Parents at Akamai

Hello, I am Ejima (hereafter referred to as “E”) from Akamai’s Human Resources department. 

Akamai has many employees with cutting-edge talent in a wide range of fields. We are a company where anyone can achieve results and pursue their goals, regardless of gender, age, or nationality. 

"People" are the most important asset at Akamai. We ensure to create an environment where everyone can demonstrate their abilities. This is the second article in a series that shines a spotlight on the people that work at Akamai. (Click for the first article) 

In this article, we will highlight the topic of “Working Parents.”  We spoke with employees Okamoto-san and Kudo-san (hereinafter to be referred as “O” and “K”). 

Self Introduction

E) First off, please introduce yourself!  

O) Let me start by introducing myself. I am Okamoto, an Engagement Manager.

I have been working at Akamai for almost 10 ½ years. In my previous job, I was doing technical support for system monitoring of products at a company that I joined as a new graduate. 
I changed and joined Akamai because I had a strong desire to do work that is more customer-oriented.  When I was first approached by an agent about this company named Akamai, I immediately responded, “I know Akamai! I want to work there!” Then I changed jobs and joined. 

Actually, when I was in high school, Akamai was featured in a magazine that I read. They had only been in business for about two years at the time and Akamai was described as "A cool company originating from MIT with amazing technology, wrapped in mystery."

I remember thinking, although I didn’t know what Akamai did, it was amazing to know they were a spectacular company from America.

E) That is true, people often say “I don’t know what you do, but you’re a great company” haha
And now, how about you Kudo-san?  

K) Hello, I am Kudo. It is a pleasure to meet you today. Currently, I am a sales representative for Enterprise Security products. I am engaged in tracking APJ contract renewals, launching, and supporting the sales of new products for our Japan office. 
I joined Akamai as an Enterprise Security Sale Development Representative after being introduced to the position by the internal Talent Acquisition (recruitment department). Until then, I was working in the same role (as an SDR) at a startup company.  After returning from maternity leave at Akamai, I volunteered for an internal transfer and then started at my current position.

Akamai System Intro: Part 1 "Internal Transfer"
At Akamai, we value the career development of our employees, so when an open position is created, we first recruit people within the company (both domestically and internationally) who wish to transfer. If you are interviewed by a hiring manager and deemed suitable for the position, you will be transferred within the company.

Impressions after joining

E) Earlier you described Akamai as "A cool company originating from MIT with amazing technology, wrapped in mystery." After joining, what was the company actually like? 

O) I couldn’t find the featured article from that time, but I remember having the impression that it was some sort of secret society that was doing something amazing.  When I actually joined,  I found it to be more technical than I had imagined. Also, there were many employees with sharp and unique personalities, in a good way, which inspired me. 

E) Kudo-san, was your image different from before and after you joined the company? 

K) To be honest, I didn’t have any image before joining the company. When I joined Akamai, I felt the company’s culture was very constructive, with everyone working towards one goal: how to solve clients’ problems, and how they liked to have discussions. 

O) I felt that too! Also, everyone is very kind. When I asked questions about something I did not understand, everyone helped and gave me more information than I could have imagined. Now, since I experienced it myself, when someone asks me a question, I thoroughly enjoy sharing information and teaching them. I do not feel I am obligated to “repay” them. Instead, I really want to help. So, I think this is a good cycle. 

K) Akamai has that kind of culture. I also felt that everyone really helped me when I joined the company and again when I transferred to a different team. 

Balancing work and family 

E) Actually, both of you are working parents! It may be a silly question to ask, but how do you balance between work and family?

O) I currently have a family of 3. Me, my wife, and our 4 month old child. Recently, I’ve finally been able to settle down and enjoy raising my child. Until about two and a half months, it was pretty difficult.  I was so busy taking care of him that I had no extra time to spare. There was also a time when my wife got sick and I had to do everyone alone. It was very hard at the time, and now looking back, I think I wasn't able to make any right decisions. 

E) Even though you were selected as an “Excellent Employee at Akamai” there were times you couldn’t make clear decisions on your own!

O) At the time, it was so difficult for me. For example, even if I wanted to hire a helper to assist with the housework, I thought “In this condition, it would be impossible for me to properly welcome anyone.”

K) Wow, you must have been very stressed out! To the point of thinking about how to welcome a helper.

O) When I think about it now it is a funny story, but it was more serious at the time. I did manage to get through that period and now I think I am able to balance my work and family life well. Fortunately, remote work is wide-spread at Akamai. It is an environment where each individual can work in a way that suits their life stage, such as working parents or those who need care. 

Akamai System Intro Part 2: Remote Work
Akamai has a global program called “FlexBase,” which enables employees to work flexibly and maximize their capabilities. Employees can choose to work from the office or from home according to their lifestyle and needs.

E) Kudo-san, how are you able to balance your work and life?

K) My child will be 4 this year. It is much easier now because I can concentrate on my work while he’s at nursery school. 

Still, when my child was small, I’d often get calls from the nursery because he had a fever.  After all, it was difficult. What was also hard was not only when my son got sick, but when I got sick and he was full of energy. Of course, I was thrilled he was healthy, but for me, physically it was tough. Naturally, my son didn't understand the adults' situation and wanted to play as usual, but I was exhausted and couldn't rest. It was not a fun situation to be in. 

Additionally, with the Covid-19 pandemic there was a lot of anxiety. During the times my son could not attend kindergarten, I was working remotely and could look after him while working.  I am very grateful to be in an environment that allows for flexible working styles.

E) How do you share housework and childcare responsibilities? 

K) We, together decided who will do what based on each of our lifestyle’s. I think we are even when it comes to emotional support, but in terms of time, my husband spends more doing housework. We both do not enjoy washing dishes and in the end it is always left for last. So we are sure to make full use of our dishwasher. 

O) In my house, instead of dividing up the work, I think we do everything together. I enjoy cooking, so I cook more. Overall we work well together and whoever has time to do something, does it. Such as, changing diapers or giving our child a bath. Actually, because my kid is too cute, I feel more like “Let me do it!” I enjoy raising my kid with this feeling.  

Changes on outlook on life and work 

E) Did your outlook on life and work change after having a child? 

K) I used to live abroad and travel around a lot, but after having a child, it's not easy to do so anymore. After I internally transferred, I went to Israel for a week long training. When I came back home and saw my child’s gloomy face, from that moment, I realized I cannot leave so casually any longer.  On the plus side, it motivated me to challenge everything head on until completion. I now feel that if I am going to do something, I am going to be sure to achieve something significant from it.  While I used to be the type to play out every little detail, having a child has changed that. Now I enjoy the unpredictability of life!  

O) As I mentioned earlier, the time my wife got sick and I had to take care of my child alone, I thought if I got sick at the same time, my child would have also suffered. It's my life, but it's no longer my life. I felt this strong sense of responsibility now. Until then, my health and my life were my own concern, but now I know that isn’t the case anymore. So now, I am very conscious of my health. I actively go for regular health checkups and if I feel sick, even slightly a little, I go to the clinic right away. My actions have changed. Having a family made me see that while I can handle some things to an extent, prioritizing health is absolutely essential. 

E) Taking care of your health really is important. 

Taking Parental Leave

E) Did you have any concerns about taking parental leave? 

O) Due to the nature of my job as an EM, I thought it had to be done by a particular person. So, I was very concerned if everything would be okay without me. I left a very detailed handover document and was sure to give plenty of time before leaving. At first, I was very anxious for about the first week. I constantly checked my emails, but there were no issues at all. From the second week onward, I barely checked them at all. 
My two colleagues that took over for me at the time, did their jobs perfectly. They were happy to step in for me and I am truly grateful.  

K) In my case, I switched with a member who had just come back from their maternity leave, so the handover went very smoothly. 

At the time, I was in the marketing department and there were many working parents, so I was able to get a lot of information in advance. Which was very helpful. I was able to get info such as what I needed for a baby at this time of year, how to prepare for daycare, and so on. Getting this advice was very reassuring.  
The position I was in at the time had an environment where the entire team could easily share the workload. Even so, I can only share my thanks to all my team members and others involved for their help.

E) Do you have any message you’d like to share for anyone considering taking parental leave in the future? 

O) In my case, there was no precedent of anyone taking parental leave before me.  But now, there are members in my team that are currently on parental leave. Before I took my leave, there was a part of me that believed that only I could do the job, but in reality, I saw that it can be done in another way with some ingenuity. On the other hand, childcare is something only you can do. If there is someone out there that thinks they cannot take that first step, I advise you to try it without worry about your work. There are so many kind people in Akamai. 

K) I think it is a good idea to ask for advice early on. Nowadays, there are more working fathers and mothers in our company who have experience in this field. I think it is a good idea to actively ask for advice on personal matters as well. Especially with what the culture is like at Akamai. People are willing to help you if you just ask. I have received a lot of advice from everyone, so I would like to share the information I have with everyone as well. 

E) Okamoto-san, Kudo-san, thank you both so much for sharing your experience with us today! 

O & K) Of course! Thank you so much for having us.