Diversity
We aim to utilize diverse talents
In the Sumitomo Electric Group, over 280,000 employees are working actively in about 40 countries around the world. We believe that for Sumitomo Electric to win the global competition and grow further, it is essential that we fully mobilize the Group's technologies, products, business models and all other resources, and we acknowledge that it is most important to secure and utilize highly capable employees who support the efforts.
The Group has traditionally attached a high value to human resources based on the Sumitomo Spirit. To clarify the basic policies on human resources, we instituted the Sumitomo Electric Group Global Human Resource Management Policy (Global HRM Policy) in September 2011.
This policy specifies the Group's commitment to creation of an environment that helps employees realize growth and self-actualization through work, provision of various career opportunities regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability, promotion of diversity and development of global leaders, in order to accelerate our global human resource recruitment and promotion. We have declared the policy to inform people in and outside of the Group about it.
- Global Human Resource Management (HRM)Policy
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- We provide workplaces where all the employees can work actively, grow both personally and professionally through work, achieve self-actualization, and contribute to the society.
- We offer various career opportunities and globally pursue "the right person in the right position" regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
- We value and promote diversity in the workplace in order to enhance the creativity of the organization and to sustain the growth of the business.
- We develop global leaders who lead and give energy to our global business. Global leaders are those who understand and share the Sumitomo Spirit and the Corporate Principles and can lead highly diversified teams.
Recruitment of Diverse Human Resources
We believe that diversity is to accept a set of different values and unify them toward the same goal, transforming the differences into our strengths.
To support the development of our various business activities including those in new fields and global markets, we continue to actively recruit women, foreign students, mid-career employees and other diverse personnel.
Women's Empowerment
“L-boshi” certification symbol
Sumitomo Electric regards women playing active roles in their workplaces as one of the driving forces to promote diversity, and strives for it. We consider that the development of an environment where women can fully demonstrate their skills and keep playing important roles will also lead to the cultivation of culture that helps each employee work more actively. This is therefore a significant initiative for the future growth and development of our Company.
For example, we provide support for our female employees to fully demonstrate their capabilities by holding seminars for participants to learn about different viewpoints on career development, and by introducing a childbirth/parenting support program designed to promote communication between employees who are going to take or have just taken a maternity/parenting leave and their bosses. In addition, female section managers have been given the opportunity to join the executive training program (Action Learning) to make proposals to the management.
In accordance with the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace, we formulated an action plan in March 2016.
We certified as the highest grade L-boshi company under the act. L-boshi is certification granted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to companies that have established and reported an action plan based on the Act of Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace, have applied for certification to the labor bureau in their prefecture, and have been judged to satisfy specific standards. Three certification levels exist according to the number of assessment items the relevant applicant has satisfied. Judged satisfactory in all assessment items of recruitment, employment continuity, working style (e.g. working hours), percentage of female managers, and diverse career courses, we have been granted the highest-grade third-level certification.
Promotion of Employment of the Persons with Physical or Mental Disabilities
As part of our efforts to recruit diverse personnel, we are promoting employment of the persons with physical or mental disabilities. For this purpose, we established Sumiden Friend, Ltd. in July 2008, which is engaged in greening activities, such as the maintenance of foliage plants and flowerbeds in the Group companies, and the job of stuffing bags with buffer materials for packaging of our products. Sumiden Friend was officially recognized as a special subsidiary*1 under the Law for Employment Promotion etc. of the Disabled in February 2009.
Sumitomo Electric has been making constant efforts to employ persons with physical or mental disabilities. We intend to further promote employment of disabled people on a group basis, using Sumiden Friend and the corporate group application system.*2
*1 Special subsidiary: The subsidiary that a company establishes for the purpose of hiring disabled persons under the Law for Employment Promotion etc. of the Disabled. This requires permission from the national government.
*2 Corporate group application system: The system in which disabled employees of a special subsidiary are considered to be the parent company's (or corporate group's) employees when calculating the percentage of disabled employees.
Distribution of Group Global Magazine
In February 2014, the Sumitomo Electric Group's bulletins, which used to be published separately in Japan and overseas, were integrated into“ ALL SEI.” This new periodical is commonly published across the Group as a communication tool for Group employees both in Japan and overseas. ALL SEI is published in seven languages four times a year.
ALL SEI conveys the Sumitomo Spirit, the Sumitomo Electric Group Corporate Principles, messages from executives and information on our business performance, as well as information on our business and social contribution activities in various regions, in order to share information and cultivate a sense of unity among Group employees.