Interview with management "Yoshioka Seiko Co., Ltd."

Creating a culture rather than creating a system. We will change the mindset of our employees and the industry. (Representative Director: Yu Yoshioka)

Last updated on July 29, 2024.

Corporate introduction

Seiko Yoshioka, founded in 1961. It has grown mainly in the manufacture of engine valve molds for automobiles, and is currently expanding its business mainly in precision parts for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The number of employees is 20. Of these, five are female employees. This time, Mr. Yu Yoshioka, the president, talked about how he has created an environment in which women can be hired and played an active role in the manufacturing environment.

Photo of the President

Question 1. First of all, please tell us about the status of female recruitment in the manufacturing industry in general.

Although it is not zero, the current situation is overwhelmingly low compared to men. No matter where you go, you rarely see women who are active on the front lines. The manufacturing industry has an old-fashioned image of dirty, tough, and danger, so as a woman, "It may be difficult for me."…I think there are many people who think about it. In the past, toilets and changing rooms were both men and women, and it was not easy for women to work. But now, little by little, we are working to change the environment to hire women. Separate toilets and changing rooms, and use tools to carry heavy objects easily. However, even if we can improve the environment and hire excellent women, there is a further challenge that we need to create a workplace that can respond to changes in women's life stages in order to work for a long time. Unless we managers understand this situation and continue to take on serious challenges to resolve issues, we will not be able to promote the employment of women in the manufacturing industry.

Question 2. What changes have been made in hiring women at your company?

Our company has been actively hiring women around 2000. The recruitment was unexpectedly successful, as most manufacturing SMEs had not yet seriously considered hiring women. Furthermore, at that time, when female employees in technical positions asked their customers, they were able to have a significant impact on them. Since the manufacturing industry assumes that men do it, some customers are worried at first, "Is it okay with women?" However, if the female technician is excellent, the gap will greatly help build relationships with customers. I understand. Also, one of the attractions of women is that they do polite work. The parts of the precision equipment we manufacture are NG with only a small amount of scratches and dirt. If you mishandle or hit it, it's over there. It is necessary to be more polite and careful than the speed of work, but I think that is more suitable for women than men. I have a strong personality, and I feel very relieved when I look at work. I don't think it's rarity as a woman, but in some parts I think it's better for this job than men, and it's an indispensable part of our company.

Question 3. Do you have any concerns about supporting female employees?

To be honest, I can't do much, but the most important thing is to create a climate. For example, if you work while raising children, you may naturally have to leave early or be late. At that time, we have to keep the workplace in which employees around us do not complain. If you are a large company, I think that there are many women who are working shorter hours after childcare leave as usual, and use that system. This makes it easier for employees around you to accept the situation. However, in small and medium-sized factories with few women, the treatment of women appears to be special. So, every time I say, "If you raise a child, everyone will pass. I don't want to see you from around with the same eyes at that time. If so, let's work together," he said to all employees. In addition, it is important to create a system, but it is more important to be able to respond flexibly each time. Did the results of climate creation appear little by little? For female employees who cannot go to work early in the morning due to family circumstances, employees have begun to respond at their own discretion, such as changing the time of team meetings, which had previously been open immediately after the morning meeting. Female employees with time constraints are always fighting with time, how efficient and without mistakes. Under these conditions, working together with the working employees has stimulated communication throughout the company, and all employees have become more cooperative in order to reduce wasteful time.

Question 4. Please tell us about your future support for women’s advancement.

Among small and medium-sized enterprises in the manufacturing industry, the number of companies that want to hire women has increased significantly compared to the past. I think management's awareness has changed significantly compared to 10 years ago. However, the image of "manufacturing sites" seen by women has not changed much. It seems that there are still few women who are willing to take part factories in the town. In the future, we need to change the image of the entire industry in order to strengthen the recruitment of women. I don't have a specific idea, but if there is a request from the government like Yokohama City, I would like you to create a place to convey the appeal of SMEs more. I hope that there will be more and more opportunities to appeal directly to job seekers about the appeal of small and medium-sized enterprises, which are different from large companies. In particular, I would be happy if I had the opportunity to appeal to young people like university students. Inevitably university students and university teachers tend to focus on large companies. But surely some students are better suited to small and medium-sized businesses than large companies. I hope we can make such a good encounter with Yokohama City.

Voice of Female Employees

Mariko Agatsuma (Joined in 2000)

Photos of female employees

I met this company with the introduction of a university teacher. The first impression was that there were a number of machines lined up, and also smelled oil. To be honest, "It's really a town factory" (laughs). However, since I myself loved manufacturing, I have always wanted to work for a long time. After joining the company, I was involved in shipping inspection first, and then challenged various things such as design and technical sales. I was glad when I was consulted by the president during maternity leave and childcare leave, "If you are interested, would you help me with my work as much as I can at home?" Having a point of contact with society apart from the home made it mentally easier, and above all, I was able to understand the situation of the company greatly reduced my anxiety when returning to work. We are currently challenging a new job of production management. We will continue to expand the scope of our work. And I would like to be able to continue working for a long time while accumulating skills.