What is the Vietnamese national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!

What kind of country is Vietnam?

Vietnam is a long country stretching from north to south along the South China Sea, with a land area of approximately 329,000 ^km2, roughly the same size as Japan excluding Kyushu.
The official name of the country is the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The population is approximately 99.46 million (General Statistics Office of Vietnam, 2022).

Hanoi, the capital city in the north, is characterized by the strong Chinese culture that remains.
The southern city of Ho Chi Minh City is full of tropical cheer and energy, making it a popular tourist destination.

There are direct flights from major airports in Japan to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and the travel time between the two is around 6 to 7 hours.

Approximately 86% of the population is Kinh ethnicity, and the official language is Vietnamese.
Vietnamese has 12 vowels and 6 tones, making it a known difficult language to pronounce.
In addition to the Kinh people, there are 53 other minority tribes, some of whom do not speak Vietnamese at all.

Religious beliefs include Buddhism, Catholicism, and Cao Daiism.

Vietnam's major holidays are Southern Liberation Day (Unification Day), National Day, and Tet (Lunar New Year).

Southern Emancipation Day is celebrated annually on April 30th.
On April 30, 1975, the previously divided North and South Vietnam were unified, bringing the Vietnam War to an end.
It's a day to celebrate that.

National Foundation Day is celebrated on September 2nd every year.
It dates back to September 2, 1945, when the country declared independence from French and Japanese colonial rule.

Tet corresponds to the New Year holiday in Japan.
In Vietnam, it is celebrated according to the lunar calendar and results in a holiday of about a week.

If your workplace has staff from Vietnam, you may need Temporary Return Support.

What are the personalities and values of Vietnamese people? Learn about their national character

Vietnamese people are said to be hardworking, honest, and generally good-natured.
They also tend to be shy and reserved.
For this reason, Vietnamese people are said to be similar to Japanese people.
Many people are willing to work longer hours if they are paid overtime.

However, since Vietnam stretches a long way from north to south and has a history of being divided by war, there are differences in culture, diet, and national character between the north, central, and south.

The northern part of the country, centered around the capital Hanoi, is still heavily influenced by socialism, and it is said that there are many earnest, shy people who prefer reliable things.

In contrast, the south, centered around Ho Chi Minh City, has been strongly influenced by capitalism and is famous as an economic city, so it is said to have many easygoing and business-savvy people.

The central region, centered around Da Nang, is an area undergoing active development, and it is said that there are many people with a strong spirit of challenge and ambition to succeed.

Many Vietnamese people value their families, and it is common for them to think that it is natural to take time off work for family events or when they are sick.
If you have Vietnamese staff in your workplace, keep in mind that their absence or lateness may be due to family members.

Also, since many people in Vietnam are active early in the morning, it is common for them to take naps in the afternoon.
The reason for working early in the morning in Vietnam is that ordinary households do not have the habit of storing food in the refrigerator, so they have to do their shopping at the market.
This may not be the same in Japan, but some people may consider naps normal.

In addition to Vietnam, we also introduce the national characteristics of Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Please feel free to use this as a reference.

What is the Thai national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the Nepalese national character like? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the national character of Myanmar? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the Filipino national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the Indonesian national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!

How can I work smoothly with staff from Vietnam?

In order to work smoothly with staff from Vietnam, there are three things to keep in mind when communicating with them.

It's a good idea to share this within your company before you start working with Vietnamese staff.

1. Understand regional and individual differences in personality

The first is to understand regional and individual differences in personality.

Vietnamese people are said to be hardworking and serious people, but this varies depending on where they come from, and each person has their own personality.
Instead of assuming that "Vietnamese people are like this," try to look at their individual personalities and abilities.

②Speak in easy-to-understand Japanese

The second is to use easy-to-understand Japanese.
Japanese terminology, dialects, and abbreviations are very difficult for everyone, and not just for people from Vietnam.
It will be smoother if you pick out expressions that are easy to understand.

You should be especially careful with Japanese-English expressions, which are unique to Japan and cannot be understood by foreigners.
For example, some Japanese English words include the following:

• Japanese English: Notebook PC → English: Laptop
• Japanese English: touch panel → English: touch screen
• Japanese English: Concent → English: Outlet
• Japanese English: Stapler → English: Stapler

3) Clarify the wage system

The third thing is to be aware of the differences in thinking about wages.

Vietnamese people have a strict attitude towards wages.
However, since many people are willing to work long hours if they are paid overtime, it is a good idea to have clear rules regarding overtime pay.

Also, since many people place importance on how much they can earn at the present time, it is more important that the wage system is commensurate with their current skills than what will happen in the future or how much they will earn.

Summary: Vietnamese people are hardworking and serious. Their national character is similar to that of Japanese people.

Vietnam is a long country stretching from north to south, and the culture and national character differs depending on the region, but overall, the people are hardworking and serious, and are said to be similar to Japanese people.

They tend to be more willing to accept longer working hours if they are paid properly, and they will complete their work responsibly.

It is considered natural to value family, so many people want to take time off for family events or when they are sick.
Vietnamese people celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is a week-long holiday, so they may need to Temporary Return Support.

One employment type for Vietnamese people is Specified Skills.
This is a status of residence that requires certain skills and Japanese language ability, so companies looking for immediate personnel should definitely consider this.

A seminar on coexistence with foreigners for Japanese people is being held: "I'm having trouble getting along with my Vietnamese employees! What should I do?"

At JAC, we hold the "Foreigner Coexistence Course" with the aim of "understanding the culture and customs of the other country to work smoothly with foreign staff!"

The foreigner coexistence lecture on September 14, 2023, was titled "Foreigners Coexistence Course (Vietnam)" (Lecturer: Tomohiko Aoyama).

In addition to introducing Vietnam's history, national character, and food culture, we also explained important points and precautions when actually welcoming Vietnamese people.
Participating companies asked questions about the acceptance flow, such as sending organizations and Registered Support Organizations.

Q: Previously, I employed a Technical Intern Training (company-only type). I am currently in my home country, but I would like to call you again as a Specified Skills. Regarding obtaining recommendation letters on the Vietnamese side, in the past it was a company-alone system, so there was no sending agency, but in the case of Specified Skills, can it be obtained without going through a sending agency?
In the case of → Specified Skills, a letter of recommendation from DOLAB must be obtained through the sending organization. The same applies to trainees operating solely for companies.

Q: I understand that sending organizations refer to foreign organizations such as those in Vietnam, but on the other hand, for Specified Skills, there is an organization called the Registered Support Organizations on the Japanese domestic side. Is it not acceptable to have all negotiations with sending organizations be covered entirely by the Japanese Registered Support Organizations?
→ For overseas invitations from Vietnam, a contract with the sending organization is required to issue a local recommendation letter. There are the following patterns of contracts with sending organizations.

(1) Accepting company ⇔ sending organization
(2) Registered Support Organizations ⇔ sending organization

As you asked, in case (2), the sending organization and Registered Support Organizations can communicate directly. However, operations differ by individual company.

You can view seminar videos and materials from the "Foreign Residents Coexistence Course Missed Streaming & Materials."
If you couldn't attend, please be sure to check it out.

Regarding the course, we have received the following impressions.

• The cultural background and other information was concise and easy to understand.
• The explanations were easy to understand from various perspectives, including history, geography, and language.
• The basics were reaffirmed
• It was good to get to know about Vietnam in general.
• I was undecided about how to communicate and teach my future work, so I was able to hear very useful information on that point.

In addition to the Vietnamese coexistence course, we held courses on Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand.
In addition, we offer courses to help you acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for coexistence with foreign talent, such as cross-cultural understanding and the Plain Japanese that is easily communicated to foreigners!

For more details about the course, please visit the page for 'Foreigner Coexistence Course' below.
Missed episodes, materials, and event reports of past courses are also available.
"Foreign Residents Coexistence Course" for Japanese Employees

If you are a company that is considering accepting Specified Skilled Worker in the construction industry, please feel free to contact JAC!

*This article is based on information as of October 2023.