Basic Concept
"Always change!" — The Nisshinbo Group aims to create an organization where everyone can thrive and be themselves by making it normal to update values and behaviors. To achieve this, the Group is working on three areas: 1) the state of the organization, 2) the state of individuals, and 3) the environment and systems. To monitor progress, the Group conducts engagement surveys, analyzes the results based on scores and free-form comments, and continuously improves the organizational culture.
1. State of the organization
Within the Nisshinbo Group, the Company aims to foster a culture that respects diversity and encourages challenges based on psychological safety. To achieve this, the Group set as key priorities the building of open and fair relationships and the exercise of leadership that leverages diverse individuals.
① Building of open and fair relationships
Since 2021, the Nisshinbo Group has continuously disseminated messages from top management and provided training on psychological safety to ensure that everyone from new employees to senior management correctly understands and practices psychological safety. In organizations with high psychological safety, a variety of different opinions are collected regardless of age or length of service, which then enables deeper and more constructive discussions and ultimately strengthens the organization as a whole. With this in mind, Nisshinbo will implement measures that enable each individual to consider the kind of organization they want to be a part of, understand it intuitively, and translate it into action.
② Exercise of leadership that leverages diverse individuals
The Nisshinbo Group provided management training on diverse management to managers at all group companies in Japan and training on unconscious bias at some companies. Nisshinbo will expand its training program on unconscious bias to all group companies in Japan in the future.
Eliminating gender gaps
Since 2023, Nisshinbo conducted a Women's Leadership Development Program to nurture candidates for management positions and the next generation of leaders. The company also confirms the promotion recommendations of training participants and conducts interviews with supervisors. Through these initiatives, Nisshinbo believes that increasing the number of female role models will enable the next generation of women to play a more active role, ultimately eliminating gender gaps.
Nisshinbo will monitor the status of these organizations through engagement surveys and use the results to improve the corporate culture and create a better organization.
2. Individual status
The Nisshinbo Group believes that when each individual feels a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in their work and is able to work autonomously while expressing their individuality and strengths, such a mindset serves as a driving force to enhance the vitality of the entire organization. That is why the Nisshinbo Group set the priority issues of cultivating the ability of each individual to accept diversity.
As values regarding work become more diverse, Nisshinbo will create a system that motivates employees to enable both individual and organizational growth, thereby realizing an environment where each individual can work with a high level of engagement and enthusiasm.
① Cultivating the ability of each individual to accept diversity
In order to foster the ability to accept diversity, the Nisshinbo Group wants to increase the number of people who are aware of unconscious biases through dialogues with those around them. The company provided training on management that leverages diverse individuals for managers at all group companies in Japan and provided additional training on unconscious biases at some companies. In the future, Nisshinbo will expand training on unconscious biases to all group companies in Japan.
3. Environment and systems
An environment and systems that support diversity are essential for realizing diversity. The Nisshinbo Group has worked to introduce a flextime system and revise its paid leave system to allow employees to take leave in one-hour increments; however, there is still a reluctance among male employees to take childcare leave. Therefore, the Nisshinbo Group will further review work styles and improve systems with the aim of realizing a more diverse range of work styles.
① Promoting the use of childcare leave by male employees
The Nisshinbo Group created a guidebook that clearly explains the childcare leave system and posted it on its portal site. In addition, the Group compiled interviews with employees who have taken childcare leave into a document and is working to create an atmosphere that makes it easier to take childcare leave.
② Support for balancing work and caregiving
The Nisshinbo Group will also focus on supporting employees who care for family members. In 2024, the Group will sponsor seminars on caregiving for all managers at all group companies in Japan and will also offer optional seminars for other employees. Through these awareness-raising activities and the establishment of a variety of systems, Nisshinbo supports employees who care for family members.
The Nisshinbo Group aims to create an organization where a diverse range of talent can fully utilize their abilities and thrive. To achieve this, the Group will remove barriers one by one and continue to build an environment where everyone can work comfortably.
Promotion System
Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. reorganized its organizational structure in April 2025 to establish a Managing Officer system for each functional division with the aim of building and overseeing a structure that would lead to urgent change. Talent & D&I Development Department has been established with three groups (Human Resources Development Group, Diversity & Inclusion Promotion Group, and Human Resources and General Affairs Group) under its jurisdiction. In addition to monthly Human Resources Responsibility Officer (HRO) meetings, the company convenes two annual meetings bringing together human resources personnel from all group companies nationwide (Group Human Resources Policy Meeting and Group Human Resources Strategy Meeting) to discuss cross-functional human resources policies and challenges.
The president of the Nisshinbo Group, who is the chief executive officer of the Group, conducts management reviews at the annual Board of Management* and receives progress reports from the Managing Officers in charge of the Talent & D&I Development Department with regard to the group's initiatives. Based on these reports, the president issues instructions on the matters necessary for management. Special items are reported to the Board of Directors as appropriate.
* The Board of Management: Executive conference consisting of Directors, Executive officers, etc.
Please refer to "Sustainability Promotion Plan and KPIs" for details regarding of the "Sustainability Promotion Plan."
Specific Initiatives of The Nisshinbo Group
5th Sustainability Promotion Plan (to be achieved by FY2024)
In the 5th Sustainability Promotion Plan with FY2024 as the target year, the Nisshinbo Group set the following five items as targets and KPIs to promote diversity as a priority activity and achieve the goals of Group-wide D&I penetration initiatives, Securing diverse human resources, and Promoting diverse human resources.
- ① Communicating the top management message and implementing measures that contribute to the success of diverse human resources.
- ② Ratio of female recruitment to total recruits.
- ③ Rate of managers hired as mid-career employees to total managers,11%.
- ④ Rate of female managers to total managers,6%.
- ⑤ Rate of training on psychological safety,100%.
PDCA was implemented while carrying out each measure. Regarding ①, after conducting an engagement survey, the Nisshinbo Group provided feedback on the results from top management and implemented organizational culture improvement activities that will be ongoing. The Company advanced initiatives to address gender gaps and promote diversity and inclusion. Regarding ②, the Company achieved the target for the proportion of women in new graduate hiring, but the target for the proportion of women in managerial roles among career hires was not met. Regarding ③, ④, and ⑤, the Group achieved the targets.
6th Sustainability Promotion Plan (to be achieved by FY2027)
In the 6th Sustainability Promotion Plan, which targets FY2027, the Nisshinbo Group will focus on promoting diversity and will set the following two goals to achieve promoting diverse human resources and creating a comfortable workplace environment for employees.
- ① Rate of managers hired as mid-career employees to total managers, 20% or more.
- ② Rate of female managers to total managers, 10% or more.
In order to attract and utilize a diverse range of human resources regardless of attributes, Nisshinbo will first focus on initiatives to ensure diversity (recruitment) and promote the advancement of women, which is a representative indicator of diversity (elimination of gender gaps).
Please refer to "Sustainability Promotion Plan and KPIs" for details regarding of the "Sustainability Promotion Plan."
Eliminating gender gaps（Promotion of Women's Activities）
Implementation of a Female Leadership Development Program
In order to identify issues related to promoting the participation of women in the workplace, Nisshinbo conducted interviews with female employees and their supervisors. The following three issues were raised: ①gaining experience and individual training, ②providing role models and part models, and ③ enhancing internal networks to connect women.
The Company is promoting initiatives to provide early training and opportunities to gain experience in order to address these issues. Specifically, Nisshinbo launched a Women's Leadership Development Program in 2023 for female managers, the next generation of managers, and veteran employees in their 40s and 50s who are in a position to mentor junior employees. After the program, the Company conducted surveys of supervisors on changes in the behavior of participants, reviewed promotion recommendations, and interviewed supervisors to confirm the effectiveness of the program.
Implementation of training for managers
Going forward, Nisshinbo will introduce training for managers to raise awareness of unconscious bias and enable the managers to respond appropriately, as well as training to strengthen management skills for utilizing diverse human resources.
In addition, Nisshinbo is promoting overall initiatives to create a sustainable environment, including the development of systems that enable diverse human resources to play an active role, health promotion measures, and activities to improve the corporate culture.
The Company believes that these initiatives will increase the number of role models, expand the opportunities for women of the next generation, and ultimately contribute to the elimination of the gender gap.
General business owner action plan based on the law for the promotion of women's activity
Please refer to "Commitment to Initiatives" for details regarding of the general business owner action plan based on the law for the promotion of women's activity.
Certified As "Eruboshi" As A Company That Promotes Women's Activities
Please refer to "External Ratings and Evaluation" for details regarding of "Eruboshi" certification as a company promoting women's advancement.
Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children-General Action Plan
Please refer to "Commitment to Initiatives" for details regarding of Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children-General Action Plan.
Kurumin Certification as a Childcare Support Company
Please refer to "External Ratings and Evaluation" for details regarding of "Kurumin" certification as a childcare support company.
Support for the Success of Senior Employees
Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. has established a reemployment system for employees who have reached the mandatory retirement age of 60, which is called the Senior Employee System. From FY2024, Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. will introduce an evaluation system similar to that used for general employees, and provide appropriate feedback and reflect it in compensation as part of our efforts to provide a rewarding work environment.
As a measure to support the active participation of senior employees, the Nisshinbo Group provides training for managers and general employees with the aim of helping them consider and prepare for employment after retirement. In the training, participants learn about money planning, health, and careers in order to look at their careers and live energetically and actively even after retirement. Career training is conducted by instructors trained within the Group, and many people have participated in the training.
Specific Activities of the Group Companies
Initiatives to Promote Women's Participation in the Workplace
Japan Radio Glass Co., Ltd. began hiring women in its glass molding workplace, which had been almost entirely male, starting in 2021, and has since hired seven women. The retention rate is high, and the proportion of women in the glass molding workplace has now risen to 29%.
Previously, the company refrained from hiring women with no prior experience in glass molding because of the physical demands of the work. However, the company continues to hire women, expecting improvements in product quality due to their meticulousness, diligence, and ability to build good relationships with other staff members, as well as enhanced productivity through collaborative work.
The company also renovated the restrooms and expanded break rooms to create a more comfortable working environment for female employees.
Supporting the Active Participation of Senior Citizens
Japan Radio Glass Co., Ltd. was one of the first companies in the Japan Radio Group to introduce the mandatory retirement age of 65 and has implemented this policy since its inception. In April 2024, the company was recognized as a Senior Active Promotion Declaration Company Plus by Saitama Prefecture because it set the upper age limit for continued employment at 70 years or older. As of 2024, six part-time employees aged 70 or older actively contribute to the company. The majority of senior employees play key roles as core members of the production team.
In addition, the company considers the smooth transfer of skills from veteran to younger employees to be one of its management challenges. Senior employees are entrusted with the important task of passing on traditional skills to the next generation.
The company is also focused on creating a workplace environment where senior employees can continue to remain active. Because this is a generation with increased health risks, the company ensures workplace safety by eliminating steps and other hazards while allowing senior employees to contribute to production.
Having senior employees who work energetically and with enthusiasm in each workplace serves as a role model for younger employees and contributes to organizational revitalization.
Work Experience Program for High School Students with Disabilities
HYS Engineering Services Inc. accepted one first-year high school student with disabilities who was attending a Tokyo Metropolitan Special Support School for on-the-job training and on-site internships in February 2024, and two second-year students in June 2024.
The program was conducted by the Shared Services Department of the company, which consolidates and manages the indirect business operations for the International Electric Group. During the program, the students had the opportunity to experience three types of work: factory equipment management, operations at the factory canteen and mailroom, and welfare affairs using computers.
This was the first time the company had hosted such an internship program, so there was some trial and error in terms of communication and guidance. However, the school offered high praise to the company for providing students with the opportunity to experience a variety of tasks, leading to a second round of internships in June.
The company hopes this internship program will help high school students discover their career aptitudes as they prepare to enter the workforce.
Achieved the Highest Level of Erboshi Certification
Nisshinbo Micro Devices Inc. achieved the highest level of certification (Level 3) under the Eruboshi Certification program established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which recognizes companies that promote the active participation of women in the workplace. The company met all evaluation criteria set by the ministry across all categories, including recruitment, continuous employment, work arrangements for working hours, proportion of women in management positions, and diverse career paths.
In addition to providing training for female leaders and training on women's health issues, promoting psychological safety and human rights due diligence activities as part of the respect for diversity, and conducting diversity and inclusion training, the company is working to create a workplace where everyone can demonstrate enthusiasm through the development of human resource systems that support a work-life balance, autonomous career development, and diverse work styles.
Going forward, Nisshinbo Micro Devices Inc. will continue to promote and support a work-life balance and strive to create a workplace environment where everyone can work comfortably according to their life stage, leverage their abilities, and thrive.
Participation in the Sai no Kuni Women Researchers and Engineers Network
Nisshinbo Micro Devices Inc. is participating as a private-sector research institution in the Saitama Prefecture Women Researchers and Engineers Network, which is coordinated by Saitama University, a national university corporation, and primarily comprises companies, research institutions, and universities within Saitama Prefecture.
The purpose of this network is to promote a working environment conducive to female researchers and engineers, advance the active participation of women, and foster the development of the next generation of researchers and engineers. To achieve these goals, the network sponsors a variety of activities, including seminars aimed at promoting diversity across the entire Saitama Prefecture region, with the aim of further advancing and revitalizing research and technological development through diverse perspectives and ideas while collaborating with participating organizations.
The company actively participates in training programs and events organized by the Saitama Prefecture Women Researchers and Engineers Network, and female managers participate in symposiums and roundtable discussions.
From now on, Nisshinbo Micro Devices Inc. will continue to deepen its collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders and actively contribute to the activities of the Saitama Prefecture Women Researchers and Engineers Network and the promotion of diversity in the Saitama Prefecture region.
Diversity-promoting human resource development
Nisshinbo Automotive Manufacturing Inc. in the United States continues to secure a diverse workforce, including employees with disabilities and those from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The company supports this initiative by emphasizing the relationship between diversity, fairness, and inclusiveness and business performance.
In June 2024, Nisshinbo Automotive Manufacturing Inc. conducted diversity and inclusion training. The aim of the training was to create an environment where all differences of race, nationality, age, gender, disability, values, and religion were accepted, and where each individual could leverage their unique strengths to maximize performance.
Through these training programs, Nisshinbo Automotive Manufacturing Inc. is raising employee awareness and cultivating talent who can contribute to the company's growth.
Obtained Monisu Certification
Nisshinbo Precision Instrument & Machinery Hiroshima Corporation is promoting the employment of people with disabilities and ensuring stable employment by implementing the barrier-free measures of installing ramps and handrails in its facilities while taking into consideration the specific needs of individuals with disabilities.
Additionally, managers and other administrative staff must attend training sessions conducted by the Public Employment Security Office (Hello Work) to enhance their understanding of disabilities. They can then consult employees with disabilities to adjust job responsibilities and workloads and tailor tasks to their individual needs.
Furthermore, the company established flexible working arrangements, including time-based annual paid leave and other special leave, for all employees, including those with disabilities, in its employment regulations. Nisshinbo Precision Instrument & Machinery Hiroshima is also working to create a comfortable workplace that includes health management and promotes individualized working styles to foster a supportive environment and encourage employee retention.
As a result of these efforts, the company obtained Monisu Certification in February 2024, which recognizes small and medium-sized businesses with outstanding disability employment practices. While the legal employment rate for people with disabilities in private companies is 2.5%, the company's rate was 8.1% as of June 1, 2024. Furthermore, the retention rate was 100%* as of April 4, 2025.
* Retention rate of employees with disabilities hired over the past three years after six months of employment.
Initiatives for employing people with disabilities
Nanbu Plastics Co., Ltd. has been recognized for its efforts in employing people with disabilities and was awarded the Shizuoka Prefectural Governor's Award for Excellence in Employment of Persons with Disabilities at the 2024 Shizuoka Prefecture Conference on Promoting Employment of Persons with Disabilities at the Shizuoka Prefectural Government Office in September 2024.
In October of the same year, the company also participated as a lecturing company at the 2024 Fiscal Year Disability Employment Promotion Seminar and Company Visit (Third Session), where it delivered a presentation and hosted facility tours for participating companies.
Furthermore, the company is engaged in the following activities:
① Telework with supervision at a telework office
The company uses the Telework Office Fujieda Station Front (Shizuoka Prefecture) where support staff are stationed to assist with health management, enabling three employees with disabilities to work remotely and use their skills. The support staff helps maintain the psychological safety of the employees, allowing them to work steadily.
② Acceptance of workplace internships from special support schools
With a view to employment after graduation, Nanbu Plastics accepts workplace internships from students in the high school department of a nearby special needs school. Participating students learn the basic attitudes and behaviors for working after graduation and understand the characteristics of their disabilities, while the company can confirm the characteristics and abilities of the students before hiring them, which is effective in facilitating smooth employment after graduation.
③ Placement of disability employment and lifestyle counselors
Employees obtained certification as employment counselors for people with disabilities and serve as the point of contact for consultations on employment and other matters by building a support system to enable employees with disabilities to work long term.
Strengthening the creation of a system that takes into consideration diverse characteristics
The Osaka branch of Nisshinbo Textile Inc. has been participating in the Workplace Experience Matching Event for Individuals with Mental and Developmental Disabilities hosted by Osaka Prefecture since 2020 and has accepted individuals with disabilities for workplace experience programs every year.
The event attracts a diverse group of participants, including those seeking employment, those looking to find a job or role that suits their skills, and others with different aspirations and motivations. Participants in the workplace experience program provided positive feedback, such as "The manuals included photos, making them easy to understand," "I gained a clearer vision of what working here would be like," and "I was able to identify my strengths."
Those who joined the company after the workplace experience program reported that having the opportunity to learn about the workplace environment and tasks beforehand helped reduce anxiety and stress upon starting work, which gave them confidence.
Going forward, Nisshinbo Textile Inc. will continue to strive to create a workplace environment where it is easy to work and to strengthen systems to accommodate diverse characteristics.
WELL Conference
Nisshinbo Urban Development Co., Ltd., is committed to creating a workplace where female employees can thrive and grow. To this end, the company established the WELL Meeting, a monthly discussion forum where female employees (as of 2024: one in their 50s, three in their 40s, one in their 30s, and two in their 20s) gather to discuss topics related to this initiative.
Women from different generations, life stages, and job roles gather to exchange opinions and discuss a variety of related themes, such as "What makes a workplace where women can continue to work comfortably?" and "What does career development look like for me?" Through these discussions, participants have become more aware of unconscious biases and gained new perspectives.
Additionally, this initiative fostered a shift in mindset toward creating a workplace where everyone can work comfortably, which then led to proposals and recommendations for revising policies and regulations. The company will continue to advance initiatives that contribute to building an environment where everyone can thrive and grow.