Gunma HR Department Formulates New Business Plan Towards a "Regional Human Resource Ecosystem" in 10 Years

This time, the General Incorporated Association Gunma HR Department (Representative Director: Naoko Sonoda) has formulated a new business plan towards the construction of a "regional human resource ecosystem" in 10 years. Regional companies, each facing various daily challenges such as recruitment difficulties, turnover of young employees, stagnation of motivation, lack of growth opportunities, and lack of challenging spirit – these problems are increasingly complex. The human resource challenges faced by these regional companies can no longer be solved by a single company alone. With the aim of solving these challenges integrally within the region, we established the General Incorporated Association Gunma HR Department last April with regional volunteers. After a year of dialogue with regional companies and gathering the voices of HR personnel, the second year will be an implementation phase for a full-scale launch. [Image: Scene from an HR department community dialogue session] ■About Gunma HR Department The Gunma HR Department was launched in April of '25, centered around social insurance labor consultant Naoko Sonoda (Representative of LINKS HR Consulting Co., Ltd.), together with Shinonome Shinkin Bank and Gunma Regional Co-creation Partners Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of Gunma Bank). It was formed by volunteers driven by a shared recognition of the challenges felt while supporting regional companies daily, and a sense of mission that they must be the ones to solve them integrally within the region. The Gunma HR Department is registered as part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Regional HR Department*" support project. * "Regional HR Department" refers to a comprehensive initiative where a group of regional companies collaborates with related organizations such as local governments, financial institutions, and educational institutions to secure human resources necessary for future management strategies (including concurrent employment and side jobs) and to build career paths within the region. ■Mission of Gunma HR Department Our mission is to "create a sustainable society by 'co-creating' as a region, rather than 'competing' individually." We aim to be a platform that solves the human resource challenges that regional companies cannot solve on their own, through a paradigm shift. * Improvement of human resource mobility → Share the region's "people," "experience," and "workplaces" to compensate for regional labor shortages. * Mutual complementary of know-how → HR personnel organically connect across organizational boundaries. * Circulation of resources → Promote redistribution of knowledge through cross-employment and side jobs among regional companies. We aim to create a society where people living in the region can work vibrantly and with pride, through the revitalization and value enhancement of regional companies. ■Vision for 10 Years Later The employment style of the past was "one person working for one company continuously." This is gradually breaking down, and job changes, side jobs, and concurrent employment are beginning to spread. In the future beyond that, we will create a regional society, a "regional human resource ecosystem," where everyone can repeatedly "learn," "work," and "grow" within the region, living vibrantly according to their own aspirations. And companies will accept returning human resources and together repeatedly "learn," "work," and "grow," increasing their value and developing. ■Two Major Pillars To achieve this vision, we have set forth two policies to be advanced over the next three years. I. School-Enterprise-Student Collaboration ~Establishing a "Co-creation Model" for Regional Career Formation~ II. Intra-regional Job-Type/Cross-Border Employment ~Establishing a Cross-Border Ecosystem for Regional Human Resource Circulation~ ■School-Enterprise-Student Collaboration ~Establishing a "Co-creation Model" for Regional Career Formation~ Job descriptions and websites alone do not reveal the true nature of a company. Similarly, the values and anxieties of students do not fully reach companies. Therefore, we will create new points of contact that transcend schools, companies, and students. We will create opportunities for teachers, students, and companies alike to experience tangible, real truths and understand them deeply as living information. * Holding a Regional Company Festival at Student Dormitories: "Jomogakusha U-turn Connection (tentative)" └ Young employees talk about their real work and career perspectives. * Connecting with the Education Field: Holding "Company x Faculty Dialogue and Exchange Meeting (tentative)" └ Visualize the gap between the talent companies seek and the education system. We will create a place that enhances the "resolution" of careers that grow, work, and develop in the region, not just a simple company information session. ■Intra-regional Job-Type/Cross-Border Employment Program ~Establishing a Cross-Border Ecosystem for Regional Human Resource Circulation~ The other pillar is "intra-regional cross-border employment." Human resources active in large regional companies will participate in small and medium-sized regional companies for a certain period. * As practical experience opportunities for nurturing next-generation leaders * As second careers for senior individuals This program will operate as "Weekly Management Planning Office," supporting the resolution of management challenges as the president's "right-hand person." [For Large Companies] * Practical leader development through "intense real-world experience." * Acquisition of management perspective and multifaceted viewpoints. * Realization of regional contribution by utilizing one's own strengths and skills. [For Small and Medium-sized Enterprises] * Acquisition of advanced know-how and knowledge. * Accelerated resolution of management challenges. * Stimulation and activation of in-house personnel. In this way, we will build a "human resource circulation ecosystem" within the region that transcends the barriers of company size. ■Other Initiatives * HR Department Community → Dialogue sessions for members (several times a year, sharing best practices, know-how, and concerns from other companies) * Preparation of Digital Infrastructure → Creation of prototypes that will serve as future infrastructure (company search, talent bank, event information) * Prefectural University Networking → Information linkage by Gunma HR Department "Student Department," coordination of regional employment media. * Other Collaborations → Collaboration with government, chambers of commerce, educational institutions, HR-related businesses, etc. ■Partner Members Since the establishment of Gunma HR Department, we have held several dialogue sessions for HR personnel from regional companies. About 10 companies from the prefecture gathered, forming an "HR Department Community" as a place where HR personnel, who tend to be isolated, can easily share their concerns. We have launched an "HR Department Community" where HR and human resource development managers from companies within the prefecture connect across organizational boundaries to share information and challenges, and learn from each other. We expect this to enhance the brand value of the entire region by broadening perspectives and learning together about diverse "people and organizational" challenges. By connecting with peers tackling similar issues within the region, we are also considering mutual complementarity of human resources and joint consideration of measures (e.g., cross-border learning). Among these, the following companies are participating as initial partner members in co-creating this platform. (in Japanese syllabary order) * AKAO Holdings Co., Ltd. * The Gunma Bank, Ltd. * Gunma Yakult Sales Co., Ltd. * Sawafuji Electric Co., Ltd. * Shinonome Shinkin Bank * Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd. We hope that the network of partner members will continue to expand and that this activity will take root widely in the region. We welcome inquiries from interested companies. ■Representative's Comment Naoko Sonoda, Representative Director, General Incorporated Association Gunma HR Department "We view labor shortages not as a matter of competition, but as a structural issue. If we collaborate regionally, the number of solvable challenges will undoubtedly increase. In the second year of our organization's activities, we will transition from 'dialogue' to 'implementation.' We hope to make this the year when regional human resources begin to circulate within the region." ■Contact Information Contact Person: Partnership Director Naho Yokota Phone: 080-2983-7426 Email: gunma.jinnji@gmail.com ■Company Outline Name: General Incorporated Association Gunma HR Department Representative: Representative Director Naoko Sonoda Address: 2-2-11 Chiyoda-cho, Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, 2nd Floor, GITY Establishment: April 2025 Directors: Rihito Suzuki, Hiroyuki Motoki Auditor: Masamitsu Inoue Advisor: Jun Kondo Members: Naoko Sonoda, Keiichi Yokoyama, Hideo Kagamiama, Rihito Suzuki Collaborating Organizations: LINKS HR Consulting Co., Ltd., Shinonome Shinkin Bank, Gunma Regional Co-creation Partners Co., Ltd. ■Business Plan d181616-1-080f08efe168338269744ff470b5b635.pdf