ExaWizards helps provide accelerated support to companies hiring digital human resources through a partnership with Persol Group’s TECH PLAY, which possesses the largest network of engineers in Japan – Provision of a one-stop package that covers everything from the construction of DX organizations to the development of AI services –
ExaWizards Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & President: Ko Ishiyama; hereinafter, “ExaWizards”) has helped provide accelerated support to companies hiring digital human resources through a partnership with TECH PLAY (Operating company: PERSOL INNOVATION CO., LTD.), owned by human resource services company PERSOL HOLDINGS CO., LTD. (Headquarters: Minato-ku Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Masamichi Mizuta; hereinafter, “PERSOL HD”). This move will enable the provision of a one-stop package that covers everything from the construction of DX organizations to the development of AI services to help companies achieve digital transformation (hereinafter, “DX”).
Finding solutions to the shortage of human resources for DX promotion and providing support for the creation of new businesses utilizing AI
Recently, the pace of technological innovation has accelerated dramatically, including in areas such as AI and IoT, and companies are being called upon to create new values utilizing data and digital technologies. A major issue facing companies is the hiring and training of human resources who are able to utilize these ever-evolving technologies. In a survey*1 carried out by ExaWizards, it became apparent that only a handful of companies in Japan have undertaken DX promotion, with only 3% of companies answering that they had put in place fully-fledged DX promotion measures. In addition, according to a survey*2 published by the Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan, it is clear that there is a severe shortage in human resources capable of driving through DX promotion.
This situation led to the formation of a partnership between TECH PLAY, which possesses a network of digital human resources in the region of 150,000 people and provides support for the construction of organizations to promote DX through human resource hiring and training, and ExaWizards, which has been involved in AI development in a range of industries, including caregiving, medicine, HR, finance, robots, and others, and which has also assisted numerous companies in introducing AI and undertaking DX promotion. The knowledge, know-how and technologies of both companies will be merged under this partnership to provide seamless support for solving the organizational and technological issues of companies that are aiming to achieve DX, covering everything from the formulation of DX strategies, recruitment PR work for constructing DX organizations, and the hiring and training of human resources to come up with organizational designs and promote DX, to the development of services utilizing technologies such as AI.
ExaWizards won first place in TOP STARTUPS, a recruitment ranking of startup companies published by LinkedIn in 2019, and its hiring power has always been one of its strengths. This partnership with enable ExaWizards to further strengthen its hiring power, and to accelerate the pace of support to companies for hiring digital human resources. This in turn will help create chances for Japanese companies to reassess their fundamental corporate strategies, as well as create new forms of social value in anticipation of the future, promoting a culture of nurturing DX human resources at many companies.
*1: Source: ExaWizards “Questionnaire Survey on COVID-19” https://exawizards.com/archives/10248
*2: Source: Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan “Survey on the Ideal Functions and Roles of Human Resources to promote Digital Transformation” https://www.ipa.go.jp/files/000073017.pdf
Comment from Ko Ishiyama, Representative Director & President of ExaWizards Inc.
While many companies are currently trying to get to grips with DX, there are only a limited number of concrete examples of success in Japan, due to delays in insourcing etc. stemming from a shortage in digital human resources. In order to solve this problem, there is a need to plan and implement policies for insourcing in a highly consistent, one-stop manner. This includes many things, such as the establishment of a closing flow for hiring digital human resources centering on engineers, the implementation of recruitment PR work through the opensourcing of AI-related technologies and R&D of new technologies such as quantum computers, and organizational development through OJT/Off-JT which sees exchanges of human resources taking place between high level engineers. By merging Persol Group’s TECH PLAY, which possesses the largest network of engineers in Japan, with the diverse DX knowledge and human resources of ExaWizards, we will work to support the insourcing of DX at companies and the implementation of specific projects.
Comment from Hirotoshi Takahashi, Director, Deputy President and Executive Officer (Function Control Officer, Solution SBU Lead), PERSOL HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
In the coming era, the ability to utilize technologies will be essential to expand a person’s work possibilities. Here at PERSOL, we too have adopted the notion of “Innovating through technologies” as one of our group key strategies for the period running up to 2030. In order to reconsider and refine people’s inherent values related to working, we will work to provide services which enable seamless support while utilizing the strengths of both companies in partnership with AI venture ExaWizards, with the aim of promoting the utilization of technologies and data at long-established Japanese companies. Through this partnership, we will endeavor to improve the productivity of Japan’s labor market by providing a total package of support, covering everything from the introduction of DX to the training of human resources, in the hope of enabling even just one more person to “Work, and Smile.”
[About PERSOL HOLDINGS CO., LTD.]
Since its founding in 1973, Tempstaff Co., Ltd. (now PERSOL TEMPSTAFF CO., LTD.) group companies have been involved in comprehensive human resources services—from placing temporary and permanent staff to outsourcing services and career transition (outplacement) support. The holding company, formed in October 2008 as Temp Holdings Co., Ltd., changed its name to PERSOL HOLDINGS CO., LTD. in July 2017. The company is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, First Section (stock code 2181) and recorded sales of 925,800 million yen (fiscal year ended March 2019).
[About PERSOL] <https://www.persol-group.co.jp/>
Aiming to achieve its group vision “Work, and Smile”, the PERSOL Group has been engaged in a wide range of services that involve people and organizations – from temporary staffing service “Tempstaff” to recruitment service “doda”, IT outsourcing services, and design and development.
The group also works on innovations of the next generation by merging human resources services with technologies, like a recruitment service “MIIDAS” for finding one’s market value, an IT event info WEB site as well as an event and community space “TECH PLAY”, and cloud-based mobile POS register “POS+ (POSTAS)”.
[About TECH PLAY] <https://techplay.jp>
TECH PLAY is an organization which aims to accelerate the pace of change in society through technology by giving support to “challengers = TECH PLAYERS who can wield technologies to create new values to achieve a better world.” It works to empower tech human resources through a platform for learning and nurturing connections. This includes the administration of TECH PLAY, a tech community service with 150,000 members, and TECH PLAY SHIBUYA, a community space where 1,500 tech human resources gather every month. Having planned and administered over 1,000 seminars in the past, it has built up a high level of mutual trust with the tech community by linking the various networks generated from these seminars organically. Recently, it has been providing companies with support in achieving a digital transformation, working behind the scenes to help companies make the switch to data and digital technology utilization.
It works to empower tech human resources in the belief that TECH PLAYER’s increasing value coupled with people’s rising aspirations will help push through digitalization across all of Japan’s industries.
Operating company: PERSOL INNOVATION CO., LTD.
[About ExaWizards Inc.]
Sticking to our mission: Solving social issues through Artificial Intelligence for future generations, we develop and commercialize AI products in a wide range of areas from caregiving, medical care, and human resource management to robotics and finance. Our members represent a kaleidoscopic variety of talent, including not only AI engineers but also software and hardware engineers, strategy consultants, UI/UX designers, as well as subject matter experts, researchers, and policy experts specializing in caregiving and other fields. Based in Japan, a super-aging society, ExaWizards, engages in product development with a thorough understanding of the front-line needs and issues in each field, while expanding globally through business development initiatives at overseas bases.
Website: https://exawizards.com/en/