Persol Work Switch Consulting to Manage and Operate "Hiroshima Prefecture Human Capital Management Study Group"

Persol Work Switch Consulting Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Takamasa Ono; hereinafter referred to as "Persol Work Switch Consulting"), part of the Persol Group, which has the vision of "Hataraku te, Waraou." (Work and Smile.), has been entrusted with the "Management and Operation of the Hiroshima Prefecture Human Capital Management Study Group" aimed at expanding the base of companies in Hiroshima Prefecture engaged in the disclosure and practice of human capital management.

Background

<Latest Trends and Challenges in Human Capital Management by National and Local Governments>

Amidst changes in industrial structure due to factors such as the declining working population and the advancement of digital technologies, "human capital management" is gaining attention as a management approach that leads to sustainable corporate growth while flexibly responding to change.

While investment and disclosure in human capital are becoming established among large corporations, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), despite understanding its importance, have not yet begun to implement it, making support for them a significant challenge.

The fiscal year 2026 (Reiwa 8) requires a transition from a phase focused on information dissemination and awareness-raising to a phase that delves into practical implementation, posing the question, "To what extent can we encourage behavioral change in participating companies?"

Persol Work Switch Consulting was entrusted with Hiroshima Prefecture's "Human Capital Management Promotion Advisor Dispatch Service" in fiscal year 2025 (Reiwa 7) and has been supporting medium-sized and small enterprises in the prefecture in solving their HR, organizational, and management challenges. Based on these achievements, in fiscal year 2026 (Reiwa 8), the scope of implementation has been expanded with the entrustment of the "Management and Operation of the Human Capital Management Study Group."

<Importance of Promoting Human Capital Management in Hiroshima Prefecture>

Hiroshima Prefecture is a core city in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, with manufacturing industries such as automotive and shipbuilding as its main sectors. On the other hand, a decline in the working population, particularly among young people, is anticipated, necessitating a full-scale effort to "improve labor productivity" for future sustainable growth.

Considering the increasing labor market mobility in the future, it is important for the entire industry to expand opportunities for productivity improvement and skill development. For companies, promoting human capital management by combining internal reskilling, job rotation, and the acquisition of external talent is effective. However, since companies alone have limitations, it is necessary to build and operate a framework that supports human capital management initiatives across the region through collaboration between government and businesses.

Overview of This Project

This project will provide support focusing on "Study Group Secretariat Management and Operation," "Disclosure Report Creation Support," "Verification of Disclosure Tools and Disclosure Tools (Systems)," and "Momentum Building."

By operating these not as independent projects but as a continuous cycle of "Awareness → Participation → Creation → Disclosure → Establishment," we will contribute to the promotion of human capital management in Hiroshima Prefecture. If any of the following are missing in the design, there is a risk of falling into a state where "participants cannot be gathered," "participants are gathered but no results are achieved," or "good initiatives do not spread."

1. Lowering the barrier to participation and increasing motivation

2. Reliably connecting participation to the next action

3. Flexible support tailored to the company's situation

By emphasizing human capital management design and operation with these points, we will contribute to the sustainable growth of companies in Hiroshima Prefecture.

Future Outlook

In the support provided in fiscal year 2025 (Reiwa 7), a gap was observed between the needs of companies in the prefecture and the significance of human capital management through consultation sessions. In fiscal year 2026 (Reiwa 8), it is necessary to create a system that further aligns the needs of companies in the prefecture with human capital management initiatives and the significance of disclosure, so flexible support tailored to companies will be provided.

- Support the realization of careers through the choices of each individual worker and diverse working styles.

- Create an attractive work environment for workers and carefully communicate these initiatives to society and stakeholders.

We will expand this relationship of "choosing and being chosen" between companies and workers, and realize a virtuous cycle of compensation, job satisfaction, productivity, and competitiveness throughout the region.

Persol Work Switch Consulting has multiple ISO30414 Lead Consultant/Assessor certifications and possesses know-how in addressing various HR and organizational issues, enabling the dispatch of highly specialized advisors.

Furthermore, the Persol Group actively promotes human capital management and is a member of the "Human Capital Management Consortium" led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Additionally, its group company, Persol Research and Consulting, leads research and studies on human capital management, driving management approaches that maximize human capital.

We will contribute to the promotion of human capital management in Hiroshima Prefecture by leveraging such group-wide knowledge.

Recruitment of Participating Companies for the Hiroshima Prefecture Human Capital Management Study Group

Hiroshima Prefecture is recruiting members for the "Hiroshima Prefecture Human Capital Management Study Group," which brings together SMEs interested in human capital management and disclosure.

*What is Human Capital Management... It is a management approach that views human resources as "capital" and maximizes their value to achieve mid-to-long-term corporate value enhancement.

- I hear about human capital management and disclosure, but I don't know where to start.

- I don't know if I can get results commensurate with the effort put into human capital management and disclosure.

- I want to promote human capital management and disclosure, but I am busy with existing work and do not have the personnel within the company to promote it.

- I want to disclose human capital, but I cannot proceed effectively because I cannot get the understanding of management.

Business owners and HR managers in the prefecture who have such concerns, and companies in the prefecture interested in human capital management and disclosure, are encouraged to check the details.

*Report creation can be done free of charge.

*Examples of subsidies in the "Solving Challenges" diagram above are as follows:

- Hiroshima Prefecture Human Capital Management Promotion Subsidy... Subsidies are provided for necessary expenses to promote human capital management.

- Go! Hiroshima Scholarship Repayment Support System Introduction Company Support Subsidy... Subsidies are provided for expenses related to supporting employees' scholarship repayment to secure young talent.

For details on how to join, implementation schedule, etc., please check the URL below.

https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/site/hcm-human-capital/06jinteki-workshop.html

Comments from Responsible Persons

Hiroshima Prefecture, Commerce, Labor and Tourism Department

Director, Human Capital Management Promotion Division

Mr. Yoshiyuki Uesugi

Hiroshima Prefecture supports the practice of human capital management starting with the disclosure of human capital information, and currently, over 450 companies are participating in the study group. Various dialogues arise within companies during the process of creating disclosure reports, and refining these dialogues leads to the practice of human capital management.

In fiscal year 2025 (Reiwa 7), we developed a disclosure tool (system) to efficiently and high-quality prepare and create disclosure reports, aiming to reduce the workload for companies. This fiscal year, we will further support the practice of human capital management by companies in the prefecture through hands-on workshops for creating disclosure reports on the spot and detailed individual follow-ups by the Human Capital Consultation Desk.

Persol Work Switch Consulting Co., Ltd. HR Consulting Business Unit, HR Consulting Management Department

HR Planning Consulting Department, Consulting Group 2

Manager

Kanon Ogishima

We have heard earnest voices from many business owners in the prefecture saying, "I understand the importance of human capital management, but I don't know where to start with my own company." We recognize this project as a socially significant initiative that supports such on-site hesitations and elevates human capital management from the phase of "understanding" to "implementation." Based on the know-how gained from dialogues with companies in the prefecture during the fiscal year 2025 (Reiwa 7) "Human Capital Management Promotion Advisor Dispatch Service," our company will provide integrated, on-site support, from study group secretariat operations and disclosure report creation support to individual consultation services.

We will contribute to the sustainable industrial growth of Hiroshima Prefecture and the realization of a future where every individual can thrive.

About Persol Work Switch Consulting Co., Ltd.

https://www.persol-wsc.co.jp/

Persol Work Switch Consulting Co., Ltd. operates in two domains: "HR Consulting," which solves all HR issues from strategy and system design, system implementation, to data utilization and operational improvement; and "Technology Consulting," which realizes BPR (Business Process Re-engineering) through the utilization of AI and automation technologies. With the mission of "Transforming Work Styles" through business and technology consulting by leveraging the Persol Group's ability to solve people and organizational issues, we work with our clients to solve the challenges they face and problems that may arise in the future, thereby improving the productivity of people and organizations.