The GxP Group has many employees of foreign nationality. We asked three people from different years of employment and nationalities to talk about their reasons for choosing a Japanese company, the gaps they felt when joining the company, their motivations, and their dreams for the future.
The pleasant atmosphere during the interview.
Tell us how you got into the company.
Louise：Originally, I was looking for a job where I could talk to many people and use my IT skills. And I decided to join the GxP Group because the story I heard about life at GxP Group during one of the interviews was exactly what I was looking for.
Ahn：I wanted to be a designer, but during my interview, I was told that I would be involved in coding, so I wanted to try it. Another reason was that GxP Group was the fastest in giving me a job offer (laughs), but I was also drawn to the good atmosphere from the small conversations that I had with the interviewers.
Gery：I studied business economics in college, not IT. When I visited the GxP Group for job hunting, I was told that no IT experience was required and suits were not mandatory. Indonesia doesn’t have a culture of wearing suits in Indonesia, so I thought it would be unbearable for me if I need to wear suits every day (laughs).
Ahn：Didn't you wear it at the entrance ceremony?
Gery：Only that one time.
Louise：That's rare, I want to see it (laughs).
Gery：In Indonesia, people wear batik (clothes from traditional fabrics that are also a cultural heritage) for every formal occasion, whether at work or at a wedding. That's why I really don't want to wear a suit (laughs).
How do you feel after you joined the company?
Louise：Anyway, it's easy to talk to my superiors and seniors. Everyone is friendly in any situation. When I joined the company, I wanted to talk to many people through my work, so I feel that my wish actually came true.
It is important that there is no discrepancy between the wishes before joining the company and the actual work. What do you think, Ahn?
Ahn：I joined the company as a new graduate. Before I joined the company, I imagined that the work will hard and I would be scolded often, but when I joined the company, everyone was kind and willing to teach me anything, and I can freely express my own opinion. It was completely different from what I first expected.
"If you're having a hard time at work, come home" told my mother.
Gery：My first impression was that Japanese companies had a strict hierarchical relationship between seniors and juniors, but the GxP Group was completely different from what I imagined. Ahn-san, who works with me, is more like a “big sister” than a “senior” (laughs). Before I joined the company, my mother used to tell me to come back home if it was tough, but now I don’t want to go back home.
In addition to being scolded and having a strict hierarchical relationship, do you have any other images of Japanese companies?
Ahn：Even if people don't show it publicly, they will talk about us behind our backs.
Gery：If we are invited to a drinking party, we must go.
Ahn：I thought so too. But now, I can't help but want to go to a drinking party (laughs).
Louise is a mid-career hire, is there any difference compared to your previous work environment?
Louise：My previous job was in the same IT but hardware company. There was an atmosphere where it was difficult to talk casually to my colleagues and seniors, and when I made a mistake at work, it was always "my fault." At GxP Group, we do not see individual responsibility in this way. Even if I make a mistake, the team members will think about the cause together, so I can try again with confidence. I'm really glad that I joined GxP Group.
It seems that Ahn and Gery also have a lot of points that were different from what they imagined before joining the company.
Ahn：For example, when I first joined the company, I felt guilty about taking days off other than public holidays, but I realized that it was unnecessary. Everyone kindly told me, "It's okay to take a holiday when you want to rest."
Gery：I was worried about communicating with other people because my Japanese is still not good, but after joining the company, I was able to get along with my colleagues during training with no problem at all. Even after I was assigned to a team, I continued to gain experience through practical work, and six months after joining the company, I was entrusted with my own project. Of course, everything was rewarding!
As a senior, how does Ahn see Gery?
Ahn：I trust that Gery-san can do these kinds of work, so I keep asking him to handle more work. Well, no matter what work I request, he always happily does it, so I'm relieved (laughs).
The GxP Group has many employees of foreign nationality besides you. Do you have many opportunities to communicate with them?
Louise：Yes. At my previous company, there were no foreign employees, and the system and documents were all in Japanese, so I thought it might be difficult for someone who came to Japan for the first time. For GxP Group, I think the hurdle for foreign employees is much lower.
Ahn：Well, I think this company has a relatively high ratio of foreign employees. However, I never once felt that being a foreign national or not being very good at Japanese would be a disadvantage here. I have never felt that it is difficult to work here just because I am a foreigner.
An environment where you can grow at a tremendous speed.
All of you have no trouble communicating in Japanese, but how did you learn it?
Gery：When I entered university in Japan, I started by studying hiragana and katakana. Even now I can't say I'm fluent yet, and in the first place, I planned to go back to work in Indonesia after graduating. But after joining GxP Group, my Japanese skill literally evolved.
Ahn：Actually... I've liked Johnny's since I was in elementary school. So I started studying Japanese, then I heard that the sister who lived next door was going to study at a Japanese university, and somehow I came to think that it was natural for me to study in Japan. Many of my friends also graduated from university or vocational school and got a job at a Japanese company, so I also decided on a Japanese company without doubting anything.
How about Louise, who has been in Japan the longest among the three?
Louise： I took Japanese classes at my university in Thailand, but it was only at the very basic level of daily conversation, like "I'm eating ramen." Of course, working in Japan was one of my options for the future, but working abroad as a single woman must be a challenge, and I was at a loss. At that time, I received an offer from my previous workplace, so I was pushed to decide. I learned most of the language while working in Japan.
The corporate culture of the GxP Group is kind, but on the other hand, I think that professionalism is required at work regardless of nationality. How do you feel about that?
Louise：At my previous job, even if I was told to "learn this skill," I couldn't see how it would help me in the future. At the GxP Group, we have an interview once every six months, and we are always asked, "Where do you want to be in five years?" Since that shows that they care for what the employees truly want, I became motivated. When my boss told me for the first time at an interview, "I want you to grow up to be a manager," I was surprised and happy that someone would have such high expectations of me even though I have a foreign background.
The more you are asked for, the more rewarding it is. How does it work for you, Ahn?
Ahn：My department has a lot of hard tasks that other departments are afraid of (laughs). However, because it is hard, if we do our best there, our skills will definitely grow. It is a workplace where we can grow ourselves by being responsible for the projects, rather than waiting to be given a task by someone. I think that Gery-san is also growing rapidly with his own projects.
Gery：Yes, I am growing (laughs). Of course, I know that I am growing and improving, but I think the speed is crazy. I learn a lot from the projects I am handling.
How does Ahn watch over Gery's "crazy" growing speed?
Ahn：To be honest, I thought he wouldn't be able to do many of the tasks because he's a new graduate. But when I entrust him with a task, he produces solid results. So I'm not worried about anything.
Gery：Just like this, the expectations are getting bigger and bigger (laughs).
I want to be a manager who connects management and general employees.
Lastly, please tell me what kind of career you want to build in the GxP group.
Louise：Well... I want to be a manager who can calmly deal with any situation, regardless of the nationality of the employees. It is reassuring to know that there are many seniors around me to learn from. And beyond that, my dream is to open a cat cafe in Japan and spend time surrounded by cats (laughs).
Gery：I also want to open my own cafe in the distant future but it's not a cat cafe (laughs). I imagine a restaurant that offers fusion cuisine based on cuisine from various countries. For my career in the near future, I want to master programming as an engineer. In the GxP Group, there are two directions: "managers" who are also responsible for developing people, and "experts" who deepen their specialized knowledge and play an active role in development. I want to be an expert myself.
Ahn's dream is not a cafe, is it?
Ahn：No, not a cafe (laughs). Rather than focusing on specific future goals like the two of you, I've come to think that a way of life that works hard on what's right in front of me is more suited to me. However, after talking with the two of them today, I felt that I wanted to be like a manager who skillfully connects management and regular employees. It's been 6 years since I joined the company, and I've become quite familiar with the internal affairs of the company. In the first place, the distance between the president and the employees is very close, so I would like to actively make use of that culture.
At the GxP Group, we want more and more people to become managers, regardless of nationality. Please continue to play an active role in meeting that expectation. Thank you all for your time today.
