The Human Resources Development Division’s challenge:
To recognize the individuality of every employee,
and ensure the right person in the right job.
CyberAgent has focused on recruitment, training, and a dynamic organization.
In recent years attention has also turned to placing the right person in the right job, and developing the corporate culture.
Placing the right person in the right job, and strengthening the corporate culture, is the mission of the CyberAgent’s Human Resources Development Division.
We asked the head of this division, General Manger Masashi Ihata, about its activities and results.
Masashi Ihata, General Manager, HR Development Div.
The Career Agent Group and Personnel Science Center focus on ensuring the right person in the right job, supporting the development of employee capabilities and business growth. The Personnel Science Center analyzes and compiles reports from a broad range of employee data, including objective information such as work history, performance, and evaluations, as well as the employee’s condition and career goals, to create a human resources plan for assembling teams for a new business, promotions, or personnel transfers. The center was created with the idea of using unified management of data on the large number of employees, along with careful analysis and science, to support personnel placement and recruiting.
The Career Agent Group conducts interviews with employees and meetings with business managers to ensure optimal placement during actual personnel transfers or promotions. When CyberAgent diversified its business from media businesses such as "AbemaTV," "Ameba," and "AWA," to internet advertising businesses such as the ad agency and ad technologies, and the game business developing and operating smartphone games, the organization expanded to more than 80 group companies, making previously routine transfers between businesses complicated. The Career Agent Group serves as an intermediary, facilitating the optimal placement of personnel from a company-wide perspective.
Another of CyberAgent’s representative initiatives is the Human Resources Awareness Meeting, where the CA8 directors consider personnel assignments. At this meeting directors review the company’s top human assets, and hold in-depth discussions on whether they are in the right position, and whether a transfer would further develop their capabilities and lead to business growth. These meetings are also held for individual departments, and have resulted in cases where an individual who succeeded in games was moved to a high-profile sector, and influenced later assignment decisions. It’s an excellent opportunity to consider the right person for the right job from a company-wide perspective.
An additional theme is the best assignment for female employees returning from maternity or childcare leave. Over the past few years around 30 employees have returned to work annually, and we conduct pre-return explanatory meetings and make other efforts to help dispel their concerns and uncertainties. Returning employees also have the option to meet with the Career Agent Group to discuss their preferred working hours, work style, post-return responsibilities and career path, in order to match their desires with the proper business division, which may not necessarily be the one where they worked prior to taking leave. This system helps prevent returning employees from being placed on the “mommy track” that closes off career options. We also conduct follow-up checks after three months to assess the employee’s condition, and ensure the balance of childcare and work is what they expected. Of course, even though they are all working mothers, the career ambitions, proper balance, and timing are different for each person. We believe that rather than pushing returning mothers into a single pattern, an assignment that is best for the individual at that time is part of our effort to ensure the right person in the right job.
The placement of human assets—our most valuable resource—supports corporate growth
From the beginning, CyberAgent has focused on recruitment, training, and a dynamic organization. We recruit people who fit with our corporate culture, and provide experience to support their development, with a dynamic organization as a source of motivation. The idea is that these three elements support the company’s growth. While we have focused on recruitment, training, and a dynamic organization, the addition of “the right person in the right job” is more recent. This is because we saw many cases where the moment an employee was assigned to the proper department or mission, the positive results were unprecedented. In the internet business, which doesn’t require major capital investment, human assets are a major source of competitiveness, and a management resource. A successful effort for “the right person in the right job” maximizes the capabilities of our human assets, are our most valuable resource.
A company’s business focus and strategies change with time. I believe that appropriate personnel assignments to match such changes lead to corporate and individual growth, and I strive every day to make this a reality.
The Human Resources Development Division ensures the right person in the right job, and fosters the corporate culture
Currently, the Human Resources Development Division comprises:
1. The Culture Promotion Office, aimed at fostering the corporate culture
2. The Career Agent Group, to ensure the right person in the right job
3. The Personnel Science Center, conducting data analysis to support optimal personnel placement
Recognizing the individuality of all 4,000 group employees ensures the right person in the right job
Each month CyberAgent conducts a survey of the conditions and career ambitions of employees at that moment, as well as their hobbies, interests, and concerns, a system known as “GEPPO.” The response rate for "GEPPO" is 96%. The comments regarding interests and career ambitions, such as a desire to work in an education-related field, a fondness for anime, or other topics that rarely arise in a work setting can be utilized to aid with personnel assignments when establishing a new business. We also analyze the makeup of teams for both successful and failed projects, and use this data for personnel proposals. We incorporate the employee feedback from "GEPPO," determine a detailed response to issues and requests, and reply with a comment, or meet with the employee and based on the content, recommend a transfer or other action.
The Culture Promotion Office manages "CyBAR," an in-house publication for all employees, "TechCyBAR," an in-house newsletter for technical staff, and "Historie" documenting project histories. When I’m asked to sum up CyberAgent’s culture in a single phrase, I find it difficult to answer quickly. That’s because I believe a culture develops from the sharing of a large volume of case studies, including successful businesses, projects that succeed and those that failed, as well as the activities of employees. However, our mission is not simply to foster culture, but to enhance earnings through our culture. Through the broad application of successful projects, measures, and expertise, and by sharing the lessons from past failures, we create a culture that allows every employee to propel themselves forward, leading to growth for the business and company.
Principal Systems
Human Resources Awareness Meeting
A meeting for directors to discuss strategic personnel assignments. The aim is individual and business growth through optimal placement of exceptional personnel.
GEPPO
A monthly survey system to assess employee conditions, career ambitions, and problems. CyberAgent uses the responses to ensure proper personnel assignments, and resolve such issues as a mismatch between organization and individual, and business volume.
Career Challenge
An internal transfer listing system that allows employees working in their current division for more than a year the opportunity to request a transfer to a desired division or group company.
CareeBar
A system to introduce the work environment and announce personnel needs of various divisions within the corporate group.
Recently, with the diversification of businesses, we’ve received comments regarding the lack of information on the sort of work done in other divisions, and whether they have any personnel needs. In response we established "CareeBar," an internal system to introduce the work environment and announce personnel needs of various divisions within the corporate group. Currently there are listings for 270 positions (as of January 2017). This system allows employees considering a career change to see what sort of positions that are available within the company, and the current needs. We have also made significant progress with transfers utilizing Career Challenge, the internal transfer listing system.
Share this story
Follow us!
AbemaTV Studio
Photo Tour
Internet TV station “AbemaTV” has officially launched on April 11, 2016. “AbemaTV” broadcasts more than 20 channels which include original regular programs from news to variety shows and also various contents from many genres such as the latest music, sports, and animation, available 24/7 for free. Many of the programs are taping in this own studio in Tokyo.
We had taken a peek into this new studio which finally completed renovation supervised by NIGO®, our creative director.
