Kazuhiro Tsuga, president of Panasonic Corp., addressed his new recruits on Monday telling them that he hopes they will turn the company into "a wonderful place to be." President Akio Toyoda encouraged his recruits at Toyota Motor Corp. to exhibit "the strength seen in cherry blossoms that can persevere in a harsh winter."
In the meantime, over in the United States, IT companies are taking their wonderful workplaces and making them into more wonderful places with the aim of cultivating a passion for work. Makes me wonder: Whose responsibility is it to provide "a wonderful place to be" — the company's or the employees'?
The wellness fad that swept the U.S. in the 1980s is being repackaged in the form of sheik, fun, healthy workplaces by companies like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. Companies are wooing the best talent by offering workplaces with fitness rooms, massage rooms and recreational spaces.