SOCIAL
TOGETHER WITH EMPLOYEES
We are aiming to foster an open and easy-to-communicate organizational culture in which it is possible to create value through varied experimentation with members who have different values. The purpose of that is to be a company that creates new value by extracting the value of diversified human resources and solving social issues in 2030.
We will look to entrench a culture of experimentation where all employees respect each other and can easily access the information they need. It will also be one where value is produced through repeated trial and error in our third medium-term plan, Field Expansion 2024. Our goal with that is to change the way of working at KOKUYO into one of hybrid work and project-based work.
Employee Communication
Processes in place
Working with Union Toward Our Vision
We have a process of dialogue in place to ensure that the company and employee union see eye to eye. Twice a year, senior managers meet with union representatives to exchange opinions and negotiate. We also hold monthly labor-management meetings in which human resource person and union representatives negotiate with a view to creating the right workplace and work conditions and clarifying the best way forward for the company and its employees. In this way, management and union representatives work together to foster a mindset and make organizational improvements to boost employee engagement and job satisfaction and take other actions to create a workplace in which employees feel safe and well in body and mind.
Employee Satisfaction Survey (stress check)
We conduct an annual stress check as required under law.
By analyzing the responses, along with overtime data and interview data, we identify issues. With this information, HR facilitates dialogues aimed at prompting self-led solutions.
Pulse Survey
We conduct a pulse survey to be able to rotate through the PDCA cycle at a high pace of once a month in KOKUYO Co., Ltd. and Kaunet Co., Ltd. One purpose of the survey is to grasp the state of individuals and teams and then use it together with other data as the indicator for responding to alerts and improving teams. Another purpose of the survey is for management to grasp the state of sites and employees even more timely and accurately while taking various measures such as new ways of working and initiatives to realize our long-term vision. We are aiming to foster an easy-to-communicate corporate culture in which employees can think and talk with each other about the company on an equal footing regardless of their position through establishing a habit of always be aware of the condition of their teams and organizations by continuing this survey every month.
Initiatives in 2024
Employee Town Meetings
Managers held town meetings with employees to allow employees to voice their feelings about their own careers, their expectations toward future career support measures, their concerns and queries, and things that inspire them. Because the problems employees face depend on their life stage, the town meetings were designed for certain age groups (a meeting would be called, for example, “Honest Conversation with Employees in their 30s) or for employees with children. A total of 14 town meetings were held online.
In-house Awards Program (THE AWARDS)
In 2023, we launched an in-house awards program called The Awards. The program is designed to create a culture in which our employees put into words what they want to attempt and then receive support for taking on those challenges from those around them. In 2024, three awards were offered to praise our close colleagues such as people and teams who are working hard on YOKOKU, people who are providing support behind the scenes, and people who have grown. The awards were presented along with the President’s Award for activities contributing to KOKUYO’s value enhancement. Four of the winning teams presented their initiatives to the organization as a whole in an event called Great Job Story. All four presentations were dramatics, with peaks, troughs, and tears. The presentations were delivered online by the members themselves.
Best YOKOKU Award
Teams and projects which take on YOKOKU and work on various experiments (self-nomination or nomination by others)
Most Improved Person (MIP) Award
A colleague who has undergone remarkable growth (nomination by others)
Most Supportive Person (MSP) Award
A colleague who supports and advances experiments in various aspects (nomination by others)
