The eighth volume of “Yaraku-Jin (やらく人)”, a series that focuses the people involved in Yaraku and YarakuZen, will introduce Makiko Nakayama, a backoffice manager at Yaraku.

Yaraku-Jin＜VOL8>
Yaraku, Inc. HR, Labor Management, General Affairs
Makiko Nakayama

―Career change from the field of education: embracing the environment that values individuality

What do you do at Yaraku?

My main focus is human resources, labor management, general affairs, and some accounting tasks.

 

Did you have experience in HR before joining Yaraku?

Not at all! I used to teach psychology at a university. I majored in Developmental Psychology, which follows human growth from the womb to the end of life. I also worked as a school counselor at different educational levels.

 

And what made you decide to give your best at Yaraku?

Hmm. Well… Perhaps it’s the fact that everyone at Yaraku truly possesses their own unique character. They have their own uniqueness but are still wonderfully put together, that is what drew me in. I wanted to learn more in this environment, where everyone can work with their individuality valued. I don’t know if people in Yaraku will do well at other companies, but I’m sure there are many people who would do well just because it’s Yaraku, and I think there were people like that in the past as well.

But nobody has yet put it into words or embodied it clearly, I believe. But I felt that if I understood the essence of Yaraku and materialized it, I could make a difference and create new ways of thinking and working – well, something beneficial to the world. So, I really wanted to learn a lot more in this gentle and unique environment, where diverse people are put together.

―The uniqueness of Yaraku from a human resources perspective – an environment where making mistakes is not negative

I feel that the supportive relationship we have within our company is largely fostered by your contribution, Makiko-san, you are the gateway to the Yaraku community! Do you ever feel that your own thoughts and ideas are taking shape? 

Well, that’s a tough one… I should be more considerate, but so far, I haven’t been able to influence much intentionally. So I guess this might be the part I need to grow more in. Despite that, I believe that the reason we are able to learn a lot like this in Yaraku, is likely due to Sakanishi-san’s (Yaraku CEO) character as well.

I found a huge difference after working in various places and finally working with Sakanishi-san. He rarely blames anyone. When something goes wrong, he doesn’t persist in going back to the past seeking where the responsibility lies, like continually pursuing why the problem happened or who did it.

He responds something like, ‘So we can’t deal with this, what shall we do now?’ I mean, his way focuses on the attitude of persistently moving forward and finding a solution. So, I felt that compared to other places, Yaraku provides an environment that is not negative about making mistakes.

When you have a lot of unique people, you are always different from those around you, so I think you often make mistakes or do things that are different from everyone else. The people at Yaraku see this kind of situation as normal, so I think that by being at Yaraku, you can move forward without worrying too much about your uniqueness. 

Of course, Jonas-san (Yaraku CTO) also has a stance to bring out the best in everyone’s originality in his work, which is crucial as well.

 

Is that what you think of as the charm of Yaraku?

Exactly. You can work being yourself. You can work without being too ashamed of your limitations or not being able to do something, I guess.

Moreover, if someone can’t do something, everyone says ‘Would you like me to help out?’ or suggest a way of doing it. In other places, people might reproach you by saying, ‘Why didn’t you do that?’ but here it often sounds more like, ‘Oh, shall I help out?’ or ‘Shall I do this?’ Many people actually say this, which is incredible and even makes me wonder where it originated from.

―Wishing for the happiness of each diverse member

When do you feel most rewarded?

Seeing everyone grow makes me incredibly happy, for sure! It is happiness beyond everything, I really mean it. 

How can I say… well, watching someone who initially didn’t know anything gradually mature and thrive – of course, I’m glad they’re contributing to the growth of the company, but I also feel like maybe it’s left something good in their lives, even if just a little, or maybe it’s made their life a little better. Nothing beats that kind of feeling.

(At the company events)

Finally, what kind of people do you want to work with at Yaraku? 

Well… I believe that Yaraku is a company that puts into practice the idea of “To Enjoy Global Communication.” The word “global” often gives you the impression of being international, but I think “global” actually refers to a diverse range of people, including people at different life stages and all kinds of various people. I want to work with people who find it fun to communicate with diverse people, and who create work with that as their mission.

…But yes, if I step back away from the current situation and simply think of an answer to that question, I would say that someday I would like to work with people of all ages and genders, including high school students who want to gain business experience, or retired elderly people who want to enrich their lives by experiencing new things, or something like that.