Unlocking HR's Potential: Nissan’s Strategy for Talent enhancement, Inclusion and Innovation (2024)

In partnership with Nissan Motor Corporation , Robert Half Executive Search Japan successfully hosted our first HR roundtable of 2023, creating a valuable opportunity for 40 members of our HR community to come together and delve into insightful discussions on the future of HR. This gathering held special significance as our first in-person event since 2019, given the constraints imposed by COVID restrictions.

The keynote presentation was delivered by Hirofumi Seino-san, the Division General Manager of Human Resources at Nissan Motors, who brought a wealth of expertise to the table. Seino-san's extensive background includes notable positions at Accenture, Daiichi Sankyo, and Philip Morris International.

Throughout the event, Seino-san offered valuable insights into Nissan's HR Strategy through an engaging presentation. The agenda also featured two breakout sessions that facilitated group discussions on thought-provoking HR-related questions, allowing all participants to actively participate and contribute.

This article will go into some of the key points and takeaways from the presentation and breakout sessions.

Nissan's HR Strategy: Paving the Path to Innovation and Sustainability

Nissan has set its sights on an ambitious vision: zero emissions and zero fatalities. With these goals driving their every move, the company is determined to redefine industry standards and revolutionize the automotive sector. By daring to go where others may not, Nissan aims to provide efficient and safe mobility solutions that truly enrich people's lives.

During the presentation, Seino-san emphasized the need for Nissan to adapt swiftly to a rapidly changing landscape. This means navigating through increased uncertainty, prioritizing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, embracing digitization, transforming the workforce, accommodating diverse values, and embracing new work styles. Nissan recognizes these transformative mega trends as opportunities for growth and development.

A People-Led Organization: HR's Integral Role

At the heart of Nissan's success lies its people, and the company's leadership passionately believes in this principle. That's why HR plays a pivotal role in supporting Nissan's vision. HR takes on four crucial angles: understanding external mega trends, aligning HR with Nissan's business strategy, conducting thorough HR lookbacks to show strengths and areas for improvement, and benchmarking practices against industry leaders. By fulfilling these responsibilities, HR ensures its significant contribution to Nissan's overall success.

To make their ambitions a reality, Nissan understands the importance of enhancing employee experience and driving leadership effectiveness. By transforming the way people are led, Nissan plans to cultivate a culture that nurtures innovation, collaboration, and growth. Leadership development programs, culture transformation initiatives, and efforts to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion are integral components of Nissan's strategy to empower its workforce, in addition to the foundational effort of developing its people/skills.

Embarking on a Culture Transformation Journey

Nissan's recent history sheds light on its transformative journey of corporate culture. Recognizing the need to transition from a top-down, commitment-focused culture to one that embraces bottom-up voices and innovation, Nissan has taken active steps in this direction. By actively seeking employee feedback and implementing tangible and intangible improvements, the company strives to foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment where ideas flourish.

Diversity Within Nissan: A Long-Standing Commitment

Nissan has long been committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within its ranks. This commitment is exemplified by the establishment of the Diversity Development Office in 2004. The company recognizes the pivotal role of dedicated decision-making bodies in driving diversity and inclusion initiatives. By focusing on mindset, activity, systems, and expansion, Nissan endeavors to ensure equal opportunities, cultivate a diverse workforce, and collaborate with local governments and suppliers to promote inclusive practices.

The presentation by Seino-san highlighted Nissan's unwavering dedication to driving innovation, culture transformation, and sustainability. With a mission to achieve zero emissions and zero fatalities, Nissan pushes boundaries, embraces transformative mega trends, and empowers its workforce through HR-led initiatives.

Breakout Discussion:Future Model of HR Operations

In addition to the main presentation, we also had two breakout sessions, providing an opportunity for all attendees to share their ideas about the future of HR structures. With many HR professionals from diverse backgrounds and industries, lots of fresh perspectives and insights were exchanged. Personally, I found the breakout discussion highly engaging and a collaborative experience that showcased the power of collective wisdom and shared aspirations.

1st Question: Many companies are using the well-established HR operational model, which consists of HRBP/CoE/HR Operations. What will be the future model of HR? Do you have any advanced practices?

Firstly, there was emphasis on greater integration between HR practices and the overall company strategy. HR should closely align with strategic objectives and expand beyond traditional HR domains to effectively contribute to the business's success. Additionally, flexibility and agility were identified as vital elements of the future HR model. As companies grow and become complex, HR practices must adapt and specialize to meet the diverse needs of different teams and functions.

Furthermore, leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digitization was seen as crucial for enhancing HR operations. These technologies can automate transactional tasks, freeing up HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives and providing data-driven insights for informed decision-making. Lastly, the role of HR in fostering employee experience and development was emphasized. HR should play a pivotal role in enabling skill-driven management, enhancing leadership effectiveness, driving culture transformation, and championing diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives.

2nd Question: Individual's work values are becoming diversified. How can we achieve a good balance between accommodating individual needs vs. applying consistent treatment?

The session emphasized the importance of acknowledging and appreciating individual work values while creating an inclusive environment that values diversity. While flexibility is important, organizations also need consistent policies and guidelines to ensure fairness and support a cohesive culture. Effective communication between managers and employees plays a vital role in finding this balance. HR professionals can set up guiding principles that provide a framework for decision-making while allowing flexibility at the team level. Attracting and retaining the new generation of employees requires aligning with their values and expectations. Customization of work arrangements can contribute to this effort.

Closing the Event on a Relaxed Note

After the event, HR leaders gathered at our new office for casual networking, offering a relaxed environment to connect over drinks and food. The office's flexible and hybrid design mirrored the timely HR topic of creating adaptable workspaces.

We are delighted by the positive feedback from participants and the meaningful discussions that took place. The presentations and breakout sessions sparked valuable insights on aligning HR with strategic objectives, leveraging technology, enhancing employee experience, and promoting diversity and inclusion. These themes will undoubtedly shape the future of HR practices.

Looking ahead, we are committed to organizing more events that foster knowledge sharing, collaboration, and networking among professionals and executive leaders. Together, we will continue driving the conversation and exploring new possibilities that meet the evolving needs of businesses and employees.

Stay tuned for information on future events hosted by Robert Half Executive Search team in Japan.

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