To promote diversity management, the Diversity Promotion Working Group plays a central role in developing policies and measures, and the results are regularly reported and discussed at the Management Meetings and Board of Directors meetings. In addition, we have established an Advisory Board on Human Resources Strategy as a forum for discussion, including outside directors, to examine the issue from a medium- to long-term perspective.
Diversity Promotion Working Group
In May 2013, we established a cross-divisional Diversity Promotion Working Group to further promote the “organization-building that leverages diversity.”
The activities of this working group have generated a variety of new ideas, which have led to changes in the system and the introduction of mechanisms that leverage diversity. In FY 2016, we also started a company-wide expanded working group to identify issues related to diversity in each division of the current and head office divisions, exchange opinions, and share good practices.
In October 2014, we established the Diversity and Career Development Section as an organization to serve as the core function of the Diversity Promotion Working Group. In addition, from April 2019, the organization was reorganized as the Labor Relations and Employee Benefits Group, Diversity Promotion to promote various measures from the perspective of systems, culture, and mindset. Through these efforts, we aim to be our customers’ company of choice and enjoy continuous growth. In addition, qualified career consultants and others are in charge of the Diversity and LGBT Consultation Desk.
Since FY 2016, an Advisory Board on Human Resources Strategy has met regularly to discuss human resources at the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries with independent officers and members, including the President. We will reflect these discussions in the next generation of diversity management and human resource strategies with the aim of increasing corporate value over the medium and long term (Reiko Kanise, an independent female officers, is a member of this Advisory Board).
The Executive General Manager of the Human Resources Headquarters and the general managers of each division regularly hold discussions on human resources strategies, including diversity.
Since FY 2016, the Consolidated Human Resources Committee has met every year with the aim of creating a strong corporate group in which each and every employee shines, with the consolidated companies working together. In addition, in order to promote work style reforms at each of our consolidated companies, we have established the Work Style Reform Subcommittee, with the participation of about 30 consolidated companies, which meets on a regular basis. In order to create an environment where employees can shine lively, we will promote work style reforms such as diversity management and health management and build a new common understanding of the Code of Conduct and values that should be shared by consolidated employees.
In promoting diversity management, we believe it is important to diversify our Board of Directors. In June 2015, Reiko Kanise was appointed as a female director, and in June 2020, Midori Miyazaki was appointed as the second female director, as an independent officer. Kanise is a representative director of Lenajapon Institute Co., Ltd. and was appointed to reflect her extensive experience of and broad insight into retail business and marketing in the management of the Company. Miyazaki was appointed to provide appropriate supervision and advice on the Company’s sustainable management, based on her extensive experience and wide range of knowledge in the mass media, as a school director, and in corporate auditing.
The IkuBoss Corporate Alliance is a corporate network led by the NPO Fathering Japan that actively raises the awareness of its own managers to develop ideal bosses (IkuBoss) for the new era of diversification, including the promotion of women’s activities, an increase in the number of employees with time constraints due to childcare and caregiving, and the emergence of “Ikumen” employees.
In order to recognize the importance of core managers in promoting diversity management and to strengthen their management and communication skills with subordinates, we joined the "Ikubos Corporate Alliance" in December 2014 as one of the 11 founding members. Since joining the alliance, we have distributed the "IkuBoss Textbook" to all employees promoted to managerial positions in an effort to spread the concept of "IkuBoss." In addition, the human resources department has participated in seminars hosted by the alliance to learn about examples of advanced companies and reflect them in various measures.
About the Ikuboss Corporate Alliance (Only available in Japanese)
In order to promote diversity management, we recognize the importance of each employee’s autonomous career development. In terms of systems and frameworks, we have implemented a Career Inventory for employees to record their past careers and a Career Plan Sheet for employees to record their future career plans. We also have a Talent Management System that allows employees to share information about their careers with the Human Resources Department and managers, and a Career Commitment System that allows employees to apply for transfers to departments of their choice. In addition, we offer In-House Recruiting, in which employees can voluntarily apply for openings in businesses and departments where there is a demand for human resources; Support Work Plus, which allows employees to expand their careers and skills by supporting other departments as a side job within the company; and Career Plan Seminars, in which employees can think about their own career plans. We have also developed various measures to support voluntary learning, such as the Challenge System, the MBA dispatch (public offering), and career counseling by outside career counselors. We are also working to expand our human resources network by providing leave that can be used for training, courses, and other purposes to improve personal qualities, and by establishing Alumni, a group of Tokyu Academy graduates that develops management personnel.
We also provide training linked to the In-house Entrepreneurship Development System, which was launched in FY 2015 to support employees with the desire and ability to create businesses and to stimulate a broad frontier spirit. In addition, since FY 2016, a dedicated team within the human resources department has been conducting career development interviews for all employees (excluding specialists and in-service workers) in order to understand each employee’s career aspirations and utilize them in various ways. In addition, we are actively reviewing our systems and operations, for example by not excluding periods of absence such as childcare leave from promotion requirements and by setting up courses (Associate Course and Business Expert Course) to suit different specialties and work styles, as well as a system for transferring from each course.
＊As a general rule, Associate Course employees work in areas served by Tokyu’s railway lines. In addition, consideration is given to employees with commitments such as childcare or caregiving when transferring or relocating.
＊As a system for converting fixed-term employees to contact employees, we have established Business Specialization Positions, specializing in particular areas of business (industry). There is also a track record of temporary employees becoming contract employees and taking up other direct employment.
＊We also allow employees to use saved annual leave for self-improvement purposes.
To date, personnel evaluations have been conducted based on job responsibility requirements, which are standards for positions and roles at work. However, in order to further realize diversity management, a culture item, which includes fostering a culture of diversity management and work style reform, was added to the perspective of management evaluations in FY 2016. We have also started an assessment (180-degree diagnosis by subordinates and colleagues) of all managers to strengthen communication between supervisors and subordinates. Starting in FY 2017, we set productivity as an evaluation item for general employees, in addition to the previously set innovation item. We are also continuing to implement multi-person evaluations for each individual.
In addition, based on the idea that communication between supervisors and subordinates is essential for these evaluations, we introduced the Talk With sheet in FY 2015 and have been using it as a tool for interviews with subordinates. In FY 2021, we introduced company-wide 1-on-1 meetings to further deepen communication. These meetings are used as a tool to trigger communication between superiors and subordinates, make them more convinced of the evaluation, encourage self-reflection, and further enhance performance in the upcoming months.
Since July 2017, in order to further promote LGBT understanding, we have reviewed each of the terms and conditions, including changes to the employment regulations, death condolence payment regulations, and expansion of the system available to LGBT partners.