INTERVIEW

I challenged myself to a management position because I became very interested in people development. I thought I could do something to help the people working with me, and took a step. Once I became a manager, I noticed something new – teamwork is fun. Think of it – you have a goal, you have staff coming up with ideas to reach it, you try it out together and it works. That is teamwork, and it is fun. There are other things that make me happy too, like seeing an employee earnestly striving to build a career or someone whose enthusiasm for a job naturally leads to success with that job. Employee development and corporate development – one ties into the other.

I want staff to have fun at work. Really, I do. We are here to do our jobs, so we might as well have fun doing it…. I try to have fun and show it; and by doing this, I certainly hope that I set an example for others. I want to maintain an open, accessible environment, an atmosphere where all are free to speak out to present their ideas and, to together make them a reality.

There are many people who have been working at Costco for a long time. Indeed, some go back 20 years, to our establishment in Japan. And why do these people stay with us?—I think it is because we provide an environment of continual challenge and professional development. For one, we have an internal posting system, by which a person can freely apply for open positions in other departments. I used that system myself, gaining experience by moving from Membership on to Front End management and, from there, to assist with the startup of Sapporo Warehouse. I tend to get bored with the same old thing, but I still enjoy what I do every day because the company provided the opportunity of a constant sense of challenge and advancement.

One thing reassuring about Costco is the systems in place to help employees maintain a good work-life balance. For example, leaves and days off—for a start, every week comes with two days off. Also, nearly 100% of paid-vacation leaves are taken. Employees are cooperative and accommodating; if you want to take a day off, someone will fill in for you. Then there are medical leaves, maternity leaves, childcare leaves…. I'm now raising three children while working as Assistant Warehouse Manager at Shinmisato. With three children, I’ve taken three maternity leaves. Each time I managed to return to work without any problem. We also have a “shortened working hours” system too, which many employees utilize.

Costco is such a diverse workplace with various employees. Costco does not discriminate based on age, nationality or gender. We all free to do our best in such a flat and open environment. The company accepts each employee’s uniqueness and personality. All are given an equal chance; so we can work with a sense of motivation.

As for new people coming into our company, I welcome anyone who is not afraid of a challenge. I am delighted to see someone approach his or her job with a sense of passion. It is not unusual at Costco for someone to come up with an idea, we try it out, it works, and then we apply it throughout the company. While we enjoy our daily tasks, we can grow together…. I certainly look forward to working together with new colleagues and meeting various challenges with them.