Case Studies

　I am in charge of the temporary staffing division within the Pasona Group. In addition to introducing registered staff to companies, I often build long-term relationships with each individual. For example, when a temporary assignment ends, I might suggest, "Would you like to take training for your next assignment?" I also keep in regular contact with them, whether they are currently on assignment or not, while they utilize our childcare and elderly care services

　Ten years ago, communication was primarily done by phone and in person. In the staffing industry, it's important to understand what kind of work and working style registered staff members are looking for and to introduce them to suitable jobs. However, with the large number of staff members we have now registered, frankly speaking, there are aspects that cannot be covered by phone and in person alone. Now that IT has advanced, I have long felt that it is necessary to increase communication by utilizing IT

　I've been using email as an IT tool for a long time, but I feel like its effectiveness is declining year by year. People are moving away from PCs these days, aren't they? I think smartphone use is becoming the norm. I was thinking about what kind of method would allow for direct communication that would be easy for people who use smartphones to receive, and that's when I discovered SMS

　Previously, around the time of the Lehman Shock, there was less work available, so we could easily reach out to staff members by phone. Now, however, the workload has increased, giving job seekers a wider range of options to choose from. We're sure you're receiving many emails, not only from our company but probably from other companies as well. Experienced and highly skilled individuals, in particular, are receiving many phone calls. But from the staff's perspective, this means they're overwhelmed with emails and can't answer all of them, and they can't answer every phone call. Especially for women, answering calls from unknown numbers can be daunting. This is the background to this difficult situation for both sides

　When you send an SMS, your mobile phone or smartphone vibrates and a notification appears on the screen, right? It's easy to notice, and you can understand the content even if you don't answer the phone. Recently, more and more people don't have voicemail, so if you send an SMS saying "This call is from Pasona," they can see the missed call and feel reassured to call back. I think it's very convenient to use it in combination with phone calls.
　Of course, when introducing a job, it's essential to talk to the person to get to know their personality and true feelings, so it remains important to have a final conversation by phone or in person.

　For example, I use it when I need to contact temporary staff urgently. Temporary staff often can't bring their cell phones to client sites, and it can be difficult to get through on the phone during work hours. I feel that SMS is the most effective way to communicate with staff when they check their phones during breaks. It's great because they can see it immediately when they open their phones and read it quickly. Often, they even call me during their break, so the response is very fast

　I see the character limit as a positive thing. Instead of starting with greetings like in emails, being able to convey only the essential message concisely is actually a good thing, a reverse way of thinking.
70 characters is enough to trigger actions like, "Oh, I've got a message. I'll call them," or "I'll check my email too."
　Some people might think it's rude not to include a greeting, but these days people often tweet short messages on Twitter and Instagram, so we haven't received any comments from staff saying they're concerned about it.

　There wasn't any particular opposition. Regarding SMS, I think some people were already using it on their company-issued mobile phones before we introduced Acrite's SMS. So, I think that made the barrier to entry a little lower. Also, in recent years we've had many opportunities to introduce new IT systems within the company, so there might have been a fertile ground for adoption, with a feeling of "Let's make use of IT!" It's fun to use new things, isn't it?

　The admin panel is incredibly easy to use. You can operate it intuitively. When we first introduced it, some people were hesitant, saying, "Another new system?", but when I told them, "It's easy, just try it," they were able to use it right away. All we had to do was teach the team chiefs, and they spread the word to their team members. We didn't even need a training session for everyone, so it was very easy to implement

　We often provide additional details via SMS and follow up with phone calls. Otherwise, since communication is limited to 70 characters, we leave it up to each member to decide what kind of message to send

　I was a little worried before we started, but in reality, we haven't received any complaints. We have long-standing relationships with our registered staff, and we communicate with them frequently not only via SMS but also by phone and email, so that might be why we haven't received any complaints. Also, it's possible that our staff are used to using SMS on a regular basis and don't mind receiving messages from us

　Our company's corporate action is "Work and Enjoy Life" ("Creating Work," "Enjoying Life," "Nurturing Human Resources"). We want to strengthen our activities to create a society where working people can thrive, by leveraging group synergies.
　Personally, I want to create more opportunities for each staff member to find the working style they desire. I want to work on the tasks at hand to bring us a little closer to a diverse society where everyone who wants to work can find a job that suits them.