There are many services out there to help you change jobs, but there is probably no other recruitment agency that specializes in short-time working. For working mothers, working shorter hours is a non-negotiable requirement. However, it is not uncommon for working mothers to be deprived of opportunities to excel even if they have the ability, such as not being able to advance their careers or being removed from a position because of working shorter hours. We spoke to Yoshihiro Mashiyama, President and Representative Director, and Hayahiko Okugawa, President and Representative Director, of Realmy, Inc., which operates Realmy Career, a career change agent that matches people with companies that offer flexible working styles without giving up on balancing work and childcare.
(Interviewed by.)
Real Me Co.
Mr. Yoshihiro Masuyama, President and Representative Director
Hayahiko Okugawa
I'm not a part-timer or a contractor, I'm a full-time employee and I work short hours.
Editor: Please tell us about the features of "Real Me Career".
Masuyama: Our career change support service, "Real Me Career," is what we call a career change agent. However, it differs slightly from other recruitment agents in that it focuses mainly on working mothers who wish to work shorter hours with full-time employment. To begin with, shortened working hours means that full-time employees who work eight hours a day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. can shorten their working hours by one or two hours in order to be able to pick up their children from preschool at 6:00 p.m. In fact, there are some companies that require employees to have worked for the company for at least one year in order to use this system. In addition, there are many cases where employees lose their sense of fulfillment because they are removed from their positions or their jobs are changed, no matter how much they have accumulated in their careers. Our company provides a job search support service that focuses on regular employment and shortened working hours, not part-time or contract work.
Editor: To begin with, do jobs with the "shortened working hours" condition itself exist?
Masuyama: Companies are recruiting for people who can work full-time, so I don't think there are any jobs out there for people who want to work shorter hours. However, whether you need to work 8 hours or 6 hours to achieve the results that the company is looking for depends on how the hiring manager defines your abilities. Even if you work shorter hours, it is possible to achieve more than a full-time employee depending on your ability. In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to hire full-time employees, so I suggest that companies should pay closer attention to the new talent pool of short-time workers.
