佐藤 竜

【佐藤　竜】


リュウタンとよんでいる。


まだ19歳の少年だ。

ついこの前まで高校生でキックボクサーだった。

ここのところ急成長中で、日本一働く少年だと思う。


KOMAの面接は書類選考を通過した人だけで行われる。
ありがたい事に募集枠に対して多くの応募がある。

時には数人同時の面接だったりもする。

しかも、面接に来る人には伝えていないから、その場で鉢合わせて皆驚く。

短時間で見抜こうと思うとこの方がかえって都合が良い様に思う。
互いが意識し合って、引き出される部分と消されてしまう部分が人それぞれに見えるからだ。


リュウタンの時も例に漏れず３人同時面接だった。

一人は木工経験者。
一人は美大卒でPC作業やデザインができる。
両者とも書類選考時の作品ファイルなどのクオリティーも高かった。

そして、リュウタンは工業高校卒業見込み。

まず、彼を呼んだ理由は作品ファイルがカワイかった。
格好付けて体裁を整えるだけのスキルが無いということもあるだろうが、一生懸命でウソが無い感じがした。

だから俺がどうしてもコイツ呼びたい。話してみたいと言った。

ただ、社内の前評判では他２人のどちらかでほとんど決まっていた。


面接で見るポイントは、どのくらい本気か？根性あるか？正直か？

この３点である。

はっきり言ってスキルなどはコレらの次だ。

ほとんどの場合、経験者と言え素人とそんなに変わらない。
よほどじゃなければ通用しない。
よほどのヤツなんてほとんどいない。

ある程度の技術は時間が解決してくれる。
だから、きちんと取り組む本気さと続けていける根性が大切だ。

そして、何より大切なのが正直さだ。

どんなに技術があったとしても誤摩化すヤツに仕事は任せられない。

１００回の仕事の中で５０回失敗しても全部正直に言って５０回怒られれば良い。
ケツを拭くのも上司の仕事だ。
どんな失敗でも分かりさえすれば対処の仕方はあるし改善もできるから次に繋げられる。
だから、もう一度任せる事が出来る。

１００回の中で１回の失敗でも隠すヤツはダメだ。
なんのフォローも出来ない。
大きな失敗に繋がる可能性がある。
その場合は会社のダメージもデカイ。
信頼が出来ないからもう二度と仕事を任せる事は出来ない。

だからクビだ。


若いうちは怒られるのが仕事だ。
失敗の責任が取れないんだから怒られる以外にない。

ただ瞬間的に怒られるだでイイなんて、これほど楽な事はない。
そんな責任すら逃げるヤツなんかにどうせ将来は無いから育てる価値も無い。



その点で彼は、ただただ正直な感じがした。
言い方を変えれば、育て甲斐があると思えた。



だからこの面接の人選に関しては俺がワガママを言った。

どうしてもコイツがイイ！と。


他の２人も良かったが、俺にはダントツでリュウタンが光って見えた。


あれからもう少しで一年。

俺の目に狂いは無かったと思う。
彼を選んで良かった。


最初の一年は本人次第だ。
失敗の繰り返しで自分の存在価値も見失う。
こちらは何も出来ない。
一定のラインを超えるまではチャンスも環境を与える事が出来ないからだ。

耐えてくれよ〜と思いながらただただ見守るしか無い。


よく踏ん張れていると思う。

そして最近、急に伸びてきた。
仕事も覚え、責任感も出てきた。

かなり早い方だと思う。


しかもまだ１９になったばかりの少年だ。

俺が１９の頃は実家を追い出され、頑張る事も知らず目標も何も無くプー太郎で一人暮らしをしていた。

あの頃の俺は今のリュウタンに口もきいてもらえないと思う。

履物はビーチサンダルしか無かった時期もある。

二百円のアルバイト情報誌が買えなくて、コンビニで電話番号を暗記して公衆電話で面接のアポとり。

電気もガスも水道も止められて部屋の中でも息は白く、公園と部屋を往復して風呂に水を溜める。
その水は貴重だった。
身体を流し、洗濯をし、最後はトイレのタンクに。

しまいには、その土地の暴走族に部屋まで乗り込まれたりもして散々だった。

ため息しか出ない毎日。



それに比べて目標に向かって仲間と共に一生懸命なリュウタンとのあまりの差にビックリする。

当時の俺には逆立ちしても絶対に出来ない事だった。

仕事に失敗して落ち込む彼を見ていて「スゲエな〜」と思う。
だって頑張ってなければ落ち込む事はないもんね。


１０年後のリュウタンはどうなっているだろうか？
間違いなくKOMAの看板の一人になってくれているだろう。


そして、彼にも年上の後輩ができた。

I call him "Ryu-tan".

He is a boy 19 years old.

Until very recently, he was high school student and kick boxer.

He is growing very rapidly and he seems to be the hardest working boy in Japan.

Interviews on KOMA is limited to candidates who pass our screening process.

I appreciate there are many candidates to the number of people recruited.

Sometimes the interview is conducted as group one.

Moreover, without disclosure to candidates, they all are surprised to meet them each other at the place.

In order to see their suitability, this seems to be more appropriate approach.

Given their consciousness of others, we are able to see what stand out an d what are removed by each person.

Same as other cases, the interview of Ryu-tan was conducted with other two candidates.

One caudate has experienced craftsman for wooden goods.

One graduated from the art school being able to operate PC and design.

And, Ryu-tan is expected to graduate from an Industrial High School.

Ryu-tan was invited for the interview because his file of artworks looked good.

It might be attributed his being rack of skills to make them cosmetically look good, however, they appeared to be made with all his might and to be unaffected and straightforward.

So, I asked desperately for interview with him and for talk with him.

Actually, in the screening process, it was almost done deal to choose one of the other two candidates.

Points I check in the interview would be how much the candidate is committed to KOMA, how much guts the candidate has, how much honest the candidate is.

These 3 points.

To tell you the truth, skills would be second or lower criteria.

In most cases, skills of experienced people are not so much different from genuine amateurs.

Only considerably good skills would be useful.

The number of experienced people who have such quality of skills is extremely limited.

A certain level of the gap in skills would be overcome by time.

So, more important aspect than skills would be the commitment of the candidate and his and/or her guts to continue the efforts required.

And, the most important aspect is honesty.

Even extremely skilled, I cannot delegate tasks to those who may play me, colleagues, and/or themselves.

It would be good to be reprimanded 50 times by seniors through confessing honestly if 50 mistakes have been made in 100 tasks.

It would be role of senior to cover ass of juniors.

We would be able to cover every mistake and be able to improve, thus, would be connected to better next business.

So, I would let the person to work on the process again.

However, the person who deceive others and themselves about one mistake in 100 tasks are completely bad.

We are not able to follow them up.

The mistake may result in further bigger failures.

Those bigger failures would be significantly damage the company.

With no credibility, I would not able to let them work some tasks.

So, I need to terminate the person's employment.

It would be included in tasks of younger professionals to be reprimanded.

Given inability to cover mistakes, they cannot do other than to be scolded.

It should be the most easy role t be reprimanded in a moment.

Those, who do not accept one of the easiest, would not be able to survive as craftsman, thus, no value to be trained.

In that sense, he seems to be just honest.

In other words, I would like to coach and train him.

So, I was selfish to choose one among those three candidates.

I absolutely prefer him to other two candidates !!

Other two candidates also looked good, however, Ryu-tan appeared to me as standing out.

I have realized my choice was good.

He is the best choice.

It is totally up to him.

When repeatedly making mistakes, ones may lose meaning of one's existences.

We would not be able to help that part.

Until one exceeds a certain criteria, neither opportunities nor environments we are able to give him or her.

What only we can do would be just looking after the person with hoping the person's patience.

He has been well holding out.

He recently has dramatically grown.

He has learned about some tasks and has been ready for this obligations.

He seems to accomplished the step very quick.

Moreover,  he is just 19 years old boy.

Around my 19 years old, I was kicked out from home and live myself committed to nothing with making neither efforts nor goals.

I myself at that time would not deserve talking to Ryu-tan.

One time, all my footwear was just beach sandal.

I was not afford to buy JPY 200 part-time job magazine, thus, I memorized telephone number of employers at convenience stores and arrange interviews via public phones.

All utilities including electricity, gas, and water supply was stopped, my breath was white  even in my apartment, and stored water through backing and force between my apartment and the park.

Water was precious.

Washing through body, washed clothes, and used into toilet tank at the last.

At the last moment, the local motorcycle gang has rushed into my apartment.

I could not help from sighing.

I am surprised to see the big different between me in 19 years old and him who have been making efforts with his colleagues.

In my 19 years old, I would never ever be able to do.

I recognize him as awesome when he is depressed with mistakes in the job.

Because unless he is committed to the job, he would not be depressed with it.

I am wondering about Ryu-tan in 10 years ?

He will be one of signature craftsman of KOMA.

Now, he had elder junior craftsman.