Involvement with our employees

“NSSOL Academy”: A training institution for highly skilled human resources

“NSSOL Academy” is a body to develop key human resources with highly professional skills, broad experience, and strong leadership (“Leading professionals”, abbreviated as “LP”) who can support our clients’ business and help us to grow with our clients.

“NSSOL Academy” consists of six communities based on the type of human resources: “Technical HR (Project Management, IT Modeling, Domain Modeling, Operating Service Management),” “Sales HR,” and “Management HR.”

Each community is a place where, having LPs certified by the company at is core, next-generation key human resources are cultivated cross-sectionally. At the Academy, participants are involved in self-motivating workshops and study sessions and share their experience, knowledge, methodologies and other information, and both experienced and younger staff train each other beyond generations. During the first year of the establishment of the Academy, 50 events and other activities were held and 1,400 employees participated.

Educational system: Various actions from basic education to hands-on training and career development

We offer not only NSSOL Academy but also “education based on employees’ qualifications/roles,” “education specific to each job category,’ and “common education.” In addition to these efforts to enhance the systemic education of our employees, we also implemented an “internal open recruitment system” to promote self-directed career development.

“Education based on employees’ qualifications/roles”

We provide all of our employees, from new hires to management staff, with education based on their qualifications and roles, to strengthen required management skills and competency and to spur their growth as human being.

“Education specific to each job category”

We offer curriculum according to the level of each employee, from basic skills through to practice applications, for each job category of sales and corporate staff.
For system engineers, our curriculum is intended to improve necessary technical skills for the development of IT infrastructure and application software and to meet their needs at a wide range of phases from designing to operation and maintenance.

“Common education”

We provide all of our employees with education on business skills, intellectual property, contract management, and other common subjects.

“Internal open recruitment system”

We have an internal open recruitment system called “Innovation Open Challenge System” to promote the expansion of business which will be a seed of our future business and to support self-directed career advancement for our employees.

Personnel and Treatment System Structure: Structure to promote individual growth and business expansion

“Specialist System/Core Management Position System”

These represent our company’s basic concept and system toward cultivation and active participation of human resources which allows each individual to acquire a high level of professionalism and management capacity and to be assigned to a role based on the level of leadership he/she acquired.

* Core management position = Management position at the rank of section chief or higher

“Individual Evaluation Framework”

This is a concept to evaluate actions and outcomes (competence) and results (performance) achieved by each individual based on the level of their capacity and to reflect them in their treatment.

“Job Rotation and In-house Staff Recruitment”

We do job rotations and in-house staff recruitment (such as Innovation Open Challenge System) to allow our employees to gain work experience and improve their ability at various business operations and projects.

“Compensation by Job Classification for Core Management”

In April 2022, we introduced a compensation by job classification system for core management by which their treatment is determined based on 15-level job evaluation based on the level of their positions, missions, and roles. This system is intended to create new values in line with our management strategies and business strategies and to improve our capacity to respond to changes necessary to promote our business, and to reflect a wide range of specialist jobs and diversified human resources in the treatment of core management in an accurate and timely manner in consideration of their values in the labor market.

“65 Mandatory Retirement Age”

From April 2022, our mandatory retirement age is set to 65.
We aim to be a company where each individual can work in a flexible manner according to their life stage from the perspective of emphasizing and promoting our employees’ autonomy and diversity. We are constantly improving our environment and providing support for our employees to help them to grow and succeed regardless of their age.

Our efforts to reform work practices and work style

Amid aging of the population and low birthrates, and the expected rapid decrease of the working-age population in Japan, for our company to achieve sustainable growth, it is necessary for all of our employees to improve their expertise and work with enthusiasm, and for the company as a whole to generate greater added value.
To that end, we believe that it is necessary to create a corporate culture wherein various people can work together, to constantly update the way people perform their duties as well as working arrangements to enable various people to continue working actively.
Based on this philosophy, we established a company-wide task force during the last half of FY2015 to promote the reform of work practices and work styles from various viewpoints, including work environment, assignment of tasks, operation of systems, awareness-raising, and fostering a corporate culture. We also established the “Work Practice Reform Cross-functional Team” in 2019 to enable management and on-site employees to work together to promote the reform of work practices. This Team consists of employees dedicated to its mission to present opinions on company-wide measures to be taken from the perspective of on-site employees and to disseminate information concerning the reform of work practices.
In 2010, we first began examining the possibility of introducing a telework system as an effort to increase workplace flexibility. This system was introduced in 2013 for those providing child care, then expanded in 2014 for those providing long-term family care. In 2017, to increase productivity, a telework system with no restrictions on usage was introduced for discretionary workers in the position of section chief or higher, and in April 2021, this system was expanded to all employees.

• Introduction of telework system that can be voluntarily used by everyone (Japanese Only)

Efforts to promote proper total working hours

We conduct our business activities in accordance with the “Nippon Steel Group Corporate Code of Conduct”, with high ethical standards in due consideration of human rights issues associated with the globalization of the economy. We comply with labor laws and regulations not only in Japan but also in other countries, and strive to create a work environment where individual employees can maximize their abilities. In particular, we believe that continuously working long hours will have a lasting impact on our employees’ energy and health and could hinder the medium- to long-term growth of our business.
We have been making persistent efforts to encourage our employees “to clearly separate the time they work and the time they are off.” As for our system, starting from the introduction of a “system to prohibit working after 10:00 pm and on holidays unless it is truly unavoidable (General Rule Prohibiting Work Late at Night and on Holidays)” and a “system to recommend taking annual paid holidays for five consecutive days (9-day Refreshment Holiday System)” in 2005, we have implemented various measures to realize proper total working hours, including establishing and improving various systems and streamlining our business and making our business more efficient. We are, across the organization, constantly making efforts to reduce total working hours based on two key performance indicators (KPI) as common indicators for the entire company, which are: total annual hours worked; and annual paid holidays taken. We continue to make efforts across the organization to realize proper total working hours.

Efforts toward better health of our employees (advancement of health and productivity management)

We believe that it is essential to enhance health for employees to perform better. Our HR director is responsible for advancing health and productivity management. We have a health and productivity management advancement section (HR Development Department Health Management Group) within our HR Headquarters, which is responsible for submitting a periodical report to the management team and taking cross-sectional measures. More specifically, we provide all of our employees with not only periodic health checkups through the company's own public health nurse system but also after-checkup interviews. We also perform interviews with employees who work long hours to check their health condition, to stay close to each employee to understand their worries and anxieties.
We also provide voluntary training on a regular basis to help our employees to take the initiative in promoting their own health.

■ Recognized as a “2020 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization”
Our company was recognized, by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Nippon Kenko Kaigi, as a “2020 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization” as a highly outstanding enterprise engaging in efforts to advance heath and productivity management based on the measures taken that are in line with local health issues and health measures promoted by Nippon Kenko Kaigi.

• NSSOL was recognized as a “2020 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization (Large Enterprise Category)” (Japanese Only)

In addition, we have a Relaxation Room where employees can refresh themselves from their daily fatigue and our own massage practitioners work daily to give them tension-relieving massage.

Periodical engagement survey

One of our medium-term core targets is “the creation of an organization with high employee engagement,” and we are promoting the creation of an organization where employees can work at a high level of engagement.
To continuously improve the level of employee engagement, it is important to recognize and understand the status of the organization in a timely manner, and to implement necessary improvement measures in a timely manner at the company and each workplace level. To realize this goal, we conduct an engagement survey on an annual basis.
Survey results are immediately calculated and shared internally, and linked to the review of company-wide employee engagement improvement measures and to the improvement activities at each workplace.
The entire company will work together to realize “the creation of an organization with high employee engagement” by continuing this process.

Respect for the right to organize and the right of collective bargaining

We respect the “right to organize” and the “right of collective bargaining” in accordance with laws and regulations and a collective agreement. We negotiate with the labor union in a sincere manner, and do our best to create a sound labor-management relationship. We regularly set up a forum for discussion with the labor union to discuss our policies concerning business and the employees’ capacity building and various labor conditions such as wages and work-life balance. Our management team directly participates in these discussions, and keep close communication with employees through exchange of opinions with their representatives.

At the present time, when changes occur so rapidly and future forecast is so difficult, it is necessary for us to become an organization that can create innovation and respond to changes in a flexible manner through discussions with various members with different backgrounds and ideas.
In 2016, we appointed an officer responsible for work practice reform, established an organization dedicated to work practice reform and the promotion of diversity & inclusion, and established a cross-sectional Work Practice Reform Task Force consisting of senior staff from each business division. From 2019, we started to invite a Diversity Promotion Advisor to further strengthen the system. We also have a system to draw issues each division has and opinions employees wish to express through conversation between the Diversity Promotion Advisor and officers of each business division and engage in continuous conversation with on-site employees within each business division.
For us to achieve sustainable development, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone can display his/her abilities to the fullest and feel satisfied with their job by removing issues and concerns which may arise with employees with diverse backgrounds, values, and skills.

Strengthening the support to achieve work-life balance when child care, family care, and other life events occur

NSSOL’s efforts to promote work practice reform, such as the way we created our system and corporate culture to support work-life balance where child care, family care and other life events occur, have been highly recognized, and we were awarded “Platinum Kurumin” certification and “Tomonin” by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

■ “Platinum Kurumin” certification
We received “Platinum Kurumin” certification from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as an outstanding “child care support” company in accordance with the Act on the Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children. We will continue to maintain a workplace where people can keep balance between work and child care to support the healthy growth of children of the next generation.

• NSSOL receives “Platinum Kurumin” certification. (Japanese Only)

■ “Tomonin” awarded
We were awarded “Tomonin”, as a company making efforts to establish and improve the work environment, where employees can keep balance between work and family care. We will continue to make efforts to prevent our employees from leaving the company to care for their family by maintaining a workplace where they can keep a balance between work and family care.

System to support work-child/family care balance

Promotion of female participation and career advancement

Diversity includes various factors. However, our company has particularly focused on the promotion of female participation and career advancement as an important issue from the start of our support for diversity & inclusion, as we believe that the promotion of female participation and career advancement is essential to the sustainable development of our business.
We will continue to make efforts to increase the number of female employees we hire, and will support female employees who wish to maintain and improve their professional skills and to contribute to the company after returning to work even though their work is temporarily affected by child care and other events.

■ Eruboshi certification (level 2)
We were granted “Eruboshi certification (level 2) by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as a company whose status of implementation of actions for the promotion of female participation and career advancement is outstanding among those who implemented and reported an action plan under the Act on the Promotion of Female Participation and Career Advancement in the Workplace.

Action plan for the promotion of female participation and career advancement

We have established the following action plan to create an employment environment to further promote participation and career advancement of female employees and to increase the number of female employees in leading positions, for the sustainable growth of our company.

1. Planned period

• From April 1. 2021 to March 31, 2026 (5 years)

2. Targets and specific actions

[Target 1] Increase the number of female key-position employees (department manager and section manager level) to more than double the current number by FY2025.

[Specific actions]

• Develop an “individual cultivation plan” toward steady career advancement for female management candidates; and implement “periodic mentoring by internal mentors” (2021/4~)
• Promote work practices that allow employees to choose time and place of work in a flexible manner (expansion of telework system, creation of work climate in which employees feel comfortable using the system by spreading examples cross-sectionally) (2021/4~)
• Establish a “cultivation environment that allows employees to learn voluntarily” according to individual life events or career situations without being restricted by time or place (2021/4~)

[Target 2] Maintain and continue the rate of employment of female new graduates at 30% or more

[Specific actions]

• Create more contact with female students during recruiting activities (such as preparing brochures for female students, hosting more events for female students, and strengthening relationships with female student groups) (2021/4~)
• Improve the content of information concerning diversity and inclusion on our website for hiring new graduates (2021/10~)

[Target 3] Raise the rate of usage of leaves and leaves of absence* to 70% or more for male employees with a spouse who gave/is expected to give birth, to allow them to participate in childcare.
(*) Leave of absence for child care, paternity leave and welfare leave that are unique to our company

[Specific actions]

• Prepare “Guidelines for Superiors” of employees who notify of childbirth by their spouse (2022/4~)
• Prepare a “Childcare Handbook for Men” (2022/4~)
• Implement a campaign to inform internally of childcare-related measures in collaboration with the union (2021/10~)

[Target 4] Realize a work environment where various people can work autonomously and flexibly without the limitations of place by continued use and advancement of remote work

[Specific actions]

• Enhance the telework system (2021/4~)
• Improve and promote the use of “Remote Work Guide” (2021/4~)
• Implement a periodical survey on the status of operation of remote work (2021/10~)

Female networking event “Oasis”

Our voluntary female networking event “Oasis” with the participation of interested female employees, is also very active. Recently, we are seeing male employees also participating in this event, and through this, people are forming a bond with each other beyond generations, enabling them to talk about their experience.

Our efforts to hire employees with disabilities

Internally, we are committed to increasing the number of people with disabilities we hire by creating a “Relaxation Room” primarily for employees with visual impairments and “Social Office” which offers work-related support. Externally, we procure products from special-needs schools, sponsor para-sports teams, and are involved in other activities. We encourage, both internally and externally, the expansion of places where people with disabilities can actively participate.

On April 1, 2021, we established a special subsidiary “Act Corporation.”
We, together with Act, continue to create mechanisms and opportunities for people with disabilities to actively participate in our company as “colleagues who work together to expand our business.”