On March 31, 2021, 76 new employees joined Primo Japan. To welcome them, we held a hybrid-format Company Entrance Ceremony in which attendees of in-person gatherings in each area connected online. In October 2020, Primo Japan held an informal company-wide meeting that was completely online with all employees participating from their own computers at home. However, considering the importance of creating a sense of connection as a group among the new employees, while acknowledging the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections, we organized a Company Entrance Ceremony that was dispersed among 13 different venues in each area that were all connected to our head office online. 

 

Chosen from approximately 1,300 candidates who went through a selection process conducted almost entirely online, the 76 new employees joining the company on the day of the Company Entrance Ceremony had recently completed a preliminary half-year trainee period following the informal ceremony held in October last year and, although they seemed nervous, their smiling faces were also full of hope.  

 

President Sawano opened the ceremony with greetings and a message of congratulations on this new beginning: “Congratulations to you all as you join the company today. Although we are meeting online, I have nevertheless been looking forward to meeting you all very much. Each year at the Company Entrance Ceremony, I am reminded of my original intentions, and I feel firmly committed to them once again.” Amid the sorrows of the coronavirus pandemic, President Sawano’s remarks offered a reminder of the importance of human connections: “You are all in the same cohort at Primo Japan. I hope you will remember that you have friends and peers in this group of 76, and I hope you will look after and support one another.” 

 

This year, Ms. Wakana Yoshino represented new employees by offering the salutatory message at the ceremony. “For me, my job search revolved around the question of whether I can work with a genuine sense of satisfaction. At the company information session, I was deeply impressed by the words, ‘Bridal jewelry is the one thing that preserves the happy moment of getting married in the shape of a ring, and it is something to be worn for a lifetime.’ Before, I had a vague notion of buying a ring when getting married, but I was impressed that I would be involved in such a happy moment. I remember realizing that working at Primo Japan would give me this feeling of satisfaction that I had been looking for.” Also, during the trainee period that began in October, Ms. Yoshino said she learned the importance of cooperation with all staff members when serving each couple. “Under the kind and attentive guidance of senior staff members, I wanted to do my very best to grow. I think we will have various experiences in the future, and we will sometimes face obstacles, but I believe that these experiences will nourish our growth. As we support each other and overcome obstacles together, we will do our utmost to make our customers feel supreme happiness,” she said with determination. 

 

With Ms. Yoshino’s powerful words, the 76 new employees brightened as they became colleagues at Primo Japan. After further training that followed the entrance ceremony, the new employees were assigned to each store. Together with their new friends and colleagues, these new employees will continue to respond flexibly to a wide range of customer values, and will provide personal support tailored to each and every customer.