Interview with Managers “Kyoshin Printing Co., Ltd.”

The happiness we seek through work is each person. I want every employee to work well. (Representative Director: Katsuharu Emori)

Last updated on July 29, 2024.

Corporate introduction

Kyoshin Printing Co., Ltd., which has been in Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama for three generations since 1959. Currently, it is a company that focuses not only on printing, but also on social marketing, such as public relations support for companies and organizations, as well as information dissemination support for NPOs operating in the community. The number of employees is 12. About half of them are female employees. This time, Mr. Katsuharu Emori, the representative of Kyoshin Printing, talked about women's employment and work styles, with a view of management and life.

President's photo

Question 1. When did you start focusing on hiring women?

Originally, I have never distinguished it from "because it is a man or a woman" in recruitment. First, small and medium-sized enterprises like us don't have room to choose men and women. However, there was an event that triggered me to reconsider "men and women in work". It's a story about ten years ago when I just became the representative. At that time, I thought it was fair for both male and female employees to work in the same environment and evaluate them flat based on the same criteria. At one point, however, a very talented female employee suddenly quit, saying, "It's already the limit." If you ask, it is difficult to balance with housework and child care. At that time, not only thinking within the company, but also taking into account the increase or decrease in the burden at home, if the burden throughout life is flattened, fair treatment and evaluation in the true sense I didn't think it would be. It was around that time that we began to focus on supporting female employees.

Question 2. Do you have any cautions in supporting female employees?

First of all, I feel that it is impossible to combine not only female employees but also working people together. This is because the "happiness" pursued through work varies from employee to employee. For example, some women want to do their best to make their work the best, while others value their private life as much as possible. Therefore, our company has prepared a number of work styles not only for regular employees but also for short-term employees and part-time employees. In addition, we have a system that allows you to change your employment style many times, such as working as a full-time employee when you are single, part-time during childcare, and returning to full-time employees when your child leaves your hands. By the way, the fact that this system is in place is actually a major point in supporting employees. In the past, we thought that if we were a company with more than a dozen people like our company, we should respond whenever we encounter problems, but that's a big mistake. For the first time, employees can use it with peace of mind by preparing it as a system and always publicizing it. In addition to what you support, the perspective of how you support it is essential.

Question 3. Is there any effect on management by creating a work environment in which women can play an active role?

That's a great deal. It's not limited to female employees, but by creating an environment where employees can work better, I became more independent, and as a result, my work productivity increased significantly. Because it's a human, it's better to work than to do it badly. In addition, the quality also increases. In fact, in the case of our company, by hiring women and enriching a comfortable working environment, we have been able to work at least as much as possible with fewer people than before, and the number of mistakes has been overwhelmingly reduced. In particular, women have high communication skills and many people can take care of them, so they can be left with peace of mind. We are also looking to hire more types of employees in the future. By hiring employees who have some burden, such as women who are raising children, nursing care, and people with disabilities, the company will accumulate mechanisms and know-how to utilize them. In doing so, we will become a company that can play an active role no matter what kind of person comes. This should be a great advantage for small and medium-sized enterprises with weak recruitment capabilities. Therefore, we are currently considering using a subsidy from Yokohama City to introduce a telework system.

Question 4. Finally, do you have any thoughts on the recent government's "support for women's active participation"?

Originally, it would be desirable to provide support tailored to each person's view of life and lifestyle, but I don't think the government alone can take on everything. That's why I think private small and medium-sized enterprises like us should focus more on strengthening their management capabilities. Of course, salaries and benefits can not be enhanced like large companies, but the "happiness" that we seek through work in the first place is each person, as I mentioned earlier. By all means, not everyone feels happy with high salaries. Therefore, by seriously thinking about what "happiness" can be offered to our employees more like our small and medium-sized enterprises, and making efforts to maximize the capabilities of our employees, we believe that more women will be able to play an active role and the management capabilities of the companies we employ will be stronger. Instead of lamenting that there is no budget or physical strength, find solutions with wisdom and ingenuity. Isn't innovation required to support the active participation of women in small and medium-sized enterprises?

Voice of Female Employees

Aiko Mashima (Joined in 2013)

Photos of female employees

I sympathized with the president's approach to business and work, and joined the company. Currently, I am mainly in charge of general affairs, but when the members around me are not enough, I can help with editing and attend meetings with customers. What I particularly like about this company is "Thank You Day" once a month. Through this activity, I have come to think every day about who I can do and what I can do for everyone. By the way, when I was in charge last time, I presented a "original letter set that gives a letter of appreciation to those who work on the day of thanks" to a nearby kindergarten or child care base. Both parents and the local people were pleased, and I myself was surprised, "Is it so happy at work?" I would like to continue to help somebody here for a long time.