Isarin Furutani | making work meaningful story.
Isarin Furutani — sourcing center manager, Tokyo, Japan
a supportive environment
Five years ago I was working at a boutique human resources firm in Japan, but I wanted to move into recruitment process outsourcing (RPO). My agent knew the head of Randstad Sourceright, Japan, and introduced me. I joined Randstad Sourceright in November 2017, and I’ve never looked back.
I am the manager for the sourcing center and it’s my responsibility to ensure my team meets the direct sourcing expectations of our clients. A lot of my day is spent talking to people. I talk to team members on a regular basis to ensure everything is going okay, and I provide them with support and advice when it is needed. I also work with other business units to coordinate upcoming collaborations and changes. Now I’m involved with managing a new team for an upcoming project. I truly love collaborating with others, being able to help people and coming up with workable solutions.
My approach to management is about balance. I like to give team members the autonomy to work the way they are most comfortable and can be their best selves. It’s important that the team members have the freedom to think independently and innovate. But at the same time, I always check in weekly to follow up on how projects are going and find out who could use some support and how I can help.
a healthy work-life balance
Randstad Sourceright supports this self-directed style. As long as we are being responsible to our clients and each other, and delivering on objectives, I am given a lot of freedom. My team members and I work on a full-flex schedule, remotely from home — some are even living far from Tokyo. To stay healthy, I make sure to plan my next day ahead of time. I set a time to focus on work for an hour or two and then schedule in time for a short rest or walk outside.
The full-flex system lets us adjust our daily working hours. I am a morning person, so I typically start my workday at 7:00 in the morning so I can end a bit early. This gives me time to spend on my hobbies, like going to the gym, playing games, and hanging out with friends and family. The flexible schedule also lets me pursue my new favorite hobby: watching movies. There’s a movie theater a 10-minute walk from my house. I probably watch four or five movies a month — Westerns, Japanese movies, anything with an interesting storyline.
Support and balance — being part of this global team is an easy win that encourages me to be productive and engaged with the work and the people.