Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda)

The source of "Honda-ness" that each employee creates

The automotive industry has seen rapid market changes in recent years, with trends such as electrification and automation. Amid this industry, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., which is celebrating its 75th anniversary and is expected to continue growing, is currently focusing on digging up organizational culture through its human resources department. What kind of organizational culture has been cultivated since the company's founding, and how has it led to Honda's strengths and appeal? We spoke with two of its human resources representatives.

Traditionally, the automotive industry has been a one-time business, where cars are manufactured and sold, and that's it. There has been little provision of new value to customers after the sale. However, in recent years, there has been a demand for approaches that go beyond the manufacture and sale of cars to include customer experiences through cars.
For example, some users may want to enjoy movies and music while traveling, while others may want to know about recommended restaurants along the way. How well the automotive industry can meet the diverse needs of its customers is a challenge for the future.
Technology is improving every year, with the emergence of electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, but technological advances alone are not enough to meet the changing needs of users.
Going forward, we must combine technological development and the pursuit of customer experience to provide value widely as a mobility company. We are currently in a period of change as great as the time when transportation methods changed from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles. We must change, but this is also a great opportunity. I would like to take advantage of this opportunity and focus even more on creating new value.

To realize "Honda-ness"

What's needed in this situation is to break away from past successes. We need to start from scratch and take on new challenges without being bound by the past. In a sense, I think the sensibilities of young people, who have a blank canvas, will be extremely important in the automotive industry. I also think that an open organizational culture, such as a good atmosphere, plays a major role in enabling young talent to thrive.
Since our founding, phrases such as "Carry the torch in your own hands" and "Eliminate no plays, no errors" have been passed down through the generations. In other words, the belief that you should work for what you want to achieve has traditionally been cultivated as part of our organizational culture. The role of human resources is to further uncover this Honda identity. With this in mind, we are promoting reforms in a wide range of areas, including recruitment, training, and transfers. For example, with regard to training, until now, there have been rules regarding the way employees receive training, such as receiving specific training at the time of promotion.
However, this means that no matter how many proactive employees there are, there will be fewer opportunities for them to actively learn.
Therefore, we have changed the system so that anyone with the ability and motivation can receive training, creating an environment where employees can continue to learn.
By institutionalizing each of our company's traditional organizational cultures one by one, we are communicating the Honda identity both internally and externally, and I believe this is the greatest role of human resources.

The appeal of a company is created by its people

Our company's owned media, "Me and Honda, Career," is actually aimed at internal branding rather than external branding. Currently, we post an article about a different employee once a week, hoping that by being featured in the media, employees will take pride in their work. We hope that through these articles, employees' families, friends, and other associates will learn about their work. Of course, our company offers a wide range of products, a global environment, and an organizational culture that encourages challenges. However, these alone are not enough for a company to continue growing. It is undoubtedly our employees who have shaped Honda to date and into the future. We hope that by focusing on each employee who embodies Honda's unique identity on the front lines, we can convey the appeal of our company.
In terms of recruitment, I would be delighted if more and more people would join our company because they are impressed with our people and organizational culture. When hiring, we look not at superficial knowledge and skills, but at the underlying passion and motivation of each person.
For example, we sometimes judge a person's character from their past experiences, such as how they verbalize and talk about failures. If there is a part of that person's deep-seated character that syncs with what makes them Honda, then we would definitely like to hire them.

＊message＊

I hope you will do a good job hunting job not for anyone else, but for yourself. And to do that, you first need to know yourself. Face yourself to the point of writing your own manual, noting the moments when you feel joy or sadness, or when your values ​​are shaken. At the end of this process, you are sure to encounter a company that strikes a chord with you.

Student Newspaper April 1, 2023 Issue Keio University 3rd Year Student Miyu Ito