This time, I would like to answer a question from a reader.
People in their 20s who work for major companies are feeling anxious, saying, “Isn’t my company cool?”
Mr. A
I work for a major company, and lately I’ve been wondering if my company is okay.
When reading business news, we often see keywords such as “DX”, “diversity”, “sustainability”, and “job-based employment”, but in our company, we rarely see such words.
I think they are probably discussing this at the management level (I want to believe it), but the fact that they never come down to the front line means that our company may be behind the times. In terms of whether it’s cool or not, I think it’s classified as a “not cool company”…
I don’t know what my career will be like if I stay at a company that isn’t cool, so I’m starting to think about quitting and looking for a new job. Is there a way to ascertain the current state and future potential of management in order not to fail in the next job change? If you decide to change jobs, I would like to know when choosing a company.
(Mr. A/Late 20s/Male/Manufacturer)
I understand how Mr. A feels uneasy.
Every day, I ask people who are considering changing jobs why they want to quit their current company. I feel there is a difference.
In the case of Mr. A, it means that the management’s intentions and actions cannot be seen, but there is also a reverse pattern. Even if the promotion of “diversity” and “DX” is widely promoted on the corporate website, etc., the content may not be accompanied by it.
For example, at a company that promotes the active participation of women, when a woman told her immediate superior that she wanted to become a manager, she was dismissed saying, “There is no precedent for this.” What a story I’ve heard.
It seems that there are cases where a company that has launched “DX promotion” hires a “DX promotion office manager” from outside for the time being, but does not seriously consider it even if that person makes a proposal to the management team.
In other words, it’s just a facelift for the public, and management isn’t “serious.”
So, how do we know how serious management is?
Whether or not a company is a “cool company” is reflected in the lineup of outside directors
One way to do this is to check the lineup of management board members and outside directors. If you are a member class employee of a major company, I think that there are many people who do not know what kind of people are inside and outside the company.
Management intentions are reflected in the composition of the board of directors.
For example, recently, “human capital management” has been attracting attention. Human capital management treats human resources as “capital” and attempts to improve corporate value by maximizing the value of human resources.
The government is also emphasizing human capital as “new capital”, and discussions are progressing in the direction of requesting companies to disclose information on human capital.
Regarding this theme as well, some companies are taking early steps, while others are taking a wait-and-see approach.
At major telecommunications companies and major IT companies that I have been paying attention to as large companies that are advanced in human capital management, there are people in the director class who have HR as their core career.
In fact, these companies are adopting and implementing advanced ideas in the hiring and utilization of human resources. I think it’s an example of how a company’s “seriousness” is reflected in its executive appointments.
Therefore, by confirming whether there are people who have been recently assigned to the board of directors, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the company, and what their backgrounds are, we may be able to see the direction that management is trying to focus on. Hmm.
Another option is to look at the “skills matrix.”
The skill matrix is a list of the fields of knowledge and skills possessed by each director.
In recent years, there has been a movement to publish the skill matrix of the board of directors in securities reports, etc., so if you have a company that you are interested in as a candidate for your company or a new job, why not check it out?
A company that faces a crisis shows the strength of “seriousness”
Where does the company’s “seriousness” for new initiatives differ?
I think it’s the management team’s sense of crisis. Current situation ~ Unless you have a strong sense of crisis for the future, it will be difficult for a large organization to move forward.
A company that says, “It’s a declining industry and it’s slowly declining, but it’s not like there’s a sudden drop in performance,” it’s hard to get serious about it. In particular, senior executives may be taking a carefree attitude, thinking, “I’ll be fine during my term.”
On the other hand, companies faced with a financial crisis seriously tackle reform.
Therefore, the companies that you see in economic news and think, “That company is terrible. You should avoid it.”
For example, about 10 years ago, Sony’s mainstay electronics business slumped and implemented bold structural reforms. After achieving a revival driven by the entertainment business, we expanded into even more diverse business areas. In the latest earnings announcement, sales and operating income have reached record highs.
From this point of view, why not try to find out the intentions of the management team of your own company or the company you are considering changing jobs to?
*Is there anything you would like to discuss with Mr. Morimoto about changing jobs or careers? If you have any questions or concerns, please use this survey to let us know what you think. We may use your answers to help us write future articles.
* The 91st installment of this series is scheduled for November 28th (Monday).
(Composed by Noriko Aoki, Photographed by Aiko Suzuki, Edited by Ayuko Tokiwa)
Chikako Morimoto: After graduating from the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Dokkyo University, joined Recruit Human Resource Center (now Recruit Career). As a career change agent, he has many achievements in human resources strategy consulting and recruitment support for a wide range of companies. While enrolled at Recruit, he established morich Co., Ltd. in March 2017 as a sole proprietor and practiced a double business. Even now, he is embodying a parallel career while holding more than 10 business cards such as NPO directors, outside directors, and advisors. In 2012, he appeared on NHK “Professional ~Work Style~”. He has authored many books such as “Successful Career Change” and “Invincible Career Change”. He also has the face of a mother of two sons.
Source: BusinessInsider
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