Human Resources System

The group and its employees have set a shared vision for human resources as follows:

"We promote the 'ROE' principle for human resources with a view to lasting value creation and creating an attractive and fulfilling working environment for employees."

In this vision, "ROE" stands for the following:

We have established the following five values as Mizuho Value and instilling this value in all employees of the group as the axis of the entire group's operational approach and behavior through our personnel evaluation, the 360-degree employee performance evaluation* and others.

With regard to employees, we aim to create groups of experts that are capable of maximizing their originality and speed of operations in line with the business models of each group company. To enhance the synergies between group personnel, we have adopted a uniform compensation system (a group-wide common platform for all human resources) and are working to further enhance the deployment of the right people in the right jobs through cross-company personnel transfers and other schemes.

We have adopted various group-wide measures under our education and training schemes to actively support employees in their personal career development efforts. We offer group employees a sophisticated education program under the name "Mizuho University," which draws on external resources. The Mizuho University framework encompasses "action learning," whereby participants spend around six months making suggestions to top management on such topics as business strategies and marketing; short-term programs that allow individual participants to select subjects such as business and interpersonal skills; and programs inviting applications to study at graduate schools and educational institutions in Japan and overseas, or take up external assignments.

We also offer a number of other group-wide schemes in addition to the Mizuho University. These include new employee training based on the concept that "knowing the customer allows us to provide them with better service," career design training to help group employees motivate each other to create fulfilling career development plans, support for language learning and obtaining specific qualifications, and assistance for self-development through correspondence courses.

In January 2003, we launched an internal "job application system for branch general manager positions" to encourage the quick development and advancement of younger employees. As of May 31, 2011, we achieved a dynamic rejuvenation of the organization by selecting 87 younger and mid-career applicants in their thirties and appointing them as branch general managers.

We also introduced a group-wide "job application system" and a "rookies' job request system" for young employees who have not experienced personnel transfers to encourage employees to acquire greater specialization in which employees can apply for specific positions throughout the group. We intend to strengthen this scheme by expanding the number of positions available for the "job application system."

With the aims of invigorating our organization by proactively recruiting women, and of improving the morale of female employees, we are taking joint measures in our approach to positive action*.

• *Initiatives that a company adopts proactively and autonomously in order to eliminate gender discrimination in recruitment and to promote the utilization of women's capabilities to the fullest extent possible.

Note: Contents appearing in this section describe the group's human resources system in Japan.

(As of Jun 21, 2011)