Sustainability
Human Capital Management
Basic Approach
The NGK Group is reforming our business structure by establishing Five Transformations we must implement to realize what we want to be in 2050 “a company to contribute to carbon neutrality and digital society with our unique ceramic technologies.” Among these Five Transformations, we have placed our response to ESG issues at the core of our management. We recognize that human resources are a form of capital instead of a cost. Based on this recognition, we believe that maximizing the value of our human resources by linking our management strategies and human resource strategies will lead to an improvement in our enterprise value and growth.
We formulated the NGK Group Human Capital Management Policy, as well as the Human Resource Development Policy and Workplace Development Policy which embody it, based on the NGK Group Vision.
It is none other than each one of our employees who will create new value for a sustainable society by implementing the Five Transformations to realize the NGK Group Vision: Road to 2050. We will maximize the abilities of our employees by providing rich and vibrant workplace environments to boost the human resources who will take on the challenge of transforming the NGK Group.
NGK Group Human Capital Management Policy
Human Resource Development Policy
The NGK Group develops personnel with the following abilities and mindset required to realize the Five Transformations.
- Personnel who cultivate advanced knowledge, skills, and abilities, and take a proactive approach to problems
- Personnel who demonstrate teamwork and persistently lead to results
- Personnel who autonomously grow and continuously change themselves and the company
We recognize that to rapidly respond to changes in the business environment and maximize the value we provide, we need personnel who possess a high degree of knowledge, skills, and abilities, can work as part of a team, and will take swift action on their own initiative. In order to secure and cultivate these kinds of personnel, we offer a variety of career paths and educational programs for each person to pursue according to their desires, aptitudes, and job type. We are also striving to create a system and culture that allow employees to develop proactively so they can contribute to business in each environment.
Workplace Development Policy
The NGK Group develops the following workplace environment where each employee can perform at their full potential.
- Diverse and Inclusive Workplace
A workplace where everyone is acknowledged and respected, regardless of external attributes such as race, nationality, gender, and age, as well as internal attributes such as religion, beliefs, experiences, and values. - Enriched and Lively Workplace
A workplace where diverse personnel can feel rewarded, stay healthy both physically and mentally, have colleagues we respect and enjoy working with, and maintain a good work-life balance. - Open Workplace that encourages challenges
A workplace with open communication and psychological safety, that embraces courageous challenges for growth.
In order to achieve our Five Transformations, it is crucial to have personnel who stimulate the new ideas and creativity that lead to innovation, as well as the differing perspectives and approaches of personnel with various backgrounds and experiences. The NGK Group employs a diverse workforce under the basic policy of stable employment and equal opportunity, without respect to race, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, beliefs, or disability. We not only promote initiatives for diversity and inclusion, such as supporting work-life balance, hiring those with disabilities and conducting educational activities that promote understanding of diversity, but offer flexible working styles by using things like telecommuting. We are focusing our efforts on creating a workplace environment that allows employees to fully exercise the abilities they possess. To create an environment in which employees can work easily and feel satisfaction in their work, we conduct an annual survey on workplace vitality to ascertain the opinions and desires of employees, and identify problems and the need for improvement.
Promotion Framework
The NGK Group shares the NGK Group Human Capital Management Policy as a group-wide guideline and promotes human capital management over our entire group. The HR Committee deliberates various personnel policies based on the NGK Group Human Capital Management Policy. It then reports to the Board of Directors at least once a year on the matters it has determined to be important among those it has reached a decision on upon its deliberations and results in the fiscal year.
The NGK Group has sites around the world. Accordingly, we believe it is important from the perspective of effectiveness to formulate and operate strategies and policies to realize our Human Capital Management Policy in line with the situation and sense of issues faced in each of our group companies. We will continue to ensure the instillation of our Human Capital Management Policy by carefully communicating with the personnel departments at each of our sites about the policies and activities to suit each of them in the future.
Promotion Framework Chart
Initiatives to Disseminate Human Capital Management Policy
In FY2024, to ensure dissemination of our Human Capital Management Policy, the president’s message to employees at the start of the term introduced the background and intentions behind the policy, as well as an overview of the policy and its initiatives. We explained this policy to NGK employees again during position-based training for new hires, newly promoted employees, etc.
The Human Resources Dept. also visited our 3 Group companies in Europe, 6 in North and Central America, and 5 in Asia to engage in dialogue with the human resource officers of each company about our Human Capital Management Policy. Through these efforts, they gained a shared understanding that the key point was to create an organization and environment that encourage employees to want to continue to grow and flourish, and do so in a manner adapted to the situation of each Group company. They also confirmed that, while the skills and expertise required of each job differ, the basic mindset needed is the same regardless of role or position. In the future, we hope to visit our Group companies in and outside Japan again and create opportunities to share our policies in order to deepen understanding of them through dialog with employees, and to entrench this as part of our corporate culture. We also intend to strengthen internal communication through dissemination events, information distribution, and the like. By spreading understanding of these policies throughout the Group, we will increase employee engagement, improve corporate value, and bring about sustainable growth.