Sustainability

The OPEN HOUSE Group works to create environments that enable diverse human resources to fully exhibit their abilities and increase productivity.
We accordingly promote work-style reforms to achieve our ideals with respect to developing a robust organization that enhances motivation of every employee and in which employees and OPEN HOUSE join forces in helping bring about their mutual growth. We will carry out work-style reforms by systemic reform and utilization of information technology, and will take steps to reduce work hours and streamline operations in a manner complying with relevant laws and regulations.
Underpinned by our Corporate Philosophy stating that we will “attract a wide range of motivated people and create an organization that rewards results,” we respect the human rights of each and every one of our employees while accordingly striving to create an organization that draws on its diversity in a manner irrespective of gender, age, nationality and other such individual attributes, and striving to create employee-friendly workplace environments. In 2013, Open House Co., Ltd. established the Diversity Committee, which considers issues and facilitates ongoing dialogue between employees and OPEN HOUSE, upon having positioned the notion of promoting diversity as one of our key management strategies.
Going forward, we aim to serve as a real estate company needed by society, which will involve generating competitive strengths based on action guidelines in accordance with our Corporate Principles.

Policy for promoting work-style reforms

Streamlining operations through in-house IT systems

The OPEN HOUSE Group’s ongoing growth amid an ever-changing business environment is partially attributable to its sense of urgency and ability to take action. We have coped with escalating workloads brought about by increasing business performance by developing a proprietary IT system that reduces and digitizes time-consuming and labor-intensive analog work unique to the real estate industry. Going forward, we will build upon our track record of accomplishments in streamlining operations and enhance our strengths under the leadership of our IT Division.

Our IT Division received an IT Award

In November 2020, our IT Division received the 38th IT Award (2020, management category) sponsored by the Japan Institute of Information Technology. The award was granted in recognition of our efforts to build an IT organization for engaging in in-house development for the sake of facilitating the Developers’ eXperience (DX)* approach, whereby in-house engineers provide solutions by developing in-house systems upon having been directly told about on-site issues.

* The Developers’ eXperience (DX) approach results in greater end-user satisfaction given a situation where our engineers are aware of how they contribute to outcomes through their tasks of developing and maintaining computer systems.

Recruitment of outstanding talent worldwide

Outstanding professionals recruited worldwide play an active role in our IT Division. We have employed diverse human resources as a result of efforts to extensively seek professionals equipped both with English-language proficiency and IT expertise, which is crucial when it comes to developing our in-house computer systems. Going forward, we will persist with efforts to strengthen our IT infrastructure by flexibly incorporating advanced information technologies, while continuing to employ work-ready talent irrespective of nationality or background.

Efforts to develop proprietary IT systems spearheaded by our in-house engineers

Our IT Division has succeeded in striking a balance between cost-cutting and convenience, drawing on its approximately 100 different computer systems, applications and other tools that have been developed in-house with the aim of addressing business challenges.
Our primary computer systems developed in-house are as follows.

Automatic retrieval of property-related documentation using robotic process automation (RPA)

Our RPA-based system automatically collects maps, certified copies and other such property-related information required for brokerage and purchasing operations from in-house and external systems using robotics technologies. This enables representatives of such operations to gain access to the information they need from an external location within a few minutes of simply sending a robot brief details using a smartphone.

System for automated demarcation of building lots

In order to automate the task of demarcating land when considering purchasing it, we developed a system that suggests optimally demarcated boundaries while adhering to complex construction rules. This system helps us significantly reduce workflow by enabling us to automatically prepare plans that adhere to constraints imposed on respective properties.

System for organizing and storing property-related information

This system functions simply by scanning documents with QR-code sheets therebetween. In the single-family homes related business, we supply more than 8,000 properties annually. It used to take us about 60 minutes per property to complete the task of page-by-page scanning, organizing, sorting and storing all of the documents associated with a single property. The new system enables us to complete such tasks in only five minutes. As such, we expect to reduce workload by about 8,000 hours annually as a result.

Promoting Women's Empowerment

One issue faced by the real estate industry is the low percentage of female employees.
To resolve this issue, in October 2020, we established the Counseling Office for Promoting Women’s Empowerment directly under the HR Department to create a system for accepting feedback directly from female employees in order to provide further support for female empowerment.
By revising the system to reflect actual conditions and regularly disseminating information internally and externally, we are working to create an environment in which women can work comfortably.
In addition, we also aim to create environments friendly to all of our employees as part of our efforts to promote diversity. To such ends, we will draw up action plans and set targets based on the Act on the Promotion of Women's Empowerment and Career Advancement in the Workplace and also based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children.

Introduction of maternity/childcare leave and return-to-work care kits

In January 2021, we introduced kits containing outlines of procedures and documentation necessary for those taking maternity and childcare leave, and for those returning to work. We are now distributing such kits to appropriate individuals. Our efforts that involve explaining available support programs and assisting with various application procedures have helped to create a workplace environment that can mitigate anxiety and hardships of those taking leave and returning to the workplace.

Promoting Employment of Persons with Disabilities

The OPEN HOUSE Group aims to create employee-friendly workplace environments that make the most of diversity. We accordingly respect the human rights of our employees which involves promoting employment of persons with disabilities, older persons and overseas talent.
Through partnerships among the HR Department and external companies, we are striving to build a workplace environment in which every employee can make the most of their own abilities without regard to disabilities, while providing the necessary work accommodations for those with disabilities. In 2020, moreover, OPEN HOUSE Group companies Open House Architect and HAWK ONE achieved a 2.2% employment rate of persons with disabilities upon our having expanded our support framework on a Group-wide basis.
In April 2021, the OPEN HOUSE Group gained approval to apply the workforce calculation exception for corporate groups*, upon having been recognized for results it has achieved in employment of persons with disabilities. Going forward, we will continue to actively take a flexible approach that transcends boundaries of regions and companies on a Group-wide basis.

* The workforce calculation exception for corporate groups is an option that is applied to a corporate group’s calculation of its employment rate of persons with disabilities. The exception enables a corporate group to use the aggregate total actual employment rate of persons with disabilities with respect to multiple subsidiaries, even without a special subsidiary company, under the condition that the parent company has appointed a person in charge of promoting employment of persons with disabilities, and under the condition that related subsidiaries of the group are capable of appropriately managing employment of persons with disabilities.
The workforce calculation exception applies to Open House Co., Ltd. and its related subsidiaries (the following nine companies).
Open House Development Co., Ltd., Open House Architect Co., Ltd., HAWK ONE CORPORATION, PRESSANCE CORPORATION Co., Ltd., PLUS-D Inc., OPEN HOUSE Real Estate Co., Ltd., OPEN HOUSE Property Management Co., Ltd., IB Net Co., Ltd., and Gunma Pro Basketball Commission Co., Ltd.

Employment rate of persons with disabilities

Description	2014 (prior to introduction of satellite office)		2018	2019	2020
Employment rate of persons with disabilities	0.60%		2.20%	2.20%	2.20%
Relevant companies of the OPEN HOUSE Group		⇒

Work that empowers those with disabilities

The OPEN HOUSE Group aims to create workplace environments that help unlock the potential of highly motivated employees by ensuring them equal opportunity.
We furthermore seek for all of our employees to gain satisfaction as they engage in their work. To such ends, we cut down on workload involving certain transaction-related tasks, amass successful instances of transfers of operations, and encourage employees of the satellite office to exercise more discretion.
Our efforts that enable employees with disabilities to work with a sense of satisfaction under appropriate support have enabled us to successfully recruit such employees while also helping us to increase operational efficiency in-house.

Establishment and operation of barrier-free satellite office

There are cases where persons with disabilities have no choice but to discontinue employment given that they sometimes encounter difficulties working in a typical office environment. We have addressed such challenges by making it possible for such employees to opt for employment at our satellite office rather than at a typical office. In addition to being fully equipped with barrier-free and security features, our satellite office employs full-time staff members who play supporting roles with respect to the employment of persons with disabilities. We have succeeded in developing workplaces that are empowering diverse human resources in terms of enabling employees to autonomously achieve consistent performance, underpinned by employment assistance, operational guidance and support carried out by full-time staff members.

Extended-width sliding door

Continuous floor surface with no changes in level (capacity: 50 persons; area: 311 m3)

Coordination with other companies

We seek to employ persons with disabilities who are an integral part of their communities, with the aim of serving as a company that supports and draws on employees with disabilities, in partnership with Startline CO., LTD., a provider of employment assistance services for persons with disabilities.
Going forward, we will continue to work with Startline in efforts to create environments that enable persons with disabilities to attain substantial achievements by leveraging their individual abilities and skills.