Interview with NAKAMA, second-year employees
Realities of their jobs and message for junior staff

The UNIVA Group actively recruits new graduates. UNIVA Paycast and UNIVA Japan welcomed new graduates, NAKAMA, this April. NAKAMA, as a new member of society, must be filled with anticipation and anxiety. In this issue, we would like to say "Welcome!" With that in mind, we would like to introduce two new graduates who joined our group last year and are now in their second year at UNIVA. Share their year-long struggles, experiences, and growth. Through their real words, we will show you the charm of NAKAMA in its second year of new graduates and encourage new NAKAMAs.

Junnosuke Umeuchi, Overseas Human Resources Division, UNIVA JAPAN (UJP)
Yuna Hirose, Sales Division, UNIVA Paycast (UPC)

I want to help foreigners who want to work in Japan.

Umeuchi's job is to provide human resource consulting services to match companies that want to hire foreigners with foreigners who want to work in Japan. This solo agent handles a wide range of tasks alone, from finding companies to sales, arranging interviews between companies and applicants, and following up after job offers. Umeuchi first became interested in this work when he was a university student.

"I studied English at university in the International Languages Department, but I realized I had no sense of English, so I switched to a Chinese major. When I was studying abroad in Taiwan for a year, many of my friends wanted to work in Japan. But they didn't know how to work in Japan, and they were having trouble finding such a placement service. That is how I got connected with UJP, as I wanted to do a job supporting such people."

A hard worker, Umeuchi passed the HSK, the Chinese government-approved proficiency test for the Chinese language, at the sixth grade, the highest level, while still in college. Using "speed," which he says is his strength, he was able to successfully recruit five excellent candidates within one year of joining the company.

UJP's culture of self-directed thinking and action

Despite having zero working experience and zero business experience, Umeuchi says he gained all of his experience in the course of his work. How did you learn the job?

"It's a small company and a division of three people," he said. "I was trained through practical work. I did not leave anything I did not understand as it was, but asked a senior employee to solve it right away. The corporate culture of thinking and working by oneself, rather than waiting for instructions, suited me well."

Umeuchi says that although there is a lot of work involved, there is also a high degree of freedom and a great sense of accomplishment. Are there any jobs that have left a lasting impression on you over the past year?

"We received an inquiry from a certain well-established miso shop. It was not a specific request, just a little interest, but I prepared and proposed the benefits of hiring foreigners, how the company could grow by hiring them, and even a concrete plan for overseas expansion. We also focused on conveying the company's appeal in concrete terms to the candidates. In the end, we were able to make a job offer to a foreign talent who likes miso, which made me realize the importance of preparation."

The Overseas Human Resources Division has grown to 12 hires per year this fiscal year, a change from a few years ago when the number of hires was only one per year. Currently, we have set a goal for the department to hire at least two people per month. Umeuchi personally has set a high goal of hiring at least two people per month.

I want to be more closely and deeply involved.

Umeuchi's hobbies include basketball, walking, and watching movies and TV dramas.
Do you enjoy your job? Please answer honestly (laughs).

"It's fun! For applicants, finding a job or changing jobs is a big event in their lives. I feel a sense of responsibility and mission in being able to support such big events. I think it's a fascinating job."

We asked Umeuchi, who smiles with a fresh smile, what he would like to do in the future.

"First of all, I would like to refine my current work and open more windows of opportunity for foreign nationals to work here. I also need to develop new application channels for applicants. I also want to grow more as a member of society. In the future, I would like to create a business that is more deeply and closely related to foreigners who want to work in Japan. For example, I would like to teach Japanese language and Japanese business etiquette, and I would like to create a school business that can lead to job placement.

What kind of company is UJP? Finally, do you have a message for new employees?

"UJP is a global workplace where you can work with people from other countries. Because we are a small company, our employees are close to each other and easy to communicate with. We are a workplace that welcomes challenges, so there are many opportunities to grow depending on yourself. When you are a newcomer, 'I don't know' is the norm. Both UJP and the UNIVA Group are companies that encourage and support those who want to grow. As a senior, I will support you too!"

Thank you, Umeuchi!

Carp girl becomes a salesperson

Next up is Yuna Hirose, a 15-year Carp girl and Disney lover who belongs to the UPC Sales Division. Her main task is to find companies that can introduce us to merchants for UPC's payment system and system companies that can link our payment system.

UPC acquires prospective clients by attending trade shows. In addition to payment-related exhibitions, we participate in exhibitions for a variety of industries, including e-commerce, IT-related, and the nursing care industry. One of Hirose's duties is to contact the business cards that senior employees have acquired through sales and presentations at the exhibition hall and obtain appointments.

"This is an important job that connects the tasks established by my seniors. I have had many frustrating experiences of not being able to make appointments. Recently, I think I have been able to make appointments by researching the industry and devising the text of my e-mails to make it easy to imagine what our services can solve."

Hirose works in sales with bottomless cheerfulness. What was the deciding factor in your decision to work at UPC?

"My major at university was cognitive psychology, which has nothing to do with my current job (laughs). While I was job hunting for a job that would involve working in people's daily lives, I became interested in the settlement business, which is an infrastructure for daily life. I remember learning about UPC and the payment agency business at a job hunting event and being excited about its potential."

A corporate culture that listens to the voices of newcomers

What kind of company is UPC?

"I think we are a very open company. Nowadays, we often communicate not only within the department, but also across the company. Every day I realize that my job is made up of a lot of people."

There have been other surprises since she joined the company.

"All of my peers, including myself, were assigned to the department of our choice. Of course, I think the company is looking at aptitude for its own reasons, but I was surprised that they listen to the voices of newcomers. I think it is rare to find a workplace where you can experience corporate and agency sales from your first year in the company. There are senior employees whom I can respect, and there is also generous support. I am grateful that they welcome my challenge."

Do you think your current job is right for you?

"I honestly don't know. When I was a student, I thought I liked and was good at talking with people, but at work, in business meetings and presentations, I have a hard time speaking well. I feel like I'm searching for my strengths right now."

Current challenges and future goals

What do you find difficult about your job?

"It's all about task management. When I was a student, I worked within a set schedule, but at work, there are many aspects of my schedule that are unreadable, such as when I get busy with overlapping requests. At such times, it is still difficult to prioritize and manage tasks. Sometimes I even have to work overtime."

What are your future goals?

"I want to master agency sales. Right now, I am mainly making appointments to obtain business negotiations, but I will do my best to put together business negotiations on my own."

Finally, do you have a message for new NAKAMA employees?

"I understand that UPC has only one new employee this year. You may be anxious about not having any peers, but please express in words what you are anxious about and what you do not understand. We are here to support you."

Thank you, Hirose!
We look forward to the continued success of all of our younger employees and new hires.