A Smart Working Style
Promoting workstyle transformation
with “Smart & Fun!”
We are promoting smart working which incorporates various workstyles and increases productive efficiency through the utilization of IT and AI (Artificial Intelligence), etc. aimed at having the employees maximize organizational and individual productivity through optimal workstyles. Accordingly, we are promoting a working style transformation which aims to utilize IT to work in a smart and fun way and engage in more creative and innovative work under the internal slogan of “Smart & Fun!”
We are creating time for employees by introducing the Super Flextime System, which maximizes achievements by working in a lively and efficient manner without getting caught up in conventional working hours. By using this time for self-development, employee exchanges, communication with family and friends, and investing in individual growth, each individual employee and the entire company become more innovative and creative, which creates conditions in which work itself becomes fun under the prospect that it will lead to better results.
Diversity and health management as the foundation
for realizing “Smart & Fun!”
We believe that the combination of varied individual capabilities which results from diversity and the physical and mental wellbeing of each employee which is supported health management creates a foundation for realizing “Smart & Fun!” We will continue promoting diversity and health management with the aim of making the entire company more innovative and creative, which will lead to even greater results.
Efforts toward a new workstyle
We are engaging in various initiatives to achieve a “Smart & Fun!” workstyle and maximize individual and organizational productivity.
Arising from our belief that maximizing the performance of the organization and individual employees will lead to an increase in corporate value, SoftBank is promoting the best mix of work styles that combines, for example, going to an office, telecommuting, and satellite office work.
Without setting a uniform frequency of office attendance throughout the Company, we are practicing work styles that allow the organization and individual employees to demonstrate their capabilities to the full based on business characteristics and other factors on an organizational basis.
Office environments featuring cutting-edge technologies
The head office relocated to Takeshiba in January 2021 for the purpose of additional workstyle reforms and strengthening BCP (Business Continuity Planning). The office is a community-style work space which enables all of the employees to embody the spirit of “Smart & Fun!” and demonstrate their maximum performance. In addition to aspiring to create open innovation that spans the departments at the office, the new office aims to create a more innovative and creative workstyle which is not bound by working hours or location.
Satellite offices
Six office locations within the Kanto area, 34 WeWork sites throughout the country, and roughly 340 offices across Japan have been made available to all employees as satellite offices. These offices are used as an alternative for working from home and as satellite offices close to meeting destinations for employees in the sales department to promote efficient workstyles that shorten the travel time.
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- *As of May 31, 2023
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Implementation of telecommuting
We are utilizing online meeting systems, business chat, and other IT tools to implement telecommuting.
As of FY2022, our telecommuting implementation rate is 77.0%.
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- *Includes full-time employees, general employees, fixed-term employees, special fixed-term employees, contract employees, and part-time employees but excludes employees involved in sales tasks who work at stores, etc.
- *Telecommuting covers working from home and working at satellite offices, etc.
- *At the request of the Japanese government, we publicize the “status of implementation with respect to reducing the number of people commuting to the office.”
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Super Flextime System
This system eliminates core working hours and allows employees to change their starting and ending times on a daily basis based on work conditions.
Premium Friday
We support Premium Friday, a measure developed by Japan's Ministry, Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Premium Friday Promotion Council to promote consumption. With this measure, we encourage employees to leave at 3PM on the last Friday of every month.
No Overtime Day
We have established a “no overtime day” every Wednesday to facilitate fulfilling private time after work has ended and to promote healthy daily lifestyles.
Funding for personal growth
We provide “personal growth funds” of ¥10,000 per month to all full-time employees in order to continue and stimulate actions directed at the personal growth of each individual employee to support the realization of their growth strategies.
Secondary jobs and side businesses
We allow employees to take on secondary jobs that will help them develop skills and grow as long as it will not have an impact on their duties at SoftBank, conditional upon permission from the company in advance. Our goal is to combine the knowledge and know-how acquired by the employees through these initiatives with previously cultivated experience and knowledge to create innovation that will lead to new businesses in the future or revitalize existing businesses.
SoftBank-style internal secondary job system
A SoftBank-style internal secondary job system was introduced in December 2020 as a system for matching needs between “employees who desire growth opportunities and opportunities to display their capabilities” and “organizations that require perspectives, experience, and expertise from outside of the organization.”
The goal of the system is to achieve further employee growth and to promote innovation within the organization.
External evaluation
NIKKEI Smart Work Management Survey
SoftBank Corp. has received the highest rating of 5 stars in the 6th NIKKEI Smart Work Management Survey. This survey has been conducted by Nikkei Inc. since 2017, targeting listed and leading non-listed companies in Japan. The survey defines “Smart Work Management” as efforts to maximize organizational performance through three elements: realization of diverse and flexible work styles, systems to create new businesses, and the ability to develop markets. The evaluation is based on a 5-star scale.
Grand Prize in NIKKEI Smart Work Awards 2023
SoftBank received the Grand Prize, the highest evaluation in the NIKKEI Smart Work Awards 2023, which selects companies that are taking on the challenge of revolutionizing productivity through reforms in the way they work. The company received high marks for its flexible work style that utilizes telework, its investment in human resources, including its training system, and other aspects of human resource development, as well as its joint development with other companies and active collaboration with outside organizations.
In 2021, the company received the “Use of Technology Prize” in recognition of its AI-based selection process for new graduate recruitment, streamlining of internal operations through the use of RPA, and development of services utilizing technology, such as the “PayPay” cashless payment service. In 2022, the company received the “Innovation Prize” for the launch of venture companies under the “SoftBank Innoventure” new business proposal system, and for its proactive efforts to develop human resources in cutting-edge fields.