What is the potential of "cross-industry joint internships" from a corporate perspective?

In 2020, the spread of the novel coronavirus led to Japan's first state of emergency declaration, drastically changing the job-hunting environment for students. Amidst this situation, Dentsu Inc. Wakamon (Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Division) (*1), aiming to address regional disparities in job hunting, developed and implemented "47 INTERNSHIP" in collaboration with the career support NPO Encourage (*2).

What is "47 INTERNSHIP"?
An online, cross-industry joint internship program selecting one undergraduate (or graduate) student from each prefecture, allowing a total of 47 students to participate. In 2021, seven companies participated: Asahi Kasei, Iwatani Corporation, Avex, NTT DATA, CyberAgent, POLA, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Under the theme "What We Can Do to Solve Regional Issues," we worked with the students for about one month starting in late August (details of the internship and student feedback can be found here ).

This article features a dialogue between Masayoshi Ikeda from Asahi Kasei's Human Resources Department Recruitment Office and Yasuaki Minato from Dentsu Inc. Wakamon, who participated in the 2021 "47 INTERNSHIP." They discuss the significance of participating in a "cross-industry joint internship" from a corporate perspective.

※1 Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Division (Dentsu Inc. Wakamon): A planning & creative unit whose mission is to design the relationship between youth and society. It produces new ways for youth and companies to connect through redesigning the job-hunting process.

※2 Encourage: A career support NPO operating in over 100 university chapters across Japan's 47 prefectures. Student members form the core of its operations, with each chapter hosting one-on-one career counseling sessions.

 

An Internship Born from the Gathering of "Diverse Values"

Minato: First, could you share your impressions of participating in "47 INTERNSHIP"?

Ikeda: Given that participants gathered from all 47 prefectures, transcending universities and regions, I felt there were students with diverse ways of thinking, characteristics, and backgrounds. I was reminded that in our company's internships, the students' self-screening process plays a role, inevitably leading to a gathering of similar types of people.

Minato: I see. How do you feel about attracting similar types of people?

Ikeda: Precisely because we live in such a rapidly changing society, I believe it's more important than ever for Asahi Kasei to be known by a diverse range of talent.

The "47 INTERNSHIP" truly brings together diverse individuals. For students, it's a valuable opportunity to engage deeply with peers they might not normally encounter, allowing them to gain a broader perspective and recognize their own values and character in a relative context. Additionally, seeing firsthand how each student approaches and commits to a single theme in vastly different ways provided numerous learning opportunities for us as a company.

The discovery that "the reality of a company might differ from stereotypes"

Minato: I felt that the "cross-industry joint" internship format offered significant benefits not only to participating companies but also to the students. Through the internship, I sensed a gap between the commonly perceived image of companies and their actual work realities. Do you find bridging this gap challenging in recruitment or job hunting?

Ikeda: Students seem to perceive Asahi Kasei as a typical "large corporation." However, when we speak with those who received job offers, they often mention being surprised to discover that, despite our size, departmental teams are relatively small. This allows them to take initiative early in their careers and find their opinions and proposals readily accepted. While we communicate this aspect through company presentations, we still find it challenging to immediately dispel preconceived notions.

Minato: I see. So the "existing image" can be quite a barrier, and it's hard to fully convey the reality within the short timeframe of job hunting.

Ikeda: In that sense, I think the cross-industry online internship program was effective for breaking down those preconceptions. While addressing image gaps requires thorough discussion, the cross-industry format allowed us to spend significant time with students possessing diverse perspectives.

Minato: So, "47 INTERNSHIP" strikes a balance between the "depth" and "breadth" of communication with students.

A program that seriously considers both what's good for society and sustainability!

Minato: I'd also like to ask a bit about the program's content. This internship focused on enabling participants to "discover problems" rather than just "solve them." How did that go?

Ikeda: I think the concept and the workshops reflecting it were good. While "learning to discover problems" might sound difficult, I believe both the participating students and companies gained valuable insights by learning various ways to view problems.

The diverse perspectives from all 47 prefectures, with their different backgrounds, allowed participants to gain knowledge about challenges they didn't know existed and learn how others approach those challenges. That's a real strength.

Minato: Yes, exactly. From the organizing side, we also hoped participants would broaden their horizons by incorporating diverse perspectives and grow into people capable of solving societal challenges.

Ikeda: Indeed, the overarching theme strongly emphasized social contribution. While a strong focus on social contribution is positive, it's crucial for students to understand the importance of designing it as a sustainable business model. Balancing "what's good for society" with "sustainability" – how to approach social design? It's a very difficult challenge, but I felt it was meaningful.

I want them to discover the joy of reconstructing what they want to do

Minato: Thank you. It's true—is doing good for society enough? Not necessarily. It reminded me of an older concept: rather than CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), the idea of CSV (Creating Shared Value), which aims to realize both social and economic value, is becoming important again.

Finally, since we have this opportunity, could you share a message for students currently job hunting?

Ikeda: Well, something I realized through "47 INTERNSHIP" is that it's very important for students to develop opinions and feelings about issues close to them and take action. On the other hand, I don't want them to get stuck fixating solely on the specific issue they've chosen as their theme at this point.

Minato: What's the reasoning behind that?

Ikeda: What you "want to do" is shaped by your current environment. I want them to know there's joy in reconstructing what you want to do as you change locations and roles.

The flexibility to connect organizational challenges with personal ones is crucial for corporate professionals, and it's also a perspective HR looks at. So, take action on issues close to you. From that action, find new challenges and take action again. By moving around in various ways, your own convictions will emerge "by chance." I think that kind of life is more interesting, don't you?

Minato: Hearing Mr. Ikeda's perspective, I'm truly grateful that this program is valued not only by students but also by corporate representatives.

Now, the 2022 "47 INTERNSHIP" program has been confirmed. We understand that Asahi Kasei will be participating again. Dentsu Inc., whose mission is 'Designing the Future with Young People,' will continue activities that present students and companies with a wide range of choices and possibilities during the job-hunting season.