How to Drive Transformation: A Conversation with Persol Career Executive Officer Noritomo Murazawa (Dentsu Inc. BDS Fuchi)

This series delves into the essence of top executives who break all biases and execute internal business transformation as architects (overall designers).

Our guest this time is Mr. Noritomo Murazawa, Executive Officer at PERSOL Career. The company, which handles various human resources services including the job-hunting service "doda," is driving transformation centered on its "Future Vision for Work" initiative to change how Japan works. Continuing from the previous installment, Mr. Akihiko Fuchi of Dentsu Inc., who partners with and supports this project, conducted the interview.

Part 1: How to Achieve Discontinuous Growth: An Interview with PERSOL Career Executive Officer Noritomo Murazawa (Dentsu Inc. BDS, Akihiko Fuchi)

PERSOL Career Executive Officer Noritomo Murazawa (right) and Dentsu Inc. Business Design Square's Akihiko Fuchi

Maintaining Stakeholder Expectations and Passion at the "Right Level"

Fuchi: In Part 1, Mr. Murazawa shared his perspectives and methodologies on transformation. In Part 2, focusing on PERSOL Career's initiatives, I'd like to hear about how to initiate and sustain transformation.

PERSOL Career's "Future of Work Vision" itself is a challenging initiative aimed at transforming how Japan works. As an individual worker, I find it a truly reassuring framework and believe it offers functions absolutely essential for the future society.

[Future of Work Vision]
A system supporting individuals to work authentically and chart their own futures, shifting from an era of choosing companies and jobs to one where each person proactively designs their own "working" future. By transcending traditional staffing service frameworks through data-service integration and co-creation with external partners, it helps users envision their working future and provides the jobs, learning, and environment to bring them closer to that vision.

 

Fuchi: On the other hand, sustaining transformation isn't solely about its societal significance, is it? There's pressure for short-term profits, and as discussed earlier, there's a risk of initial enthusiasm fading over time. Where do you see the key to sustaining the "Working Future Map Initiative" transformation?

Murazawa: The Future of Work Vision is a framework that provides integrated support not only for talent matching but also for learning, finance, health, childcare, and more. Therefore, co-creation with other companies, including those from different industries, is essential—not just within the PERSOL Group. Our stakeholders are collaborating with us based on their early expectations regarding both the social significance and market potential of this initiative. I believe the key is how we appropriately maintain that level of expectation and enthusiasm.

Fuchi: I feel "appropriately" is the key word here. To maintain that enthusiasm, we must continuously deliver results that meet stakeholder expectations. However, exceeding expectations too much will cause people to lose interest, while falling short won't elicit commitment.

Murazawa: This applies to business transformation as well as SDGs—grand visions cannot be realized in the short term. However, it's also a mistake to think that because it's a mid-to-long-term plan, short-term results aren't needed. We must balance short-term outputs with the mid-to-long-term vision. For example, while top management must continuously communicate the future state the company aims for, they must also consistently deliver outputs that make those words credible.

Fuchi: The PERSOL Group champions the powerful message "Work and Smile." The words themselves carry positive energy and, in a good way, leave room for interpretation. I thought it was a wonderful message that could unite everyone—including other companies and people overseas—facing the same direction.

Murazawa: Indeed, allowing flexibility around long-term goals is key. Take "work" as an example: people's values around work will inevitably shift due to legal reforms and technological advances. To sustain transformation, its goals need to be somewhat adjustable—capable of updating in response to these changes.

The challenge for a career transition support company to collaborate with others

Fuchi: PERSOL Career's transformation architecture includes not only the axis of changing individuals' "work," but also the axis of changing the structure of companies providing "work" opportunities. I understand one such initiative is the "Career Ownership and Future of Work Consortium." For PERSOL Career, whose core business has been individual-focused services, producing a corporate consortium must have been a significant internal reform, right?

[Career Ownership and Future of Work Consortium]
A consortium where companies seeking "new relationships between working individuals and businesses" across industries gather to discuss, practice, and verify methods for achieving sustainable growth for both companies and individuals. Launched on April 20, 2021, by eight companies: Kirin Holdings, KDDI, Kokuyo, Fujitsu, Mitsui Knowledge Industry, Yahoo Japan, LIFULL, and PERSOL Career.
 

Murazawa: The background for launching the consortium was recognizing that "work" is built on a symbiotic relationship between individuals and companies. Therefore, not only individuals but also the companies that accept and utilize them need to transform. However, it's true that initially, there were many concerns within our company. Since our core business is supporting job transitions, collaborating with companies on something like this could potentially be perceived as "self-serving, trying to increase job transitions for profit." But I argued that if we had a frank discussion, they might understand, and it was worth giving it a try.

Fuchi: How did other companies react when you actually approached them?

Murazawa: The companies participating this time were all already promoting career ownership. However, they shared a common structural challenge: work styles and careers were confined to HR department responsibilities, lacking sufficient collaboration with management and business unit leaders. We felt they held a certain level of expectation for the concept, recognizing that rather than each company tackling this individually, pooling knowledge and exploring solutions together could create a more dynamic future.

Fuchi: Leading companies from various industries gathered, didn't they? By the way, Mr. Murazawa, how do you perceive the significance of large corporations and leading companies challenging themselves to transform?

Murazawa: Before discussing significance, I believe leading companies have a social responsibility and mission. Whether they continue doing things the same way or proactively change in response to industry challenges determines the future of the entire sector. Leaders bear the responsibility to improve their industries, and the significance and benefits lie beyond that. Simultaneously, I think it's crucial to visualize and share the key points of transformation to ensure these new rules permeate the market.

Fuchi: Creating rules that can be widely adopted is crucial, right? Presenting new rules that everyone—not just large corporations, but also small and medium-sized enterprises, and ultimately their customers—can see as better will drive industry growth, which in turn benefits our own company.

Three Roles Expected of Transformation Partners: "Catalyst," "Accelerator," "Blacksmith"

Fuchi: At Dentsu Inc., we've been involved in supporting the "Future of Work Vision" and the "Career Ownership and Future of Work Consortium." What exactly were your expectations for us?

Murazawa: We expected three roles: "catalyst," "accelerator," and "blacksmith."

First, when trying to envision the future ourselves, we often get stuck in fixed ideas and constraints that limit our thinking. In those moments, Dentsu brought ideas based on their extensive knowledge across different industries and sectors. Some ideas could be applied directly, while others sparked new concepts. We felt they supported us as a "catalyst," helping to materialize ideas, concepts, and even wild visions.

Second, while we believed we were advancing change at the fastest possible pace given various circumstances, Dentsu Inc. verified from an external perspective whether we were keeping up with societal shifts and competitor speeds. Their guidance on points where we absolutely had to step on the accelerator, even if it meant pushing ourselves a bit too hard, proved incredibly helpful in the end.

Finally, the "blacksmith" role involves refining concepts. Corporate transformation and new business development involve lengthy, iterative discussions. This process can gradually smooth out the edges of initially sharp concepts or services, causing them to lose their uniqueness. I believe Dentsu Inc.'s support was crucial in helping us maintain those sharp edges—selectively trimming what could be removed while meticulously polishing the core. Especially with Mr. Fuchi, I felt he was always right beside us, sometimes even pulling us forward from a slightly higher angle (laughs).

Fuchi: I'm humbled to hear you say that. I personally believed Persol Career's initiatives were absolutely essential for society, so even from an external position, I was able to take ownership and continue accompanying the project. It's a bit embarrassing for us to say, but this spirit of ownership might be something deeply ingrained in Dentsu Inc.'s DNA.

Murazawa: The "Future of Work Vision" is a 10-year initiative, and we'll continue to rely on your expertise as we navigate different phases. Especially when driving reform solely internally, there's a risk of complacency creeping in. That's why maintaining a certain level of tension within an independent professional partnership is crucial.

Fuchi: Thank you. Since the architecture of transformation is a living entity, we intend to continue sensitively capturing societal shifts and market conditions while presenting ideas that stay half a step ahead. We look forward to your continued support!