Creating a Workplace with Higher Job Satisfaction

Advantest has been striving to realize good work-life balance for all employees and to create a work environment in which each and every employee can work with higher job satisfaction.

With the spread of remote work and the progress of globalization and workstyle reforms due to the current COVID-19 situation, the working environment has changed drastically, forcing us to recognize a need for a more diverse form of office use. Under such circumstances, we have been unceasing in our exploration for the very existence of the office that ensures comfort, safety, and productivity, and have prompted improvements to further enhance the work environment by renovating the office.

Office Building Renovated to Support New Workstyles

Based on the new norm as our employees will remain working remotely, the Marunouchi head office has switched to a completely “free address” office that incorporates the ABW (Activity Based Working) concept, so that employees can freely select a seat from among various types of seats that best suit what activities they have to do.

During the design phase, we held a workshop consisting of 20 employees from each department at the head office, and discussed the concept of the new office, which came down to "EXCITING WORKPLACE" and "an office you want to come to, that makes you feel like a happy child every day". After many discussions about the kind of office we wanted to build, we completed our proposal for a new layout.

There are electric lift seats whose height can be changed, “intense focus” seats surrounded by sound-insulating partitions, seats in rows of four where you can collaborate while exchanging opinions with your neighbors, booth seats such as at a diner where you can have small face-to-face meetings, single-person web conference booths, personal chairs that can be switched around, and counter seats facing the window. It is an environment rich in variation. COVID-19 infection control measures include seat arrangements that ensure social distancing. Since the seats are not fixed, it is easier to communicate across departments and floors.

Efforts are also being made to improve operational efficiency and increased convenience of the office through IT, including attendance management and conference room reservation systems as well as through the introduction of next-generation Wi-Fi standard and large displays in meeting areas.

Office renovations incorporating the ABW concept have also been implemented at the Sendai office where Advantest Laboratories is located, and during the relocation of the Advantest (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. head office while we continue to improve and enhance workstyle reforms.

Promotion of Digital Workplace Activities #myADV

Advantest has been continuously improving the #myADV digital workplace (#myADV), which started in May 2020, in order to encourage and support global business development and a "hybrid" way of working for employees globally.

#myADV is promoted by the Global IT Collaboration team and supports volunteer #myADV guides (over 150 guides as of the end of February 2023). Specifically, the Global IT Collaboration team conducts regular coaching sessions for #myADV guides, as well as organization-specific use case analysis and training for specific business entities to support company-wide dissemination and use of collaboration tools.

With the introduction of latest tools and technologies to facilitate global collaboration, we have integrated our global intranet into Advantest's #myADV Digital Workplace. We also help establish a global work model on a company-wide, latest communication and collaboration platform.

Even after the COVID-19 pandemic, #myADV activities continue to progress well, adapting to the new hybrid work models. In addition, training for employees across the entire group have been implemented to boost the level of tool usage, along with the development of new tools and functions, aiming to maximize team collaboration using digital technology.

Awarded as a "Workplace with Excellent Job Satisfaction" (Germany Great Place to Work®)

Advantest Europe GmbH (Germany) has participated in the surveys of the international human resources consulting agency "Great Place to Work®" every other year since 2017, and has been recognized as a "Great Place to Work®" each time. Great Place to Work® evaluates companies of all sizes, industries, and regions, and annually releases a top 100 list of "Great Place to Work®" based on solid relationships of trust within the workplace and whether each employee can make the most of their potential. Awards are offered to companies that collaborate with their employees in a fair and sincere manner with a powerful sense of unity. In the anonymous benchmark tests related to corporate culture conducted by Great Place to Work® on Advantest’s employees, the company obtained the highest marks in various categories.

In addition, workstyle reform is being tackled in each Group company in order to create workplaces where all employees can work while having a sense of worthwhile.

Advantest Test Solutions, Inc. (U.S.A.) Ranked Among "Top Workplaces" for 3rd Consecutive Year

Advantest Test Solutions, Inc. (ATS) is once again the recipient of the Top Workplaces award from the Orange County Register, a local newspaper publication in Southern California. This is the third year in a row that ATS received this award!

Qualifications are given after employees complete an independent, online confidential questionnaire regarding company culture, management, and leadership. Some general points and words shared by our employees were: Busy, Integrity, Focused, Trust, Teamwork, Professional, Innovation, Inclusion, Challenging, Dedication, Empowerment, Close-Knit. In particular, ATS rated highly in the following: “operates by strong values”; “encourages different points of view”; and “my manager cares about my concerns”, which led to the award.