As our business activities become more global and the market environment undergoes abrupt change, diversity and taking on challenges are keys to driving sustainable growth.This is because diversity enables us to look at risk as an opportunity, and when we take on challenges we can take full advantage of these opportunities. To make this a reality, the Kaga Electronics Group promotes diversity management in terms of making effective use of diversity in human resources and in work style. At the same time, we respect our human resources who continue to take on challenges and see each person as a corporate manager. With this in mind, we will keep protecting our corporate culture of tolerating failure as a consequence of tackling challenges.
SustainabilitySUSTAINABILITY
- Sustainability
- Social
- Human Capital
Human Capital
Basic Approach
Initiatives
The Kaga Electronics Group’s approach to human resources can be summarized into a single sentence, “People are our greatest asset.” In line with this approach, we have worked to nurture independent, autonomous, and self-motivated individuals with a strong spirit. In the course of human resource management, we remain mindful of what can be done to maximize the value of our human resources and bring out their full potential while encouraging them to exercise their unique strengths as Kaga Electronics Group employees.
At the core of our training system are in-house position level qualification systems and training programs that differ based on employees’ years of service. The former grants membership to each employee upon joining the Group and, as they accumulate experience, promotes them to leader, chief, manager, general manager and, ultimately, senior general manager. These titles, however, do not necessarily reflect job functions.
For example, an individual at the “leader” rank could be appointed to a manager position if deemed to possess management skills. Likewise, a general manager can be appointed from among individuals who have only reached the “manager” level.
Nurturing Global Human Resources Based on the EMS Business, Which Is Expanding Overseas
With regard to the development of global human resources, the EMS Business Division serves as a hub from which employees are dispatched to overseas assignments. Newly hired graduates are assigned to the EMS Business Division, and, once they have two to three years of experience in executing the business scheme in Japan and on overseas business trips under their belts, they are dispatched. We also assign salespersons who joined the Group as mid-career hires to the EMS Business Division and then dispatch them to overseas destinations after they have amassed frontline experience for several months. Meanwhile, KAGA MICRO SOLUTION, a manufacturing subsidiary, recruits mid-career hires specialized in manufacturing, seconding them to the Production Center of the EMS Business Division once they gain proficiency. Following this secondment, they are transferred to overseas bases. Going forward, we aim to nurture human resources capable of handling overseas production management. To this end, we plan to promote similar initiatives, for example, assigning new recruits to KAGA EMS TOWADA CO., LTD. for stints at domestic factories such as Kyokuto Electric Co., Ltd. prior to being sent abroad.
To leverage the capabilities of foreign national employees, each year KAGA EMS TOWADA accepts technical trainees from Indonesia and Vietnam, taking advantage of a government-sponsored foreign technical intern training program. These trainees are given the option of either returning to their home countries after a three-year training period or obtaining a “specific skill” certification and continuing their career at KAGA EMS TOWADA. Meanwhile, Kyokuto Electric has several foreign engineers on its rolls, and in addition to quality-control work and interpretation, is actively involved in the training of its technical interns.
In terms of the promotion of foreign employees, in April 2023, Zhen Zhou Zhu, China Supervisor, was appointed as the Company’s first foreign executive officer.
Initiatives to Promote Diversity
In terms of women’s empowerment, we are making steady progress toward achieving the goals set forth in our Medium- to Long-Term Sustainability Management Plan to increase the consolidated ratio of women in managerial positions to 15% by 2024 and 17% by 2029. However, when looking at KAGA ELECTRONICS on a non-consolidated basis, along with its domestic Group companies, this ratio is not steadily growing. With this in mind, we have formulated targets aligned with the situation of each Group company. Furthermore, we are assiduously promoting initiatives to raise the ratio of women newly hired as career track employees to 30%. We recognize a need to focus on the nurturing of our female employees at a robust pace at KAGA ELECTRONICS and other domestic companies.
As an investment in human capital, in addition to a sharp increase in the number of male employees utilizing the new childcare leave system, the Company also implemented a Groupwide wage increase in March 2024.
Employee education, training and income compensation programs
At the Kaga Electronics Group, we support the career development of employees through training for new recruits, annual training, rank-based training, e-learning, and other forms of education, as well as by providing assistance through correspondence courses.
At the core of our training system are in-house position level qualification systems and annual training programs. Under this system, every new employee receives training to qualify as a Group member before advancing to leader, chief, manager, general manager and, ultimately, senior general manager. Our training programs, which differ based on employees’ years of service, provide comprehensive support, including post-employment training for new hires, sales mindset training, factory tours (manufacturing training), six-month follow-up training, and basic technical study sessions. Over their second to fifth year, employees undergo training on a yearly basis. Around their sixth year, employees typically reach the “leader” level of positions, making them eligible to participate in such position level-based training programs as leadership training.
In addition, every year, we grant a total of six days of paid “refresh leave,” which is separate from annual paid leave, to all employees. We also instituted a sick leave program for those who develop one of three specified types of serious disease (cancer, cerebral stroke, or myocardial infarction) to help them secure their income during their hospitalization and absence from work as well as hourly paid leave. Furthermore, to encourage male employees to utilize childcare leave, we implement various initiatives—including a specialized childcare leave system that was established on April 1, 2023. Through such initiatives, we aim to strike a good work-life balance and thus realize a safer work environment for employees.
