[ Interviews ] I interviewed the hiring manager completely remotely.
※This article is machine translated.
Hi.
cocone ONE Public Relations Arawo. I’m a member of the public relations team of COCONE ONE.
Arawo.
cocone ONE Public Relations
Joined Cocone in 2012
Concurrently worked in marketing and planning and public relations until 2017.
Currently responsible for public relations for ONE and design of Cocone Education.
Arawo.” She sometimes writes a strange blog under the name of “Arao.
I will be providing information and interviews to help various people learn more about the Cocone Group.
I would like to talk to Mr. Kono, Cocone’s recruiter, remotely.
*For adult reasons, some photos will be sent as composites.
Arawo.
Hello ！！！！
Kono
Hello! (You’re here suddenly.)
Arawo.
Quick question, Mr. Kono, why did you join Cocone?
Kono
In my work in human resources, the most important value for me is to ” take responsibility for the happiness of all the people I am involved with.
Not only the company, the employees, and my own team members, but as a recruiter, I want to take responsibility for the happiness of the people who believed in me and joined the company because I told them that I wanted them to join the company.
Before joining Cocone, I was involved in areas beyond recruitment, such as designing personnel and evaluation systems and planning and managing internal events, but I often had to prioritize profit and growth over the happiness of employees, which was frustrating on many occasions.
When I was wondering if I was being naive, I learned that Cocone values the happiness of its employees above all else, and that it communicates this concern for its employees in the form of benefits and personnel systems. I felt an affinity with my own values, and about three and a half years ago I was selected for the position.
Just as my daughter was turning two and I was beginning to feel the limitations of balancing work with childcare, I initially considered leaving the entertainment industry, fearing that I would not be able to perform adequately in an industry where trends and times were changing so rapidly.
Arawo.
Eh! Mr. Kono, you have a child? I didn’t know that!
I, too, have two sons, ages 2 and 4, so I’ve become more familiar with the trends in the Anpanm⚫︎n and T⚫︎MICA industry, but I’ve also lost track of what’s trendy in the world.
The only thing I can keep up with is timelesz pr⚫︎ject.
Kono
Eh!
Arawo. Are you also an Anpanm⚫︎n industry expert?
Who is your guess? My guess is ” Mr. Oolong “!
Who? Who is it?
Arawo.
(Mr. Oolong…I don’t know… !!!! )
Eh…, ah… I guess I’m Anpanm⚫︎n-go on the royal road….
Oolong-san, sorry, I don’t know a bit….
Kono
I guess it’s impossible if you don’t know Mr. Oolong.
Mr. Oolong, yes, I have to include it.
Arawo.
(“syntax” You’re the type of person who can use… ！！！！！)
Kono
And back to the subject, while undergoing the selection process at Cocone, I loved the people who work in this industry, the way they always do their best to create something better in the world while valuing what excites them, the way they never deny each other’s values and respect each other, and I absolutely I was reaffirmed in my desire to make the people who work in this industry happy.
I was also exposed to Cocone’s philosophy and the personalities of the board members, and I decided to join Cocone because I was convinced that I could realize my goals at Cocone.
Arawo.
I see!
So you have been in charge of recruiting ever since you joined Cocone?
Kono
I have been in charge of recruitment ever since I joined the company, although I was part of human resource planning and labor relations for a brief period after maternity leave.
I had experience in the industry before I joined the company, so I was able to make use of my knowledge there. As for the positions I have been in charge of, I have had a wide range of experience in design, planning, corporate positions, and recruitment for subsidiaries, and I have been in charge of recruiting new graduates for planning and development positions since I graduated in 2026.
Arawo.
Did you wish to pursue a career in recruiting yourself?
Kono
No, I did not particularly want to be in charge of recruiting at first, but rather I was willing to do anything if I could contribute to the company.
As it turned out, recruitment was the position where I could make the most use of my sales ability, which is one of my strengths, so I naturally fell into it.
The basic workflow of finding customers (candidates) and approaching them with enthusiasm and persistence so that they will choose our products (companies) is similar to that of sales, so my experience from when I was a new graduate has come in handy. The same goes for being happy when a wonderful person chooses me and says, “I’m glad I believed in you, Mr. Kono.
The appeal of being a recruiter is that depending on one’s own efforts, one can expand the scope of happiness to any extent.
When someone is hired, that someone and their family will be happy, when that someone is active within the company, someone within the company will be happy, and the company that has grown in this way will deliver happiness to the world through its services. I am happy to be able to watch this process unfold.
Arawo.
That’s great…I can’t believe you think that way.
It is no exaggeration to say that I was born to be a recruiter.
Let me call you the Goddess of Recruitment! Yo goddess!
Kono
Oh no, well…. (embarrassed)
Arawo.
(You don’t deny it…. I’m getting a little crazy…)
As such a goddess of recruitment, what kind of person would you like to welcome into your company?
Kono
Cocone’s goal is to be a ” strong and warm ” company.
In order to achieve this, as a recruiter, I would like to gather many ” strong and warm ” people.
We are looking for people who not only possess “strength” in thinking, technical skills, responsibility, ambition, and leadership, but also “warmth” in empathy, listening, likeable expression, and communication skills that allow them to be close to the hearts of others.
Arawo.
I see.
What kind of people do you feel are actually active members of Cocone?
Kono
Yes, I agree. I think there are so many people who have a ” sense of being ” involved in the company or organization.
They have a strong sense of ownership and responsibility for the growth of the company and the organization, and many of them think of any issue as their own, not as someone else’s.
For example, I am by nature a careless person, and sometimes this comes out in my work, but there was a time when a leader of the development staff, who discovered my mistake on a moment’s notice, secretly contacted me to point it out.
I was grateful enough that he noticed and pointed out the mistake in another department, but I was surprised at the thoughtfulness with which he pointed it out not in front of everyone, but so that it would be conveyed only to me.
The board members and leaders are always asking the members “what I would want them to do,” and the members who receive these requests are motivated to act in the same way.
I believe that this “party consciousness” of thinking from the other party’s perspective has built Cocone’s corporate culture, such as not denying each other’s opinions and values, and choosing words carefully out of consideration for each other.
Arawo.
In order to attract “warm and strong” people, what points do you place particular importance on when hiring?
Kono
The question is whether the person’s values and strengths match Cocone’s values.
Cocone is a company that places great importance on being customer oriented and relating to fellow employees.
When I say, “I’m sure all companies are the same…”, you all think, ” Isn’t that so?
However, those who actually join Cocone or visit our office are always surprised and say, “I didn’t expect anything like this.
Arawo.
It’s amazing the atmosphere that can be conveyed just by coming for a tour of the office!
Kono
I am one of those who were surprised myself.
Because of this Cocone, I am sure that if the values in this area do not match, especially “for what,” “how,” and “with whom” you want to work, you will not enjoy working and will not be able to achieve happiness.
Arawo.
A fun environment to work in is extremely important.
I know it must be very nerve-wracking to change jobs or find a new environment, but does Cocone have some kind of support system for new employees?
Kono:
We have a mentor system, in which there are “mentors” and “trainers” who are separate from their superiors, and they support us until we get used to the company.
Especially for new graduates, it may be difficult to talk to a busy supervisor, or you may feel uneasy about asking such questions, but these mentors and trainers are senior employees whom you can “ask anything” about the company and its operations.
Incidentally, when I joined the company, Mr. Nakazawa, who was in charge of design recruitment, was my mentor and trainer. Mr. Nakazawa coordinated lunches and interviews with company executives and leaders, and taught me about the company’s history, which helped me to improve the quality of my work more smoothly. This made it easier for me to improve the quality of my work.
Even now, three and a half years after joining the company, Mr. Nakazawa has been a constant source of emotional support.
Arawo.
When I joined the company, we didn’t have such a system yet, so I kind of envy you….
Um…can I have a mentor for me too, even if it’s just now…. (Hodgepodge…)
Kono
No, Arawo. You’ve been here for over 10 years lol
I’m on the mentor side. LOL.
Arawo.
Oh, what am I going to do?
I can only give you Anpanm⚫︎n information….
This is a bit off topic, but is there anyone that you have interviewed that has left a lasting impression on you?
Kono
Everyone I have met even once has left a lasting impression on me.
As you might expect, you may not recognize them if you just passed them on the street, but you remember their names, faces, what they talked about, and most of their impressions.
Arawo.
Ho! That’s what I’m talking about. Who in particular impressed you?
Kono
Those who are courteous and have a high standard of common sense leave a lasting impression.
They are polite in their language and choice of words, they read a lot of websites in advance and thought of questions to ask, their correspondence is polite and easy to read, and they include a word of appreciation for the person they are talking to.
Even in a briefing session attended by many people, such people left a clear impression on us.
Arawo.
Finally, please give a message to those who are interested in our company!
Kono
There is no end to what I like about Cocone, but the most important thing is the ” people “.
It is a company where you can meet many people who make you think “I want to be like this person” or “I want to work with this person”, regardless of the type of job.
I am sure that you will encounter many attractive companies in your job hunting activities.
If you compare them only by the attractiveness of the company, you may not have the determination or courage to choose Cocone at the end.
When that happens, I would be happy if you could think of the “people” at Cocone and jump in and trust them.
As long as you have good colleagues, the attractiveness of the company can be increased to any extent after you join!
Arawo.
Thank you for your story.
I was moved by Mr. Kono’s unwavering belief that he cares about people and that he is “responsible for the happiness of all the people involved.
In the meantime, I will learn more about “Mr. Oolong” and come back to it!
If you are thinking about finding a job or changing jobs, or if you are interested in the Cocone Group, please come visit our office.
Yumi Kono
Human Resources Team New graduate recruiter (mainly development and planning positions)
Joined Cocone Corporation in 2021
Graduated from Chiba University, Faculty of Education, Junior High School Teacher Training Program, Music Education Field
After graduating, worked in sales at a recruit job advertising agency
Became involved in human resources in the entertainment industry from 2015.
Joined Cocone Corporation in 2021
