With the goal of exporting Japanese security services - Building knowledge on collaboration with foreign personnel

Q.Why did your company decide to take on interns? What did you aim to achieve?

Our company is a Hokkaido-based security company doing business in Hokkaido and the Kanto region. While major companies are moving towards automated security systems, we are focusing on developing highly-skilled human resources who can support those areas that require human vision and judgment, which cannot be covered by automated systems. In addition, by accepting retired Self Defense Force personnel, we are securing human resources with experience and skills, as well as creating a system to provide re-employment for retirees. In recent years, we have expanded our overseas business into Vietnam, and established our Ho Chi Minh branch office in 2018, and in 2019, we are preparing to establish our Hanoi branch. There are aspects of the security industry in Vietnam that are underdeveloped compared to Japan, and the present situation is that many ex-servicemen are struggling to find employment. We believe that by applying our domestic initiatives in Vietnam, we will be able to contribute to Vietnamese society too. In order to establish an employment system in Vietnam in the future, we decided to experiment with collaboration with Vietnamese people through internships, to gain knowledge regarding the acceptance of foreign personnel and change the awareness of our employees, so we applied to participate in this program.

We had them learn the history and background of the security industry and our corporate philosophy, and prepare a manual that can be conveyed to Vietnamese people

Q.What kind of internship did you run? What difficulties did you face and how did you resolve them?

In order to raise awareness in both the interns themselves and among our employees that the interns are members of our company, we held an initiation ceremony and awarded them badges of rank. We requested the interns to translate our security manual into Vietnamese, but to ensure that the manual would get across the background of the security industry, as well as our corporate philosophy, we made time for them to learn about Japanese history, our corporate culture and philosophy. In addition, they had Aikido practice sessions with our company president, where they learned the Japanese spirit and manners. Both of them practiced diligently and the skills improved to the extent that they attained Aikido class 5 level. Our employees worked to understand the history and background of Vietnam, such as by watching and discussing some Vietnamese movies. We had the interns work to improve their Japanese language skills by having them use Japanese as much as possible in their daily conversation and, when they accompanied staff to visits to our business partners, having them write their own reports in Japanese. As a result of these initiatives, instead of translating the manual into English before having them translate it into Vietnamese, with their acquisition of Japanese skill, it became possible for them to translate it directly from Japanese to Vietnamese. In addition, as they were proficient in English, we had them hold a weekly English conversation class for our employees.

We came to understand each other's values ​​and culture, and establish indicators for accepting foreign personnel

Q.Comparing before and after the internship, what effects did it have on you, your employees, or your organization?

By accepting two Vietnamese interns of different sexes and very different backgrounds, we were able to obtain a multifaceted insight into the thought patterns, attitudes and approaches to work of Vietnamese people. Our impression of the Vietnamese was that they are proud people, but after hosting the two interns, we learned that they are also a nation that is accepting of the cultures of other countries. By having them engage in activities in each unit, there were also opportunities for exchanges with members who are not usually in at our headquarters, and when the members came by our headquarters they exchanged greetings sociably. The English conversation class was run with the cooperation of the two interns, and as the teachers, they actively urged employees to engage in conversation, so interaction deepened and made it a lively class. Gradually, it became a natural sight for the Vietnamese interns to be in the workplace. By hosting interns who are highly motivated and who also have innovative ideas, we believe that we could incorporate the frank and constructive opinions from the Vietnamese, and I think that we have established an indicator for accepting foreign personnel.