Updated: July 2023, 7

This time, we spoke to Tomoko Katayama, the oldest member of the Osaka branch, who knows the history of Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation (SG).
　

Please tell us why you joined SG.

When looking for a job, I wanted to work for a company where I could feel like I was contributing to society. That's when I learned about SG and realized that the company's style matched my work philosophy! That's what I thought when I joined the company.

Mr. Katayama, you have been watching SG's growth up close, but how do you feel SG has changed into a company since you first joined the company?

When we started our company about 10 years ago, we had very few employees, and as a company we were conscious of ``What should we do to improve our performance?'' and ``What should we do to get our work back on track?'' As the business expanded and reached its current scale, he realized that ``in order to improve business performance, it is necessary to develop people, and by developing people, you will receive requests for good work.'' As a result, the business performance improved. This led to improvement. I think this discovery as a company was a huge one.

SG is a company that places particular emphasis on decision-making and speed, but Mr. Katayama, what do you pay attention to when working quickly?

First of all, I am very conscious of creating my own answers as quickly as possible. For example, when you have to present one answer out of three options, you may not be able to make a decision on your own and want to ask your boss or co-workers, but even in such situations, you can formulate an answer to some extent beforehand and then consult others. By doing this, even if the answers given by others are different, you can compare the answers yourself and grow. For this reason, even in our daily work at SG, when we receive questions from employees, we ask them, ``What do you think?'' This will improve the decision-making ability and speed of employees. Also, being aware that there is a partner on the other side of the work is another important point to keep in mind when increasing speed.

Another keyword SG has is "empathetic consultant." Mr. Katayama, please tell us what you think "empathy" means.

We believe it is important to not only understand what our customers expect, but also what they need to do, and empathize with them. We believe that the ideal role of a consultant is not simply to listen to the customer's story and present solutions. We work closely with the customer to understand why this request is beneficial for the customer, whether this request is really okay, propose other solutions, and aim to solve the problem together in a level relationship. We believe that such "empathy" is what SG emphasizes and is a strength.

SG is currently in a transition period of business expansion, including the construction and relocation of new offices. What do you think about your future career as the environment changes significantly?

I believe that the role required of SGs will naturally change significantly in the future. I'm the most senior person in the company, so I'd like to hand over the practical tasks I'm currently in charge of to my juniors and shift my perspective by proposing new projects. I always keep my ears open for the significance of my existence in the company and bring myself to that point. By doing so, I hope to grow and change along with the company.

Through interviews and half-day internships, I got the impression that there was active communication between employees and a lively workplace. Is there a secret to creating such a company culture?

The reason SG has been able to create the flat and lively company culture it has today is largely because all employees share the same goals and eliminate mismatches. In the past, we mainly hired people with industry experience, so we were fixated on experience, which meant that we were unable to gain empathy from employees for our business. SG is a company that values ​​the importance of frequently adjusting its goals and taking on new challenges, so for about five years now we have been actively hiring new graduates, hoping to hire people who share the same ideas. Masu.

Lastly, please give me three points that you would like new graduates who wish to join the company to keep in mind.

①Be aware of the differences between students and working adults
② The meaning of receiving money and contributing to the company
③ I have a dream at work!

Through the SG interview and half-day internship, I was able to experience a company with a flat and lively corporate culture, a variety of tasks, and a company heading toward a new stage. Mr. Katayama, thank you for answering the interview today!