My Rakuten Experience: Ally

Ally is Assistant Manager of the General Affairs Department in the Communication Division

Current Job

As a member of the “Rakuten Smile Project” in the General Affairs Department, I plan and organize internal events. Past events include Yukata Day, Halloween and Family Day, where employees invite family members and friends to our headquarters in Tokyo. More than 1,000 employees participate in sports events sponsored by external organizations, including marathons, futsal matches and tug-of-war. 

Background

In my previous job, I was at a food manufacturer. I belonged to the Business Improvement Team of the manufacturing division located in Aichi Prefecture and was engaged in improving the yield and manufacturing process. My main task was to educate the manufacturing staff and hold workshops regularly to build a system for continuous improvement. I listened closely to frontline employees who were having difficulty with motivation to support and encourage them, and as a result, they showed growth and won first place in an improvement competition. What surprised me when I started working at Rakuten was that the awareness of business improvement is rooted in the company’s philosophy. I think it is rare to find a company where all employees are committed to rapid and continuous improvement. 

Work Environment

The Smile Project Team has a total of three members. The three of us are responsible for distributing event information to all Rakuten Group employees in Japan and overseas and managing events that attracts more than 1,000 participants, so everyone handles multiple tasks. However, I never have to worry because we are all actively helping each other on this team. We always ask ourselves what we can do to create a pleasant working environment for Rakuten employees and put our plans into action. I have seen an increase in the number of people from other departments who want to help liven up our events, which in turn helps active interaction among employees.

Career Goals

For now, my goal is to create events that build bridges among employees and to become a catalyst for innovation. Our mission is to create an environment and corporate culture where employees feel comfortable working and will want to continue working at Rakuten for a long time. The events that we plan and manage include content that is of interest to people with children. In the future, we plan on providing content to employees who provide caregiving support to their families.

What do you like about your work environment and Rakuten as an organization?

I am very grateful for the company’s regulations that allow me to work from home if my child suddenly gets sick.

How many people are in your current department and what is the ratio of mid-career employees?

We have ten people in my department, and all are mid-career employees. 

What do you do on your days off?

I spend time with my family, visiting places that interest our children.

*The affiliation and contents of the article are based on the contents at the time of the interview.

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