To realize Vision 2030, our long-term vision, we are employing human resources with the goal of about 25 new-graduate hires and about 35 mid-career hires as part of efforts to strengthen our management foundation.
We have implemented a variety of measures at each stage–forming a pool of prospective applicants, motivating them to apply, and screening their applications. In particular, we are working to motivate prospective applicants to apply and join Takuma by communicating topics such as our businesses, corporate culture, working style, and what we consider ideal employee characteristics via various means in order to raise Takuma’s visibility. For example, we are using YouTube; visiting universities, vocational schools, and high schools; participating in campus seminars and joint job fair; offering internships; hosting “work experience” days; participating in corporate research activities sponsored by local governments; and posting advertisements.
We are strengthening our initiatives and diversifying our recruiting routes, for example, by implementing scouting and employee referrals as recruitment methods, even as third-party recruitment services remain the principal channel through which we find new employees.
In the operation management of municipal solid waste treatment plants as part of its Design, Build, Operate (DBO) business, the Takuma Group hires local human resources in the areas where its facilities are located to serve as operators, and its overseas subsidiaries and affiliates also hire local human resources.
While placing OJT (On-the-Job Training), through which employees acquire necessary knowledge and skills via practical work experience, at the core of our training framework, we also provide OFF-JT (off-the-job training) programs that enable employees to systematically and professionally acquire knowledge and skills away from their daily work and workplace. Through these initiatives, we strive to enhance employee capabilities and management skills across a wide range of levels, including new graduate hires, mid-career hires, and employees in supervisory positions, by continuously developing and enriching our education and training systems.
During the first month after joining the Company, new employees gain a basic understanding of our organizational structure, business overview, and various internal systems, while also undergoing a shift in mindset toward becoming working professionals. Through classroom training and site visits, they develop a concrete image of their work and acquire the minimum required knowledge, rules, and business manners necessary for employment, thereby facilitating a smooth transition to their assigned duties.
Since FY2021, we have been conducting new graduate employee training with recruiting catalog design as one of the topics. New graduate employees work in groups on designing the cover page in a competition format. This fosters a deeper understanding of the Company among new graduate employees as well as encourages new graduate employees to send a message to prospective employees who are students from a youthful perspective.
Cover page from past fiscal years based on the work of the new graduate employee design competition
For one month following the initial group training for new employees, technical employees participate in training programs within their assigned departments with the aim of becoming early contributors. Through classroom instruction and practical training, they acquire fundamental technical knowledge related to plant design and operation and other technical fields.
Approximately nine months after the initial onboarding training, new employees reconvene to present their own “My Rules,” which serve as guiding principles for carrying out their work based on what they have learned over approximately one year since their provisional assignments. This program provides an opportunity for new employees to stimulate one another and to reaffirm their sense of responsibility and identity as Takuma employees as they prepare to enter their second year.
In addition, based on what they have learned and experienced through their work since joining the Company, employees are given opportunities to deliver presentations in which they consider and communicate their personal goals, including what they wish to take on in the future and what they aim to achieve.
For technical employees, annual programs are conducted with the objective of organizing achievements gained through work and identifying new challenges that must be addressed, thereby formulating policies for future growth as engineers.
As the numbers of both new graduates and mid-career employees have been growing in recent years, who bring diverse values, we are focusing training on improving communication skills in order to strengthen mutual understanding among employees, increase internal collaboration, and improve work efficiency.
By compiling and presenting the knowledge and skills they have acquired through job experience and self-development since joining the Company, employees reflect on their own growth. Furthermore, by learning how their peers have approached their work and developed their capabilities, the program aims to further promote individual growth.
This training program is designed for employees who have been recommended for promotion from G3 to G4 within the general staff category. It aims to foster awareness of their role as mid-level employees who support supervisors and senior colleagues while guiding junior employees. Through the implementation of human assessments, participants gain an understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement, which serves as a foundation for their future development.
This program is held at the beginning of the fiscal year for newly appointed section managers with the objective of helping them understand the role of a manager and build a clear outlook and confidence in carrying out their responsibilities.
To help employees acquire the logic building skills necessary for daily operations and proposal preparation, and to enhance their communication abilities, we hold seminars for employees who are responsible for preparing proposals, project plans, and business plans, as well as those engaged in external negotiations.
Building on the foundation established in the logic building seminar, this training aims to further improve operational efficiency by enhancing facilitation skills—that is, the ability to effectively organize and lead meetings and discussions.
To improve employees' language skills, we host the TOEIC test twice a year and offer incentives to employees who earn a high score.
In order to continuously and steadily promote compliance and CSR awareness throughout the Group and advance risk management activities, we conduct compliance and CSR training four times a year for all employees. Topics include the Antimonopoly Act, prevention of insider trading, and harassment prevention, among others.
In addition to training on the use of office software such as Excel and the effective use of generative AI, we provide UnitBase training (a system that enables users to develop databases without programming knowledge) for employees in their ninth year of service. Furthermore, we conduct annual security training for all individuals who utilize information assets.
We hold several technical training sessions a year in order to increase employees' technical knowledge, including lectures by university professors and outside researchers and presentations by Takuma engineering employees about their work responsibilities and research themes.
We reimburse employees for the cost of acquiring various licenses and offer incentives for earning professional certifications. We help employees prepare to earn certification as professional engineers, with employees who have already earned those qualifications offering guidance on solving examination questions.
To support employee career development, we have established the following programs. Furthermore, we have implemented a system that promotes and advances capable employees regardless of whether they are new graduates or career hires.
At the beginning of each fiscal year, operational goals are determined based on departmental policies and individual employees’ work issues and expected roles. A mid-year interview in September and annual review interview the following March offer opportunities for supervisors to offer feedback to their subordinates by evaluating their job performance and to receive advice and requests from employees.
We perform self-reporting every three years. This enables employees to directly inform the Human Resources Department of their wishes for career development, job transfer or relocation, skills development, etc. If the employee wishes to do so, they will also be interviewed by the General Manager of the Human Resources Department, the Executive Manager of the Corporate Services Division, and the Executive Manager in charge of their current division or center.
We conduct interviews between third year employees and the General Manager of the Human Resources Department to listen to any concerns or requests regarding one’s work.
We have created a work group transfer system to facilitate movement from clerical and labor positions to the main career track so that motivated and skilled employees can make use of their abilities. We also provide opportunities for employees to be promoted to management positions.
