Employee Interview: Akio Fukamizu (Image)

My core principle is respect for individuality.

Akio Fukamizu

Career Hire Human Resources Department, Business Partner Office

Fukamizu promotes team building that leverages diverse individual strengths. His work begins with engaging with team members and deeply understanding them. The newly established organization is supported by Fukamizu's communication skills.

Q1: What is your current job and what is rewarding about it?

Facing each individual

I have a disability, and during my interview at Macnica, I was asked, "We're planning to create a team for people with disabilities, and would you be willing to lead that team?" I was intrigued by this offer, decided to join the company, and now I serve as the leader of the Business Partners Department.

The Business Partner Office handles a wide range of tasks from various departments. Initially, we handled tasks such as converting paper delivery specifications to PDFs and managing ledgers for those documents. More recently, we've been providing support for materials used at trade shows exhibited by various business units. We also undertake a diverse range of other tasks depending on the company's needs.

Each member has different strengths and weaknesses in terms of work, depending on their specific disability. As a coordinator for the Business Partner Office members, I find great satisfaction in working with each individual, considering appropriate tasks for each member, and managing the team accordingly.

When assigning tasks, I always make it a point to get to know the team members well. To create an environment where team members can thrive and maximize organizational productivity, it's essential to thoroughly understand each member's disability characteristics, accommodations, and individual perspectives. Our Business Partners Office includes individuals with various disabilities, including developmental disabilities, mental illnesses, and physical disabilities, and we conduct weekly interviews with them. By providing a forum for discussing their current situation and concerns, we ensure they have an environment where they can seek advice rather than bearing the burden alone.
Furthermore, based on the consultations we receive, we make every effort to improve the work content and working environment to better support our team members and create a more comfortable working environment.

Q2: Why did you choose Macnica?

What attracted me was the culture of continuously taking on challenges.

I was introduced to Macnica by a recruitment agent. The reasons I decided to join were that I thought it would be interesting to be involved in the establishment of a new organization where people with disabilities can thrive, and that I was drawn to Macnica 's culture of "constantly continuing to challenge oneself" when I was thinking that I wanted to challenge myself in many different ways.

Since joining Macnica, there has been absolutely no gap between my expectations before joining and the reality; every day has been a series of challenges. Starting an organization from scratch meant we had no existing know-how, and we didn't know what was needed to run a new organization.

When we first established the organization, we realized that in order to work collaboratively with various departments, we first needed to let them know about us. We regularly contacted other departments and asked, "Is there anything we can do to support you?" We focused on activities to make people aware of the existence of the Business Partner Office while looking for opportunities for collaboration.

Now, our recognition within the company has increased, and we are able to receive a large amount of work from various departments. The volume and variety of tasks make it challenging to handle, but it gives us a sense of contributing to the company as a whole, which is very rewarding.

Daily Schedule

8:45

morning assembly

Participate in departmental and team morning meetings.
Work assignments are shared with the entire team during the team's morning meeting.
9:15

Business confirmation and coordination

We will check the progress of each member's work and make adjustments if it affects the work schedule for the following day or later.
10:00

Meeting with the client department

We conducted a preliminary meeting to coordinate our plans before taking on a new project.
Reviewing manuals for contracted work and coordinating schedules such as start dates.

12:00

lunch break

I ate a packed lunch that I brought with me or a lunch that I bought.
13:00

Regular Leader Meeting

We hold a regular meeting once a week to share information about the work and member status at each location.
This is an important time to discuss future directions and policies.
17:00

Checking daily reports submitted by members

Check the daily report to see how the team members were doing at work and how their physical condition was that day.
We will review the situation and reflect it in the work assignments for the following days.
17:15

End of Business

Q3: An episode that made you grow

Creating an environment where individuality can thrive.

In the early stages of establishing the organization, I was anxious to increase the amount of work we were entrusted with, and I sometimes adopted a "I'll do anything" attitude. As a result, I became overwhelmed and unable to effectively manage my team members.

Even in those circumstances, I had to manage the team effectively, so I first assessed the organization's capacity, prioritized tasks in consultation with team members, and made adjustments such as changing the response time depending on the nature of the requests we received. I learned the importance of proceeding realistically and systematically, and I now apply that knowledge to my work.

When managing a team, what I keep in mind is "trusting others and believing they can do it, and entrusting them with work." I believe this is possible thanks to the culture of "delegation of authority," which is also written in Macnica 's core values. I myself had many areas of inexperience and was very anxious, but I was entrusted with many tasks, and by doing a lot of work, I experienced both success and failure, gaining a lot of experience which has given me great confidence. I will do my best to create an environment where members of the Business Partner Office can have similar experiences. Also, as the company has recently been actively hiring people with disabilities, I would like to further strengthen the support system for the Business Partner Office and create an organizational structure where members can showcase their individuality and thrive.

MY VISIONFuture goals and aspirations

At Macnica, even people with disabilities are properly evaluated if they understand their own characteristics and strengths and work hard to utilize them. In my previous job, I struggled to realize what I wanted to do, but I feel that there are many opportunities for that at Macnica.

My primary goal is for the Business Partner Office to become an indispensable organization, growing into a supportive presence that enables people with disabilities to work and thrive.

Message

Macnica is a truly exciting company where you can challenge yourself in many different ways, while also being a considerate company that supports each individual. Many people feel various "difficulties" when it comes to working in a company, but if you are someone who wants to work in a way that suits you, I would definitely recommend Macnica!