Thorough Employee Education
Basic Approach to Human Resource Development
Based on the belief that employees are the greatest source of management resources and increased corporate value, the METAWATER Group, which believes that “People Are Our Greatest Assets”, has identified developing employee abilities as one of its top management themes.
"METAWATER supports employees who have the will to achieve self-growth, and actively provides opportunities for those employees to develop their capabilities." In accordance with our human resources philosophy of, "METAWATER supports employees who have the will to achieve self-growth, and actively provides opportunities for those employees to develop their abilities", we respect the individuality of our employees and create an environment and mechanisms for employees to autonomously maximize their capabilities and potential, thereby creating a culture of self-learning.
Training
Ability development system diagram
METAWATER offers a diverse range of training programs aimed at helping employees recognize their roles and develop their abilities according to their stage of growth.
In addition to rank-based and designation-type training, METAWATER supports the growth of each and every employee through elective training with an emphasis on autonomous and voluntary learning.
Encouraging employee participation in training programs
METAWATER provides group training and online training, and offers comprehensive curricula to create an environment in which employees are able to participate actively.
One example is the more than 200 curricula we have established for elective training to give employees the freedom to take courses of their choice. In fiscal 2020, a total of approximately 960 employees participated in training.
Comprehensive employee education and high training budget
The annual training budget per METAWATER Group employee is approximately 60,000 yen, which is higher than the average budget for listed companies. We also offer a number of training programs with content tailored to a wide range of levels, from new employees to those in managerial positions. In the future, we will continue to seek further improvements in employee education and training budget, while conducting training programs that contribute to the improvement of employee abilities.
New employee training
New employee training takes about 20 days.
Starting with a health checkup and physical fitness test hosted by the Health Care Center, the new employee training program consists of various lectures by in-house and outside lecturers, training in business manners, and forest volunteer activities (tree planting) in Okutama.
The METAWATER Group's new employee education is characterized by opportunities to learn about the importance of water through fieldwork. By working with colleagues on tree-planting activities and tracing the flow of water from the forest to the water treatment plant, we are fostering a sense of responsibility that comes with working at a company that handles water.
Follow-up training
6-month post-employment follow-up training
During the follow-up training we provide for new employees after six months of employment, we review their growth over the past six months with the following three objectives, and share current concerns and problems with other colleagues who started working for METAWATER at the same time.
- Mastery of skills learned in new employee training and further improvement of skill levels
- Eliminating current anxieties and raising awareness as members of society
- Setting future tasks in consideration of being in position where new employees will be welcoming junior staff in six months
At the end of training sessions, all participants announce their future goals.
2nd year follow-up training
Follow-up training is provided to employees in their second year of employment to give them the opportunity to look back over the year and a half since entering the company.
In our drive for further growth for mid-level employees in the future, this training has been designed to improve teamwork and communication skills as well as confirming and mastering basic operations.
The importance of the PDCA cycle, listening, and "Ho-Ren-So (Report, Contact and Consult)" is reconfirmed through Group exercises. Employees prepare a "Declaration of Professional Conduct," which defines our future vision and specific actions, and read it aloud with conviction in front of all employees. Many employees who participated in the training said that they understood the difficulty of communicating things in words, as well as the importance of "how things were communicated" and "how they were understood," rather than "what was said."
Trainer and mentor system
METAWATER has introduced a trainer and mentor system to eliminate anxieties surrounding work and daily life after joining the company, and has established a system to systematically cultivate new employees.
Trainers
The role of the trainer is to offer guidance and support with the basics of work.
Trainers create guidance methods for each new employee, and systematically carry out OJT.
Mentors
The role of the mentor is to be a good supporter outside of work.
They offer a sounding board for new employees’ anxieties and concerns on an individual basis after entering the company.
Training for trainers and mentors
Trainers and mentors are selected from young and mid-level employees at each workplace.
METAWATER provides them training beforehand so that new employees are able to receive proper guidance. Trainers and mentors start providing support to new employees from July.
Follow-up training for those making mid-career job change
METAWATER provides individual counseling in order to verify and gauge the situation in the workplace, and provides employees with the necessary compliance-related education (internal control, human rights awareness, information security, etc.) in order to allow those making a mid-career job change to become settled in their new post.
Individual counseling is useful for the mental care of those making a mid-career job change who are susceptible to stress due to environmental changes.
Elective training
Support for self-development through elective training
This is a system whereby employees can participate in business skills training voluntarily, and employees can choose training tailored to their own issues from more than 200 training courses, including group training and correspondence courses. Each year, more than 800 employees, including those from Group companies, participate in the program, which also provides a forum for interaction among employees.
Group training
METAWATER offers a wide range of courses, from basic courses that can be completed easily in a single day, to training courses that are taken over several days.
These include business skills, logical thinking, problem solving, communication, dandori (making arrangements, setup), and other practical content useful in the field of business, as well as management seminars and other programs that provide guidance to subordinates and juniors when they feel it is necessary.
Correspondence courses
METAWATER offered approximately 230 courses in fiscal 2018.
Employees can choose from a wide variety of courses to help them master the skills useful in their work.
Comments from group training participants
- When organizing projects, I would like to demonstrate leadership with an emphasis on "connecting people", which is one of the roles and abilities of leaders.
(Leadership development training participant) - I learned what I should be saying, and how others would respond to me. I also learned that I needed to express what was really necessary accurately because different people could interpret the same presentation differently.
(Presentation training participant) - I learned the idea that time is an asset. Assets are limited. I learned that being able to use assets more effectively will improve my scheduling skills, and help me organize my work better.
(Work dandori techniques participant)
Specialized training by occupation
In order to promote the development of the abilities of all employees, METAWATER has established an Ability Development Committee to formulate priority policies and follow up on the status of various education programs.
In addition, we have organized nine specialized subcommittees under this committee, each of which plans, drafts, and implements professional education by occupation. The PDCA cycle for effective education is implemented by regularly holding forums for the exchange of opinions among subcommittees.
Company-wide Professional Education Site
Since 2018, the METAWATER Group has been running a Company-wide Professional Education Site that collects educational material on each job category.
All Group employees now have easy access to specialized educational material for each job category and helpful-to-know basic educational material all in one place.
In the future, we plan to enhance its function as a web library by consolidating and visualizing educational materials on this site.
