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(From left) Student staff member Nishimura, employees Tsuruta and Omoto at ANA headquarters

We value teamwork to create a world filled with excitement.

When it comes to job hunting, what kind of talent are employers looking for, and what do they look for in students? Also, what do people who have actually joined the company think of it? These are questions that many students are curious about. So, this time, Waseda Weekly Reporter (SJC student staff member) Nishimura spoke to a human resources recruiter and a young employee at All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. about their questions about employment.

All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. is the largest company in the transportation industry, with the airline business at its core. Nishimura was impressed by the environment that allows even young people to take on challenges, and it seems she got some hints about her own growth as a working adult.

All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.

Human Resources Development, ANA Jinzai Univ.
Rika Omoto

Digital Transformation Office, Innovation Promotion Department
Yutaro Tsuruta (Class of 2020, Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering)

We value the fact that each employee is excited about their work.

Nishimura: All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA) seems to be a representative airline that many students aspire to work for. Could you tell us about the characteristics of your company?

Omoto: At the ANA Group, we want employees all over the world to continue to take on challenges with enthusiasm, create new value while working closely with customers and society, and fill the world with hope and joy. Based on this vision, we established a new management vision in 2023, "A world filled with excitement," and we place great importance on each and every employee being excited about their work.

To realize this vision, all group employees share a common set of values: five guidelines for action known as "ANA's Way."

"ANA's Way" consists of five principles: safety, customer perspective, social responsibility, team spirit, and effort and challenge.

One of these is "effort and challenge," and as such, we have a challenging culture, where people can express their opinions regardless of seniority, and we have a system in place that allows them to try what they want to do. "Gattsuri Hiroba," which was launched in 2020, was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people needed to earn every penny. Anyone can make a proposal, regardless of seniority or title, and the system aims to commercialize it after conducting a demonstration experiment.

Tsuruta: Every day I feel grateful that I was able to join a company that offers so many opportunities for challenges like this. Currently, I am involved in analyzing data on international routes around the world and considering which routes can contribute to ANA and Japan in the future. When I show what I want to do while keeping in mind the "customer perspective" in "ANA's Way," I find myself in an environment where those around me support me.

As a result, I was appointed project leader in my third year at the company, and was able to propose to customers the project I had envisioned during my job search. It is very rewarding to see my own project actually reflected in passenger flights and disseminated to the world.

Tsuruta at work. He says that digital and analog maps are essential items for his work.

A corporate culture which it is easy to communicate differences of opinion fosters the growth of employees and the company.

Nishimura: ANA has a challenging culture. What qualities and attitudes do you look for in students who apply?

Omoto: At ANA, we aim for each employee to act autonomously, demonstrate their individual strengths, and become a stronger team. That's why I think we get along well with people who can proudly say, "I accomplished something autonomously," no matter what it is. In addition, people who can communicate their strengths and what they want to do in their own words convey their enthusiasm and resonate with us.

ANA also has a diverse workforce and places great importance on team spirit, working together to realize the company's vision. As much of the work is done in teams, those who value teamwork will likely thrive here.

Tsuruta: When I actually joined the company, I found that the teamwork at ANA was even better than I had imagined. Even young employees have a lot of discretion, but when you're in trouble, those around you notice and support you, so you really get the feeling that you're working as a team, rather than just dealing with it alone.

In addition, we have a deeply rooted "culture of assertion" where we respect both ourselves and others, so it's easy to communicate differences of opinion and it's an environment where we can improve any areas of concern.

Nishimura: Please tell us why you wanted to work for ANA.

Tsuruta: I wanted to provide services to a diverse range of customers, regardless of nationality, and work to connect each region of Japan with the world. When I thought about a job where I could help many people make new discoveries across borders and develop their sensibilities, the aviation industry, which physically connects people, was my first choice.

One of the reasons I decided to join ANA was the personalities of the employees. During alumni visits and internships, not only did the employees clearly talk about what they wanted to do at ANA, but I also felt an atmosphere of support for what I wanted to do as a student at the time, and I was convinced that this was the company for me.

Another attractive feature was the "Good Job Program," an internal system that conveys gratitude and respect to colleagues working in the ANA Group. I received messages of "thank you" from departments I had little contact with, which gave me a sense that my work was connected to other departments, and I think it's a very good culture that helps to raise each other's motivation.

Omoto: Another feature of ANA is the generous support system we provide after you join the company. In addition to new employee training and job-specific training, we also provide follow-up training at the end of your first year.

Tsuruta: In addition, we are focusing on training to equip employees with the latest digital and IT technologies so that they can utilize digital technology, which is essential in all business operations. The training is also open to people other than DX personnel, with the aim of increasing IT literacy across the company and improving productivity and operational efficiency. In my department, we are building new systems using data and digital technology from around the world, with the aim of becoming a world-leading airline in digital.

Left: During his undergraduate years, Tsuruta wrote Bachelor's Thesis on the topic of operations research (business mathematical model research). The photo shows him speaking at a conference as a student.
Right: In front of the pyramids in Egypt, which he finally managed to visit recently. On his days off, he travels not only in Japan but all over the world, visiting his favorite World Heritage sites.

Nishimura: Finally, please give us a message for the students.

Omoto: Job hunting is a great opportunity to see a wide variety of companies for yourself. If there's a company that even slightly appeals to you, be sure to actively visit it. The real atmosphere and enthusiasm of the employees you get there will be the deciding factor in choosing a company that you're truly satisfied with. I would be very happy if ANA is one of the companies that you want to pour your passion into.

Tsuruta: I hope that you will choose a company that suits you while continuing your current studies and hobbies. Don't try to force yourself, just show your true self. If you have a connection with ANA, I hope that we can create new value together.

Interview and text: Kaori Sasuga
Photography: Nanako Ono

It is important to pay attention not only to the job content but also to the environment after joining the company.

Nagisa Nishimura, 3rd year School of Culture, Media and Society

What impressed me most was that ANA has an environment where even young employees can take on challenges. There are opportunities to actually take on the role of project leader, and I think it's precisely because there is a sense of security that colleagues, superiors, and company systems are supporting you that you are able to take on bold challenges. I was also attracted by the fact that the company has a "culture where it's easy to speak your mind" that emphasizes assertiveness, and that the "Good Job Program" and other initiatives that increase employee respect and motivation among employees.

When job hunting, I feel it is important to look not only at the job content but also at the environment you will be in after joining the company. I would like to keep in mind that personal growth as a member of society is nurtured not only by one's own abilities but also by the environment around me, and use this knowledge in my future job hunting activities.