some managers coach by “pointing out problems in front of everyone to drive improvement.” Doing this with Vietnamese staff may look like compliance on the surface, while strong resentment or humiliation builds inside—and can surface months later as sudden resignation.

Strong ties to family and community

In Vietnamese society, belonging to family and local community is very strong, and family opinions heavily influence job decisions. Even when the candidate is personally convinced, offer declines or early turnover can occur because “the family opposes it.” At the interview stage, confirming whether the candidate has fully discussed life in Japan with family is effective for preventing later mismatch.

Communities of people from the same hometown or region (hometown-association-like ties) are also important emotional support for Vietnamese staff. In workplaces that already have Vietnamese employees, respecting rather than rejecting these communities helps improve the overall atmosphere.

Be mindful of north–south regional differences

Vietnam has a long north–south geography, and temperament and speaking style differ clearly between Hanoi (north) and Ho Chi Minh City (south). People from the north are often said to value discipline and be more reserved, while those from the south tend to prefer open, proactive communication. These are tendencies and must be understood with individual differences in mind, but the fine-grained care of not lumping everyone together as “Vietnamese” helps build trust.

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Misalignments that easily arise at work: common on-site issues, failure patterns, and how to avoid them

Common on-site issue 1: “Hō-ren-sō (report–inform–consult) does not work”

One of the most frequent consultations from accepting organizations is that staff “do not report when problems occur,” or “keep saying ‘I’m fine’ when checked, when in fact nothing was getting done.”

Behind this sits a mix of the belief that “reporting a problem proves my incompetence” and the desire “not to disappoint my supervisor.” There is also a cultural sense that answering “I’m fine” to “Are you okay?” is the polite response.

How to avoid it: The fundamental fix is building a culture where “telling us what is not done yet helps the team.” Simply changing “Are you okay?” to concrete questions such as “How far have you gotten?” or “Where are you stuck?” also makes it easier to draw out honest answers.

Common on-site issue 2: “Sudden absences and early departures are frequent”

In Vietnam, prioritizing family over work for weddings, funerals, family illness, or emergencies is socially taken as a matter of course. Strictly insisting on a Japanese-style rule such as “paid leave must be requested one week in advance” alone can push staff into a vicious cycle of feeling guilty while repeatedly taking unauthorized leave.

How to avoid it: Create an environment where staff can take leave through proper procedures by writing a special-leave framework for urgent family matters into the work rules, or by communicating operational flexibility as an interpretation of those rules. Guidance from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on supporting diverse ways of working is also useful.

Failure pattern and how to avoid it: do not stop at “handing over the rules”

It is very common to hand foreign staff the Japanese work rules and stop there. This failure pattern comes from the assumption that “we gave it to them, so they must be reading it.” Creating a Vietnamese summary of key points and setting aside one-on-one time in the first week of employment prevents the rules from becoming a formality. Designating a mentor whom they can ask everyday questions freely—ideally a senior colleague of the same nationality—is also effective.

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Differences in communication style: points hiring managers often overlook

One point hiring managers often overlook is that a “good impression” in the interview does not necessarily match workplace adaptability. Vietnamese applicants tend to treat interviews as occasions to make the setting go well, and answering questions with an eager “I can do it” or “I will do it” is both a sign of sincerity and consideration for the other person rather than excessive self-promotion. Interpreting this as “obedient talent who will do whatever they are told” widens the gap after assignment.

High-context vs. low-context

Japanese is a high-context (highly context-dependent) communication culture, and Vietnamese likewise has many context-dependent expressions. Because Japan and Vietnam “read” context differently, however, both sides may expect the other to “just sense it,” and in the end no one sends a clear message.

Practical response: Make it a habit to give instructions including the purpose—“why this work is needed.” Understanding and autonomy improve dramatically. Preferring to act after understanding the purpose is not limited to Vietnamese staff; it is a tendency shared across international talent in general.

Evaluate Japanese ability and job ability separately

Even JLPT N2 or N3 holders need time to get used to workplace technical terms, instructions, and document reading. One point hiring managers often overlook is the gap between “Japanese measurable by tests” and “Japanese usable at work.” On manufacturing floors in particular, understanding safety-critical vocabulary such as “danger,” “stop,” and “emergency” is the top priority, and a process to check and reinforce this before hiring or right after joining must be built in.

When hiring highly skilled foreign professionals under statuses of residence such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, matching of expertise is a criterion alongside language ability. For details, see Explaining Statuses of Residence for Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals | YourBright.

Communication challenges also differ by nationality and region. For names and communication culture specific to Myanmar talent, see Workplace Communication with Myanmar Talent | YourBright. Comparing the two also helps organize management of your own multinational teams.

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Religion, holidays, and dietary restrictions: consideration for daily culture shapes retention

The religious backgrounds of Vietnamese people are diverse. Buddhists make up a majority of the population, but the influence of Mahayana Buddhism (especially Chan/Zen and Pure Land traditions) is strong, and events such as Lunar New Year (Tet) are the most important milestones of the year. Catholics also account for about 6–8%, so you should expect some employees who place importance on Christmas and Easter.

Consideration for Tet (Lunar New Year)

Tet is Vietnam’s largest festival, equivalent to Japan’s New Year, and falls around late January to early February each year (by the lunar calendar). Vietnamese staff strongly hope to return home and spend time with family if possible. Rather than treating long leave as “special selfishness,” building planned annual leave or special leave into the work rules greatly raises staff belonging and trust in the company.

Gratitude toward companies that allow paid leave or special leave during Tet is very strong, and in practice it is evaluated as a high cost-effectiveness measure for improving retention.

Responding to dietary diversity

Vietnamese food culture is diverse; people widely eat pork, beef, and seafood, but many also observe “vegetarian days” several times a month under Buddhist custom. Taste preferences also differ greatly by region of origin. In workplaces with employee cafeterias, the ideal is at least to confirm allergies and religious prohibitions at joining and to be able to offer choices.

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Practical checklist: decision criteria from pre-hire through retention support

Diagram: pre-hire confirmation flow (conceptual)

We organize the flow from the hiring-consideration phase through completion of retention support in the following stages.

Step 1 | Confirm status of residence and scope of activities before hiring Check the candidate’s residence card and confirm work eligibility and job scope against Immigration Services Agency of Japan guidelines. Also confirm the obligation to notify Hello Work of the employment status of foreign workers.

Step 2 | Hear cultural background (interview design) In advance, confirm region of origin (north, central, or south), frequency of returning home and family structure, religious customs and dietary restrictions, and leave wishes during the Tet period.

Step 3 | Design onboarding orientation Prepare a multilingual summary of the work rules, safety and health training (Vietnamese materials), clear expectations for report–inform–consult, and assignment of a mentor.

Step 4 | Regular check-ins at 3 and 6 months Detect dissatisfaction and difficulties early and keep records. In many cases an HR lead is more appropriate as the interviewer than the direct supervisor.

Step 5 | Institutionalize consideration for annual events Design leave for the Tet period and show understanding in workplace communication for Buddhist observances such as Vu Lan (seventh lunar month).

Practical checklist (for hiring managers)

Prepare the following items as a practical pre-hire confirmation checklist.

  • Confirmed the status-of-residence field and any work restrictions on the residence card
  • Identified the Hello Work office for foreign employment status notification and set up the filing flow
  • Prepared and explained the employment contract in Vietnamese or plain Japanese
  • Explained key parts of the work rules (pay, leave, grounds for dismissal) in multiple languages
  • Completed enrollment in social insurance and workers’ compensation insurance (refer to MHLW guidance for foreign workers)
  • Created records of safety and health training delivery
  • Designated and communicated a mentor and consultation channel
  • Shared the rules for taking annual paid leave or special leave during the Tet period
  • Recorded dietary restrictions and religious considerations in HR data
  • Scheduled the first regular check-in within three months

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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q1. A Vietnamese staff member suddenly asked to resign. Is there a way to retain them?

Behind sudden resignation requests there is often “accumulated dissatisfaction they could not discuss with anyone.” In a retention conversation, the first step is to listen without denying. Improving conditions matters, but rebuilding a workplace where people feel “someone cares about me” tends to have a stronger long-term effect. Once resignation is firmly decided, a practical judgment is to shift from holding them back to a positive send-off that keeps open the possibility of future rehire or referrals.

Q2. For hiring Vietnamese talent, which is more suitable: Specified Skilled Worker or Technical Intern Training?

The decision criteria differ by occupation, company size, and development policy. In the current transition toward the Employment for Skill Development Program, a division of roles is advancing in which Specified Skilled Worker (i) and (ii) suit ready-to-work hiring, while Employment for Skill Development suits medium- to long-term talent development. Choose based on your acceptance framework and the speed at which you expect people to become productive, and consult a specialized Registered Support Organization on unclear points. Detailed inquiries are also accepted via the Foreign Talent Insights (YourBright) contact desk.

Q3. Is there a way to confirm that Vietnamese staff truly understand safety instructions written in Japanese?

Do not treat a verbal “I understand” as confirmation complete. A teach-back method—having them explain the content in their own words—is effective. For safety-critical matters, it is also recommended to create an environment for everyday reference, such as posting on-site notices with Vietnamese translations and QR codes.

Q4. Won’t giving Tet leave create fairness issues with Japanese staff?

Many companies raise concerns about special leave timed to Tet. A practical approach that is more readily accepted as fair is to establish special paid leave related to religious and cultural events (up to a set number of days) in the work rules, and position it as a system Japanese staff can likewise use for Obon, New Year, and similar occasions. It is also a reasonable design from the perspective of promoting diverse talent, which the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare advances.

Q5. Where can I look up status-of-residence information I should check before hiring?

On the official website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/), you can confirm work eligibility and permitted activities for each status of residence. For notification duties when employing foreign nationals and the application of labor-related laws, detailed employer guides are published on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare portal (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/). Free consultation is also available at Hello Work foreign employment consultation desks.

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Conclusion: Cultural Understanding Is a Business Strategy, Not Welfare

Addressing cultural differences in Vietnamese recruitment is neither a compliance issue nor a form of social contribution—it is an investment that directly drives business results. Given hiring and training costs, the loss from a single early resignation often runs from several hundred thousand to several million yen. Companies that understand cultural background and build proper acceptance systems gain multiple benefits at once: higher retention of Vietnamese staff, greater productivity, and improved motivation across the workplace.

Shifting your decision criteria from “respond after trouble arises” to “design consistently from pre-hire through retention” is the first step toward turning international talent utilization into a competitive advantage. We hope you will use this article’s practical checklist and the decision criteria in each section to build long-term partnerships with Vietnamese talent.

For individual consultations on recruitment systems and acceptance framework design, please feel free to apply via the Foreign Talent Insights (YourBright) contact page. Our specialist consultants will propose a support plan tailored to your company’s situation.

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*Supervised by: Hayato Yamashita (Specialized editor, Specified Skilled Worker and Employment for Skill Development fields / YourBright Foreign Talent Insights Editorial Team)* *Last updated: June 2026*

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