The Challenge of a Man being Always at the Forefront──Accelerating the 'Employee-First' Organizational Culture
CD室Communication Design Department Satoru Maruyama
2021.06.11
Satoru Maruyama, who had had experience in IT, chose the Communication Design Department after three on-site experiences with different companies. It was an unexplored field he desired, expressing his wish to move from the forefront of engineering to a position where he could overlook the company. What is he currently thinking and working on? We traced the evolution from his initial entry into the company to the present.
Learning English and IT Skills That Thrive in The Business Field
Because of my previous experience in the same industry, prior to joining Alexsolutions Co., Ltd., I participated in training sessions to learn about the structure of the Internet, operating systems, and English language skills.
I already had a certain level of knowledge and skills in networking, so the training on operating systems left a strong impression on me.
Because I could connect the knowledge gained from the training to the practice, I found it immensely helpful when providing operational and support services for networks at the client's site.
As for English, I had used it in my previous job, but the frequency of use wasn't particularly high, so to be honest, my skills had become rusty.
In my previous job, I occasionally had conversations with people from Singapore, but I wasn't accustomed to their English accent. So, having the opportunity to talk with Singaporeans during the training was beneficial.
Speaking with people who speak English as a second language and whose English might be a bit broken or have unique accents unlike natives, proved to be helpful in actual tasks.
I had been interested in attending training in Sri Lanka even before joining Alexsolutions and I had a desire to go there.
One reason was simply because I had never been to Sri Lanka and wanted to experience it. Another reason was that I believed it could contribute to my future career advancement.
At the time of joining the company, I expressed my interest to my manager and indeed, I was able to go there one year later.
During the training in Sri Lanka, I got IT qualifications at local school, attended English language schools, and gained internship experience. At the IT school, I delved deeper into understanding the mechanics of operating systems and being able to study in English was a valuable experience. Engaging in English communication with locals through language schools and internships proved to be a rewarding experience.
With Each On-site Experience, I Gained New Knowledge and Skills, Aiming Higher Skills
I worked at a total of three on-site locations, and when selecting these placements, it was my preferences, or I took into consideration the preferences and information provided by the sales representatives.
At the first company, my job involved maintaining and managing the customer's sales system, ensuring its continuous operation. In essence, it was about taking care of the system to keep it running smoothly. Since I had expressed my desire to go to Sri Lanka after one year, I was assigned to a completely unrelated task in my career for a limited period. However, personally, I was aiming to pursue a career as an infrastructure engineer. Therefore, upon returning from Sri Lanka, I expressed my interest in working on the project at the second company where I could provide operational and support services for the customer's network.
At the second company, which I keep working for about two and a half years, there was zero English communication involved. It was a period focused more on advancing technical skills.
There were many challenging aspects during interactions with customers.
For instance, we conducted our operations based on the contents of the contract. However, there were quite a few instances that we were asked, 'Why aren't you handling this?' regarding matters outside the scope of the contract.
Amid these situations, I was prompted to consider on how to effectively confine our activities within the defined scope, how to communicate in a way that would be understood, how to encourage action, and furthermore, how to continue building upon our relationship.
The last of the three on-site placements was a foreign semiconductor manufacturer.
In the industry, network engineers can be categorized into phases such as monitoring, operation, design and construction, and requirement definition. However, with this client's project, I had the opportunity to be involved not only in network operations but also in design and construction. Of course, there were plenty of opportunities to use English as well.
I gained experience through placements at a total of three companies, and I feel that I was able to level up gradually and my capabilities expanded bit by bit.
After that, in 2019, I was transferred to the Communication Design Department and I had more opportunities to interact with fellow employees.
The communication experiences I gained from my previous on-site placements may now be considered strengths. For example, when listening to employees, I can imagine the background behind what they're saying and empathize by relating it to my own experiences. Additionally, I can offer advice to employees based on my experiences.
Continuity Is The Essence of Organizational Culture, Even in Endeavors That Results May Not Be Immediately Visible.
The Communication Design Department at Alexsolutions was established in April 2019 and is currently primarily responsible for both internal and external communication activities.
It was a transition from engineering to an unexplored field for me, but I was the one who expressed interest after hearing about the establishment.
The core of my work motivation lies the desire to solve problems. Beyond my professional endeavors, my pursuit of a master's degree in business administration at graduate school has deepened my understanding of problem-solving and I am intrigued by identifying and contemplating the issues and challenges within the company, exploring where they lie and how they can be addressed.
Originally, the department was established due to the president's own realization that internal communication within the company was lacking. Given my extensive experience working as a lone engineer at client sites, I initially felt a lack of belonging to the company. I did feel a sense of understanding it.
In that case, I thought to myself, “I should try to resolve it.”
Some employees work remotely from home, while others are stationed at client companies. As a result, it's quite challenging to meet physically, especially given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, online activities have become the main focus for now.
In the Communication Design Department, we actively promote interaction between experienced professionals and new employees. We engage in initiatives such as creating internal newsletters, fostering online communication, and organizing study sessions.
We strive to make the internal newsletter easy to read. We believe that the first step in communication is finding common ground and fostering connections, which is why we introduce personal aspects such as hobbies and interests, rather than focusing solely on work-related topics.
"Facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, I started a study group within our company to share our expertise. I believe that it's crucial for each engineer to have their own strengths to survive and thrive.
Recently, we've also made changes to our evaluation system, aiming to create a framework which both those teaching at study sessions and those actively learning are evaluated. Rather than imposing teaching from the company, we aspire to cultivate a culture which both the teachers and learners naturally engage and learn from each other.
The work in the Communication Design Department can’t make immediate results. I believe that continuous improvement is crucial. There have been many moments that I can hear voices saying, “I look forward to reading the internal newsletter”, which makes me feel glad about what we're doing.
Indeed, the internal newsletter has sometimes served as a catalyst for communication, and I find it heartening that such interactions are taking place.
Expanding The Breadth of My Skills Horizontally, with English as The Axis
At our company, the main focus of our work is IT. Therefore, I believe it may not be suitable for those who are not interested in IT but want to use English. However, I think that combining IT with English can make someone stronger, especially for those who have English as a background skill.
In fact, I have seen several retirees who have already retired but successfully transitioned to major companies, achieving significant career advancements. Many of them started with no prior experience in the IT field. Therefore, I believe there is no reason why current employees cannot achieve similar success.
I also can be involved in training for new employees, and the ability to serve as an instructor is a result of the experience gained from my duties at Alexsolutions.
Therefore, I hope to gradually provide everyone with the knowledge and insights I have gained from my experiences and learned in the sites.
アレックスソリューションズ求人募集！！
当社を舞台に、自分の夢を現実に変えていきたいと望む皆さんにお会いすることを、心から楽しみにしております。
