End of the Year Is Coming…Editorial Team Looks Back Tokyo Century NEWS 2021

Dec 15, 2021

#Employees' report #Looking back at 2021 #TCN Editorial Team #Tokyo Century Group

In February 2021, we launched our owned media Tokyo Century NEWS (TCN). It’s been published biweekly around noon on Wednesdays. This time, as the end of the year is coming soon, our two editors will introduce recommended articles while looking back on the behind-the scenes production in 2021.

TCN strengthens the bond

Kasahara

We have separated TCN from our corporate site. As a communication channel of support for pursuits, we try to send out articles that can help readers share ideas and inspire them by conveying challenges of the Tokyo Century Group’s members and partner companies worldwide.
Mr. Yamashita, you have appeared in the article. Is there any reaction that made you happy or anything that you feel good about sending it out?

First, I think it had good internal effects. As a participant featured in the article, I thought that we were able to get people to gain more interest and develop an attachment to the Company by conveying my thoughts. I participated in a milestone article on October 1, 2021, which marked five years after the name change. I received comments such as, "I didn’t know this was happening in the name change project." "I took a new look at the direction in which Tokyo Century, business, and work were going." I felt that we could get employees to feel closer to the Company and have a stronger sense of involvement and company loyalty through the article.

Yamashita

Our Thoughts Behind the Decision to Remove the Word “Leasing” Representing Our Business Category from Our Company Name Five Years Ago

Kasahara

The feedback we got from the questionnaire after publishing the article was also very helpful. For example, "Has the name change brought about any changes in your work attitude and business activities?" About half of the respondents felt their changes in response to this question. I was impressed that many of the changes that occurred were positive.

－Some of the survey results

"My awareness has changed from financial companies to operating companies."
"I always try to consider more flexibly to increase our corporate value without being bound by existing frameworks and schemes."
"I feel that customers have increased their expectations because Tokyo Century isn’t adhering to the concept of leasing company after the name change."
"Even before the name change, I’ve been working with the idea of not being good to define our business domain or domain narrowly during my sales activities. After the change, that feeling is getting stronger."
"I felt a good sense of urgency that I’d to expand knowledge and experience in various fields other than leasing."

Kasahara

The editorial team plans to interview Tokyo Century members worldwide about how they’ve responded to changes, adjusted their minds, and how businesses have changed under the new name. I’m looking forward to the interview going forward.

Overseas is getting closer than ever before

Even though the entire Company has lost the flow of people between Japan and overseas due to COVID-19, it was good that people at distant locations and from overseas Group companies could join us by using Zoom. I believe through the article, even though we are far away physically, we can feel closer.

Yamashita

Kasahara

Right. Now that online meetings have become part of our work, it’s easier for me to conduct interviews despite the time difference. Also, I felt that even if the countries and companies are different, we’re working with the same feelings. So I was glad that I was able to convey such shared feelings through the article.

# Tokyo Century Group articles

Use articles as reference for daily work

Kasahara

I’ve learned a lot through our interviews. So please tell me about the articles that were helpful to you.

I think the articles about young employees working from home had a new perspective. Through on-the-job training (OJT), trainers and new hires are working hard to overcome each other's difficulties due to the effect of COVID. These articles were informative and gave me a good understanding of their current situation.

Yamashita

# New Employee articles

Kasahara

There are some reports that new COVID variants are still spreading around the world, so it may be time to start working from home again. I think that not only the Company’s employees but also this year's new hires, trainers, and the following year’s new employees will be able to use this article as a reference on how to devise OJT opportunities in limited face-to-face communication.

Looking at the actual pageviews on TCN, we find that articles with remarks from new employees are popular. Also, generally important topics such as SDGs and diversity seem to be read the most.

To be a media that embodies our pursuits

We were able to get the cooperation of our business partners. They work on their business with various challenges and aspirations, so I’m glad that the Company is working together with them.

Yamashita

Kasahara

We planned an in-house seminar which almost 200 TC members joined and sent out the article and the archive video on our YouTube channel. It was a new approach. I believe there are things readers can learn and utilize information through this article, even for those who don’t know anything about Tokyo Century. Internally, I heard that the seminar was an opportunity to deepen the understanding of the importance of diversity and LGBTQ+, and make use of it in daily communication.

How we can transform diversity into an organizational strength
―Interview with Mr. Kento Hoshi, CEO of JobRainbow Co., Ltd.

Kasahara

Are there any issues or things you’d like to tackle next year? Of course, one of our challenges is to be a little more frequent publication than anything else...

The number of news releases, including those related to the Group, has been increasing. In other words, we have many topics, but I feel it’s difficult to tell how much and which ones can be conveyed in our owned media. I hope we can continue to share the challenges of our young employees and members who are active in each region. I think many members are having a hard time due to COVID-19. I hope that I can tell you how they were struggling in the midst of it and that I’ll be able to tell you the story of how they recovered from this harsh situation one day.

Yamashita

Kasahara

I believe that every member must have “your pursuits” in each region of the Group, so I hope we can deliver it as Tokyo Century NEWS. The other day, I conducted a face-to-face interview after the long time. I also felt the goodness of the real. Now, I can’t wait for the day when I’ll be able to go to face-to-face interviews as soon as possible.

*The contents of the article and the position titles are as of the date posted.