X-Talk
Senior x Junior

Kukita We had talked during online meetings during the new employee training, but the first time we met in person and talked at the office was on July 1, 2023, when Furukawa-san was assigned to our group, right?

Furukawa That's right. Over the past 9 months, I had the opportunity to talk with my instructor, Kukita-san, who taught me the work, and I got the impression that you are a kind and trustworthy senior.

Kukita What did we talk about back then? Since I found out that I would be your instructor before the assignment, we had almost daily exchanges via Teams messages, right? I feel like we talked a lot about things like your student days and what you like, to get to know each other better.

Furukawa That’s right. Thanks to that, I feel like we were able to talk smoothly from the day we met. From that day until March of the following year, you taught me about the tasks I was responsible for.

Kukita I taught you about work through emails and online meetings, and when it still seemed difficult, we arranged our office days to meet in person and go over things. While teaching about development and operations, I also made sure to teach how to report, communicate, and consult as a professional, as well as how to manage tasks. These two things were important to me, and I wanted to make sure you were able to do them well in your first year.

Furukawa Yes. You taught me not only the details of the tasks I was responsible for, but also the important aspects of working within a team, making everything easy to understand.

Kukita Furukawa-san, you were really quick at understanding the work. By December of your first year, you were already able to move tasks forward just by saying 'Please take care of this,' without needing detailed explanations. Before I knew it, you had become such a reliable member. It’s amazing how you didn’t just memorize tasks on their own, but also understood the background of the work, which allowed you to apply that knowledge to the next tasks.

Furukawa I’m glad to hear you say that, but I still don’t feel very confident about it myself. Kukita-san, you taught me in a way that made me think for myself. By teaching me to first think on my own and then check the answers, I believe it helped me develop the habit of thinking.

Kukita From the FY2024, Furukawa-san became the instructor for new employees. When teaching, what do you prioritize?

Furukawa When I personally find something difficult or unclear, I try not just to teach according to the manual, but also provide additional explanations through email whenever possible. Questions from my juniors often serve as an opportunity to reconsider tasks from a new perspective. I feel that teaching others helps me deepen my own understanding of the work.

Kukita Are there times when you find teaching difficult?

Furukawa Yes, there are. I particularly find it difficult to balance my own tasks with the responsibility of mentoring my juniors. I’m in my second year and working as an instructor, but Kukita-san, you were my instructor in your third year, right? At that time, you probably had more tasks than I do now. It’s not easy to respond to consultations and questions when you’re busy, and I truly appreciate how well you handled it.

Furukawa The main work of our team is the development and operation of the payment collection system related to insurance premium collection, within the system that manages individual insurance contracts. Additionally, we are also in charge of the occupational group system, which handles the payment of insurance premiums for individual insurance contracts taken out by people who belong to companies or other organizations.

Kukita I have been in charge of this work for four years since joining the company and have not yet experienced a transfer, but I truly believe our team is a very comfortable place to work. Even when tasks pile up, it's an environment where we can work together and support each other to get things done.

Furukawa I also think it's a team with a strong sense of unity.

Kukita What are the work goals you’re currently thinking about, Furukawa-san?

Furukawa I believe I have reached a certain level of understanding regarding the program, but I still lack a complete understanding of how people at Dai-ichi Life operate and how the system works in that context. I want to be able to concretely imagine the user’s perspective and usage scenarios to improve the quality of the work. Can you also share your goals, Kukita-san?

Kukita This is something I often talk about with Furukawa-san, but my current goal is to propose solutions to business challenges, such as improving work efficiency, from the perspective of a young employee. I want to actively communicate with my superiors and managers from a junior standpoint and implement improvements to our work processes.

Furukawa I will also do my best so that we can make such proposals and communicate together.