Originally written in English

     The need for Japanese companies to manage talent in the face of an aging population, prepare for international expansion, face competition in rising Asian markets and protect data were the featured topics at the third annual Business Transformation, Outsourcing and Shared Services Summit held in November.

     The Japan HR Society (JHRS) opened the second day of the Tokyo conference by bringing issues from the society’s magazine The HR Agenda off the page and into discussion with a panel on “Superior talent management” (see also issues on Selection and Staffing and Diversity and Inclusion). Editor-in-chief Annette Karseras, who moderated the discussion, commented: “Getting people to share their experiences and ideas brings us a step closer to pinpointing workable change and ways to implement this.”

     Panelist Christine Meguro, chief financial officer at Stryker, emphasized the importance of flexible work arrangements, including arrangements to work from home, to enable women to re-enter the workplace when family commitments are part of the equation. She also talked about “the willingness of companies, such as Stryker, to put new processes in place,” giving the example of the provision of a transcriber to support a colleague with a hearing impairment.