Diversity Management
Commitment to Promoting Women in the Workplace
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Sojitz celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. As a general trading company, we will continue to fulfill our mission of providing the necessary goods and services directly to places where there is a need. People are the driving force behind this process of value creation, which is based on anticipating market changes and customer needs in line with Sojitz Group’s slogan of "New way, New value." Promoting women in the workplace is essential to expanding our human capital, which includes employee development and diversity initiatives. Promoting women is key to furthering our sustainable growth as a company.
Since its founding, Sojitz has worked to promote recruitment and career path development for female employees through multiple systems and initiatives. As a result of these efforts, female employees currently make up more than 30% of all employees, and women account for approximately half of employees in their 20s. Moving forward, Sojitz will continue to accelerate efforts to promote women by appointing women to director and executive officer roles with the goal of realizing equal 50/50 gender representation among middle management and among all employees by the 2030s. In order to realize Sojitz’s vision for 2030 to become a general trading company that constantly cultivates new businesses and human capital, Sojitz strives to support its employees in furthering their career goals, balancing work and childcare, and offering opportunities for all employees to naturally excel.
Kosuke Uemura
Representative Director, President & CEO -
Policy and Basic Approach
Sojitz has defined its vision for 2030 as becoming a general trading company that constantly cultivates new businesses and human capital. To realize this vision, Sojitz has positioned “transforming diversity into competitiveness” as a central theme under which the company will transform the diversity of its human resources into an organizational strength for consistently creating value with speed amidst a rapidly changing business environment.
Sojitz continues to proactively recruit diverse talent in terms of gender, nationality, and skill, including mid-career hires with high levels of expertise. We seek to create a workplace environment in which all diverse employees can realize their full potential, and the company implements a wide range of initiatives including trainings for managers to promote awareness and understanding of diversity-related matters.
Medium-term Management Plan 2026: Human Resource Strategy
1. Build diverse teams of employees who take on new challenges and achieve growth
Sojitz aims to transform diversity into a competitive advantage by maximizing the unique strengths of all employees and emboldening individuals to take on new challenges.
◆ Major Themes for Promoting Diversity
- Diversity Management
- Promoting Women in the Workplace
- Balancing Work and Childcare
- Balancing Work and Caregiving
- Employees Nearing Retirement Age
- Opportunities for Locally Hired Employees
- Opportunities for Employees with Disabilities
- Fostering Understanding of LGBT Employees
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2. Strengthen section managers’ ability to maximize the full potential of each individual
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3. Anticipate the changing business environment and allocate human resources flexibly
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Goals and Targets
Transforming Diversity into Competitiveness: Initiatives and Targets for the Mid- to Long-Term Leading up to 2030
Transforming Diversity into Competitiveness
All employees, regardless of gender or stage of life (childbirth, childcare), can fully exercise their knowledge, skills, and experience to contribute to value creation
◆ Promoting Women in the Workplace
Sojitz positions the promotion of women in the workplace as one of the most important goals under its human resources strategy. The company’s dedicated diversity management organization works to advance various diversity promotion initiatives by the 2030s, such as increasing the number of female employees in decision-making roles and creating an equitable workplace in which talent allocation is based on an individual’s capabilities for a role as opposed to gender-based preconceptions.
Sojitz aims to increase the percentage of female employees to around 50% and the percentage of female section managers to around 50% during the 2030s. We have set a target of raising the percentage of female managers to around 20% by the final year of Medium-term Management Plan 2026. To achieve these goals, Sojitz is supporting female employees in acquiring experience to nurture talent across the leadership pipeline, closing the gender gap for work experience, and promoting employee retention and engagement by supporting women through major life events.
During Medium-term Management Plan 2023, we set a KPI to increase the percentage of pre-manager female career-track employees with secondment experience in Japan or overseas as part of efforts to provide female employees with external business experiences and enhance their engagement through growth opportunities outside of Sojitz HQ. Sojitz aims to accelerate female employees’ career progression prior to major life events through use of the trainee program, secondments, and other assignments both in Japan and overseas.
As part of efforts to strengthen the leadership pipeline, we added the “ratio of employees with secondment experience in Japan or overseas” as a new KPI under Medium-term Management Plan 2026 to increase the ratio of female managers gaining high-level experience such as mission execution, decision-making, and other responsibilities commensurate with managerial positions.
Sojitz strives to create an environment that supports all employees, regardless of gender, as they balance work and childcare. Sojitz believes fostering a supportive workplace environment is imperative to creating a corporate culture in which female employees can continue to advance their careers through childbirth, child-rearing, and other life events. Sojitz aims to maintain a 100% childcare leave acquisition rate for employees, including men. (In FY2023, Sojitz achieved a 100% rate* of childcare leave for both male and female employees.)
*Note: This figure represents the effective rate of childcare leave taken by the employees whose children were born during FY2023, including 4 male employees planning to take leave in FY2024.
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◆ Action Plan for Promoting Women in the Workplace
Based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace, we will continue striving for the promotion of women in the workplace with the following plan for achieving these targets by March 31, 2027.
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◆ Opportunities for Locally Hired Employees
Sojitz aims to leverage its overseas operating companies to tap into local networks, expand Sojitz’s business areas, and create new business. In order to achieve these goals, Sojitz is further increasing the number of locally hired employees holding chief officer positions at overseas operating companies. The ratio of overseas chief officer positions filled by locally hired employees was 40% at the end of FY2021, and this ratio increased to 45% by the end of FY2023. Previously, Sojitz aimed to raise this localization ratio to 50% or more by FY2025, but has since revised its target upward to 60% under Medium-term Management Plan 2026 as part of the company’s efforts to further the localization process. Moreover, Sojitz aims to bolster information sharing in overseas regions in order to facilitate market-oriented initiatives, seize new business opportunities, and promote co-creation and sharing. To this end, the company has established an advisory board composed of the locally hired chief officers of overseas operating companies. At a meeting of the advisory board held in the U.S., former president Masayoshi Fujimoto joined chief officers of operating companies in the Americas in a lively debate about growth strategies to be implemented going forward. Through such exchanges, Sojitz aims to achieve business expansion and create synergy across Sojitz Group by encouraging collaboration throughout its diverse businesses.
◆ Opportunities for Mid-Career Recruits
Sojitz is focusing on mid-career recruitment to enhance the diversity of its workforce. We aim to achieve diverse representation across gender and nationality for mid-career recruits including management-level employees, DX experts, and other specialized professionals. As of the end of FY2023, mid-career hires accounted for 24% of management posts and 39% of executive posts. In addition, mid-career hires accounted for 31% of all hires in FY2023. We plan to continue to have mid-career recruitment account for about 30% of all new hires each year, and aim to ensure that approximately 40% of those mid-career recruits are women. In December 2021, we welcomed a specialist from outside the company as the first female Executive Officer and Chief Digital Officer (CDO).* The CDO brings a unique perspective and expertise cultivated throughout her career at multiple institutions, and Sojitz aims to leverage this female executive’s experience in dialogues with management and frontline employees in order to accelerate the implementation of digital technologies that will lead to new business creation and the transformation of business models.
- Tomomi Arakawa was appointed to the position of Senior Managing Executive Officer, CDO, CIO, and COO of the Digital Department on April 1, 2024.
Sojitz utilizes a uniform compensation structure for all employees with the same qualifications and the same level of professional duties regardless of gender.
Systems
System for Promoting Diversity
Sojitz’s policies, goals, and progress on diversity and other human resource strategy initiatives are regularly presented to the Management Committee and Board of Directors and extensively discussed by management. In order to link the promotion of diversity to long-term sustainable growth, Sojitz leads the planning, administration, and promotion of diversity policies which synergize with work style reforms, health management, and other measures.
Furthermore, in order to accelerate diversity initiatives throughout the company, Sojitz has included a category in the “human resource development” section of each organization’s performance evaluation that measures the degree to which an organization has implemented initiatives to transform diversity into a competitive advantage, such as by promoting women and providing opportunities for junior employees and employees nearing retirement age.
The status of diversity and other human resource initiatives are regularly reported to the Board of Directors, and Sojitz holds individual meetings with the Corporate Planning Department, the Human Resource Department, and outside directors. Sojitz reflects the advice and guidance received through these meetings regarding diversity measures and initiatives.
Initiatives
Diversity Management
Sojitz communicates the importance of diversity management through company-wide messages from the president and at training seminars for manager-level employees in order to emphasize how harnessing employees with unique backgrounds and values can drive organizational results.
◆ Unconscious Bias Training
In FY2023, Sojitz held a training for all employees on unconscious bias, with attendance mandatory for all managers (general managers, deputy general managers, section managers, and deputy section managers). As a post-training assignment, attendees were encouraged to reflect on their own unconscious biases and consider how they will manage their organizations and hold dialogues with team members going forward based on this training.
◆ Diversity Month
Each individual at the company brings a unique perspective informed by their gender, nationality, age, background, and other qualities. To create an environment where employees can leverage their diverse perspectives and contribute to their organizations, each Sojitz employee must take personal responsibility for promoting diversity through their actions. In order to instill this mindset throughout the company, Sojitz designated March 2024 as Diversity Month, holding events throughout the month aligned with five key DEI themes (diversity management, women’s health, male childcare leave, caregiving, and LGBTQ), including lectures from outside experts and sessions where employees shared their personal experiences.
To mark Diversity Month, Sojitz Chairman & CEO Masayoshi Fujimoto shared a message with all employees, emphasizing that “in order to transform diversity into competitiveness, Sojitz will continue to create an environment where all employees can excel.”
Promoting Women in the Workplace
Sojitz positions the promotion of women in the workplace as one of the most important goals under its human resources strategy. For this reason, Sojitz’s president and senior management have continued to emphasize the message of diversity and inclusion to lead the way in fostering greater understanding among employees, including among managers.
◆ List of Systems Supporting Diverse Human Resources
◆ Building a Leadership Pipeline with Women at Each Career Stage
Professional Development for Managerial Roles
Sojitz has maintained a female new graduate recruitment ratio of 30% or more for career-track positions since FY2018, which is one of the company’s quantitative targets for promoting women in the workplace. To develop female managers, Sojitz is constructing a leadership pipeline and provides opportunities for female employees to gain experience outside the company in Japan or overseas early in their careers prior to major life events. Sojitz offers trainings for women at each career stage and is actively working to increase the number of female employees promoted to managerial positions. As of the end of FY2023, female employees accounted for 12% of all section managers.
Initiatives for Junior Employees
Since FY2021, Sojitz has offered a mentorship program led by senior management geared towards female career-track employees in their late 20s and early 30s, who will be in the next generation of managers to lead the company a decade from now. Mentors support female career-track employees in clarifying their personal career goals and developing a vision for the future, with the aim of raising greater awareness of professional development opportunities for women.
Initiatives for Assistant Managers: Pre-Manager Training Program
Since September 2019, Sojitz has held a three-month career training program for female career-track employees in assistant manager positions that includes coaching and discussions with managers and executives, as part of its efforts to support the promotion of women to section manager and general manager positions.
Initiatives for Managers: Outside Trainings for Managers
As a way to strengthen management capabilities, Sojitz sends managers to business school executive training programs in addition to outside management experience through executive officer appointments at Sojitz Group companies. Sojitz also appointed its first female executive officer through internal promotion in April 2021. A second female executive officer was appointed through external recruitment in December 2021, bringing the total number of female executive officers to two. As of June 2024, Sojitz has appointed a total of three female executive officers (two appointed through internal promotion, one appointed as a director and senior managing executive officer).
◆ Other Initiatives
Career Talks with Outside Directors
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Talks with outside directors on women’s careers -
In FY2022, Sojitz hosted a total of three career talks with outside directors to reinforce the company’s theme of transforming diversity into competitiveness and to build an environment in which all employees can excel, regardless of gender. Speakers included three female outside directors who shared their career trajectories, values as business professionals, and perspectives on Sojitz as outside directors, among other topics.
Roundtable Discussions with Externally Appointed Female Executive Officers
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Small roundtable discussions with executive officers -
In FY2022, Sojitz hosted a total of six roundtable discussions with externally appointed female executive officers. The discussions provided attendees with advice and insights from the senior managing executive's past career experiences, while also allowing the employees to gain new perspectives and broaden their outlook. The roundtables were made up of small panels with participation from several male COOs for an animated exchange of opinions.
Roundtable Discussion with Female Executive Officers
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Roundtable discussion with female executive officers. Sojitz President Kosuke Uemura also attended, enthusiastically encouraging the female employees to take on new challenges -
In FY2024, Sojitz held a roundtable discussion hosted by female executive officers as part of efforts to foster the development of highly motivated employees who take on new challenges and pursue growth. The event was targeted to female career-track employees who are potential managerial candidates, and the executives joined in discussing a range of topics including balancing career goals with major life events.
Sharing Career Experiences
Sojitz provides multiple opportunities for employees to consider their future career paths through joint discussions, and these discussions aim to help employees pursue value creation while respecting the diversity of their fellow employees.
Sojitz held a seminar for female employees to gain career insights from fellow female employees who have worked on assignment overseas accompanied by their children. The company has also organized programs with female employees in management roles to speak about their life and careers.
Career Paths for Administrative-Track Employees
In order to meet the needs of our employees as they plan their career paths and encourage the success of our administrative staff, we revised our human resource system in FY2019 to include a new upper tier of job grades for administrative staff as well as a new region, position, and field-specific career track. A number of administrative track employees have already transferred to the career track and are beginning to leverage their expertise and expand their opportunities to excel at Sojitz.
In FY2021, we also revised our human resource system in order to allow administrative-track employees to leverage their skills and experience and transfer to the career track that is region, position, and field-specific at an earlier stage, for those employees seeking to take on new challenges through the career track. Sojitz hopes to expand opportunities for administrative-track employees by providing career counseling and other educational programs that encourage employees to pursue diverse career paths.
Success of Female Employees in New Business Areas
As a result of proactively hiring, developing, and promoting women throughout the company, Sojitz Group has seen numerous cases of female employees achieving success in new business areas. Notable examples include Sojitz’s establishment of a joint venture company in Japan with ROYAL HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. to operate and expand the café business. A female employee was appointed as president of the joint venture and leads its business operations. In addition, Sojitz established a joint venture with Vietnam Dairy Products JSC, a major Vietnamese dairy product manufacturing company. Employees with diverse career backgrounds and nationalities collaborated on the launch, and one female team member from Sojitz HQ on assignment in Vietnam was selected to serve as the sales and marketing manager and is working to develop new sales channels in the country.
◆ Women’s Health Initiatives
Sojitz maintains its record of having 100% of employees participate in the annual health check and actively encourages employees to attend any recommended follow-up appointments. In FY2022, Sojitz expanded eligibility for routine cervical and breast cancer screenings to all female employees and strengthened its efforts to support women’s health. In addition, Sojitz added a dedicated gynecologist at its health clinic and offers fertility treatment consultation services. Employees can now take online seminars by doctors and specialists and receive fertility counseling services for themselves and their partners, which will be offered through a contracted outside company. The company also invites medical specialists to hold seminars on maintaining good health including self-care techniques to reduce health risks specific to women and address physical changes due to aging.
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Systems for Supporting Working Parents
Sojitz believes that employees should have the freedom to pursue their careers even as they navigate major life events and aims to create an environment that supports all employees, regardless of gender, as they balance work and childcare.
At Sojitz, employees are authorized to take six weeks of paid leave leading up to the birth of a child. Beginning in April 2022, Sojitz also amended its existing parental leave system to include a new type of leave available to both male and female employees following the birth of a child. After childbirth, both male and female employees are entitled to take paid parental leave for a maximum of 40 days (standard working days) in the period up until the child turns 12 months old. There are no restrictions on how leave is divided, and employees are free to utilize parental leave as many times as desired during this period. While employees in Japan are legally permitted to take six weeks of unpaid parental leave prior to childbirth and eight weeks following childbirth, Sojitz’s specialized system ensures that employees are compensated throughout their time on parental leave. In the event that the child is not accepted into a daycare and the employee cannot return to work, parents have the option to extend childcare leave until the child is two-and-a-half years of age. This extension largely exceeds the duration for childcare leave under Japanese law. In order to make it easier for employees to return to work, we have a corporate contract with a local preschool near Sojitz office for employees whose children could not be admitted to their neighborhood daycare. Sojitz also offers employees the option to use a babysitting service subsidized by the company. As of FY2024, the subsidy has been expanded to cover sick child daycare services.
◆ Flexible Work Styles
Sojitz has a flextime system that eliminates core working hours and allows employees to work anytime between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Employees working reduced hours under Sojitz’s system for childcare hours are also eligible for the flextime system. Sojitz introduced a company-wide telework system in January 2020, and the company is taking steps to provide a flexible work environment for working parents.
◆ System for Supporting Women Returning to the Workplace
In October 2019, Sojitz implemented a new system to support women returning to the workplace. Under this measure, employees who return to work after taking maternity/childcare leave (by the 1st of the month after the child turns 9 months) will be eligible for subsidized daycare. This system helps support women who want to return to the workplace more quickly, as well as incentivizes and encourages women striving to build their careers.
◆ Reemployment System
Sojitz has introduced a reemployment system for employees who accompany spouses transferred overseas, thus allowing these employees to resume their careers when they return to Japan.
◆ Childcare Leave for Male Employees
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Digital signage introducing examples of male employees who have taken childcare leave -
In April 2022, Sojitz revised its parental leave system to allow both male and female employees to take leave following the birth of a child. Employees are now entitled to take paid parental leave for a maximum of 40 days in the period up until the child turns 12 months old. There are no restrictions on how leave is divided, and employees are free to utilize parental leave as many times as desired during this period. While maternity and child-care leave was limited to eight weeks after childbirth under the previous system, the applicable period under the new system will be extended to one year following childbirth.
In recent years, Sojitz has increased accessibility to leave policies and conducted management-level training related to child-care leave. As a result of these initiatives, the percentage of male employees who took childcare leave has reached 100% for two consecutive years, in FY2023 and FY2024.
We have seen an increase in male employees taking longer periods for child-care leave and greater usage of the company’s systems for supporting working parents. While Sojitz has previously worked to raise awareness regarding child-care leave within the company and to foster understanding among managers and fellow employees, Sojitz has now entered the phase in which it will focus on supporting working parents returning from child-care leave. Sojitz has set a new goal to establish a new index within the employee engagement survey that measures employees’ perception of the company’s support in their efforts to balance work and childcare. This new index will measure employees’ understanding of flexible working styles and how easily employees feel they can apply for the company’s systems for supporting working parents. In FY2023, 66% of employees provided positive feedback on the employee engagement survey, and Sojitz aims to reach over 70% positive responses in FY2026.
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Panel discussion at general manager training -
Roundtable discussion on male childcare leave
◆ Support for Employees on Childcare Leave
Sojitz has created a handbook on balancing work and childcare that is distributed to employees with children and their managers. The handbook introduces the company’s systems to support working parents and details all processes for maternity leave, childcare leave, and returning to the workplace. Sojitz also holds a Welcome Back Program that helps employees on childcare leave prepare for their return and interact with fellow employees.
Additionally, Sojitz works with an outside expert who acts as a childcare concierge for employees returning to work after childcare leave. The childcare expert provides advice on topics such as how to search for preschools and how to balance work with childcare.
Balancing Work and Caregiving
Sojitz helps employees to successfully balance their work obligations while providing care for family members through company human resource systems and a supportive work environment.
The main initiatives include caregiving leave, extended caregiving leave that employees can take multiple times, reduced working hours for caregivers, and a rehiring system for employees who have left the company to care for family members. In addition, Sojitz has introduced a remote caregiving support program.
In terms of employee education, Sojitz informs employees about the caregiving leave system and provides information about the caregiving insurance system on the company intranet. Furthermore, Sojitz has set up a caregiving support email service, and we regularly hold seminars to discuss balancing work and family care and conduct individual caregiving consultations with employees.
In terms of enabling flexible work styles, Sojitz has implemented a telework system throughout the company in addition to the flextime system.
◆ Seminars on Balancing Work and Caregiving
As a way to support employees who must provide caregiving for an undetermined amount of time, Sojitz holds seminars that provide employees with an opportunity to consult with long-term care support specialists (care managers) who can advise them on how to utilize vacation and long-term leave for caregiving so that they proactively manage their time in order to balance work and care responsibilities.
In addition, after the seminar, an individual consultation meeting is provided in which specialist care workers offer advice tailored to the individual caregiving requirements of each employee.
◆ Support System for Family Remaining in Japan during Overseas Assignment
In order to alleviate the burden on family members remaining in Japan when an employee is posted overseas and unaccompanied by his or her family, Sojitz provides access to subsidized housekeeping services, caregiving support, and childcare support services within a scope that is determined by the company.
Employees Nearing Retirement Age
Employees nearing retirement age possess a wealth of experiences and skills, as well as an awareness and sense of values about different working styles. Sojitz is working to promote the advancement and success of these employees. Sojitz strives to support the success of employees nearing retirement age and leverages their skills and expertise through its post-retirement rehiring system and reemployment support system.
◆ Rehiring System
Sojitz has a mandatory retirement age of 60, however we offer continued employment for persons over 60 years of age in accordance with the Act for Stabilization of Employment of Older Persons.
Given that staff nearing retirement age have a deep understanding and nuanced set of values regarding various working styles, in April 2019 we created a new job grade for rehired individuals in order to promote their success. This new system was revised such that the employment conditions and evaluations of rehired employees are based on their assigned mission and their expected role with an emphasis on educating less-experienced staff.
◆ Recurrent Education Support System
As we enter an era of 100-year lifespans, employees must enrich their extended working life by thinking proactively about their careers, continuing to educate themselves, and striving to increase the value they contribute as individuals.
Upon taking stock of career milestones and future goals, an employee may determine that they require recurrent education. Sojitz provides subsidies and extended leave to those mid-career employees seeking further education.
◆ Sojitz Professional Share Co., Ltd.
Sojitz Professional Share Co., Ltd., is a platform supporting the diverse careers and life plans of employees over the age of 35. This company allows employees to work until the age of 70, with no restrictions on workplace or time, and authorizes side businesses and entrepreneurial ventures to support every employee in making ongoing contributions through new career paths.
Opportunities for Locally Hired Employees
Sojitz aims to leverage its overseas operating companies to tap into local networks, expand Sojitz’s business areas, and create new business. In order to achieve these goals, Sojitz is further increasing the number of locally hired employees holding chief officer positions at overseas operating companies. The ratio of overseas chief officer positions filled by locally hired employees was 40% at the end of FY2021, and this ratio increased to 45% by the end of FY2023. Previously, Sojitz aimed to raise this localization ratio to 50% or more by FY2025, but has since revised its target upward to 60% under Medium-term Management Plan 2026 as part of the company’s efforts to further the localization process. Moreover, Sojitz aims to bolster information sharing in overseas regions in order to facilitate market-oriented initiatives, seize new business opportunities, and promote co-creation and sharing.
Outside of Japan, Sojitz has nearly 100 offices, subsidiaries, and liaison offices in locations around the globe. We set up human resource systems and training menus at each office, developing, utilizing, and promoting locally hired staff to further talent development at our overseas offices and promote business rooted in the regional economy.
◆ Initiatives for Strengthening Recruitment and Development of Local Employees
There are approximately 1,500 total employees between Sojitz Corporation’s overseas subsidiaries, branches, and liaison offices. Of the 1,500, roughly 1,200 are locally hired staff, and 36 among that group are general managers (as of April 1st, 2024).
◆ Opportunities for Locally Hired Staff at Overseas Bases
We provide locally hired staff with opportunities to transfer to different offices within their region and between regions, as well as to the head office in Tokyo, in order to help the best Sojitz talent around the world expand business utilizing their information and networks rooted in the local community. As of FY2023, 16 people have transferred between regions or moved to Tokyo HQ, and these individuals are working to create new customers and build new business.
◆ Developing the Next Generation of Leaders for Overseas Offices
Sojitz aims to develop local staff overseas through the Global Professional Development (GPD) and Global Next Leaders Development (GNLD) programs. The GNLD began in 2011, and the GPD in 2012. The 491 total participants thus far have included people from 36 countries, in regions including the Americas, Europe, Asia, China, Oceania, and the Middle East.
The GPD is designed to deepen employees’ understanding of the Sojitz culture, with a focus on its corporate organization and history, to boost participants’ loyalty and help them better understand themselves as members of Sojitz Group. It also aims to help participants obtain management skills and experience so they can utilize the full capabilities of Sojitz Group in expanding business within their regions. The GNLD, on the other hand, targets local employees overseas who are management candidates in positions higher than GPD participants. It similarly focuses on deepening understanding of Sojitz’s culture, its corporate organizations and business divisions, and its history, but is also aimed at developing participants into leaders who can network with participants from different regions and business areas to generate create synergy throughout Sojitz Group, as well as take a company-wide perspective in creating “New way, New value.” From FY2020, the sessions have been conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 100 participants from 22 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and China have participated thus far. In addition to this Sojitz is offering other online training programs, including the Sojitz Orientation Program, Negotiation Training and Leadership Training. To date, 200 people have participated in these courses. In the future we will continue to provide further training opportunities.
Employment and Support for Persons with Disabilities
As part of its diversity management program, Sojitz is committed to employing persons with disabilities. We also seek to create an environment that supports the success of our employees working with disabilities.
◆ Increasing Employment of Persons with Disabilities
As of the end of March 2024, the employment rate of persons with disabilities at Sojitz was 2.63% (exceeding the legal requirement of 2.30%). We believe that creating a supportive environment will be instrumental to hiring and retaining more persons with disabilities. In order to further expand employment, Sojitz partners with Sojitz Shared Service (recognized under Japanese law as a special subsidiary of the company in 2012) to create an environment that helps employees—each with different disabilities, skills, experiences, and career plans—be placed in a well-suited post and perform at the highest level.
Sojitz is also working to build awareness and understanding of persons with disabilities through policies deliberated across multiple related departments, as well as through the blind soccer simulation program.*
- Sojitz concluded a partnership agreement with Japan Blind Football Association (JBFA) to provide support for its blind soccer activities and “Spo-iku” program.
◆ Opportunities for Employees with Disabilities: Sojitz Shared Service (Special Sojitz Subsidiary)
Sojitz Shared Service is a special Sojitz subsidiary established in accordance with the Act to Facilitate the Employment of Persons with Disabilities. Many employees with disabilities are exercising their full potential through their work at Sojitz Shared Service.
Sojitz Shared Service primarily handles general affairs-related work for Sojitz Corporation and Sojitz Group companies, as well as select human resource-related duties. The company’s general affairs-related work includes managing a document center (making business cards and printing and binding documents) and operating the Health Care Room, where it offers massage services by a licensed professional and creates videos on self-care techniques. Sojitz Shared Service disinfects office doorknobs and surfaces, manages office hand sanitizer, cleans printers and replenishes paper supplies, manages visitor cards and taxi tickets, and orders rubber stamps and other stationary goods. The company also handles mail services, document storage, and support for employees moving overseas (storage of employee belongings while on assignment).
In addition to Sojitz Shared Service’s general affairs-related services, the company also proactively provides HR-related services including support for the operation of Sojitz Group trainings and payroll-related duties. Sojitz Shared Service will continue to expand its scope and provide its employees with further opportunities for success.
Sojitz Shared Service works to offer a comprehensive support system that enables each employee to enjoy a long career in a welcoming environment. The company employs qualified professionals with specialized knowledge who give employees guidance on their work tasks and offer mental health support. In an effort to support employees’ career development, Sojitz Shared Service is pursuing initiatives including sending employees on internships and assignments to Sojitz Corporation, strengthening communication between Sojitz Shared Service and Sojitz employees, and fostering a culture of diversity at the company. Moving forward, the company also aims to support the employment and retention of people with disabilities at Sojitz Group companies. Through these initiatives, Sojitz Shared Service is striving to create a supportive, flexible work environment in which every employee can fully exercise their unique abilities.
Company history as a special Sojitz subsidiary
March 2012 Sojitz Business Support Corporation established in accordance with the Act to Facilitate the Employment of Persons with Disabilities
April 2018 Establishment of Osaka office
July 2022 Merger with Sojitz Shared Service Corporation
◆ Barrier-Free Facilities
Sojitz’s working spaces have been built with consideration for employees with disabilities. Accessible toilets are installed on every floor. On floors where visually impaired employees work, Sojitz replaced dark brown carpeting with a bright ivory color based on guidance from visually impaired employees. Moving forward, Sojitz will continue to incorporate the ideas and opinions of disabled employees as it creates a work environment that is comfortable and accommodating for all employees.
Working from Home
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Due to illness, I became unable to commute, so I left my sales job with an IT company. I was introduced to a job I could do at home for Sojitz through a support group. My work consists of information-gathering about hiring and diversity and maintaining Sojitz's internal website on these topics. I work four days a week in a home office that Sojitz readied for me, and I feel grateful and motivated in my work.
Yoshiyuki Kunishige
Human Resources Dept., HR Recruitment Sect.
LGBTQ
Sojitz is working to create a work environment where diverse employees can excel, regardless of their sexual orientations or gender identities. Sojitz strives to encourage the independence of employees and further foster a company culture in which all employees, regardless of gender, are able to excel. Sojitz promotes gender equality, including understanding of issues facing LGBT employees and members of sexual minorities.
Sojitz’s Working Regulations prohibit harassment relating to sexual orientation or gender identity. Both the Sojitz Group Code of Conduct and Ethics and Sojitz Group Human Rights Policy clearly state Sojitz’s respect for diversity, including race, nationality, gender, age, mental and physical disability, and sexual orientation.
◆ Trainings and Seminars
Prior to assignment overseas, we inform employees of points of caution with regards to differences in LGBTQ-related legal systems in other countries. In FY2023, we launched an e-learning course to promote awareness and understanding of LGBTQ-related issues. The course is mandatory for all managers. We also hold occasional LGBTQ-related seminars and events to deepen awareness throughout the company so that all employees can excel, regardless of their sexual orientations or gender identities. The Sojitz Labor Union also holds seminars to deepen employees’ understanding of LGBTQ issues.
◆ Consultation Desk
Sojitz provides a consultation desk for LGBTQ inquiries. Minority group members and their colleagues are able to contact the consultation desk anonymously. In-house inquiries related to LGBTQ matters are handled by a dedicated diversity team, and external experts and organizations are consulted as necessary.
Supporting Diverse Families
Sojitz strives to create a welcoming work environment where all employees can excel. In October 2023, Sojitz updated its human resource system to grant LGBTQ employees and employees in common-law marriages access to the same company benefits provided to employees in legal marriages.
External Evaluations
Promoting Work-Life Management
◆ Platinum Kurumin Certification
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Sojitz offers various support systems for work-life management, enabling employees to balance work with childcare and caregiving for family members.
In August 2021, Sojitz received “Platinum Kurumin” certification from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Kurumin certification recognizes companies with excellent childcare support policies that meet the specified requirements for certification and that have achieved the targets set out in their General Employer Action Plans based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children. As a recipient of Kurumin certification for four consecutive years since 2010, Sojitz is proud to announce that it has been awarded “Platinum Kurumin” certification, which recognizes outstanding companies that meet higher standards in supporting employees to balance work and childcare. Sojitz has also obtained “Platinum Kurumin Plus” certification awarded from December 2022 to companies that have raised awareness internally and implemented policies and systems for employees to balance work while undergoing fertility treatment.
◆ Nadeshiko Brand
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Based on Sojitz’s various efforts for empowering women in the workplace, the company was named a “Nadeshiko Brand 2023” company in March 2023, a designation given by METI and the TSE that recognizes Sojitz as a listed enterprise for its exceptional work to promote the success of women in the workplace. This marks the eighth time that Sojitz has received the “Nadeshiko Brand” designation.
◆ Encouragement Award at the Ikumen Enterprise Awards
In November 2020, Sojitz received an Encouragement Award in the Ikumen Enterprise Awards 2020 organized by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. The Ikumen Enterprise Award recognizes companies who are making an exceptional effort to encourage male employees to participate in child rearing while also carrying out their job responsibilities.
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Performance
Promoting Women in the Workplace
◆ Related Data
Percentage of female employees hired
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New female graduate hires (career track and administrative track) |
46.0％ | 49.0％ | 45.4％ | 56.7％ | 46.2％ |
| New female graduate hires (career track) |
32.0% | 34.1％ | 31.9％ | 42.6％ | 33.7％ |
| Mid-career hires | 44.0％ | 53.3％ | 34.3％ | 22.5％ | 37.0％ |
Women in managerial positions
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers | 1,000 men 46 women |
954 men 54 women |
915 men 57 women |
884 men 57 women |
852 men 58 women |
| Percentage women | 4.4％ | 5.4％ | 5.9％ | 6.1％ | 6.4％ |
| General Manager-Level | 187 men 3 women |
176 men 2 women |
154 men 2 women |
146 men 4 women |
146 men 3 women |
| Section Manager-Level | 813 men 43 women |
778 men 52 women |
761 men 55 women |
737 men 53 women |
704 men 55 women |
| Number of New Managers | 28 men 5 women |
35 men 9 women |
33 men 4 women |
39 men 4 women |
37 men 6 women |
Women in assistant manager positions
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of Women in Assistant Manager Positions | 297 men 38 women |
284 men 38 women |
287 men 39 women |
281 men 46 women |
291 men 54 women |
Gender-based wage gaps
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All employees | 55.3％ | 55.4％ | 58.6％ | 57.3％ | 58.2％ |
| Regular employees | 56.8％ | 56.3％ | 58.8％ | 58.0％ | 58.6％ |
| Regular employees (career track) | 67.8％ | 67.7％ | 72.0％ | 70.1％ | 70.3％ |
| Non-regular employees | 44.7％ | 50.2％ | 57.6％ | 52.0％ | 61.4％ |
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- Percentage of women employees
- Percentage of women management-level employees
- Percentage of women hired
- Difference between men and women in years of continuous employee service
- Percentage of female directors
◆ Male employees taking childcare leave
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of male employees taking childcare leave | 55.6％ |
55.6％ |
83.3％ |
100.0％ |
100.0％ |
| Average number of childcare leave days taken by male employees | 11.7 days |
17.2 days |
26.5 days |
38.8 days |
34.3 days |
◆ Employees rehired through the reemployment system following a spouse’s work transfer
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of rehired employees | 3 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
Balancing Work and Caregiving
◆ Number of employees taking leave for caregiving
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of days | 302 | 109 | 72 | 96 | 194 |
| Number of employees | 49 | 30 | 23 | 35 | 36 |
Employees Nearing Retirement Age
◆ Rehired individuals
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees rehired after reaching retirement age | 31 | 31 | 43 | 29 | 31 |
Opportunities of Locally Hired Employees
◆ Locally-hired employees: Number of general managers
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locally hired general managers | 35 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 36 |
◆ Number and percentage of foreign employees
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of foreign employees Total number of employees |
80（3.3％） 2,460 |
80（3.1％） 2,551 |
76（3.0％） 2,558 |
79（3.1％） 2,523 |
83（3.3％） 2,513 |
Opportunities for Employees with Disabilities
◆ Percentage of persons with disabilities hired
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
FY2023 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of hires | 59 | 62 | 65.5 | 71.5 | 72 |
| Percentage | 2.20% | 2.25% | 2.39% | 2.60% | 2.63% |
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