[Customer Testimonial] Foreign employees are playing key roles as supervisors! Utilizing the Specified Skilled Worker System to build a sustainable management system (DD Group Co., Ltd.)

[Customer Profile]

DD Group Co., Ltd.

A food service company operating in a wide range of business formats, from izakayas to cafes and restaurants. It operates 115 brands, including "Warayaki-ya" and "chano-ma," with approximately 320 stores in Japan and overseas. Its commitment to high-quality ingredients and attentive service has earned it the support of a wide range of customers. With a global perspective, the company has built a work environment that makes the most of diversity, with a multinational staff including specific skilled workers.

This time, we visited Kudanshita Torifuku, run by the DD Group, and spoke with Tega-san, the business division's head chef!

Kudanshita Torifuku

──Please tell us about the background to your decision to hire specific skilled workers.

Frankly speaking, the biggest issue was a lack of human resources. We simply could not keep up with the number of staff we needed by hiring only Japanese people, so three years ago we started hiring specific skilled workers . As a result, the proportion of foreign staff across the group has now increased, and we feel that the situation on-site has gradually stabilized.

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

I am also in charge of recruitment interviews, and I have noticed that the specific skilled workers have a very clear sense of purpose . They don't just vaguely want to work in Japan, but I can sense that they have come to Japan with a specific goal in mind. As a result, many of them work very hard and diligently even after starting work.

──Was there any gap or change in perception between your image before you were hired and the reality after you were hired?

Previously, we mainly hired new graduates from Japanese language schools and vocational schools, but recently we have expanded our hiring target to include non-new graduates. Initially, we were a little concerned about the Japanese language ability of the people we hired, but when we actually hired them, we were surprised by the high level of their language ability . We feel that this is a good gap.

The Specified Skills Visa requires Japanese language proficiency level N4 or above, so this is a reassuring standard. However, the communication skills required on-site vary from person to person, so we strictly check during job interviews whether the level is sufficient for food and beverage work. This is one of the reasons we are very satisfied with the Japanese language ability of the foreign staff working at our company.

──Please tell us about any initiatives or things you are conscious of when accepting foreign talent.

Our company employs not only employees with specific skills, but also many foreign staff members as part-time workers. Therefore, we provide as much support as possible with administrative procedures and document preparation so that they will not have any problems when working in Japan. In terms of communication, Japanese is basically used as the common language, with the store managers and supervisors of each store making adjustments according to the environment. Everyone can understand the manuals in Japanese, so we strive to break down the contents in an easy-to-understand manner and communicate them carefully .

We provide regular training to kitchen staff. There are also opportunities for them to help out at other stores, so I think it's an environment where foreign staff can naturally interact with each other .

──Please tell us about the work of the specific skilled workers that our company supports.

We currently have two specific skilled workers working at our store. Both are extremely talented. One of them, Mak, who is from Vietnam, was promoted to manager in his first year at the company . Our company has evaluation criteria such as "store manager, manager, general manager," and he is performing extremely well as a manager.

Left) Mr. Mac, Right) Mr. Tega

--What specific aspects of the project are highly evaluated?

There are several points that I appreciate about her, but first of all, she is a foreigner herself, working in a foreign country like Japan, and is entrusted with training part-time staff of different nationalities . She carefully teaches Japanese language school students who only just arrived in Japan this year and can barely speak Japanese, using gestures and other techniques.

Although she is primarily in charge of kitchen work, she is also flexible enough to handle hall duties as needed. Furthermore, she has excellent customer service and telephone skills, is proactive, and is not afraid to take on new challenges. Furthermore, she is also very good at communicating with her colleagues, which contributes greatly to creating a good atmosphere in the workplace . She is truly a reliable person.

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

Although we do not yet have a concrete support system in place, we would like them to actively aim to acquire Specified Skilled Worker Status No. 2 in the future . We would like to work with the Human Resources Department at our headquarters to provide the necessary support for this.

Mac, whom I mentioned earlier, has a very clear vision for his future, with clear goals such as "what I want to do in a certain number of years." I hope he will continue to thrive flexibly without limiting his possibilities. I hope that his growth will have a positive impact not only on our store, but on other staff members and the company as a whole.

Thank you, Tega-san, for sharing your valuable story!

Furthermore, when we visited the head office this time, we were also able to speak with Mr. Shikakuma, manager of the Human Resources and Labor Department of the Group Human Resources Headquarters !

Mr. Shikakuma, Manager of the Human Resources and Labor Department, Group Human Resources Management Headquarters

──Please tell us why you chose the Food and Beverage Association as your registration support organization.

Our general affairs manager had previously known Mr. Inoguchi, Secretary General of the Restaurant Association, and that's why we consulted with them. When we decided to proceed with the recruitment of specific skilled workers, the trust we had in the Restaurant Association's track record was a major factor . Furthermore, the implementation cost was reasonable and commensurate with the service content, so we decided to ask them to help us.

What attracted me most was the fact that they would work alongside us as an employer to support the employment of specific skilled workers. I found their willingness to work alongside us and accompany us in tackling challenges extremely encouraging.

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

What we look for in a registered support organization is, of course, post-recruitment support, but above all else, a system that can reliably supply human resources . Without that ability, it is impossible to resolve the labor shortage. In that regard, the Restaurant Association has a system in place that allows them to consistently introduce specific skilled labor, and we trust them greatly. While other support organizations sometimes make introductions irregularly or are unable to secure a sufficient number, we believe that the Restaurant Association's stable supply capacity is a major strength.

I also have the impression that the turnover rate is lower than other companies . Thanks to thorough interviews with potential employees and careful consideration of their suitability for our company, employees are able to smoothly adapt to the workplace after joining the company.

Furthermore, they also prepare the necessary documents for joining the company in advance, so the procedures proceed without any problems, which gives me great peace of mind. In particular, there are times when we request work on a tight schedule, which makes us feel sorry, but even so, they are very helpful in responding quickly, and we are truly grateful.

──Please tell us about the future prospects for specific skills in human resource development.

Specified skilled workers are extremely important to our company. We hope to maximize their passion and efforts while helping them further grow, assuming they switch to Specified Skills No. 2 status. We are not completely free from concerns that they may change jobs after obtaining No. 2 status, but more than that, we believe that our current hard-working employees will continue to aim to advance their careers at our company even after obtaining No. 2 status .

Of course, we want our employees to aim for positions such as restaurant manager or head chef, but we also want them to have even bigger goals beyond that and become personnel who can support the company . Furthermore, as a company, we want to fully support their career development, not only in obtaining Specified Skills No. 2, but also with an eye toward ultimately obtaining permanent residency. We look forward to continuing to build a new future together with our Specified Skills personnel.

Thank you, Shikakuma-san, for your valuable story!

I will visit you again at the next scheduled appointment.

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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 !