Human Resource Development
Fostering innovative human resources
We emphasize training human resources who possess business skills that are relevant in all settings and who can work in a way that cuts horizontally across society. In particular, we want employees with a strong appetite for growth to master the business skills needed to provide value outside the Company and use them to foster innovation.
Once employees enter ISK, the company develops their capabilities by holding courses at each business location company-wide at certain points in their careers in order to make them aware of their roles in society and the company and to boost various skills. We also have courses to improve their global business skills, such as online courses they can take at home. They can also go to a language school to learn foreign languages, take part in overseas training, and attend a management school open to all employees to learn global communication skills and further leadership capabilities.
To train the next generation of executives, we hold training for middle managers where they have discussions with others in different industries, learn systematically about the “people”, “goods”, and “money,” that constitute management work, and boost their power of logical thinking. Certain members in this training are selected for “top leader training,” in which ISK executive candidates learn not only in-house issues but also interact with employees of other companies in order to learn how to think and act as top-level executives with a problem-solving mindset.
*You can see the entire image in the figure by scrolling horizontally.
*You can see the entire image in the figure by scrolling horizontally.
Boosting Employee Engagement
We consider it important to maintain an environment where each and every employee can make the most of their skills and abilities and work while gaining a sense of fulfillment. We adopt a flexible, active approach to accommodating rapidly changing workstyles and environments and actively administer an engagement survey as one way to facilitate growth of both employees and the company.
Our survey also included separate analyses for male and female employees, revealing that female employees generally experience a larger gap between their expectations and actual experiences, particularly in areas related to career development. In response to this, we conducted an assessment on career development and work styles for female employees.
We will continue conducting surveys in order to help ISK and its employees enjoy a better mutual relationship.
Improving engagement and realizing sustained growth ～ Challenges embraced by the Yokkaichi Plant ～
At the Yokkaichi Plant, the Group’s largest facility, improving human resources’ growth and organizational capabilities is essential in order for the Company to realize sustained growth. To that end, the plant is working to improve its manufacturing capabilities and focusing on building an approach to management that can foster the development of professional human resources while accommodating change. We’re working to create a workplace where employees feel fulfillment in work by maintaining and improving engagement.
Specifically, the plant conducted interviews and questionnaires independently with consultants based on the results of its engagement survey to assess employee awareness and needs and to align with the Company’s direction.The structure of problems are analyzed and causal structures are organized based on the data obtained from that process. Thereby, we work to improve the workplace environment by studying and implementing measures to improve engagement in an ongoing manner.
Going forward, the plant will continue to develop its organization so that it can maximize human resources’ potential and build a worker-friendly environment. In addition, we will strengthen the plant’s human resource capabilities in a sustained manner and build a foundation capable of supporting improvements in the facility’s manufacturing capabilities and the growth of the entire Group. Through these initiatives, we will continue to work to accommodate change at all times and realize sustainable development as we look to the future.
Workshops for Building On-site Skills Held for Manufacturing Employees
At the Yokkaichi Plant, we conducted three workshops to redefine the “ideal roles and responsibilities” for each manufacturing-related position and job function. Based on the findings of an external survey, which highlighted issues such as “lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities,” “communication problems between field and office staff,” and “over-reliance on individual expertise,” the on-site team members, led by team leaders and foremen, took the initiative to address these issues, shared their ideas on how to move forward, and engaged in active discussions on revising the role allocation and evaluation systems. The aim of this initiative was to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among all employees, ultimately leading to a better work environment and improved overall workplace performance. Going forward, we will refine the role definitions developed during the workshop based on the actual conditions in each workplace, pursue ongoing improvement and implement these changes from a practical, on-site perspective to, ultimately, enhance employee engagement within the factory.