Hideyuki Hongo, President and Group CEO, Startia Holdings, Inc.

Hone young people with natural intelligence and develop them into the next generation of managers

■ Profile

Born in Kumamoto Prefecture, he founded Telecom Net Ltd. (now Startia Holdings Inc.) at the age of 29.
Currently, the company is actively developing its digital marketing business, centered around Cloud CIRCUS, a digital marketing tool that is familiar from Rino Sashihara's TV commercials.
The company also provides office IT infrastructure services and digital transformation support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

President Hideyuki Hongo founded Startia Holdings, which supports companies with the power of IT, and is dedicated to improving the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan. After graduating from vocational school, he got a job and then started his own business. We spoke to him about his life story, the skills he looks for in young people and his thoughts on them in order to improve Japan's future.

■ The importance of "educational background" that I learned after becoming a hotelier

I was raised by my father, who runs a cram school in Kumamoto Prefecture, who always told me to "study" from a young age. I was a contrarian, so I rebelled against my father's advice and didn't study very seriously. Because of this, people around me called me "Mr. Hongo's stupid son."
When I was a student, I had a dream of going overseas in the future, and I wanted to become a hotelier, a job that would involve a lot of international contact. I think the reason I wanted to go overseas was because I wanted to get away from my nagging father and the countryside, where there was nothing, and jump into a different world. My father told me to study hard and go on to the University of Tokyo or Kyoto University, but graduating from the University of Tokyo doesn't necessarily mean you'll be successful.
I always thought, "I don't need a degree!" and went on to attend a vocational school, despite my father's expectations. Because I made this choice in opposition to my father, I received no money from my parents and studied while working as a bellboy. Despite struggling financially, I managed to attend vocational school while also working as a hotelier. However, while working as a hotelier, I realized that, while I had always thought it unnecessary, academic qualifications do matter in society. I truly admire people who work hard during their exam period, and so-called "career" people who graduated from highly educated universities quickly rose to the top and even earned higher starting salaries than those with vocational school degrees. I also often admired people who graduated from prestigious universities like the University of Tokyo, thinking, "They're so smart, aren't they?"

■Let's create an honest company that doesn't cheat.

During the two years I worked as a hotelier, I was made to realise that a society that values ​​academic credentials is important, and after that I worked in sales for a bedding company, before getting a job as a salesperson for a telecommunications company. As someone who had experience in bedding sales, I found sales in the telecommunications industry more rewarding, and I was able to improve my sales performance considerably. I threw myself into my work with high hopes that I might become at least a sales manager.
However, one day, while things were going smoothly, the company suddenly went bankrupt due to the president's mismanagement. I learned that no matter how hard the employees work, if the company's leadership is not good, the employees will end up looking foolish. I decided, "So I'll create a company that cares about its employees, doesn't cheat, and is honest!" and together with my subordinates at the time, I started the company that would become Startia Holdings. My subordinates supported me, saying, "I want to follow Mr. Hongo," and although it was a process of elimination when I started my own company, I was able to get to where I am today.

■ The growth of young people is the growth of the company

This year marks the 26th year since the company was founded, and my passion for the company has changed little by little since the beginning. When we first started, I had a strong desire to "make it a big hit!", but now I approach the company with the desire to help improve the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan.
Since becoming president, I've noticed the low productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan, and I've become concerned about Japan's future. Unless things improve for consumers and Japanese companies, Japan's future will not be a good one. To that end, our company uses DX (digital transformation) to help our client companies improve their operational efficiency and increase sales.
Furthermore, in order to foster the next generation of managers who can continue to grow even after I retire as the founder, I am actively promoting young people to positions of authority. Highly educated young people who are good at studying are good, but I also want to discover young people who are naturally intelligent, even if they don't have a college degree.
That's why one of our recruitment methods is "mahjong recruitment." We hire around 8 to 10 people through this program every year. We announce, "Come on, mahjong lovers!" and, regardless of whether they want to join our company, enjoy playing mahjong with the young people who gather. Playing mahjong reveals many things. It helps you determine a person's true nature, such as whether they have a short temper or a sharp intuition. Furthermore, good mahjong players are able to read the mood and observe their surroundings, so they are likely naturally intelligent. We gather talented young people like this and assign them increasingly important positions, allowing them the freedom to do what they want. This allows young people to grow faster and the company to grow even bigger.

■Message to university students

You university students are all very smart and talented, so I hope you will use your studies in IT to improve Japan's problems. Use IT to revitalize primary and secondary industries and further enhance Japan's industry for the future. At first glance, some people may feel that Japan's future hundreds of years from now has no relevance to them. However, it will have a major impact on your children and grandchildren, so Japan's future will concern everyone living today. Take on challenges boldly while you are young and acquire the power to save Japan in the future.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 20, 2021 by Kokoro Sato, second-year student at Tsuda University