Canon employees gain motivation and specialized skills through various training schemes, as well as through recognition and award programs.
In recent years, we have worked to develop strong individuals and a strong organization by focusing on management-level employees through programs that include rank-based training for all managers appointed to new positions. We are also diversifying our training format and content through the active implementation of such initiatives as e-learning.
Recognition and Award Programs
Canon supports recognition and award programs to honor employees for their outstanding achievements.
The Canon President Award of the Year honors employees who have made a major contribution to the development of the company or an outstanding contribution to business in either the Activities Category, (management, technology, production, marketing, etc.) or the Product Category (hit products, key components, etc.).
Other awards include the Invention Award in recognition of contributions to inventions and the company’s intellectual property; the recognition of engineers demonstrating outstanding talent as members of the Canon Academy of Technology; the Production Innovation Award for outstanding technology and production-related innovations; the Canon Expert (Excellent Craftsman) Award and the Meister (Multi-Skilled Worker) Award to recognize individual specialties that contribute to superior production; and the Quality Award for contributions to quality improvement.
Career Matching System Activities
Canon has a career matching system (internal recruiting system) aimed at prompt and prioritized action on matters related to reinforcing operational and departmental staffing, stimulating the company’s internal organization, helping individuals achieve satisfying careers, and matching the right people to the right jobs.
The existing system was revamped in April 2005 to realize an organization that encourages individuals to further their careers and promotes mobility of human resources within the Company. Specifically, we introduced systematic posting of vacancies, and renovated our interviewing system to support the selection process.
In 2006, 241 Canon Inc. employees submitted applications through the system.
International Training
Since 1980, Canon has invited management-level employees from Group companies outside Japan to its 10-day Tokyo Seminar. In addition to deepening their understanding of Canon and raising awareness of managerial roles, the seminars aim to make participants more effective in their daily work through frank discussions with their peers. As of 2006, Canon had held 42 Tokyo Seminars for more than 893 participants.
Other training includes the Canon Corporate Executive Development Program (CCEDP), which aims to foster internationally minded managers and contribute to the establishment of global human resource networks. Also, annual training at Canon in Japan are held for approximately 20 foreign exchange students.
Canon Educational System
An important strategy of Phase III of the Excellent Global Corporation Plan is the cultivation of global leaders. To this end, in May 2006 we established the Canon Global Management Institute in Meguro, Tokyo, as a training center for Group executives.
The facility is outfitted with 11 classrooms of various sizes along with rooms arranged for group discussion, facilitating efficient delivery of a variety of training and education programs. In addition, the institute boasts a library, simultaneous interpreting booths and other features to provide a dedicated training environment for Group employees from around the globe.
The Canon Global Management Institute will serve as a field to cultivate a new generation of leaders to carry Canon into the future.
Canon Global Management Institute
Canon offers training programs to meet the individual needs of each Group company. Canon Europe, for example, conducts Pan-European rank-based training and promotes e-learning.
Rank-based training the “Leading@Canon” program for executives and the “Managing@Canon” program for managers. During 2006, approximately 70 executives across 17 countries participated in “Leading@Canon” programs, which focus on leadership training to effectively maximize the performance of subordinates. Approximately 150 management-level personnel in 17 countries took part in “Managing@Canon” seminars, which aim to assist managers develop staff-cultivation skills (motivation and encouragement, teamwork, etc.), promote codes of conduct, and build in-house personnel networks.
Pan-European e-learning covers all of the 17 countries in the region and targets all employees through a curriculum of approximately 100 courses, spanning such topics as business skills, operation of various in-house systems, and workplace-specific skills.
