Becoming an even more inclusive organization where employees from diverse backgrounds can play an active role

The driving force for creating new value together with customers and society is to become an inclusive organization in which all Mizuho employees, who have diverse backgrounds, experiences, and values, can utilize their individuality as strengths and demonstrate their identity and abilities to the fullest. With the aim of enabling employees to contribute in their own way, we have set forth Mizuho's Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion.

How do we promote the active participation of diverse personnel?

We are developing an organization in which all executive officers and employees accept diverse viewpoints and values and respect one another. This will contribute to a virtuous cycle in which healthy and open discussions are held and then reflected in daily operations and decision-making, leading us to take on more proactive challenges.

Expanding business through the active participation of international personnel

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Dialogue between the Head of Banking Americas and the Group Chief People Officer on the topic of team building

Bringing together people who have grown up in different countries and cultures allows us to make new discoveries and gain new perspectives. As global business development moves forward, diversity in terms of different nationalities and races is becoming increasingly important, and we are focusing on the development of employees hired locally outside Japan. Specifically, we are implementing training through transfers between offices outside Japan and through trainee programs in Japan for future local management candidates. In response to travel restrictions due to the COVID–19 pandemic, we have also started a remote program. In addition, as an initiative to foster a global mindset, we held an event for employees featuring a dialogue between the Head of Banking Americas of Mizuho Americas and the Group Chief People Officer of Mizuho Financial Group.

 

Encouraging the further active participation of women through career support

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The active participation of women, who account for about half of all employees, is indispensable for the sustainable development of the organization, and we are promoting organization-wide initiatives for this under the leadership of the Group CEO. In fiscal 2021, we set a new target for the percentage of women in general manager or equivalent positions
who are candidates for the next generation of management leaders. In order to respond to various issues according to women's career stages, we are also implementing initiatives to support each woman of a certain job level or higher. These initiatives include mentoring and other means in line with their career views and issues, and they form a unified effort between the employee's affiliated division and department and the Human Resources Group. Furthermore, in June 2021, we joined the 30% Club Japan.

Percentage of management positions filled by women (%)

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Minako Nakamoto
Minako Nakamoto
General Manager, Corporate Planning Dept.
Mizuho Securities

Enjoying her work as herself, rather than "as a woman"

Under my own motto of "enjoying my job", I work with a particular attention to my personal brand and focus on the extra value that only I can provide. There have been many difficult times at work, but looking back, all of the experiences that have fueled my growth are the ones when I worked my hardest and gave it my all to see something through. Even when things don't go well, as long as I gave it my all I won't have any regrets, and it will be sure to help me grow into my future self. Since being appointed to a management position, I have been conscious not only of enjoying my own work, but also ensuring that the employees working under me enjoy theirs as well, and I am using this as something that contributes to value creation. I believe that everyone finding and demonstrating the added value that only they can provide will lead to the expression of their individuality and the active participation of all people.

 

Workplaces where all employees can play an active role in their own way, regardless of whether or not they have a disability

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The entire group aims to have workplaces where everyone can work in a supportive environment, and is promoting appropriate considerations and the further development of such workplaces. In fiscal 2021, we worked to improve the structure of business processes that leverage the talents of people with disabilities and implemented initiatives to ensure stable business continuity even during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Employees with disabilities have taken the stage at special needs schools and seminars for university students, and actively communicate their thoughts and experiences both inside and outside the company, deepening mutual understanding among employees and building their own self-confidence. Through such initiatives, we aim to move forward as an organization that co-creates value, in which each and every employee, regardless of whether or not they have a disability, can sustainably play an active role while fully demonstrating their abilities and individuality.

 
 

The driving force to make Mizuho more than the sum of its parts

An inclusive workplace is a driving force that exerts power beyond the sum of each employee's individual potential, and has a significant effect on self-directed and self-driven initiatives by employees. By actively engaging in effective communication that transcends the organization and roles, we can reaffirm the value of one another's existence, and the chance encounters that arise as a result become the impetus for innovation.

Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal networking

Employee Resource Groups (ERG), which are voluntary activity groups comprised of employees from different areas of the organization and of varying ages, aim to contribute to the growth of members and the organization by creating connections around specific topics.

Mizuho Diversity & Inclusion Month, which is held every November, is a project that employees proactively plan, operate, and participate in. By enabling employees to hold discussions and disseminate information while learning, it has become a platform for broadening connections with others and experiencing a diverse range of ideas and values.

 

Examples of Mizuho ERGs

Shinmai

Aiming to revitalize the organization, provide value to society, empower early career employees, and create bottom–up initiatives.

M–WIN

Aiming for the further active participation of women working at Mizuho in the workplace and in society through mutual development and support.

We have established an "alumni network" to connect former employees of Mizuho who are active in various fields. We also hold events where these alumni and current employees can interact and engage in dialogue regarding their perspectives on careers and working styles. In addition to building open, flat connections that transcend company boundaries, it is an opportunity to reaffirm Mizuho's strengths with views from the outside.

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Shugo Arai
Shugo Arai
Industry Research Department
Mizuho Bank

Early career employees want to be heard, too. What each person is passionate about will change the organization.

If it becomes commonplace for employees to take on challenges in areas they are passionate about, not only in ERG activities but also in everyday work, I think that employees' everyday tasks will then generate new value and discoveries. Because of this, I believe we should aim to provide value to customers and society as a product of our work, and embody the idea that external evaluations are more important than internal evaluations. The size of the Mizuho organization is one of our strengths. It would be great if everyone would utilize Mizuho's resources to the fullest extent possible and endeavor to build an even better company themselves.

 
 

Initiatives to create together with employees

With the aim of reforming the corporate culture, we have established employee-led working groups. These groups serve as a means for the company to work with employees on identifying issues related to the corporate culture. The groups have been continuously holding discussions between employees—and occasionally executive officers as well—regarding specific responses to such issues and how to effect reforms that are more evident to employees.

Going forward, HR management will also be jointly designed by employees and the company. We have been conducting a lively exchange of opinions with employees (co-creators), who participated voluntarily, about the state of HR management and how to communicate information throughout the company.

Flat connections between executive management and employees

Since February 2022, we have been holding round-table discussions in which the Group CEO and about 10 employees exchange their views through "flat" dialogue, without specifying a topic.

Note: For details of the initiatives, please refer to "Progress of the Business Improvement Plan"

In addition, we are working to strengthen communication by holding town hall meetings between executive officers and employees, small group sessions where participants have "flat" conversations, and dialogues between Head Office and the frontlines in various forms. For example, we held an off-site meeting for general managers based on the staff survey, and panel discussions on HR management. We will become an open organization by deepening dialogue between executive management and employees and between Head Office and the frontlines, and by understanding each other's perspectives and ideas.

Due to the IT system failures, scores for the company and executive management fell in the staff survey. With strong conviction based on a deep reflection on these events, going forward we will aim to be an organization with a sense of unity in which all executive officers and employees can act on their initiative and engage in constructive discussions.

 

Staff survey

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Note: 100 represents the figures from FY2019

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