The IT Job Market

- by The Editors -

Computing Japan spoke with Mr. Sheils in the company's Tokyo office, and asked about the carrier's aggressive challenge to the long-protected Japanese telecom market. As a matter of necessity, most foreign companies operating in Japan find themselves staffed by a mix of local hire Japanese and foreign employees, who - together with home office staff dispatched to Japan for a temporary tour - must be welded into effective teams. This month, Computing Japan's Job Market column takes a look at getting the best out of your international staff, courtesy of the experts at Oak Associates, an international human resource services company operating in Japan since 1981 How can someone maximize results in an international work environment? It is important to focus energy on doing the right things, the things that help your company succeed. Companies define success with their mission, goals, and objectives, and your company can maximize results by achieving these. After you gain an understanding of what is important, the next step is to find out how your work contributes to company success. Very simply, you need to be very clear about what you are expected to do and how your achievements will be measured or evaluated. You can work with your manager to determine individual goals and objectives that are specific, attainable, and measurable. Team leaders will want to extend this process to team members. Team goals can be divided so that everyone's work contributes to attaining group goals. Like sports teams, work teams need to have a plan to coordinate their efforts to achieve targets. Coordination of individual, team, and company goals and efforts is a powerful step toward maximizing results in an international environment. What skills are required? For any performance management system to provide results, team leaders need to develop the skills of delegation, coaching and development, giving feedback, monitoring results, and assessing problems. Clear, honest and timely communication is key. For team members, participation in a performance system requires full understanding and active participation in the delegation, assessment, and coaching processes. Individuals must take active responsibility for their own professional development, by requesting, for example, on-the-job coaching or formal training to help achieve objectives. How can these skills be developed? Three common ways to develop performance management skills required for maximizing results are (1) reading, (2) working with a mentor, and (3) formal training. Each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages. Reading articles, books, or self-instruction manuals is often the best choice because it is a flexible approach that allows you to learn what you need, and can be scheduled at convenient times and locations. Next, learning performance management from a mentor has many advantages. First you will be more likely to get personal recommendations and advice that really work in your situation. Another advantage is that the person can be flexible and provide "just in time" help by telling you what you need to know and how to do it when you need to do it. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to find a good mentor who has time to work with you. Also, your learning will be limited to what your mentor knows and the way he or she solves problems. Training, the third option, may be the most challenging to schedule and the most costly. But, if carefully planned, the benefits may be significant. Training should address specific individual needs, and provide practice and feedback (positive and negative) that is constructive. Effective training should reinforce practical job requirements, and remember - you have the responsibility to pass on what you learned to your colleagues back in the office. It is especially helpful to arrange training for a complete team. Then everyone will have the same information and it becomes possible to apply what was learned group-wide, maximizing results. What are the benefits of performance management? If you have a performance management system in place, benefits for team leaders may include improved communication and ease in quickly directing resources to important issues, anxiety-free assessments, improved quality of work based on clear expectations, and an improved environment for team development. Moreover, benefits for the team may include improved understanding of job requirements and enhanced ability to participate in decision-making, the opportunity to openly discuss success and failure, the opportunity to participate in planning one's own professional development, and stronger ties to goals and organization. Can performance management work in the Japanese environment? Performance management can benefit Japanese team leaders and team members, but there are some barriers to overcome. Examples include reluctance to participate in work assessments because of exposure to possible negative results and insecurity, as some systems are tied to compensation. However, many Japanese professionals join foreign companies because performance is clearly recognized, often resulting in promotions. Also, performance management systems can, if effectively utilized, create a better team environment in which Japanese thrive. Many studies have concluded that the greatest motivation to perform is the opportunity to learn and grow on the job. In order to be a dynamic company, team, or professional it is imperative to have the opportunity to learn, perform, and to be recognized on the job. Good performance management systems can create this environment and maximize work results.

Back to the table of contents