Selected as a "Great Place to Work" for 7 Consecutive Years. Why Ignition Point Inc. Maintains Employee Engagement (Part 1)

For corporate growth, enhancing "employee engagement" – where each employee approaches their work with pride and a sense of purpose – is indispensable. That said, cultivating highly motivated talent is no easy feat, and many companies likely feel this is a challenge.

Amidst this, Ignition Point Inc., which supports corporate innovation and transformation, has been selected as a Best Company in the "Great Place to Work® Institute Japan" ranking for seven consecutive years (*). How has this company, now in its ninth year, managed to improve engagement and maintain such a high level? In the first part of our interview, we hear the secrets from Takafumi Suemune, Co-Founder and President & CEO.

Aiming to be a company where employees feel "abundance"

Q. Ignition Point Inc. continues to demonstrate results as a company with high employee engagement. How do you define employee engagement, Mr. Suemune? Also, what are your thoughts on its importance?

Sueo: I believe employee engagement represents employees' sense of purpose and fulfillment in their work, and it is extremely important for business growth. Organizations with high engagement should attract better talent and see improved performance. Prioritizing employee engagement is one factor I believe contributed to our company's rapid growth to its current scale.

Ignition Point Inc.'s corporate philosophy is "Triggers for a Rich Life." This embodies two aspirations: "We want to enrich society through innovation" and "We want to be a company where employees feel enriched." To embody this philosophy, we have established workplace environments and various systems, while also monitoring our engagement index monthly.

Q. When and how did you begin monitoring employee engagement?

Sueo: We didn't conduct quantitative surveys when we first started, but as our team grew and the organization expanded, we recognized the need. We began using tools like the "Engagement Survey" and "Organizational Improvement Survey" to quantify and track engagement, monitoring the engagement index through monthly surveys. Monitoring at such a high frequency—once a month—was unusual, but we achieved it through repeated coordination with our service provider.

Always Staying Ahead to Establish Systems Employees Can Agree With

Q. You're in your ninth year since founding, yet you've been selected as a "Great Place to Work" for seven consecutive years. How have you maintained such high employee engagement levels over the long term?

Sueo: Organizational states change rapidly. Especially in fast-growing companies, phases shift within six months or a year—it can feel like a different company altogether. Employee psychology can also shift dramatically within a month, so staying proactive is crucial. Monthly monitoring allows us to take immediate action when issues arise. We then refine systems and structures to ensure employee buy-in. I believe nothing surpasses this cumulative effort.

In the market, fast-growing companies with high talent turnover will see top talent leave continuously unless workplace environments and systems are properly established. It's precisely this sense of urgency that likely drives the strong focus on improving employee engagement.

For instance, we proactively reassign project members when necessary based on progress. We also established "Performance Managers" as advisors for employees to freely discuss work concerns or mid-to-long-term career plans—topics they might hesitate to raise with their direct supervisor. These managers hold biweekly one-on-one meetings. If issues arise during these sessions, we may seek judgment or instructions from superiors or request appropriate action.

Q. Within an organization, I imagine there are individuals whose job performance doesn't align with their ability to manage subordinates. What are your thoughts on such individuals—those with strong job performance but challenges in management skills?

Sueo: That's true. In the past, we often saw "follow me" type leaders, but times have changed. I believe individuals skilled in people management—management committed to the success and growth of each individual employee, rather than just work outcomes—are better suited to be leaders.

However, this also depends on the situation. For instance, when an organization is still small or in the stage of creating something from nothing, leaders with the breakthrough capabilities of the past may sometimes be required. If you only assemble leaders of the same type, you end up with an organization lacking diversity. Therefore, I think it's crucial to develop and assign leaders according to the scale of the organization.

Q. At Ignition Point Inc., is the importance of people management deeply ingrained among your manager-level staff? How did you raise awareness?

Sueo: Employee engagement is incorporated into our OKR (Objectives and Key Results) goal-setting process. Therefore, people management skills are essential for managers.

Regarding evaluations, we use a dual-axis approach: "Role & Responsibility Evaluation" based on outcomes, and "Value Evaluation" assessing whether actions align with company values. These systems likely helped embed this awareness.

Q. Are there other systems or initiatives to enhance employee engagement?

Sueo: Ignition Point Inc. specializes in developing new businesses within our consulting services. Given this focus, many employees express aspirations like "I want to start my own business someday" or "I want to launch my own product or service." To support this, we established the "CXO Challenge Program."

This program allows employees to launch their own business and become CEO, volunteer to become an executive in a joint venture (a new company funded by multiple companies), or become the head of a service launched by our company. I believe offering such diverse career paths also contributes to employees' sense of fulfillment.

Ignition Point Inc. prioritizes the fulfillment of each employee to embody its corporate philosophy: "Creating opportunities for a fulfilling life." Through monthly monitoring to identify issues and implement swift improvements, along with various systems that encourage employees' spirit of challenge, we maintain high employee engagement. In the second part of the interview, we'll share methods for cultivating highly motivated talent and advice for management.

*Selected for the 2023 "Best Companies to Work For" survey in the medium-sized company category (100-999 employees).