KANZAKIof
Talk

My impression of KANZAKI was that during the information session before joining the company and when I looked at their website, I got the impression that they were a very serious and stiff company.
I knew that it was a manufacturing company, but since the company name does not include Yanmar, it was only when I saw it on their website that I realised it was a Yanmar group company.

When I looked up KANZAKI on their website, I got the impression that it was a serious company.
I was also impressed by the fact that the word "Yawaragi" (harmony) was prominently displayed.
But to be honest, I didn't really understand what that term meant before I joined the company.

In my previous job, I worked in sales at a shipping company.
I often had trouble with interpersonal relationships at an old-fashioned company, and I was also a bit tired of the sales job itself.
When I returned to Kobe and started looking for a new job, I found KANZAKI.
It was close to home, and I learned that I could work in human resources even if I had no experience, so I felt that it was a company that would allow me to take on new challenges.

Has your impression of the company and its employees changed after actually interacting with them?

Unlike the stiff image I had before joining the company, everyone is very kind and gentle.
When I went to the work site for training in my first year after joining the company, not only were the instructions given carefully, but the people there were also very considerate and warm, even calling me in front of the air conditioner in the summer because it would be hot.
The gap between the impression I had before joining the company and the reality was large, in a good way.

During the interview, I felt it was a warm company, so nothing has changed much for me.
Everyone at work is really kind and will immediately call out to help if you have any problems.
The overall atmosphere in the company is relaxed and cooperative.

As everyone has said, I feel that the people around me are really supportive of the company.
At my previous job, I sometimes felt pressured to ask questions, but that doesn't happen at all here. Everyone is very kind and explains things to me carefully, so it's easy to work here.
Just the other day, when I was having trouble creating a document, my senior colleague dug up some past documents and gave me detailed instructions, which was a great help.

Listening to the young people talk, I get the feeling that the good qualities of KANZAKI that have remained unchanged since the old days are being firmly passed down.
In particular, what has not changed since the old days is that when you are in trouble, the people around you will not leave you alone and will try to help you.

It is true that KANZAKI has long had a culture of valuing people, and I feel that this has been passed on to the young employees of today.
I am very happy that young people are feeling the warmth of our workplace.
Since joining the company, have you developed a deeper understanding of KANZAKI's philosophy of harmony?

After joining the company and interacting with people at work, I realized that this phrase is not just a philosophy, but is deeply rooted in the company culture.
Even in meetings, rather than unilaterally imposing one's opinion on others, we discuss things together, ultimately coming to an agreement and moving in the same direction. I really feel that this is the spirit of "Yawaragi."

Yes, that is exactly the spirit of harmony.
Although the Yanmar Group has other principles of conduct, this "Yawaragi" (harmony) has been passed down as a unique principle of Kanzaki.
It seems that the more senior employees are, the more they can relate to this statement.

KANZAKI has a consistent business structure, and I think one of its strengths is that it handles everything from product planning and development to manufacturing, sales, quality assurance, and after-sales service in-house.
Every time I visit the company's production line, I am always impressed to see the products being made that I am indirectly involved in.
In this way, I think it's easy to get a sense that your work is connected to the final product at KANZAKI. What do you think?

That's right. It's rewarding to be able to see the connection with my work within the company.
Also, when I come across Yanmar products outside the company, it makes me happy to know that something we made is being used.

KANZAKI's factory and office are located next to each other on the same premises, so one of the great things about it is that you can see everyone's faces.
I work in sales, so of course numbers like sales are important, but rather than simply chasing numbers, I feel that the efforts of each individual are connected and become things that turn into numbers.

It's true that KANZAKI pays close attention to each individual.
One manifestation of this is the "KANZAKI AWARD," which began in 2023 to recognize employees who work hard in their daily work.

It also shines a spotlight on employees who work hard behind the scenes, which I think helps to increase employee motivation.
各賞の受賞者にはトロフィーと副賞があるのもうれしいですよね。

I think one of KANZAKI's great points is the close relationship we have with our customers.
Although it is a B2B business, we have close horizontal connections so we have many opportunities to hear from our customers and get a real sense that our work is useful to them.
Another great thing about this job is that you have the opportunity to interact directly with overseas companies, which helps you develop a global perspective.

When customers from overseas visit, we hang the country's flag at the company gate, create a welcome board, and show other hospitality that I think is a warm culture unique to KANZAKI.

I heard that in recent years many systems have been introduced to increase employee motivation, and I felt that this is a good company.

Speaking of systems, since I am currently raising a child, I am making use of the reduced-hours system.
I think one of the unique features of KANZAKI is that opinions such as "I wish it was more like this" easily reach upper management, and if a change is adopted, it is quickly implemented.
In fact, it has been a great help to me as I can now easily pick up and drop off my children.
When I returned from maternity leave, my child was not feeling well and I was worried that I would be a nuisance.
At times like that, I told the people around me how I really felt, and they took steps to make it easier for me to work.

It's up to us to take turns raising children, so all we need to do is think about it together and support each other.
I am always available to talk to you about anything, not just child-rearing issues, so please don't hesitate to talk to me.

thank you.
I may soon experience marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing, and there will probably be things I will only understand and worries about once I reach that point.
It's very reassuring to have a senior with experience!

I think women's careers have also changed compared to the past.
Many of the women who have returned to work after childcare leave are able to work efficiently and with careful consideration of work priorities.
I would be delighted if, with the support of families, we could take advantage of our ability to look at things from multiple angles, such as balancing housework and childcare responsibilities, and see an increasing number of women in management roles.

I think it is the president's idea that the system and women's careers have been improved to make it easier to work here.
I feel that the barriers between departments have disappeared and decision-making has become faster.

It's true that there has been an increase in cross-departmental projects and activities, and I feel that this is promoting interaction between employees.
It's an opportunity to interact with people you don't normally talk to, which can easily lead to work-related collaboration.

I think one of the characteristics of this company is the close relationship not only between employees but also between the president and employees.
I see the president somewhere every day, and it seems to me that he places more importance on going out to the field and communicating with employees than staying in his office.

You frequently patrol the company, talk to employees, and get to know each one well.

He remembers well what he has said to an employee once and knows even the smallest details.
I can remember pretty much who I talked to and what I said, so I can't lie (laughs).
It's clear that they are listening to their employees' opinions and working together to build the company, which makes me feel even more motivated to do my best.

My current goal is to be able to provide smooth support to the sales department staff as an administrative worker, so that they can carry out their work just a little more easily, just like my senior colleagues.
In the future, I would like to become a role model for female employees in terms of career planning.

I only joined the company this year and I still rely on my seniors, so my goal is to become a senior who can kindly and accurately teach future juniors how to do their jobs.

My goal is to become a fully-fledged designer and be able to contribute to the company as soon as possible.
To that end, I would like to proactively ask questions of my seniors and take on a variety of different tasks.

My goals are twofold.
First, I want to be someone who can support the employees around me more than ever before and proactively lend a helping hand to anyone in need.
In particular, now that I am in a managerial position, I am able to understand the concerns of upper management, so I would like to become someone that the president and executives can rely on and listen to their complaints.
The other is to become happier.
I believe that if you are happy, you can make the people around you happy too.

Just as I have been helped by those around me up until now, I would like to be a source of emotional support for those who will be joining us in the future.
In particular, I would like to be someone who can use my own experience to offer counseling and advice to create an environment where female employees can work comfortably, and who can empathize and grow together with them.
And I want to be a "cool mom" to my children.

I also want to continue to take care of my health and enjoy my work every day.
I would like to utilize the experience I have gained to focus on developing young employees.
Managerial positions may evoke images of being difficult, but I would like to convey that they are also much more rewarding than that, and to create a path that encourages young people to actively pursue career advancement.
And for the company as a whole, I hope that we will have more energetic and lively employees, and that the growth of individuals will lead to the growth of their departments and ultimately to the growth of the company.

The ideal situation would be to create a positive environment where veteran employees feel more comfortable asking for advice than ever before, and where young employees can thrive.
When the veterans see the young ones working hard, they won't want to give up, so it seems like a good cycle will be created.
Now, let's respect each other, cooperate with each other, and move forward!