Employees

Diversity & Inclusion

Basic Approach

Our Group recognizes that the greatest source of value creation is people, and that human resources are the most important management resource for business growth.

The Diversity & Inclusion promoted by our Group means respecting diversity in gender, age, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, values, experience, and work styles, and fostering an organizational culture in which each employee can maximize their abilities. We believe that the active participation of diverse human resources improves the productivity of the organization as a whole, encourages the creation of new value, and serves as a foundation that supports the sustainable growth of our Group and the realization of our mission.

Based on this understanding, our Group will continue to develop an environment in which each employee can work with peace of mind, grow, and play an active role, while contributing to the realization of a sustainable society through the promotion of Diversity & Inclusion.

Our Approach to Promotion

Our Group is expanding flexible work options and developing various support systems so that diverse human resources can fully demonstrate their abilities according to their individual circumstances and life stages.

Specifically, we offer a flex-time system, telework, staggered working hours, and an hourly annual paid leave system to provide diverse working style options. In addition, we are working to enhance systems that support the balance between work and personal life when employees face life events such as childbirth, childcare, and caregiving.

These measures are not intended only for specific attributes, but rather to create a work environment in which all employees can continue working with peace of mind according to their own circumstances.

In particular, with regard to women's work styles, we fully understand that life stages can make work styles more restricted. We believe that having flexible systems in place to support major life events provides employees with a strong sense of security, and we continuously strengthen various support measures so that they can fully demonstrate their abilities.

1. Support for Balancing Work Styles and Life Events

Our Group is promoting the development of an environment in which each employee can work flexibly according to their life stage, regardless of gender. We are expanding related systems so that employees can continue to demonstrate their abilities while responding to environmental changes associated with childbirth, childcare, caregiving, and other life events.

In addition to system development, we also work to promote understanding in the workplace and provide operational support so that employees facing various circumstances can continue building their careers over the medium to long term.

2. Respect for Diversity in Age and Experience

Our Group believes that having people with diverse knowledge, experience, and expertise play active roles regardless of age leads to stronger organizational capabilities. In particular, we regard the knowledge and experience of senior employees as important management assets, and we have established a system that provides opportunities for employees who wish to continue working after retirement.

3. Support for the Active Participation of Persons with Disabilities

Our Group believes it is important that everyone, regardless of disability, can play an active role according to their abilities and aptitudes. Based on this idea, we are creating employment opportunities and improving workplace acceptance systems so that persons with disabilities can work by making use of their aspirations and aptitudes.

We also strive to create an environment in which they can continue working comfortably by carefully confirming each person's wishes and aptitudes through prior communication with the receiving department and interviews with supervisors and HR personnel.

4. Initiatives Related to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Our Group promotes the creation of a work environment in which all employees can work with peace of mind regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. In our basic sustainability policy, we clearly state that we do not discriminate against sexual minorities, and we strive to foster a corporate culture in which diverse human resources are respected.

In addition, Group companies have introduced systems that recognize same-sex partners as spouses, making them eligible for various HR systems and employee benefits. By registering their partnership, employees can access benefits such as special leave for ceremonial occasions and condolence payments.

Overview of Systems
Details on the use of these systems are provided in HR-related Data.

Developing Human Resources

Statement of Policy and Commitment to Providing Training Opportunities for Employee Skill Enhancement

Our Group considers it a very important theme to actively provide training opportunities aimed at improving employee skills, as this continuously enhances corporate value and our Group's competitive advantage.

Therefore, to contribute to employee reskilling, we have developed a curriculum centered on generative AI, particularly LLM, available in an e-learning format, providing learning opportunities.

In particular, we focus on ensuring that new technologies in fields like LLM can be applied in business, and we conduct more practical reskilling training.

We intend to continue providing various training opportunities aimed at skill enhancement so that each employee can actively challenge themselves in various fields without fear of "Try & Error."

Specific Initiatives

Formation of a Culture of Learning Together

Our Company has established "Value" as an important set of values for continuously nurturing talent with the desire to grow and learn for new value creation.

Value

1. "Creating New Norms"
   We want to create "new" norms not only in products and services that provide direct value to customers but also in our daily operations. Continuing the same thing is one kind of value, but we want to make ingenuity and challenges to bring about innovation, even in small things, part of our daily routine.
2. "Doing What Makes People Say, 'You Go That Far?'"
   Among all the value we deliver to customers, we place particular emphasis on speed and aim to do what makes people ask, "You go that far?" We want to drive business growth through a speed that surprises customers.
3. "What Comes After Failure Is the Real Test"
   Rather than blaming failure, we practice communication that accepts it and focuses on solutions. We create opportunities for continuous challenge. Instead of playing it safe or avoiding challenges, we want employees to take on challenges, fail, and grow.
   Strengthening workplace communication based on "Value" and creating a culture of learning together through mutual feedback is an important foundation not only for maximizing the productivity and performance of each employee but also for continuously making the most of our human resources. Based on this understanding, in personnel evaluations we consider not only "Results" (performance evaluation) but also "Way" (behavioral evaluation) based on the above "Value," and strive to maintain and promote a culture of learning together.

Support for Self-Learning

Our Group companies support self-investment for growth along one's career path in order to promote autonomous growth and help employees achieve growth through their own efforts.

Specifically, we have established a system in which the company subsidizes part or all of the cost of books purchased for self-improvement.

We also encourage employees to actively participate in external seminars and obtain various work-related certifications, with the company covering the necessary costs as appropriate.

Furthermore, rewards are provided for acquiring certain qualifications. As part of our internal learning community activities that support employees' autonomous learning, our Group regularly provides opportunities for "results presentations" and "opinion exchanges" to broadly share knowledge and insights related to work.

These opportunities allow employees to gain insights from others while also creating opportunities to practice presentation skills, thereby promoting autonomous growth.

New Employee Training

Our Group companies provide training for new employees. In this training, employees learn "portable skills" that should be maintained as working adults, such as business etiquette, business communication, documentation using Word, business use of Excel, presentations using PowerPoint, logical thinking, business hearing, and basic accounting knowledge. They also learn "business skills" intended for practical use in the workplace, such as our Group's business model, teamwork, customer-oriented thinking, project work methods, the basics of business process improvement using digital technologies and AI, and analytical skills. These programs are conducted intensively in an Off-JT format by executives or employees active on the front lines.

After completing new employee training, employees receive additional training based on a medium-term development plan according to job type, level, and length of service.

Providing Learning Opportunities through Group-wide Common Training

Our Group provides employees with "Group-wide Common Training" planned using assets of CHANGE, one of our operating companies. These programs aim to raise the overall capability level of the Group by implementing common measures across the entire Group regardless of business segment, including the use of generative AI, logical thinking skills, and enhancement of managerial capabilities.

The training is offered in two formats: in-person group training and e-learning. In addition, the e-learning program consists of two types: "mandatory e-learning" taken by all employees and "recommended e-learning" selected according to each employee's interests and needs.

Our Group positions "Group-wide Common Training" as an extremely important initiative in human resource development, and by continuously refining its content each fiscal year, we support the ongoing improvement of skills and capabilities of all Group employees. The training not only provides learning opportunities but also promotes interaction across companies within the Group and contributes to the creation of new synergies.

HR-related Data