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Expansion of Human Capital (Talent Development)

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We established four growth strategies to achieve our corporate philosophy, "Dedicated to the Fight Against Disease and Pain," and the vision of being a global specialty pharmaceutical company and we are working on our business activities. It is the "talent" who implements these strategies and supports permanent company development. Therefore, we are promoting activities that consider the expansion of human capital to be one of our important business challenges.

ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., system

Growth Strategy and Talent Strategy Towards Achievement of Corporate Philosophy and Vision

In order to achieve sustainable growth, talents that implement strategies to achieve our corporate philosophy and vision are essential. For this reason, we are expanding human capital for sustainable growth in a way where diversified talents, including " Versatile human resources" who support the management foundation in an inter-department manner as well as " Professional human resources " who have the skills and expertise to promote each growth strategy, collaborate and drive members of organizations and projects.

ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., system

Development of Desired Talents

The talents we desire are motivated, proactive, self-disciplined, independent and make confident choices. We aim to develop human resources who become source for us to grow to be an R&D-based global pharmaceutical company (Global Specialty Pharma) as well as act in an ethical manner with a strong sense of responsibility as a member of a pharmaceutical enterprise involved in pharmaceutical products, which are closely related to the lives of people.

Desired characteristics of ONO Employees are those who:
are motivated, proactive, self-disciplined, independent and make confident choices
  • are innovative, aspirational and persistent
  • can work collaboratively in a global team environment
  • have a strong sense of ownership for, and take pride in their roles
  • always has a positive attitude and seeks opportunities for professional growth
  • act in an ethical, honest and trustworthy manner

Training " Versatile Human Resources " that Supports the Management Foundation Inter-departmentally

As versatile human resources that support the management foundation, we are employing and training "Next generation executive talent," "Global talent," "Digital talent," and "Innovation talent" respectively.

Employment and training method Indicators and goals: Number of talents to be pooled by FY2026
Next generation executive talent Candidate talents who may become future executives are trained by dividing them into four levels, including general employees, mid-level employees, managers, and senior managers, through training and planned tough assignments. 250 or more
Global talent They are trained through the Global Skill Improvement Program (GSIP) or with planned dispatch overseas, etc. to acquire language skills, international perspective, cross-cultural communication, and other skills necessary to perform in a global business. 300 or more
Digital talent We are engaging in activities to train talents with high digital literacy through DX promotion of existing business arms other than digital and IT departments (research, development, marketing, and other departments). 500 or more
Innovation talent We started our unique activity, Ono Innovation Platform (OIP), in FY2021 and are conducting training by providing a program consisting of three fields that include learning, experience, and challenges. 180 or more

Training " Professional Human Resources " that Promote Our Growth Strategy

Requirements for the talents and skills for each strategy are defined in the following table and we are implementing employment and training.

Strategy Requirements for talents and skills Indicators and goals: Number of talents to be employed and trained by FY2026
Maximization of product value Talents who can identify needs from a patient-centered perspective, propose solutions, and execute the solutions. About 700 persons
Reinforcement of pipelines and acceleration of global development Talents who can globally implement and manage open innovation, in-licensing, and clinical developments.
Realization of direct sales in the US and Europe Talents who can implement business by supervising a diversity of talents who can actively work globally.
Expansion of business domains Talents who can identify needs and conduct social implementation of solutions with economic rationality.

In addition to these employment and training programs, training sessions to acquire the specialized skills required by each division have been provided separately. In FY2022, each employee received an average of 54.8 hours of annual training and the costs were JPY122,000.
We also provide e-learning training programs on drug scandal education, which is essential for employees of pharmaceutical companies, collecting safety information, handling personal information, preventing bribery, and other basic matters.

ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., system

Education and Training Programs for Talent Development

For more details on each type of training, please see below.
Training Programs for Next Generation Executive Talent (for Selected Employees)

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 1 to 2 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.

Actual number of participants for next generation executive talent training programs and goals
Employee level Number of participants in FY2022 Total number of participants from FY2016 Indicators and goals: Total number of participants by FY2026
Mid-level employees 20 56 117
Manager level 20 56 116
Senior manager level 0 41 A sufficient number of participants have been secured.
Training Programs for Global Talent

We provide training to train global talents who are essential for our future growth. This program targets employees who are nominated by their department head as potential future global leaders. After their skill gaps are identified, we provide one-year programs to acquire the ability to adapt to the environment where they find themselves, leadership skills, logical thinking, and global business skills through language programs and the Global Skill Improvement Program (GSIP) based on their identified skill gaps. In FY2021, there were 21 participants in GSIP and only one person achieved 700 points or higher on a BISA test* before participation in the GSIP; however, 19 persons achieved the 700 points after participation.
Subsequently, we assigned them to an appropriate position as a global talent in consideration of conformity between company tasks and each participant's career-vision.

Number of participants in GSIP in FY2022 Total number of participants from FY2015 Indicators and goals: Total number of participants by FY2026
25 171 300
Number of participants in GSIP in FY2021
21
Number of persons who achieved 700 points or higher in BISA test*
Before participating in GSIP After participating in GSIP
1 19
  • BISA test: An abbreviation of Business Interaction Simulation and Assessment test. An English test by GLOBUS. A score of 700 points or higher is considered to be at the level where employees can work overseas.

English Speaking Skill Training Program

In order to acquire the English skills essential for global business, we provide training with the aim of eliminating participants' feelings that English is difficult and achieving the level required for overseas business.
Based on the status of participants, we have three programs, including a one-week, camp-style English conversation training program in Japan, a three-month study abroad language training program, and weekly lectures by dispatched English instructors (two-year course).

Training type Number of participants in FY2022 Total number of participants from FY2013
Lectures by dispatched English instructors (2 years) 61 590
Study abroad language training program 1 11
Camp-style English conversation training program 0 54
Training Programs for Digital Talent

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. Our aim is to train participants so that they can eventually plan, manage, and implement DX projects.

DX talent category Number of participants in FY2022 Total number of participants from FY2022 Indicators and goals: Total number of participants by FY2026
DX understanding*1 367 367 All employees
DX participation*2 269 269 500
DX leadership*3 40 40 100
  • DX understanding: Participants understand the outline of digital technology and the importance of changes in business.
  • DX participation: Participants understand DX and can fulfill important roles when they participate in DX projects.
  • DX leadership: Participants can understand and perform digital technology, establish the area of issues for changes in business, and implement the project.
Training Programs for Innovation Talent

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〉

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 FY2022, 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 1,499 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〉

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. 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. 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〉

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. Participants in the competition will have the opportunity to realize self-actualization and are expected to gain the ability to spearhead change through HOPE. In the competition for FY2021, the final judging took place in June 2022 and three themes were eventually selected. In FY2022, 85 participants proposed 101 themes and three themes were selected.

Program Number of entries in FY2022 Total number of entries from FY2021 Indicators and goals: Total number of entries by FY2026
Innovation Cafe (seminars, workshops) 1499 2814 1000
V2V (secondment program to venture companies) 4 9 Total : 180
HOPE (business creation program) 85 168
outsight (venture proposal program) 15 15
Training by Hierarchy
Orientation for Newly Hired Employees, Follow-Up Training for Newly Hired Employees, Third-Year Employee Training, and Fifth-Year Employee Training

The orientation for newly hired employees is a two-week course provided for all newcomers to get together, learn basic business manners and rules, along with role sharing and cooperation in a team, and learn about the Mission Statements and rules inside and outside the company to acquire awareness as members 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.

Indicators and goals:
Percentage of behavioral change after the training Average value after mandatory hierarchy training: Remain at 85% or higher.
Self-development support
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.

Activities to Heighten Knowledge and Deepen Understanding of Our Mission Statement

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 Japan Patient Experience Study Group* 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 (patient experience; "PX") 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 FY2022, we heard the speeches of a pediatric patient with cancer and the patient's family, and the nurse who looks after the patient. In addition, our employees, who are cancer survivors, gave a speech on their experience of struggle against the cancer.

Other Trainings
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 increasingly required in the future. 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 one-on-one interviews with external career consultants. In FY2022, they were provided for employees in the third and fifth year from the start of their employment, which is the time when they often worry about their career.

Participants in each training (2022)
Training program name Participants
Training programs for selected employees(next generation executive talent, global talent) 129
Training programs for digital talent 676
Training programs for innovation talent 1,063
English speaking skill training program 128
Orientation for newly hired employees
Follow-up training for newly hired employees
68
Third-year employee training
Fifth-year employee training
156
Training for general employees promoted to the highest grade
Training for new core employees
Training for new managers
218
Self-development (support for correspondence courses, online foreign language conversation, qualification tests) 649
Elective and voluntary training 1,263
Career planning training (including e-learning) 35
Workshop to heighten knowledge and deepen understanding of our mission statement 287
Initiatives to improve understanding of patient perspectives (Initiatives to enhance understanding of patient experience, Patient lecture meetings) 4,966

Activities for the Development of Future Talent (Internship Program)

We offer an internship program for undergraduate and graduate students looking to gain work experience. In addition to providing an introduction to the pharmaceutical industry, our internship program provides students with various opportunities such as introducing activities in each job category and interacting with employees, to allow them to gain firsthand experience working at a pharmaceutical company. We hope that by participating in the internship program, students will understand the mission that pharmaceutical companies should fulfill and feel the significance and value of working at a pharmaceutical company. We also hope that the internship experience will help interns shape their future career plan.

ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., system

Initiatives Improving Employee Engagement

Based on the concept that “a company is its people,” we believe that it is important to promote talent development, improve diversity and broaden the abilities of each individual in order to respond to various environmental changes and overcome competition in the future. That is why we have been conducting engagement surveys with the aim of objectively measuring the status of our efforts to strengthen corporate infrastructure and help boost organizational capabilities. In fiscal 2022, we conducted a major review of the questionnaire items to expand the scope of the survey to overseas subsidiaries. Please see here for the results of fiscal 2022.

We also use the results of the engagement surveys when planning new development programs and introducing various systems. We will continue to improve the issues identified from those results and improve employee engagement through initiatives linked to activities that disseminate our mission statement.

ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD., system