What does SHIFT do? Case Study: Turning Taxes in Motivation
Using the “Furusato Nozei” System to Enhance Employee Engagement Among Younger Staff
Client:
Industry: IT / Communications / Media
Company Size: Under 500 employees
Service Introduced: “Manpuku” – A Furusato Nozei Welfare Benefit Service
Summary
This mid-sized company provides outsourced services and staffing centered around PMO (Project Management Office) support. Their PMO service—delivered in close collaboration with clients to visualize and push projects forward—is highly regarded. They work across various sectors including telecom, system integration, automotive, and large-scale tech companies. To enhance employee benefits, particularly for younger staff, they introduced SHIFT’s “Manpuku” Furusato Nozei service.
Supporting Skill Growth for Young PMOs
Improving Take-Home Pay for Younger Employees
Q: Tell us about the core areas of your business.
Executive Director: Our company initially focused on supporting base station construction projects for major telecom firms. Over time, our project management capabilities were highly evaluated, and we shifted our emphasis toward providing PMO services as a team-based, embedded function. Today, our clients span across telecom, automotive, and IT service industries.
Q: What’s unique about your services?
Executive Director: Our workforce is relatively young, with an average age of 30. We offer a proprietary PMO training program that allows employees to gain hands-on experience while learning project management in a structured way. This helps them develop real PMO capabilities from early on.
We frequently receive requests to support DX efforts in IT departments, implement new tools, and improve meeting structures to reduce PM workload. What sets us apart is that our PMO staff are hands-on and fully involved in project execution. Clients consistently recognize and appreciate this.
Introducing “Manpuku” as a Cost-Effective, High-Impact Benefit
Q: What challenges led you to introduce “Manpuku”?
Executive Director: We’ve been focusing on strengthening our PMO services, including promoting certifications and enhancing training programs. Since we employ many younger staff, we also wanted to improve our welfare offerings to ensure they could work comfortably and stay longer.
We didn’t have a large budget, so we needed to identify the best option within a limited set of choices.
SHIFT Representative: And that’s when you found “Manpuku.” How did you first hear about it?
Executive Director: I came across it through a news media article. What caught my attention was that employees could enjoy the tax benefits of Furusato Nozei without any upfront personal cost, and the company didn’t incur usage fees either.
We ran an internal survey and discovered that most employees had never used Furusato Nozei because they didn’t understand the benefits or found it too much hassle. We saw “Manpuku” as a great tool to remove those initial barriers.
Q: Why did you choose “Manpuku” among the various benefit options?
Executive Director: We explored different allowances and subsidies to find ways to leave employees with more take-home pay. “Manpuku” stood out because it has no initial or operational cost and can be implemented immediately. Employees also benefit quickly by receiving return gifts.
By using “Manpuku,” employees can take advantage of Furusato Nozei without having to pay upfront, leading to an increase in disposable income. We felt this would support overall household financial stability as well.
Using Government Programs to Boost Engagement Among Younger Employees
Q: What was the actual experience after implementation?
Executive Director: Many employees who had never used Furusato Nozei before began to use it. The setup and address input process was simple, which made the system accessible to first-time users. The fact that it was company-endorsed also gave them peace of mind.
SHIFT Representative: That’s great to hear! Were there any concerns internally about implementation?
Executive Director: We were initially worried about additional burdens on our corporate admin team. However, the system was very user-friendly. Importing employee data was easy thanks to a CSV template, and SHIFT also provided banners and text for internal announcements. With this support, the process went smoothly—we were up and running in about a month.
As for post-use salary offset processing, we already have a clear sense of the work involved based on the advance explanation, so we’re not concerned. Overall, the benefits to employees far outweigh the operational effort on our end.
Q: What feedback have you heard from employees?
Executive Director: The site’s UI and UX are excellent. Employees could easily understand how much they could allocate to Furusato Nozei. Many mentioned how helpful it was to be able to participate without having to make an initial payment. For younger staff, even temporary out-of-pocket expenses in the tens of thousands of yen can be a burden. “Manpuku” reduces both the financial and administrative load. We’ve found that it positively affects employee engagement and retention.
Expanding Use Internally and Looking Ahead
Q: Do you have any plans to further utilize “Manpuku”?
Executive Director: We weren’t sure at first if employees would actually use it, but we were pleasantly surprised by the uptake. There are still many people who don’t know the benefits, so with more awareness, I believe adoption will continue to grow.
We’d also like to plan internal events using return gifts as a way to boost communication across teams. Since much of our work is client-facing, cross-department interaction can be limited. “Manpuku” could help foster stronger internal engagement. Even something like Furusato Nozei could be a great conversation starter.
Expectations for SHIFT Going Forward
Executive Director: The only thing we’d love to see is more return gift options. Some employees wanted to donate to municipalities not yet listed on “Manpuku,” so they ended up using other platforms.
SHIFT Representative: Thank you for the feedback. We’re actively working to expand both return gift options and participating municipalities. Having more choices not only adds value, but also lets employees give back to places that have personal significance—which is the heart of Furusato Nozei.
Executive Director: Exactly. It’s meaningful when someone’s hometown is available. That alone can spark conversations and help build stronger bonds internally. We’re looking forward to continued improvements.
