I asked 'Chawan-san', who works at a foreign-owned company, about their work style! #Job-based
Regarding the job-based system, I had several small questions.
I had been secretly hoping to ask someone about them.
Chatting on Stand.fm
Then, the other day, I reached out to Chawan-san. The trigger was the article about the job-based system that Chawan-san wrote below.
After explaining the job-based system, Chawan-san wrote:
While writing, I felt I could sort of see the weaknesses of the job-based system. There are many extreme jobs. And, you get bored because you repeat the same work.
That is what they wrote.
I was curious about that, so I asked them. And they agreed to come onto Stand.fm, the audio streaming app where I always chat.
That Chawan-san was so composed that I was surprised it was really their first time. Well, I'm sure that's just who Chawan-san is.
Things I wanted to ask
I had many things I wanted to ask, but thinking I could talk to them again sometime, I mainly asked about the following three points this time (I actually intended to ask about the content of the article Chawan-san wrote, but I realized after we finished that I had completely forgotten). And before I knew it, we had been chatting for about an hour, haha.
1. Overtime
I asked if there is no overtime even at foreign-owned companies in Japan. Then, they replied:
In the first place, overtime pay is not included in the budget, so even if you work overtime, you don't get overtime pay. Of course, no one works overtime (excluding special cases).
That was their answer. And then,
If work isn't finished, you can just do it the next day. That's why there's plenty of time after work, and those with families can spend time with them in a relaxed way.
② Relocation
Also, regarding what is introduced in Japan as something like a job-based system, I asked about region-specific roles. I then asked about relocation. The response was,
there is no forced relocation. If there were such an order, everyone would just quit. People who want to relocate write their desired relocation destination on the company's internal network. A manager who sees that might approach them and ask, for example, 'Would you like to work in Thailand?'
③ Job duties
A friend's daughter works at a foreign law firm and is fluent in English, but because she doesn't have the specialized qualifications, she isn't allowed to do legal translation. When I asked what they thought about that, the response was,
job content is written in the job description. In the case of Chawan-san, who works in design, it states that they can design products, communicate with the factory, and take responsibility for product performance.
Also, the necessary skills for the job are clearly stated. For example, in Chawan-san's case, knowledge of English and engineering.
So, basically, the answer was that you don't do work other than what is written in the job description (though if asked, you might be able to help out a little).
Another thing, regarding open positions within the company,
everyone shares job opening information, it's easy to change jobs, and supervisors view it positively.
Image of foreign-owned companies
After talking with Chawan-san this time, my image of foreign-owned companies has changed significantly.
I sometimes hear information that sounds a bit cold, so I was surprised to hear their story. If you can work like that, raising children while working isn't that difficult. It seemed like a truly people-friendly way of working.
We simply use the term Western, but as I looked into it, there are actually differences between the US and Europe even within the same job-based system. And Chawan-san's workplace is a European company.
I think this interview will be very helpful for those currently thinking about changing jobs or young people who are about to start job hunting. The talk is 31 minutes long. We also talked a little bit about the overseas trip Chawan-san is taking early next year (please listen to it if you'd like).
Also, I asked about various other interesting topics.
I would like to think about the topics not covered in this note from a different angle next time.
Conclusion
I had been excited and looking forward to this for days, just thinking about the fact that someone I met on note would come over to Stand.fm. I was truly happy when our voices connected like a phone call on Stand.fm!
People are talking about job-based employment everywhere these days, but after hearing your story, I was reminded once again of how different this way of working is from Japan. If a work style that is kind to people became the norm in this country, I thought that the desire of young Japanese women to be full-time housewives would surely disappear.
Chawan-san, thank you so much.
*Thank you for reading until the end.