Staff
Interviews
International
Workplace
Data Analyst
Yangqing Chen
Born in China. Former Chinese national official. Serious reader who likes ancient China, Rome and economics. Father of three children who speaks English, Japanese and Chinese.
Born in China. Former Chinese national official. Serious reader who likes ancient China, Rome and economics. Father of three children who speaks English, Japanese and Chinese.
A global environment with substance
English is often used in internal meetings. But more than that, I think the most global aspect of RESTAR is the diversity of opinions and ideas that each member has. Because employees come from all parts of the world, there is often a diversity of ideas without being biased by any one idea. I believe this is a great strength of RESTAR, a global environment that is not limited to superficial language use.
Our goal is the world
"RESTAR's goal is not to be listed on the Japanese market, but to become a global company. To achieve this, it is of course important to improve our products and services, but it is also important to have the qualities to win in a global environment.
It is simple, but I believe that if you are proactive enough to actively express your opinions and make new proposals within a flat company like RESTAR, you have the qualities of a global talent."
Engineer
Brian Sutherland
Born and raised in Michigan, USA. Currently studying Thai!
Born and raised in Michigan, USA. Currently studying Thai!
Global Team Environment
The engineering team is very international and most team members, including myself, are of foreign nationality. I think it’s one of RESTAR's strengths that we are able to gather talented people from all around the world and share our varying perspectives and experiences. Most of the meetings are conducted in English, so even if your Japanese is not perfect, you’ll fit in just fine.
Understanding Diversity
Communication in an international team has its hiccups. When I first joined RESTAR, it took some time to adjust to the differing ways in which people express feedback / constructive criticism, but gradually I learned that nothing was personal and there were simply some cultural differences. Now, I appreciate those very differences and they often make for interesting conversations, especially when they involve food!
Mixed Language Communication
I speak both Japanese and English depending on the situation. It’s not uncommon for conversations to alternate between the two languages, which is an aspect I rather enjoy as it allows for more flavor when trying to express ideas in one language that are difficult to translate without losing nuance. Although, as a naturally fast speaker, I do occasionally need to actively slow down how quickly I talk.
Work From
Anywhere
Sales Development
Kousuke Usui
Lives in Kansai. His hobbies are weight training, futsal, and drinking!
Lives in Kansai. His hobbies are weight training, futsal, and drinking!
Full remote work from Kansai
I travel occasionally for our sales events and intercompany events, but other than that I work from home. Since I am involved in sales development and often have to make phone calls to explore new opportunities with new clients, I am very happy to be able to concentrate on cold callings in an environment that I am familiar with. Even though I am not immediately accessible to Tokyo, I am able to work as a member of the sales team without any problems at all.
Remote Communication
Since all communication is done via text chat and online meetings, I am more conscious than face-to-face communication to build trust, and I try to keep communication active by speaking up and getting feedback from the team. Whenever there is a work-related issue, I am able to instantly connect via chat or video call, so I am never isolated, even though we work remotely.
Developing a sense of belonging
Although I have had limited opportunities to meet my colleagues face-to-face since I joined the company, through regular meetings and 1-on-1s with my supervisor, I think I have also developed a sense of belonging to the sales team and RESTAR. I find it rewarding to be in an environment where I can challenge myself to do various things while repeating trial and error so that I can further develop the sales development team, which currently consists of two people.
Engineer
Genina Mercado
From the Philippines. Moved to Japan and joined RESTAR as our second QA engineer.
From the Philippines. Moved to Japan and joined RESTAR as our second QA engineer.
Making effective use of remote working
Although it is possible to commute to the office, I prefer to work remotely from home rather than to spend an hour travelling each way every day and consuming time and energy. I can allocate preparation and travel time to working from home, which allows me to be more mentally relaxed and concentrate on my work without being distracted by my surroundings.
Offline Communication
Despite the benefits of working remotely, there are still times when I want to meet and talk in person. On those days, I go to the office to meet and have lunch or work with my colleagues. Lunch gatherings and happy hours are organized as company events on a regular basis, so I join them when I can and enjoy chatting with my colleagues outside work.
Communication in a hybrid environment
Even in a hybrid and fully flexible working environment, we communicate closely through chat tools. Even though a large proportion of communication takes place online, I find that many team members and other colleagues are friendly and easy to ask questions to or seek advice from.
Work Life
Balance
Fiels Sales
Takahiro Kobayashi
He’s so passionate about raising his child that he says it’s his hobby. When he starts talking about his child, he tells us about one fun episode after another.
He’s so passionate about raising his child that he says it’s his hobby. When he starts talking about his child, he tells us about one fun episode after another.
Balancing work and childcare
My wife, who is a full-time housewife, mainly raises our child during the week, but it's very hard to spend all day with a small child. In order to reduce her workload as much as possible, on days when I work from home, I help with my child's morning preparations and feed my child during breaks. I start work every morning around 9.30am and finish around 6.30pm so I spend enough time with my family in the evenings.
Setting my own work schedule
I can adjust my working style according to the nature of my work. For example, I can work from home on days when I want to concentrate on making phone calls or preparing documents, and meet my colleagues in the office on days when I want to discuss business development ideas and such. I am able to set my work schedule and stick to it. I think this way of working is made possible by the high morale of each and every employee who is committed to the company.
Teamwork
Many members of the team juggle work and childcare but we are able to carry out our work efficiently by understanding and respecting each other's working hours and lifestyles. We also have a process in place so that if someone has a long holiday or an emergency absence such as sick leave, we can cover for each other without disrupting work. We have a team structure that can respond flexibly to a child's sudden fever or school events. We are a team where each member takes initiative and action while supporting each other.
Office Maneger
Saori Shiraki
After building a career overseas, she joined RESTAR after getting married and having a baby. A mother of three, loves swimming pools and beaches.
After building a career overseas, she joined RESTAR after getting married and having a baby. A mother of three, loves swimming pools and beaches.
Shorter working hours
Basically, each employee manages his or her own schedule, taking into account home circumstances and other factors. In my case, I am currently working shorter hours because I have three children.
Why I chose RESTAR
One of the reasons I decided to join RESTAR was the ease with which I could maintain a work-life balance. Considering the stage of life I am in now, I have a strong desire to balance my career and family, and RESTAR's corporate culture accepted my desire to do my best at both.
A "good" flatness permeates the environment.
"Being a woman" or "having shortened working hours" is not an obstacle in my career. I am deeply motivated by the fact that I am entrusted with work according to my abilities. The fact that I can continue to work flexibly while changing my working style is very attractive to me, even when considering my long-term career.
High tolerance for new things
The company is committed to considering its employees and updating its internal systems promptly when necessary. The management is very understanding of diverse work styles, and I appreciate the environment in which I can easily ask for advice.