[Customer testimonial] Our association is currently supporting approximately 50 people! We successfully launched a new business by recruiting a large number of people in a short period of time (Grandsole Bakery Co., Ltd.)

[Customer Profile]

Gransole Bakery Co., Ltd.

This bread manufacturing company has a factory in Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture. It is a subsidiary of Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd. and produces bread and baked goods sold at Seven-Eleven, Japan's largest convenience store. Over 40% of the company's employees are foreign nationals, and the Food and Beverage Association is currently supporting approximately 50 of its specific skilled workers.

This time, we will be introducing Gransole Bakery Co., Ltd. We spoke with Mr. Hirano, Executive Officer and Deputy Factory Manager, and Mr. Matsumoto and Mr. Takano from the Operations Department!

──What prompted you to start hiring specific skilled workers?

The reason for this was that a new business would be launched in the fall of 2023, and a large number of personnel would need to be hired . This new business would begin producing baked bread, and by adding ovens to the new production line, the number of personnel required increased by 1.5 times. Although the company had been hiring Japanese employees, this alone was not enough, so it decided to hire foreigners at the same time.

We have previously accepted around 40 Filipino technical intern trainees, who have worked very diligently and with great enthusiasm, and have had a positive attitude towards employing foreigners. This has led us to decide to start accepting specific skilled workers.

──So you were aiming to hire a large number of people to start a new business.

Yes, that's correct. The technical intern trainees we had previously employed were from the Philippines, and they were very proactive and worked hard, earning high praise from Japanese employees on-site. When it came time to bring in specific skilled workers, we wanted to consider hiring people from other countries , so we consulted with the Food and Beverage Association. They gave us advice in terms of aptitude and employment management, and this time we were introduced to a specific skilled worker of Myanmar nationality .

──How many foreign employees do you currently have?

We currently have 108 foreign employees. There are 134 Japanese employees, so foreigners account for just over 40% of the total. Of these, 64 are working with specific skills. This really brings home to me how much our foreign employees have increased. Nowadays, it's hard to imagine a workplace without foreign employees , and they are truly indispensable to our company.

──What made you decide to ask the Food and Beverage Association to hire foreigners?

The main reason we decided to ask the Restaurant Association for help was their track record with our group company, Swing Bakery. Swing Bakery also operates a bread manufacturing factory and has already successfully recruited specific skilled workers with the support of the Restaurant Association, so we were able to ask them with confidence.

Another major factor was the ability to provide support in the specific skilled workers' native language (Burmese) . In particular, in the event of an emergency, a Burmese representative will respond remotely, which we trust very much . This kind of detailed support is extremely important to our company in order to provide an environment where foreign employees can work with peace of mind.

──What makes you feel that it's good that the specific skills employment program has started?

Through introductions from the Restaurant Association, we have been able to hire approximately 50 people over the past year . We have also been able to launch new businesses without any labor shortages, and we feel that hiring with specific skills has been a great choice. Another unexpected benefit is that "the Japanese language ability of all our foreign employees has improved."

Originally, all of our technical intern trainees were Filipinos, and although we had asked them to use Japanese at work, there were still many situations where they had to speak in their native language (Filipino). However, by hiring Burmese nationals as specified skilled workers, Japanese became the common language, and inevitably, opportunities to converse in Japanese increased. As a result, we have seen an improvement in the Japanese language ability of our foreign employees . Specified skilled workers already have high Japanese language ability because they have passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, but the other technical intern trainees were also inspired, and they began studying Japanese diligently, with some even taking the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test).

When hiring foreign personnel, being able to communicate in Japanese is a very important point. By employing personnel of multiple nationalities, it is very gratifying to see everyone voluntarily learn Japanese and improve their skills .

──On the other hand, have you ever had any problems with specific skills employment?

This is not because they have specific skills, but rather because I think it is an issue that arises when hiring foreigners . Compared to Japanese people , they tend to be more assertive. Of course, this is not necessarily a bad thing, and is in fact a sign of their strong desire to work. However, on the other hand, they often have requests regarding shifts, such as "I want to work more, so I'd like more night shifts" or "I want to work the same shift as my roommate (who lives with me) / I want to work a different shift."

Given the background of communal living, we would like to accommodate their wishes as much as possible, but it is difficult to fulfill everything, so we try to make them understand that.However, these wishes have not developed into major problems, and because the specified skilled workers have a high level of Japanese language proficiency, we have been able to resolve any issues through discussion.

--What efforts have you made to communicate with specific skilled workers?

We hold a morning meeting every day, regardless of the time of day we work. At that time, we share the day's goals and points to note, such as "Today we will manufacture this product" or "Let's pay attention to this point." It may seem like a basic thing, but by making it a habit to meet face-to-face and talk at the start of work each day, we aim to build relationships of trust.

Furthermore, when communicating at work, we make sure that it doesn't end with one-sided instructions . For example, after explaining something, instead of ending it with "I understand!", we ask, "Try explaining what I just explained in your own words," to make sure that the person has understood it correctly. This is an important step to prevent mistakes due to misunderstandings.

When I need to have a slightly more difficult conversation, I ask Lin (a Burmese national), who is in charge of the Food and Beverage Association, to interpret for me. It is extremely helpful to have support in my own language .

We also put effort into communication outside of work. This summer we held our first "Summer Festival ." This was the idea of the factory manager, and we prepared food stalls, drinks, cut-out panels of people wearing kimonos, and other items to create an event that gave the feeling of a Japanese festival. By allowing employees to participate at a time that was convenient for them, many employees participated and enjoyed themselves. As the factory has day shifts, late-night shifts, and night shifts, we hope that these events will help employees to interact more with each other and strengthen their sense of camaraderie .

─Please tell us about the work of specific skilled workers.

Employees with specific skills are mainly in charge of "manufacturing assistance" tasks. Specifically, they are responsible for producing frozen bread dough and for tasks such as "preparing the dough," "shaping the bread," and "packaging the baked bread" in the baking process . In addition to bread, they may also be in charge of producing baked goods (scones). As it is a mass production factory, the dough is prepared using machines, but the parts that cannot be done by machine, such as shaping and twisting, are done by hand.

Factory work is often seen as simple work, but at our company, the work changes depending on the staffing levels for the day, and employees have said things like, "I never get bored because I get to do different work every day."

──What is your actual work like?

The Food and Beverage Association has supported approximately 50 specific skilled workers, all of whom are extremely earnest and work hard . Some of them are not only skilled in manufacturing, but also in disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling machines perfectly, and I am often amazed at how quickly they learn new skills. I am amazed at how quickly they can do this in such a short amount of time.

Some employees think for themselves and go above and beyond what they are told. Employees with this proactive attitude are active as "line operators," leaders of each production line. We aim to provide appropriate evaluations to hard-working employees, regardless of whether they are Japanese or foreign, and to create an environment where they can work while increasing their motivation .

──Please tell us your thoughts on the support services provided by the Food and Beverage Association.

Securing personnel was an urgent need when launching a new business, but the Food and Beverage Association responded quickly, allowing us to hire a large number of 18 people in just three months . We are extremely grateful to the Food and Beverage Association for their ability to supply personnel, as we were able to launch the business without running into problems due to a labor shortage .

In addition, support for specific skilled workers is also very thorough, and when problems arise they are shared immediately and feedback is provided in a timely manner, so both companies and employees can work with peace of mind .

Furthermore, if there is difficult Japanese in a company notice, they will immediately translate it into Burmese. Having someone who speaks the company's native language helps employees to understand correctly and ensures smooth business operations.

──Please tell us if there is anything that impressed you about the interactions between foreign employees.

Our factory currently employs Filipino (technical intern trainees) and Burmese (specific skilled workers), and we often see them getting along well regardless of nationality . On their days off, Filipino and Burmese employees enjoy meals together and trips together. The other day, one of them showed me photos from a trip to Kanagawa, and it was clear they had a great time. After their trips, they sometimes give "souvenirs" to their coworkers, and I look forward to hearing their stories. Souvenir culture doesn't exist in their home countries, and even though I tell them to "spend your hard-earned money on yourself," they still give sweets to their coworkers, saying, "The part-time Japanese workers always give me sweets," and I find their thoughtfulness, just like the Japanese ones, heartwarming.

It will be a valuable experience for them to be able to build friendships at work in a foreign land away from their home country, and it makes us happy to see them doing so.

──Please tell us about your future prospects for utilizing specific skilled workers.

Our current Specified Skilled Workers hold Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 qualifications, but as of last year, our "food and beverage manufacturing" field has also been granted Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 status. With No. 2 status, there is no limit to the period of stay (as long as renewal conditions are met), and they will be able to build a career similar to that of a full-time Japanese employee. Because we want talented employees to work for us for a long time, we would like to first increase the number of employees currently working as line operators, and then gradually increase the number of Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 personnel .

To that end, we would like to create a system for employees aiming to obtain Specified Skilled Worker No. 2. Nowadays, the workplace cannot function without foreign employees, so rather than having the company driven by Japanese people, we are building a system in which the company can be driven by both foreigners and Japanese people, and we aim to grow from a global perspective.

Thank you to Mr. Hirano, Mr. Matsumoto, and Mr. Takano for sharing your valuable stories! At the end, we took a commemorative photo with the supporting staff and Lin and Araki from our association.

Thank you to Mr. Hirano, Mr. Matsumoto, and Mr. Takano for sharing your valuable stories! At the end, we took a commemorative photo with the supporting staff and Lin and Araki from our association.

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The Japan Food and Beverage Association for Foreign Employment

We support companies that want to start employing foreigners .

Through our own network,

Securing the talent companies are looking for - interviews - starting work and providing support afterwards

We provide comprehensive support.

"We want to resolve the labor shortage."

"We want to promote globalization"

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us !