2019
(Posted Dec. 2019)
Supporting a Passionate Challenge
MinebeaMitsumi was established in Tokyo's Itabashi district as Japan's first specialized miniature ball bearing manufacturer in 1951. The company expanded overseas at an early stage, establishing business in Singapore in the 1970s. Today, we have 83 manufacturing sites in 22 countries around the world, 80 sales sites in 27 countries, and approximately 100,000 employees. These countries include Thailand, China, the Philippines, and Cambodia. Overseas business accounts for 60% of net sales and more than 90% of production. With an eye towards further global business expansion based on both organic growth and through M&A, we are invigorating communications between the various levels and departments—such as between the management and managers, and between manufacturing, sales, and administration—and maximizing the synergy between people so as to develop human resources without regard for nationality, cultural background, or previous company, and establish environments where those human resources can demonstrate their full capabilities.
The company looks for three qualities in our employees: people who like manufacturing, people who want to work on a global scale, and people who can maintain passion for their work. Through human resource development centered on on-the-job training,* we develop human resources through experience in manufacturing by dispatching young and mid-level Japanese employees to overseas sites and cooperating with personnel from numerous countries. We also conduct training to improve the qualities and skills of our employees.
Within Japan, in addition to rank-based training for young employees, mid-level employees, assistant managers, managers, and general managers, we conduct business strategy training to develop generalists, as well as technology management training, to develop technology managers who can contribute to management, so as to develop the next generation of executives. Furthermore, the Human Resources Development Department collaborates with individual departments on human resources development for two years after a person is recruited so that young employees can quickly grow into employees who are able to think about the issues they face on a day-to-day basis, make determinations, and take action.
In addition, we are undertaking initiatives targeting overseas local employees—who make up more than 90% of the Group's employees—to produce human resources who can in the future be responsible for local subsidiaries. Specifically, under an overseas trainee program, local leaders from overseas subsidiaries are assigned to the head office for one year, and undergo training in different offices and divisions to gain broad perspectives and a management outlook. We are also training the next generation of local executives in Thailand and China, the locations of our main manufacturing sites.
Being a company where employees are proud to work is a part of our corporate credo, and we believe that employees are our most important stakeholders. Specifically, in order to achieve our target of net sales of 2.5 trillion yen and an operating income of 250 billion yen in the next 10 years, we selected four issues that target employees within the materialities (priority issues) set in 2019—ensuring employee safety and health, creating positive and rewarding work environments, developing human resources that can serve as global models, and practicing diversity that serves as a global model—and we are accelerating our efforts to create work environments where all employees can demonstrate their maximum capabilities. The Human Resources Development Department is playing a central role in collaboration with business sites around the world to promote even more diverse human resources development as MinebeaMitsumi aims to be a company that is needed by society.
* On-the-job training is a form of training where supervisors and veteran employees provide guidance to subordinates through actual work.
Participant in Rank-Based Training (Junior Employee Training)
Emiko Hibi
Productivity
Improvement Section
Productivity
Improvement
Department
Mechanical Assembly
Business Unit
During the junior employee training, we conducted exercises to think about our future careers, ways of improving our current work, and work communications and also practiced giving speeches and participated in other activities. During the exercise for thinking about our future careers, we examined three topics: What I can do now, work that I feel is meaningful, and expectations towards me. This made it possible for me to analyze what I want to do in the future, something that I didn't have a clear understanding of. A positive outcome was the ability to set specific targets concerning the type of employee I want to become in three years from now.
I am now performing my work with an awareness that I can achieve the targets that I set in the training. I will continue to periodically consider my career and targets and hope to always perform my work with passion.
Participant in Rank-Based Training (Junior Employee Training)
Shumpei Umegai
Sensor IC Development
Section
Design Engineering
Department
Semiconductor
Business Unit
During the junior employee training, I received information regarding the policy on enhancement of skills looking ahead three years into the future. I realized that an objective perspective is important when comparing the career that I want for myself with the roles that are expected of me by my colleagues. Learning about the thinking of superiors and senior employees and their expectations towards me was also a valuable experience.
I feel strongly that I want to work even more on the part of the training where I learned how to make a habit of taking action to achieve targets. When I started working for the company I learned from senior employees that as an engineer, I need to adapt to new technologies and the changes in the times, but I found it quite difficult to develop a habit of acquiring specialized knowledge. Through this training, I acquired general-purpose skills for developing habits, and I am going to study independently and work hard while I'm in my 20s in order to meet the expectations of my supervisors. I hope to become an engineer who can follow in the footsteps of my predecessors and contribute to society through semiconductor circuit technology.
Study Abroad Participant at Columbia University
Masaki Mitsuishi
Manager,
Resonant Device
Product
Sales Management
Department
I was given the opportunity to spend nine months studying as a visiting researcher at Columbia Business School at Columbia University, where I attended a wide variety of MBA course lectures, and participated in many seminars and various events. Heads of states and foreign ministers were invited as speakers for the lectures, providing me with the opportunity to listen directly to leaders in the thick of global situations. This was an extremely valuable experience, and became a good opportunity for me to reflect on my work so far, how to go about work in the future, and what is the ideal shape of leadership.
In addition, as part of my research at the Center on Japanese Economy and Business, I gave a presentation on the theme "Product Management in the Diversified-Products Manufacturer: Inseparable Relationship Between PM & UX." Through studying abroad, the experience of engaging in discussions with people and overcoming the barriers of ethnicity, culture, and religion has given me self-confidence, and is useful in actively negotiating with customers around the world. I hope to contribute to the development of teams that can lead to business success in the future.
Participant in Overseas Training Program
Thananan Buasroung
Accounting Department
I came to Japan from the Bang Pa-In Plant in Thailand for training. The training, which lasts one year, is conducted at the Accounting Department in the Tokyo head office. At the Bang Pa-In Plant, my work was primarily calculating the costs of mechanical assemblies. At the Tokyo head office, I am studing how to prepare financial statements for public release, how to reconcile claims and debts among Group companies, and other topics. I endeavor to understand the background to this work, and after I return to Thailand, I hope to make use of these experiences to support my department.
There are many things I need to learn about Japanese language, culture, work styles, and lifestyles, but my Japanese colleagues are always kind and support me. Through this training, I hope to learn new things every day and grow.
