Women at Rakuten: Alessia
Alessia
Vice Senior Manager
Group Human Resources Supervisory Department
HRIS Division
From an engineer to a managerial role through internal transfer
As a Vice Senior Manager in Rakuten Group’s HRIS Technical Section, I manage a group of System Matter Experts (SMEs) and business analysts. I started my career at Rakuten as an engineer, then became a product manager. From there, I was subsequently reassigned to the department that handles core systems for human resources. Along the way, I endeavored to grow my career while also experiencing managerial work.
Workday is one of the HR tools that we work with in the HRIS Technical Section. With the use of this single tool, we can cover the large number of HR functions we provide to our employees and managers without having to use various other software necessitated by our duties. Workday also supports recruitment activities and process reviews and evaluations for employee performance. In my section, we use this tool to provide assistance for all HR operations, as well as implement improvements based on employee feedback.
A workplace that encourages gaining experience with a global perspective
Being able to interact with employees from a myriad of countries is one of the reasons I’m glad to be involved in numerous global projects at Rakuten. This includes going on business trips to the U.S. and working together with colleagues from India and Singapore. Working alongside people with varying backgrounds and nationalities nurtures my flexibility, as well as my ability to perceive things from different points of view. I also feel that I have developed the ability to consistently take a balanced approach toward different work styles and cultures.
Employees of varying nationalities, including people from the Philippines and Malaysia, belong to our current team, and our ratio of non-Japanese members continues to increase. We work together with employees based in the U.S. and Europe as well. Because the ways we perceive, tackle and communicate problems are different from person to person, there is a need to approach situations tailored to bring all of those different methods together in an integrated fashion. This provides me with an ideal opportunity to refine my own management skills.
Rakuten proactively supports the growth of its employees and has a considerable number of programs in place for that purpose. I was able to take advantage of these programs to acquire a product manager qualification. This ability to receive various forms of training both within and outside our organization is another attractive quality and strength of Rakuten. Going forward, I aim to take the next big step in my career by becoming a general manager and play an active role on a global level. My objective is to become capable of assisting our numerous peers who work around the world through HR systems, recruitment and training processes.
Ample support systems for working mothers that allow us to pursue our careers while raising children
Striking a balance between work and childrearing is a must for women, as well as men, to live satisfying lives. In addition to a childcare leave system, Rakuten has introduced a flextime system that allows employees to control their working hours to match their own circumstances, one of the multiple ways in which the company actively supports working mothers and fathers. The other support systems in place include a private space for nursing mothers and an internal daycare center, both of which are used by many employees. The company also proactively offers assistance to employees who seek to return to the workplace following the birth of their child.
I am a mother of two, and thanks to Rakuten’s support systems and the understanding of my managers, I have been very fortunate to successfully engage in my work without having to worry about obstacles posed when my children come down with a fever or when I feel under the weather. When my children were smaller, I had to spend more time on childrearing than I do now, making it harder to strike a balance between taking care of my children and work. However, now that my children have grown somewhat, I can spend more time on my job and career. I am grateful for the understanding and support of my superiors and other workplace peers, which is what enables me to flexibly pursue my own work.
When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my family. One of the things we do is head out to the movies, karaoke or various other places on the weekends. On days I don’t have work, I focus on being a mother who enjoys raising her children. During the weekdays, I focus on my job. This way, I genuinely feel like I am able to turn my work mode on and off.
Rakuten offers a working environment that makes it easy to enjoy working and childrearing on my own terms, with real consideration for the work-life balance of working mothers and women in general.
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