7The new employee training period at Rion lasts approximately two months. It consists of an orientation period and on-the-job training sessions within each department. The training goes beyond just lectures. It includes hands-on training that emphasizes the nature of each division—for example, hands-on experience assembling hearing aids, on-site tours to the sites where Rion products are installed, such as dams and airports, and group work to make a presentation on ideas for new future businesses. Minako Shimokawa from the Personnel Resources Section gives us the following overview of this training.“After the initiation ceremony, the first 10 days are allocated to an orientation period, during which our new employees learn a wide range things working adults have to know, including business eti-quette, information security, and workplace health and safety. Then, following lectures on the history of Rion and on topics like acoustics and the structure of the ear, on which our technologies are found-ed, the process of formal intake starts within each division. Here, the goal is to learn about the kind of work done across Rion as a whole and the kind of people who work for us. The employees visit all the different divisions. One of the major tasks new employees undertake during these two months is group work, which hap-pens in step with the tours. For the past few years, the assigned theme has been “Envisioning the future of Rion.” Each group is asked to consider what articles they might like to see published if articles about Rion’s business were to appear on the front page of a newspaper in five years. They’re asked to take into consideration changes in the internal and external environment and to prepare a presentation of their ideas to executives and managers. The newspaper will be written and illustrated entirely by hand with the entire group collaborating to strengthen their bonds.”In past presentations, many unique ideas were presented that made use of Rion products and technology, including using particle counters to make medium-range predictions of volcanic eruptions and using drones and sound collectors to find victims at disaster sites. An important aspect of the group work is the process of new employees collaborating to develop ideas as a team. In doing so, they are expected to enhance mutual under-standing and develop collaborative skills. “At Rion, we believe that building solid relationships based on trust among new employees will provide a formidable advantage in their future work,” explains Shimokawa. “This training is designed to lay the foundations for those bonds. Another goal is not simply to impart knowledge to new employees, but to cultivate practical skills that enable them to think and act independently through hands-on workplace experience and group activities.”The training also emphasizes voluntary learning and skill acquisition. For example, each day, a new employee takes on the role of leader, overseeing the 8:30 morning assembly. During the assembly, the leader from the previous day appoints someone to deliver a three-minute speech on a designated theme.“These three-minute speeches provide opportunities to refine presentation and communication skills. Throughout the training period, participants engage in numerous group discussions and workshops. We also set aside time for them to reflect on how the knowledge and experience they have gained might be applied to real work scenarios. These activities are designed to encourage new employees to approach the training with independence and responsibility.”What is unique about Rion’s new employee train-ing is that, regardless of an individual’s fields of study or where they are to be assigned, all new employees are given the opportunity to visit all the company’s divisions to gain an understanding of the Rion business from a company-wide perspective. In addition to the Particle Counter Division, the Medical Instrument Division, and the Environmental Instrument Division, the training includes tours of all the other departments, including the Corporate Planning Division, Research and Development, and the manufacturing departments, each lasting several days. Later, the new employees are given the opportunity to deepen their knowledge about the work carried out and the roles of people working within each department and think over what they themselves can contribute to the company as a member of Rion.“For example, in the Environmental Instrument Division, they learn the functions of the sales and development depart-ments and experience actual work. They may experience a pro-duction process or accompany sales staff on their sales calls. At the Research and Development Center, they observe how new technologies are developed and learn about the engineering perspectives from which Rion’s products are created. Our new employee training isn’t just about sitting and listening to lectures. It provides an abundance of practical content. I think the experi-ence the newcomers gain is extremely valuable. That’s why I want them to tackle the tasks given during the training earnestly so that they grow as individuals. And the bonds formed with fellow trainees who join Rion in the same year are valuable and lasting assets for their careers. Even as time passes, their relationships with their fellow trainees will usually continue. I hope they make friends and try to understand each other as deeply as possible during the training period.”The purpose of the assembly experience of hearing aids, which can take up one whole day, is to help the newcomers understand the high craftsmanship required to make Rion products and the flow of the manufacturing process. They are instructed to follow an assembly manual called the guidance sheet and to assemble a behind-the-ear hearing aid from the tiny parts, looking through a microscope and holding tweezers in their hands.“Although digital models are the main products these days, we deliberately choose analog hearing aids users can adjust man-ually to further the purpose of the training,” says Hiroaki Hatori of the Hearing Aid Manufacturing Engineering Section. “This makes it easier to comprehend the functions of the individual part. Plus, it’s lot more fun to piece together.”After having the overall process explained, the trainees are Minako ShimokawaPersonnel Section, Personnel & General Affairs Department, Corporate Planning Division. Joined the company in 2008. After working in the Medical Instrument Division, she was assigned to her cur-rent section in 2019. She was a member of the editorial team for the “Easy Learning with Manga Series—The Secret Behind Ears and Hearing Aids" (2016), supple-mentary reading for elementary school children.Not only lectures but practical training in touring the different divisionsLearning the essence of the technologies by experiencing the production processLearning about the company’s spirit and the importance of cooperation through lectures and group work
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