Our strengths lie in the enduring spirit of “looking forward” and “staying ahead”—the mindset of always　anticipating the future and responding to the next needs—which has been cultivated since our founding and drives our ongoing pursuit of creating new value for the future. We have always acted in consideration of whether our actions are “for our customers,” and thanks to this, we have earned the trust of many of our customers. At times it is prompt response, at other times specialized knowledge—whatever is required at each moment, we will continue to develop the ability to respond to the maximum extent.

Basic approach: Fostering a career ownership mindset

As the environment surrounding our business undergoes major changes and the transformation of business models as such becomes necessary, the source of sustainable growth for a company is none other than each employee’s abilities and the driving force that accompanies them. Our approach to talent development is to maximize employee abilities and foster “professional talent who can perform job responsibilities essential to achieving management goals.”
To accomplish this, our priority is practical, on-the-job training (OJT), which enables us to promptly address issues arising daily at each workplace. To make OJT more effective, we have established a structured framework in which the employee develops a career plan (autonomy), the supervisor provides daily feedback (guidance), and the company supports their growth through systems (infrastructure), with all three parties working together.
With such support from the company, employees can independently consider their careers, make efforts, and work toward growth—this, in turn, leads to organizational growth and results, and ultimately becomes a powerful driving force for improving company performance.

Educational policy

1. We will strengthen and promote connections between training programs and job responsibility standards set according to employees’ positions.
2. In position-specific training, we will promote cultivation and revitalization of the organizational climate through training curricula that incorporate the knowledge, skills, and business mindset required to meet job responsibility standards for specific positions..
3. With the objective of leveraging the effects of training in on-site practical work, we will strive to deeply instill the knowledge, skills, and business mindset learned in training by putting these into practice in work.
4. We will support career autonomy and independence through proactive learning grounded in a career ownership mindset.
5. To enhance the Group’s consolidated management structure, we will support skill development for the employees of Group companies.

Programs that support diverse growth

To put the concept of career ownership into practice, we systematically link the following programs and systems to support employees’ autonomous growth from multiple perspectives.

■Investment results in human capital (FY2024)

The (non-consolidated) Company’s human resources development structure

We have the following human resource development programs.

Status of participation in the (non-consolidated) Company’s education and training

Systematic development of next-generation leaders

Recognizing the securing and development of future management leaders as a critical management issue, we are building a system for the continuous development of leaders through both “mid-career recruitment from outside” and “internal development of young employees.”
We will step up hiring of experienced professionals who can make an immediate contribution in age groups and job categories where we currently lack resources. At the same time, as future leaders who will drive our company, we will further enhance training and education programs for young employees and continue to develop them systematically.

Dialogue and support for career formation
To provide employees with opportunities to consider their medium- to long-term careers, we support career formation not only through discussions between supervisors and subordinates but also through “1-on-1 meetings” in vertical, horizontal, and diagonal relationships, including seniors from other divisions and members of the HR division who are well-versed in careers. Going forward, we will also consider introducing “career education” from a variety of perspectives to further foster an ownership mindset for employees concerning their careers.

Opportunities to encourage new experiences and challenges
The “in-house multiple jobs program,” which allows employees to gain new skills and beyond division boundaries, provides new opportunities for employees to take on challenges. For employees aiming to acquire advanced expertise, we provide incentives and allowances through the “certification incentive program,” thereby fostering a culture that concretely supports and recognizes such motivation and challenges.

We have identified material issues for sustainable corporate value enhancement and positioned initiatives to address these challenges at the core of our management strategy.
In the realm of human capital, we particularly see “ensuring diversity” and “developing next-generation leaders” as vital foundations for supporting our company’s sustainable growth.

Diversity Policy

We respect human rights, individuality and diversity and do not discriminate in any way.

1. We will not discriminate in employment and will provide equal opportunity.
2. We respect the diversity, personality, and individuality of our employees and eliminate discrimination and harassment.
3. We will establish a personnel treatment system that allows diverse human resources to fully demonstrate their individual abilities.

■ Diversity-related indicators for the (non-consolidated) Company

Initiatives and targets for promoting women’s empowerment
Under the above policy, we are currently focusing on promoting women’s empowerment as a priority theme. Through creating an environment where employees can build careers regardless of life stage, and through training for management candidates, we aim to achieve our KGI (long-term status goal) of a “female manager ratio of 15 % or higher” (Medium-Term Business Plan target: 10 % by FY2027). As a reference for career formation, we held a lecture by a female independent director entitled “Facing Your Career How to Live in the Present.” Based on her own experiences, she emphasized that proactively thinking, proposing, and acting is key to advancement, providing employees with a valuable opportunity to consider their own careers.

Our company conducts an annual engagement survey for all employees. This survey measures employee perceptions regarding the future prospects and social contribution of our business, job satisfaction, satisfaction with evaluations, and the availability of growth and career opportunities. We also regularly conduct stress checks and psychological safety questionnaires to monitor employees’ physical and mental health.Based on these survey results, we work to enhance our HR policies. Furthermore, through town hall meetings (policy briefing sessions) where executives and employees gather together, we strive to instill our purpose and management policies and foster a sense of unity as a company.Since fiscal year 2018, as part of our “Work Style Reform,” we have been designing systems and improving the working environment to realize diverse work styles and enhance work-life balance. Specifically, we introduced telework and staggered commuting hours, implemented a free-address seating system, and established a multipurpose floor that serves as a space for meetings, employee refreshment, and communication, thereby advancing the creation of a comfortable workplace environment. Regarding childcare support, we are enhancing measures to support employees raising children, such as making five days of childcare leave paid and extending the application periods for childcare leave and childcare work arrangements (reduced working hours).Starting in fiscal year 2022, we are deepening our efforts into a “Work Satisfaction Reform” initiative to enhance employee motivation and engagement. This includes introducing new measures such as extended retirement ages, the in-house multiple jobs program**, and a flexible three-day weekend system. In this way, we are committed to creating a work environment where each employee wants to continue working for our company, can spend their days happily with their loved ones, and can realize their aspirations while expressing their individuality and finding genuine satisfaction in their work.

* Employee Net Promoter Score: An indicator reflecting employees’ attachment and trust in their workplace and company
** A system enabling interested employees to work across multiple internal departments, promoting self-directed career development and growth.

Summary for employee engagement in Marubun Nextage 2024, the previous Medium-Term Business Plan

Since FY2022, the initial year of our previous Medium-Term Business Plan, we have been conducting an engagement survey every year. In the final year survey, the engagement score improved by 12.1 points from the initial year, and improvements were also seen in previously identified challenge categories such as “Growth & Career Opportunities” and “Roles and Resources (personnel, tools, job discretion, etc.).” In addition, our new graduate retention rate has remained high, which demonstrates the steady results of our
reforms to date. On the other hand, the survey also revealed issues such as “lack of role models (an environment in which it is difficult to imagine one’s own growth).” Based on these results, we will continue to strengthen our current initiatives.

■Engagement Score (eNPS) Trends

■New Graduate Three-Year Retention Rate

■ Work style- and job satisfaction-related indicators for the (non-consolidated) Company

We believe that a workplace environment in which each employee can be healthy in both mind and body, and demonstrate their abilities to the fullest with peace of mind, is the foundation for human resource development, engagement, and the sustained growth of the company. By ensuring psychological safety and respecting flexible, diverse working styles, we strive to create an environment where employees take on challenges without fear of failure and can actively collaborate.

A workplace environment where a conflict of constructive opinions can occur(cultivating psychological safety)
One of our most important initiatives is cultivating psychological safety. We definethis as “a state where members can be themselves without feeling negative pressure,” and “a state where a conflict of constructive opinions is encouraged through mutually elevating relationships.” We aim for a workplace where supervisors, colleagues, and subordinates, rather than simply speaking their minds, engage in constructive discussions based on the common Purpose (raison d’être) of the company, working together toward achieving it. We offer a “Psychological Safety Skill Training” curriculum, which is attended by many employees, including management.

Promotion of flexible and diverse working styles
To balance individual productivity and well-being, we promote flexible working styles.For location flexibility, we have institutionalized hybrid work (with a maximum of eight telework days per month) to optimize both individual work comfort and organizational collaboration.
For time flexibility, we have introduced an “Optional Three-Days-Off Workweek Program” that allows employees to choose three holidays per week depending on their individual circumstances, supporting diverse life plans and time for self-development.

Examples of environments that support diverse working styles

Introduction of business casual attire (“Work Style Reform”)
The introduction of business casual attire, branded as “Work Style Reform,” aims to eliminate stiffness and create a more relaxed atmosphere where employees can express their individuality and personality. We adhere to our CPO (Customer/Place/Occasion) policy and operate under our own unique guidelines, with the fundamental principle that attire should not diminish the dignity of Marubun employees.

Support for balancing life events and careers regardless of gender
We strive to enhance support systems so that all employees, regardless of gender, can continue their careers as their life stages change. In particular, we are promoting the acquisition of childcare leave to foster a corporate culture where male employees can actively participate in child-rearing. (Childcare leave acquisition rate for male employees in FY2024: 47.1%)

To harmonize employees’ personal and professional lives, our Company has established programs for childcare leave, work while performing childcare, nursing care leave, and work while performing nursing care.

■ Indicators related to childcare leave for the (non-consolidated) Company

Our Company supports employees’ wishes for diverse ways of working, through means including limits on location of work assignments, career transitions, childcare support, and maintaining the use of maiden names. We are striving to improve the environment and programs to help women develop their careers and play active roles through all life-stage events.
For employees who are candidates for managerial positions, we conduct training for them to learn basic knowledge necessary for the management of organizational operations. As a component of ideal work styles, we respect the wishes of every employee and are working to create more a fulfilling work-life balance and offer wide-ranging support for career formation.
As the ratio of women in managerial positions, we have set a target of 10% by the fiscal year ending March 2028 and 15% in the long term.