Developing human resources

In line with the IIJ Group's business philosophy, its human resource development policy is not affected by differences of employees' gender and nationality etc. The IIJ Group's basic human resource development is focused on providing employees with a wide range of experiences for them to acquire necessary ability through on-the-job training (OJT) which enables them to be involved in challenges such as adoption of new technologies, services development and operation, and business development. Moreover, this is supplemented by various training programs to support individual growth. As for the training programs, IIJ Group provides a range of training programs regarding the acquisition of business knowledge and the development of leadership and management skills according to employee's years and roles. IIJ Group also provides specific training programs by departments for the purpose of acquiring expertise. The employees have held many voluntary workshops and created opportunities to exchange information beyond the personnel development and training programs provided by the company. They have worked to develop in a corporate culture that enables employees to develop their skills and capabilities in a self-motivated setting with the support of the company. In terms of career development, the IIJ Group has a career reporting system and other support mechanisms which enable the Group's employees to take on new roles and accumulate experience. In addition, the IIJ Group conducts an employee awareness survey and stress checks on a regular basis to evaluate and improve its systems and operations.

Training by position and occupation

Developing human resources through on-the-job training

Human resource development is primarily based on on-the-job training (OJT) through assigned duties, which is supplemented by layer-specific trainings based on the employees' grades and roles, and department-specific trainings for the purpose of acquiring expertise and skills. IIJ Group believes that providing job opportunities such as the construction and operation of Internet backbone, which is one of the largest in Japan, and in-house development and operation of innovative services, attracts and motivates aspiring engineers. As sales staff need to have technical knowledge relating to networks and systems, IIJ provides basic technical trainings, IIJ service understanding trainings, and service comprehension tests to help them learn and retain such knowledge, which complement OJT through sales activities. There are seminars held by sales departments to share top performers' sales approaches and successful proposals, which support many of sales staff with liberal arts backgrounds to perform well.

IIJ's new graduates are educated on their duties by managers. In addition, they set capability development goals with non-supervisory superiors who have taken an OJT trainer training, which takes into account their individual characteristics and preferences, and receive advice and support throughout an entire year to enable them to independently perform their duties in the early stages of careers. Since FY2018, approximately 100 employees have newly taken the OJT trainer training each year, and the number of experienced trainers has exceeded 700 in total. IIJ believes that the increase in these trained employees will lead to an enhancement in the company-wide OJT level.

Human resources development that encourages self-motivated personnel

Creating a corporate culture of taking on challenges and self-improvement

IIJ improves employee skills through training programs and offers opportunities for each employee to take on challenges they would like to pursue and increase their own personal development.

Tech Challenge	This system encourages employees to create concepts for new technologies and services that can contribute to a future society and the company to support the materialization of these concepts. The company invites ideas contributing to development of a better society in progressive and undeveloped fields related to ICT technology. If ideas are adopted, the originators are able to engage in themes to develop their ideas for a year, temporarily leaving their current job. Additionally, the company will provide them with people to support their efforts, an environment for verifying technologies, and the money necessary for development.
I-fusion	Through this program, IIJ helps employees realize their ideas about businesses, services, merchandise and business processes. This program aims to nurture the seeds of innovation for the future. IIJ accepts diverse proposals from all departments and provides comprehensive support including the collection of information, planning of business models, internal reviews, the establishment of project teams for implementation, the provision of human resources and allotment of time for the implementation of projects.
IIJ Business Innovation Camp	This is a workshop program for the creation of ideas that may lead to new services or businesses through a three-month groupwork project with participants working on themes given to them by the departments within the group that are their clients. Each group consists of around five members. They are required to develop ideas and solve issues based on design thinking. The program enables participants to innovate, develop the ability to create new business models, and construct a network with members of other departments within the company.

Employees' voluntary initiatives to take on challenges

Technology unit training for new employees	The IIJ Technology Unit provides on-the-job training for new employees assigned to the Technology Department. For each theme, employees decide while making ideas on the spot what knowledge the job requires, and the employee who knows the most about the theme serves as the lecturer. This program run across departments and is open to mid-career employees as well as employees outside the Technology Unit.
IIJ Bootcamp	The IIJ Bootcamp hands-on workshop is organized by on-site employees for the purpose of getting in touch with various technologies beyond the boundaries of the areas they usually deal with. At the workshops, engineers who use the technology in the field serve as instructors, and participants gain access to the most up-to-date information and technology and practical information and technology. Employees also voluntarily hold workshops such as the Training to Make Work Easier and How to Create Teams that Generate Innovation workshops to increase their motivation, and run workshops on the latest technologies and topics of interest to them, and participation across departments is also welcome.
Technical workshop	This business matching initiative connects engineers wanting to make products while trying out new technologies with internal business challenges. The goals of the initiative are to improve practical technological capabilities through experimentation in cooperation with the employees involved and to develop ideas for solutions to challenges for the development of more valuable products and services.
Osechi Study Session	This cross-sectoral workshop has continued for over ten years, handling many different themes not limited to only technological departments — like osechi which are a group of traditional Japanese New Year's foods. It gives employees opportunities to present and discuss diverse themes including new technologies and methodologies. Participants can share practical technological information such as the results of assessments that have been actually used in services and development.

Human resources system

IIJ has established three human resources systems: The Role and Grade System, Evaluation System, and Compensation System. These systems are designed to enable each employee to be active and grow as part of their organization and the company as a whole. Positioned as one of the systems for "self-fulfillment" as stated in the Business Philosophy, the systems support each employee's career development. IIJ supports the career development of its employees and their success in their roles by offering expert position pursuing the demonstration of capabilities in specialized domains and by implementing personnel measures such as right-person-in-the-right-place talent deployment based on IIJ's talent management system.

The Role and Grade System	Roles and grades are determined according to the expected role of the employee, irrespective of year and age.
Evaluation System	Not only the results (performance), but also the processes (role behavior) are evaluated to support success and growth of each and every employee.
Compensation System	Base salaries linked to role behavior are revised once a year (in April), and performance-based bonuses are paid twice a year (in June and December).

Career reporting system

This system has employees think about the future course of their careers through reflecting on past experiences, and communicate their visions to their managers and HR once a year. We support self-fulfillment by developing our employees from a medium- to long-term perspective and reviewing personnel transfers and assignments.

Rotation system

This is a system that emphasizes the individuality of each employee and organizes transfers that support career development. IIJ creates opportunities for taking on challenges in a new environment or job through personnel transfers that take employee aptitude and requests into account.

Select Job

Select Job is a system in which employees can experience working in other departments for a certain period of time through in-house recruitment.
This system allows employees to participate in interesting jobs in other departments. They can work at these jobs for about 20% of their prescribed working hours for half of the year. This system aims to promote employee growth and autonomous career development, leading to self-fulfillment through the establishment of an environment that enables employees to have diverse experiences.

Global talent development system

IIJ provides young employees with practical work experience at overseas locations. Employees stay one-and-a-half years at IIJ America Inc., a Group company, or two years at IIJ Europe Limited, as a long-term business assignment to acquire international perceptions.
IIJ also has a system for mid-carrier employees who wish to work internationally. This system enables participants to engage in local operations as key employees through overseas assignments spanning up to five years.