For the purpose of training the next executive talents necessary for the continued development of our business, we have implemented this program for employees selected from candidates who can implement a growth strategy by dividing them into four levels, from general employees to senior managers.
The common theme of this program is "learning the perspectives and ideas of management," but the curriculum is set up by level, so the training period ranges between 10 months to 4 years. In the training for general employees, leadership development is conducted for employees in their 30's before they become managers, and job rotation is conducted after completion of this training. For the senior manager level, we provide training aimed at fostering awareness of being future executive candidates, and they also take part in discussion-based opinion exchange meetings with executives from other companies that transcend industries. We established 29 requirements for the next business leaders (creation of social value, foresight into the future, developing strategies, etc. based on corporate philosophy) for each level and provide training to acquire a management mindset and management skills based on the requirements while fostering company-wide management viewpoints.
Selected talents are considered to be valuable human capital shared across departments, and we established a meeting structure in which the heads of each division are able to hold discussions from the same perspective so that the selected talents can be assigned to jobs that they need to experience as the next executive talent candidates.

We provide training to train global talents who are essential for our vision of becoming "Global Specialty Pharma." This program targets employees who are nominated by their department head as talent who can succeed as future global leaders. After their skill gaps are identified, we provide language programs and the Global Skill Improvement Program (GSIP) based on their identified skill gaps. GSIP participants spend approximately one year acquiring the ability to adapt to their surrounding environment, cross-cultural communication skills, leadership, logical thinking, and global business skills. We measure the results of GSIP by having GSIP participants take a BISA Test* by GLOBUS, which measures their communication skills in global business.
Including 25 employees who participated in FY 2023, 171 employees (Period 1 to Period 6) participated in GSIP by the end of FY 2023. Of these, the number of employees who scored 700 or above (the level required to be eligible for overseas assignment) in the BISA test was 11 before the program, and 113 after the program. We assign GSIP participants as global human resources to appropriate positions, including overseas assignments, while taking into account their own career vision and how it best matches the company’s tasks. Of the 171 employees who took part in GSIP, 49 have been assigned to overseas posts, and GSIP also contributes to the development of employees assigned overseas.

• BISA test: An abbreviation of Business Interaction Simulation and Assessment test. 

In order to use new technologies developed in recent years, such as AI, etc., we have actively been working on training talents with digital transformation (DX) and IT skills. We defined DX talent by dividing it into DX understanding, DX participation, and DX leadership, and developed programs so that they can achieve the level required in each category. All of our employees participate in comprehension training so that they have a better understanding on an overview of digital technology. Next, we are working to train around 500 DX participants throughout the entire company who can take on the challenge of incorporating DX into their daily business activities, and progress is being achieved ahead of schedule. Furthermore, we aim to train around 200 employees so that they will be well versed in both digital technology and business, and eventually be capable of leading company-wide DX initiatives.

Innovation is crucial for a pharmaceutical company to continue to deliver novel drugs to patients and we dedicated the most training to innovation talents. We launched the Ono Innovation Platform (OIP) in June 2021 as a place to generate innovation in a multifaceted and intensive manner in addition to conventional development measures. At OIP, we develop innovative talents through programs, such as the Innovation Cafe, a training program to learn the mindset and skills needed for taking on challenges; Voyage to Venture (V2V), which sends employees to venture companies on secondment to acquire an overwhelming sense of ownership through cross-border experiences; and HOPE, a business competition in which employees challenge new businesses based on their own awareness of issues. All employees are eligible to participate in OIP, and we are working to create an organizational culture that fosters innovative talent in all departments.

〈Opportunities for learning: Innovation Cafe〉

Our training program, Innovation Cafe, which aims to teach the mindset and skills needed for taking on challenges, offers programs that allow employees to “know,” “touch” and “experience.” We hold a variety of seminars and workshops so that employees can learn about the field and acquire practical skills, in addition to basic knowledge. In FY2023, we held a total of 11 programs with themes including problem-solving methods based on the latest trends in business and healthcare and customer thinking, and a total of 1,150 persons participated. With regards to open innovation, which is the focus of our company, we held seminars featuring outside experts to provide fruitful learning opportunities. Going forward, we will continue to provide opportunities for employees to not only acquire knowledge and skills, but also to confront what they wish to achieve (WILL).

〈Opportunities for experience: V2V, outsight〉

The secondment program for venture companies, V2V, was established based on the idea that it is important to acquire an overwhelming sense of ownership, capability to take action, and resilience by experience in overcoming tough situations to develop talents who can create innovation. Employees are seconded to venture companies for one year and up to five persons per year. A total of 14 employees have participated in the program so far, including 5 in FY2023. They are expected to gain experience in venture companies in business fields different than our business field, healthcare business, and to be able to create innovation when returning to their worksite compared to before secondment.
We have participated in an online cross-border program, "outsight," where participants propose solutions to the management issues of venture companies and earnestly discuss them since FY2022. A total of 36 employees have participated in the program so far, including 9 in FY2023. We expect participants to acquire the mindset and skills to take on unknown challenges by facing realistic issues from different industries several times. We also aim to hone their problem-solving skills by putting them into practice and cultivating a spirit of challenge and courage through external study.

〈Opportunities for taking on challenges: HOPE〉

In the course of selecting a theme for "HOPE," a business competition to challenge new businesses, participants are not only judged on their ideas, but also receive support to acquire the skills and mindsets necessary for the development of new businesses. HOPE aims not only to create an environment in which participants can grow to become innovators and create new businesses, but also to provide them with opportunities for self-realization and the ability to spearhead change. Proposers of themes adopted through HOPE are transferred to departments that promote new projects, where they examine ways to commercialize those themes. The two themes selected in FY2021 are currently undergoing preparations to verify their market receptivity, while the three themes selected in FY2022 are in the process of developing service designs and business plans. In this manner, HOPE is fostering innovative talent while at the same time helping to create new businesses.

Orientation for Newly Hired Employees, Follow-Up Training for Newly Hired Employees, Third-Year Employee Training, and Fifth-Year Employee Training

In the orientation for newly hired employees, participants spend two weeks learning about the Mission Statement, basic business etiquette and rules, and the division of roles and collaboration within a team, with the aim of acquiring awareness as a member of society.
We also incorporate global training and diversity training in order to broaden the vision of employees, after which they undergo education specialized for the divisions they are separately assigned to. In addition, after 10 months of being employees, follow-up training for newly hired employees is provided for them to take time to review events in the first year as members of society and to refresh their minds for the second year.
In the training for the newly hired employees of the sales department, which takes half a year after they enter the company, they acquire knowledge of medicine, pharmacology, the medical system and knowledge on diseases that have to do with our products, all of which are necessary for MRs (persons in charge of medical information), and take practical output-focused training. In addition to becoming MRs, who are required by the medical field, we provide opportunities for them to accompany senior MRs in on-site training, learn about the duties of MRs and the rules used in the medical field, and hear directly from doctors and wholesalers. As for the MR accreditation test, with the aim of having all our examinees pass, we support them with a carefully operated backup system not only during the training period but also after assignment to a specific post, which allows us to maintain a top-class pass rate in the industry.
The third-year employee training is designed to help third-year employees realize the necessity of changing their mentality―more specifically, moving one step forward from being independent to being autonomous― and to promote their voluntary actions and proposals as well as more active involvement in training junior colleagues. This training focuses on improving communication skills and other abilities necessary to perform their assigned job functions.
The goal of the five-year employee training is to further raise motivation for work by having employees view their work in a multifaceted manner and review it from creative perspectives. The training includes experiential learning cycles for them to grow themselves while achieving outcomes, and contents that help the participants digest tacit knowledge to establish their cherished opinions, leading to effective practices and outward development.

Training for Promoted Employees

In the training for those who are promoted to higher grades, they will understand the roles required of leaders, and foster the awareness and attitude of proactively engaging in team management. In addition, the training helps participants acquire the skills to identify problems and understand what is necessary to become an influencer.
In the training for employees promoted to core employees, as a candidate for the next candidates for managers, they will acquire management skills that will enhance their understanding of the personnel evaluation system, the ability to build trust with those around them, and the ability to take action.
In the training for new managers who are appointed from among core employees, participants review the personnel evaluation system, deepen their understanding of labor management, and learn the roles that managers are expected to play, as well as team building, and team management. These training sessions for those promoted are held with members who go beyond the framework of their level or department, which has led to enhanced awareness of cross-functional collaboration.
Furthermore, in addition to briefings after the training sessions, we are also holding briefings before training for the supervisors to motivate the trainee to receive training, thereby increasing the return on investment in training. In addition, we hold a training briefing session for supervisors after the training, with the objective of increasing the effect of the training by connecting them to OJT after the training sessions.

In line with our Mission Statement as a common guidance that all employees can share for realizing our corporate philosophy, “Dedicated to the Fight against Disease and Pain,” we aim to ensure that each individual employee acts with a certain understanding of how patients and their families feel about and confront the illness and treatment. These activities are aimed at having employees gain a deeper understanding of the true needs of patients, and identifying the significance of the company’s existence and the challenges each employee faces. This contributes to creating a sense of oneness as an organization and promotes involvement from employees, and it is considered as one of the most important measures at our company.

Workshop to Heighten Knowledge and Deepen Understanding of Our Mission Statement

This workshop aims to ensure that all employees embrace our Mission Statement and act accordingly. In the workshop, the CEO talks about the background to the establishment of our Mission Statement and the history of ONO’s bold endeavors which lie behind it over 300 years, or managers talk to their subordinates about the challenges they have experienced. Such talks evoke empathy and inspire employees to voluntarily put the Mission Statement into practice.

Activities for Understanding Patient Experiences

It is important for employees of a pharmaceutical company to be aware of what it means to be a member of medical staff and to have the patient perspective. We have collaborated with Association for Patient experience Japan * and have provided educational video materials and training on basic knowledge with the aim of acquiring the patient perspective by understanding the value of the patient experience in various situations.

• First organization in Japan that aims to contribute to the improvement of the quality of medical care by conducting activities related to the spread and promotion of patient-centered medical service provision.

Patient Lecture Meetings

The opportunity to have direct contact with patients is very important for employees of pharmaceutical companies that are responsible for the research, development, and marketing of ethical drugs. At a lecture by patients, the patients will give a speech on how they managed their feelings when a disease was diagnosed along with the disease symptoms, the impact on the quality of their daily lives, the effects and adverse effects of the drug, and how they live everyday with their disease. We consider that when we listen to patients' opinions directly, we can understand patients' feelings and it leads to behaviors based on the patient perspective in our daily operations. In FY2023, we received lectures from physicians and speech-language pathologists who are promoting the concept of the patient experience.

Self-Development Learning (Correspondence Courses/Online Foreign Language Conversation/Support for Qualification Tests)

For employees who are self-motivated and have a strong awareness of growth, we provide opportunities for self-development learning and provide partial financial support. Through correspondence education, we have over 500 courses such as leadership and management, accounting, finance, and English conversation, and we arrange an environment on a steady basis for those proactive learners with a wide range of fields. In addition, we promote self-development learning by aiding online foreign language conversation classes and qualification tests.

Elective and Voluntary Training

For employees who are self-motivated and have a high awareness of growth, we provide opportunities for self-directed learning. We provide training to learn marketing, accounting, finance, and other operations that employees have fewer opportunities to engage with during regular operations, depending on their department, by using management simulation games, and other methods to foster the perspective of members of management at early stage as well as training to learn leadership and team building to lead other employees and organizations.

Diversity Management Training

We are always pursuing innovation to continuously create innovative pharmaceuticals. As a source of ideas leading to the creation of innovation, broad diversity regardless of specialized fields, gender, and nationality is very important. In this seminar, we not only understand the significance of diversity, but also improve interviewing skills to make better use of it, and acquire management capabilities. For this purpose, the training is conducted for all of new management positions.

Career Planning Training

We provide training opportunities for employees to review their individual careers and think positively about their future careers. In order to develop future career plans and translate them into results by discovering qualities and strengths that employees did not recognize themselves, challenges, and values that they treasure, we plan career dialogue workshops, interviews with external career consultants and training for supervisors to assist their subordinates in their careers were organized. In FY2023, we invited applicants and conducted training for all employees and for managers. Career planning training was also provided for new employees, employees in their 5th year, and employees in their 20 and 30 years.

Essential education and training as an employee of a pharmaceutical company

We conducts education and training through e-learning for all employees regarding the essential matters required as employees of a pharmaceutical company, such as education on drug-induced sufferings, collection of safety information, handling of personal information, and prevention of bribery.