"JAFCO Soken" is a series that researches topics such as trends, phenomena, and data that are occurring in the Japanese startup area from a JAFCO perspective. The first theme is "Working style in the corona era". In 2020, the influence of the new coronavirus (hereinafter referred to as corona) drastically changed the way society should be and the way people work. What kind of work style changes will Corona bring to us and how will it change society after 2021?

​Keisuke Miyoshi, JAFCO Capitalist, talks about the changes in the environment surrounding startups that entrepreneurs should know, and the changes in Japanese working styles in the with Corona era.

Smooth DX in Corona, but the challenges of working style gradually emerged

-How is the working style of investee companies changing due to the Corona disaster?

Miyoshi At many startups that support investment, DX, including online, went faster and smoother than expected. From April 2020, when the first state of emergency was declared, more than 80% of meetings with investee startups went online at once. In most cases, the first interview is also requested online.

In the first place, many startups have their internal environment and business operations created on the premise of digitalization, and there is also an organizational characteristic in which human resources who are flexible to changes in the environment gather. I was concerned about the points of contact between the investee companies and their customers, but as the sense of crisis about DX has increased in all industries, I feel that our customers are being forced to change rapidly and are adapting.

-Is there a new issue in how you work?

Miyoshi: I have the impression that the issues related to working styles have begun to be recognized little by little after a few months after the rapid spread of DX.

At the beginning of the online transition, there were many positive voices saying that the time adjustment became easier because there was no movement, and that "it led to efficiency" and "there is no problem even online". When I was having a meeting online, the voices of children and pets came in and there were more scenes where I could relax. I think that the boundary between on and off was loosened, and there was a side where the tolerance of each other was widened.

But little by little, I heard voices confused by the transformation of internal communication. Online is a very suitable tool for efficient information sharing. However, some people feel lonely because they can't share the seemingly useless chats and the atmosphere of the place. Some investee companies have increased the number of employees leaving their jobs.

How do you care for the hearts of employees, including their families? These will be a major challenge for any organization, regardless of size or form of the enterprise.

-What kind of problems do you have at startups?

Miyoshi I think that the "office problem" is what many companies have in mind.

In the first place, the office is a cost that is not directly connected to the business for a startup that has just started a business. The real intention is to keep the office simple and use that amount for labor costs and marketing strategies to hire talented people. And as the company grows, it becomes an idea that investing in offices is also a necessary expense, including from the perspective of strengthening hiring and preventing turnover.

In that sense, Corona is a question that returns to the starting point of entrepreneurship, "Do you need an office in the first place?" How do you perceive the space where working colleagues physically gather? Some of the companies we invest in have shrunk in consideration of costs, while others consider the office to be one of the tools to convey the image and ideas of the company and continue to do so.

For example, an investee entrepreneur declared that he would "lose the office" immediately after being completely remoted in Corona, but soon after that, "office space is necessary for fostering a corporate culture and taking on new challenges. He said he returned to the idea.

It makes me think again that the design of the office, the way of internal communication, and the way of working are very related.

-The key is how to position face-to-face and non-face-to-face.

Miyoshi That's right. I don't think I'll go back to the way I worked before Corona, but I don't think it's all done online or without an office. Each company will seek the best way.

Online is second to none in terms of sharing awareness, ideas and values. While information sharing promotes efficiency in a non-face-to-face manner, the value of face-to-face communication is emphasized in communication in which ideas are formed by listening to the ideas of multiple members. I think it is important to use them properly. Chatwork Co.,Ltd. was the first to introduce remote work in Japan. According to Mr. Katsuyuki Yamaguchi, Executive Vice President and COO, the new theme of the introduction of remote work is the "synchronous / asynchronous wall". I would like to introduce a very informative story about the changes in working styles in Corona, along with specific examples.

"Asynchronous chat" for regular information sharing, "Synchronous meeting" when awareness sharing is required

【profile】
Katsuyuki Yamaguchi, Executive Vice President, Chatwork Co.,Ltd.
After working at an SI / production company, engaged in service and organizational management at an IT service provider. After joining Chatwork in 2008, he became an executive director. After assuming the position of CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) in 2016, he became the COO of the Executive Vice President in March 2019. He is in charge of the Business Headquarters as the Chief Operating Officer who oversees departments such as marketing, sales, and business development.

Yamaguchi Remote can adjust the time of multiple members regardless of location or distance. However, while the convenience has increased, there is also the negative effect of making it easier to lock the other party's time. In some cases, it may increase the feeling of being "always restrained", or it may lead to reduced productivity due to continuous meetings throughout the day. In order to increase productivity with remote work, it is necessary to properly use "synchronous" work styles that gather at the same time and "asynchronous" work styles that do not match the time.

One of the methods of information sharing that can be done without gathering is the use of communication chat. Since it is difficult for people who meet for the first time to communicate with each other in a chat suddenly, it will take time to build a relationship in a real face-to-face or remote face-to-face relationship. Even before Corona, we have been trying to balance communication with a hybrid work style of face-to-face and remote.

Now that remote work has become the main choice for working styles, it is an important issue to use "asynchronous chat" for regular information sharing and "synchronous meeting" for consciousness sharing. I think it will be.

Kaede Komuten's efforts to build a house through "asynchronous" communication with the owner

Yamaguchi: There are companies that have made significant business innovations through a "synchronous / asynchronous combination" that utilizes Chatwork. At Kaede Komuten in Nara Prefecture, we are taking on the challenge of building a house without seeing the owner.

Originally, Kaede Komuten, which used telephones to share information within the company and collaborate with cooperating companies, took a lot of business time to exchange and confirm telephones, and there was not a small amount of time loss due to omission of orders. .. With the introduction of Chatwork, the number of telephone calls has been reduced by more than 30%, cooperation mistakes have been reduced, and business improvement has been promoted at once. Chatwork is now being used to contact customers.

Nowadays, communication methods are divided according to phase, such as face-to-face / online until the contract meeting, progress report by sending photos on Chatwork after the construction work starts, and so on. We are promoting information sharing so that the owner and the customer can understand the situation without ever meeting. While the value of non-face-to-face and non-contact is being reassessed due to the corona disaster, even in the important event of building a house, it is possible to communicate properly "asynchronously". Isn't it a good example?

The spread of remote work has also created a perspective to reassess the value of face-to-face communication.

What is the business that is worth sharing time by "synchronizing" remotely by reviewing the business content in detail, and how efficient is it to proceed "asynchronously"? Or what are the tasks that should share space face-to-face? It can be said that management needs a new perspective to think about the subdivision of operations and the way of communication commensurate with it.

Accelerating "mobilization of human resources", for entrepreneurs to secure excellent human resources

-2021 started with the announcement of the second state of emergency. What kind of changes do you think the "working style" of this year's startup will change?

Miyoshi For startups, we believe that there is a possibility that human resources from more diverse backgrounds will flow in and lead to business expansion.

It is Corona that gives us the opportunity to face "what I really want to do in my life", not just the way I work. Even before Corona, there was a trend to allow side jobs and side jobs, and the mobilization of human resources was increasing. Relatively many people who participate in startups have the motivation for self-growth and the mindset to seek challenges, but Corona said, "What do you want to do?" It was an opportunity to think about.

Not limited to full-time work styles, there will be an increasing number of people who want to take on new challenges at startups through various ways of engaging in business contracts, side businesses, and side businesses. We believe it will be a tailwind for startups with limited resources.

-As the mobilization of human resources is expected to accelerate, what kind of attitude should entrepreneurs manage people and organizations?

Miyoshi In the future, in order for companies to increase their hiring ability and achieve sustainable business growth, I believe that "what kind of opportunities can be given to individuals working there" will be the key.

"If you participate in this place, you can get this kind of self-growth."

"You can face such social issues and create such a project"

"Getting such skills will increase the market value"

If we create an organization that conveys what a company wants to achieve and attracts people to it, it will not be selected by excellent people.

In the With Corona era, where stability is no longer required anywhere, creating a place where people can think "it's more fun to be here" and "you can do what you want to do" will lead to strengthening your organizational strength. It is a tough time for entrepreneurs to be challenged for their true value, but if we take it positively, I think Corona will significantly change the way Japanese society works.