EN
Human Resources
Undertaking Business with Respect to Employees While Enabling Them to Succeed
The source of competitiveness of NTT Communications is the power of its people. Employees drive the operations of the Company as partners who grow with it as they pursue their own happiness and personal development.
Management that draws strength from diversity has recently been gaining attention around the world. In this context, the NTT Communications Group aspires to grow with its employees by implementing advanced initiatives for human resource development to ensure their well-being By emphasizing actions for turning diversity into a competitive edge, we have taken on the challenges of multifaceted programs that promote human resource development and workstyle reform as well as the expansion of diverse forms of employment. We want to develop a sustainable society by actively applying the knowledge and skills accumulated in the course of our efforts as our contribution to society.
◆ Priority Activities
Human Capital
People are the driving force for creating value in the world and realizing a sustainable society. Here we introduce the NTT Communications Group’s stance and initiatives on human capital.
Governance
To create businesses with mid- to long-term competitive Risk Management advantages for sustainable business growth and enhanced corporate value, it is essential to formulate and implement integrated strategies and investments for human capital as the source of competitiveness. We established the Human Resource Strategy Committee from this perspective to discuss, examine, and promote the formulation and execution of human resource strategies and development policies linked to our management strategies. Through the committee, we have developed a management governance structure that includes the formulation of mid-to long-term strategies and implementation management based on KPIs under major HR management themes, such as human resource portfolio management, strategic allocation of human resources for strengthening businesses, and resource management policies based on labor productivity indicators.
The committee also collaborates and deliberates with the Sustainability Management Committee on key human resource issues and periodically reports to the Board of Directors.
We have also established the Sustainable Growth Cycle (SGC), which combines growth in human resources, value provided, and business, as well as Sustainable Growth Metrics (SGMs) to promote management for sustainable business growth by visualizing progress to achieve change based on periodic and quantitative monitoring.
The SGM for growth in human resources includes important items for driving growth, such as the fill ratio of key personnel required by each category of business promotion, diversity indicators, status of resource shift, and engagement scores. A monitoring cycle is set up to account for the level of change in each item, and the results are reported to the Human Resource Strategy Committee and others for discussion of issues and solutions.
◆ Overview of Human Resource Strategy Committee
◆ Sustainable Growth Cycle
Risk Management
We have established the Risk Management Rules to achieve sustainable corporate growth by anticipating and preventing the occurrence of potential risks that exist in and around our business and by minimizing any loss in the event they materialize. Risk management is conducted by the Business Risk Management Committee, chaired by the senior executive president, and we consider human risk as a Companywide concern. With regard to human resources, we assume the following as major risk items and examine the scenarios and the scope of impact while also establishing monitoring methods to conduct periodic risk management.
Geopolitical risk
・Rise in political, social, and military tensions in certain geographic locations makes it difficult to ensure the employee safety
Resilience-related risk associated with natural disasters
・Natural disasters such as typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions result in employee casualties
Pandemic risk
・Outbreak of an infectious disease pandemic results in employees becoming infected
Risk related to response to human rights issues
・Incidents of harassment and inappropriate corporate response
・Deterioration of the workplace environment and reputational risk caused by discriminatory comments or behavior based on gender, disabilities, or being insensitive to issues of religion and race
Risk related to corporate governance
・Insufficient control over Group companies and lack of coordination
Risk related to human resources (recruitment, training, and workstyles)
・Inability to recruit and train necessary human resources
・Decline in employee motivation leading to resignations
・Increased dissatisfaction related to promotions, transfers, evaluations, and growth opportunities
・Stagnation of personnel assignments, aging workforce, and increase in retirements
・Outdated programs for human resource development
・Occurrence of mental and physical illness among employees
Conduct risk to stakeholders
・Unreasonable treatment or refusal to hire or promote minority employees due to failure to recognize value of diversity
・Concentration of workload on specific employees and lack of improvement in work efficiency resulting in long working hours and accumulated physical and mental stress as well as a delay in understanding the situation and inappropriate corporate response due to insufficient communication with relevant employees
We will ensure employee safety and security, boost motivation, and encourage personal growth by steadily addressing these risks, led by risk managers.
Strategy
To achieve our business vision, we are striving in various ways to fulfill the intrinsic motivation we all possess naturally and to help each employee achieve self-fulfillment and personal growth by maximizing their abilities.
Indicators and Targets
In accordance with our Sustainability Policy, we implement human resource management by establishing priority activities and related KPIs for each of our priority activities in the Priority Area of “human resources”: development of human resources; promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and respect for human rights.
◆ Priority Activities
Development of Human Resources
Our Approach
Our basic policy is to promote human resource development from the perspective of achieving growth for both employees (individuals) and the business, thereby creating a virtuous cycle of mutual growth. In particular, we are reinforcing our efforts to help employees achieve self-driven growth by establishing an autonomous learning environment so we can survive as a company amid intensifying competition driven by the increasing acceleration of DX.
We are also promoting measures that emphasize the development of personnel capable of driving DX and enhancement of expertise, such as the ODYSSEY human resource development program, to maintain sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships with employees. Based on the Three Concepts, ODYSSEY provides options and information that enable individuals to find their path to self-fulfillment. The Three Concepts are “Talent,” “Open,” and “Active,” which signify introducing talent as a common indicator, fostering an open corporate culture, and establishing an environment where employees can make their own choices and take action. These measures are creating a mechanism for directly linking personal and corporate growth.
◆ Approach to Human Resource Development
In this era of change and diversity, we continue to promote efforts to offer more choices for each employee journey as part of our HRM* Policy focused on the power of the individual. We are providing more opportunities for envisioning career pathways to foster an independent mindset that enables employees to think and act for themselves and encouraging them to take the initiative of choosing a workstyle that matches their personal lifestyle and career plan. We must create an environment in which employees can always take on new challenges instead of simply focusing on their current position or job, and foster an organizational culture that encourages these efforts. We believe this will improve job satisfaction while also leading to business growth by creating value and enhancing productivity, making it possible to enhance engagement in a virtuous cycle of employee (individual) growth and business growth.
The power of human resources can change the future precisely because we are living in the digital age. Through employee-centered HRM, we will create a cycle in which employees and the business grow together toward a state in which employee work values, personal growth, and self-fulfillment are in harmony with the Company’s philosophy and purpose.
*Human resource management
◆ HRM Initiatives Focused on the Individual
◆ Priority Activities
Promotion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Our Approach
Under our Promotion of Diversity Fundamental Policy, NTT Communications is committed to creating workplaces and implementing hiring activities that allow personnel with diverse backgrounds to work to the best of their ability, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or sexual identity, age, race, nationality, or disability. To stimulate new innovation and respond to diversifying customer needs, as well as to help employees realize their well-being, we are creating a working environment that encourages employees with different personalities and backgrounds to work together with mutual respect and maximize their strengths in their own way.
With the firm belief that promoting diversity is essential for the sustainable development of our business, we are promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through our medium-term vision, which upholds goals such as creating working environments that make it easier for employees to design their life plans; fostering a corporate culture that encourages both men and women to take childcare leave; developing systems that enable employees to work with vigor, regardless of where they work, while boosting motivation and vitality; and thoroughly implementing occupational safety and health as well as employee health management.
To create more satisfying workplaces and help employees improve their “work-in-life” (work as an important part of life), our Work-Life Committee, comprised of management and employee representatives, serves as the core organization continually striving to implement a range of measures for realizing workstyles that are more efficient and productive while also ensuring that duties are carried out in an effective and thorough manner. In October 2020, we abolished core hours (10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.) under the flextime system to ease working hour restrictions. In addition, we revised our remote work system in July 2022 to allow employees to live anywhere in Japan. In principle, transfers and assignments away from family have been eliminated, giving employees greater freedom in terms of where they live.
Looking ahead, we will promote the highly flexible, hybrid workstyle, in which employees autonomously combine face-to-face and remote communication according to the nature of their work and needs of the team.
◆ Promotion of Diversity Fundamental Policy
- ・Foster a corporate culture that leverages employee diversity to achieve targets stated in management strategies.
- ・Create an environment that enables employees to maximize their own individuality by mutually recognizing diverse values and leading the way in realizing employee well-being and addressing social issues.
◆ Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
◆ Review of Remote Work System
◆ Priority Activities
Respect for Human Rights
Our Approach
To enrich corporate culture founded on respect for human rights, NTT Communications has been promoting human rights education by establishing a Basic Policy on Human Rights Education.
Given the broad recognition of the importance of addressing human rights risks that arise across the value chain, companies have recently been subject to growing public demand for establishing human rights protection frameworks that are closely aligned with the nature of each business and addressing diverse human rights risks. There is also the risk that failure or any delays to properly address human rights issues may result in the loss of trust in the Company and its reputation in society, as well as the risk that it may ultimately lose business. In response, NTT Communications has been working to ensure respect for human rights by establishing the Rules for Preventing Harassment under its Basic Policy on Human Rights Education. To raise human rights awareness, we also conduct training for all full-time and temporary employees, disclose case studies, publish messages from top management regarding human rights education, distribute e-mails to employees, and widely disseminate information on internal and external contact points for human rights. NTT Communications also conducts human rights due diligence and other measures to address human rights risks in the value chain. By pursuing these proactive human rights education activities and promoting human rights due diligence initiatives to enhance human rights management, we intend to establish a corporate constitution that does not tolerate any form of discrimination, create bright and vibrant workplaces, and realize a value chain that respects human rights.
Governance
Placing the utmost importance on human rights, we seek to establish a corporate constitution that does not tolerate any form of discrimination and is intended to establish bright and vibrant workplaces.
Specifically, we set up the Human Rights Education Promotion Committee, which reports on human rights enlightenment activities and considers measures for promoting human rights education. We have also implemented measures for preventing workplace harassment based on the Rules for Preventing Harassment, established in May 2020 and in accordance with the NTT Communications Group’s Basic Policy on Human Rights Education.
◆ NTT Communications Group Framework for Promoting Human Rights Education
Risk Management
We strive to identify and prevent human rights risks by conducting human rights due diligence throughout the NTT Group. Of the risks identified, those considered particularly important are addressed by formulating and implementing appropriate countermeasures.
Indicators and Targets
The NTT Communications Group has designated the rate of participation in human rights training and regular implementation of human rights due diligence as KPIs for further promoting human rights awareness activities.
KPIs, Targets, and Outcome of Activities
NTT Group Global Human Rights Policy
（1） Addressing to International Norms
The NTT Group discloses its global human rights policies both internally and externally, in addition to meeting the requirements* of international laws and evaluation organizations.
* International laws: International conventions and treaties adopted from a global perspective, including the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”
（2） Addressing Critically Important Human Rights Issues
The NTT Group will identify critically important human rights issues and take action on these priority themes through the following:
1. Promotion of “Diversity & Inclusion” (prohibition of discrimination, respect for freedom and rights, fairness in the workplace, economic disparities and poverty)
2. Promotion of “Technology based on high ethical standards” (technology, data bias, privacy, personal data protection, and security)
3. Promotion of “Healthy Work in Daily Life (Health Management)” (diverse work styles, prohibition of forced labor and child labor, workplace safety, freedom of association and the right to organize, living wage, enhanced benefits)
4. Promotion of “appropriate expressions, speech, and other presentations” with consideration for human rights (freedom of expression and respect for human rights in advertising and other presentations)
(3) Scope of application
This policy applies to all employees and officers of the NTT Group. We also ask our suppliers and business partners to support this policy and strive to respect human rights.
(4) Due Diligence
Based on the UN Guiding Principles of Business and Human Rights, we will use the human rights due diligence process to identify, prevent, mitigate, and correct human rights issues globally. And we will strive to improve human rights awareness and human rights management throughout the NTT Group. In addition, due diligence will be conducted among the stakeholders in the entire business value chain, and a direct dialogue will be the basis of our efforts, especially with major suppliers. The status will be disclosed on our website, in our Sustainability Report, and in our Human Rights Report to evaluate and improve the process continuously.
(5) Accusation and Remedy
The NTT Group has established internal and external contact points for whistle-blowing at each Group company to prevent human rights violations. We promise to protect whistle-blowers from unfair personnel actions (e.g., dismissal, demotion) or other disadvantages resulting from their reporting. In addition, consultations and reports received at the contact points will be reported to the Board of Directors appropriately to ensure transparency. We will take sincere measures to resolve problems.
For more information, see: the NTT Group Human Rights Policy