Imajina Conducts Seminar to Prevent Business Bankruptcies Amidst Wage Hikes

Imajina's Efforts to Address Employee Turnover

On June 11, 2026, Imajina organized a seminar at the Breezé Plaza in Umeda, Osaka. This event targeted business leaders and HR managers from the Kansai region, focusing on actionable strategies to combat the rising threats of workforce shortages and financial struggles caused by increasing wage pressures. With the alarming rate of company bankruptcies linked to employee turnover, the seminar emphasized a timely response to a deteriorating workforce situation.

Background: Challenges Facing the Kansai Economy

The current economic landscape in the Kansai region is facing an unsettling crisis characterized by a severe shortage of labor. According to a report by Teikoku Databank, the number of bankruptcies in the Kinki region reached a staggering 2,700 in the fiscal year 2025, marking a 4.0% increase from the previous year and hitting a 14-year high. This surge in bankruptcies primarily stems from a workforce shortage, which has led to demand being unmet in many sectors. Notably, the so-called 'employee turnover bankruptcies' have highlighted significant vulnerabilities within small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with 118 reported cases linked directly to the departure of key personnel.

Amid this turmoil, approximately 80% of businesses in Kansai are exploring pay increases to retain talent, yet many smaller firms struggle to implement these raises due to declining performance. This divide emphasizes the urgent need for a more effective approach to human resource management—one that shifts away from dependency on salary hikes and instead builds organizations that employees are eager to join.

Solution 1: Scientific Recruitment Processes

A major highlight of the seminar was the introduction of the Imajina-Cambridge Assessment (ICA) tool developed in partnership with Cambridge University’s Psychometrics Centre. This groundbreaking tool provides a data-driven method for recruitment and personnel placement, moving away from traditional reliance on subjective impressions of candidates. In today’s recruitment environment, the use of AI to create application materials and the spread of 'model answers' through social media have rendered traditional assessment methods somewhat obsolete.

The ICA tool objectively measures candidates across 12 personality and integrity scales while also identifying instances of dishonesty through four scientific auditing measures. This capability ensures a more accurate alignment of employees with the organization’s core values, effectively reducing turnover risk by providing meaningful data for optimal placement.

Solution 2: Investment in Leadership Development and Inner Branding

To sustain a strong organization capable of weathering downturns and retaining quality talent, it is imperative that companies invest not only in recruitment but also in ongoing employee education and the internalization of corporate philosophy. Japan’s management training ranks an abysmal 60th out of 64 countries, illustrating a glaring gap in investment compared to leading global companies. Research indicates that organizations actively investing in the development of successors and executives see over four times greater revenue growth compared to those that do not.

Representing Imajina, Yoshiki Sekino emphasized the importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) alongside traditional skill sets for next-generation leaders. By implementing the four-phase process of Inner Branding—awareness, action, empathy, and expansion—companies can enhance employee engagement and commitment to organizational values, significantly curbing turnover rates.

Seminar Highlights and Participant Feedback

The seminar successfully facilitated deep discussions among attendees, consisting of business leaders and HR directors from across the Kansai region. Participants engaged intently with Sekino’s presentation, openly discussing their own high turnover rates and succession challenges. The event culminated in overwhelming interest for individual, complimentary consultations, where many attendees expressed immediate intentions to revamp their HR policies and strategies.

One manufacturing executive noted, “We’ve reached our limits in the constant struggle to raise salaries. The introduction of scientific aptitude data and inner branding will surely differentiate us and attract talented individuals—this is the only sustainable strategy I see.”

Through these efforts, Imajina remains committed to leveraging scientific insights to support regional businesses in creating resilient organizational structures that are responsive to labor market challenges.

Event Summary

- Seminar Theme: Organizational Transformation through Inner Branding
- Date and Time: June 11, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
- Venue: Breezé Plaza Room 805, 2-4-9 Umeda, Osaka
- Speaker: Yoshiki Sekino, Representative Director, Imajina Co., Ltd.
- Audience: Business leaders, board members, HR managers in the Kansai region.