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View Sumitomo Corporation's Sustainability : Our People
Throughout our history spanning over 400 years, we have inherited and upheld Sumitomo’s Business Philosophy. One of its core tenets, “Business is People” represents our unwavering belief that our people are the source of our competitiveness and the driving force behind our growth. This is also reflected in the Group’s Management Principles and Activity Guidelines. In addition, we put into practice the vision and philosophy for global talent management outlined in our Global HR Management Policy.
This culture of valuing our people has long been perpetuated as an integral part of our Group’s DNA, and we have always positioned talent discovery and development as top management priorities.
The Group, which is engaged in a wide variety of businesses on a global scale, aims to maximize the use of its own management capital to create new value by addressing social challenges, thereby enhancing corporate value sustainably over the medium to long term. Driving this value creation model are our peopleーour human capitalー each of whom bring diverse knowledge and experience to conceive and advance our businesses. To achieve further growth as a Group, we must fully unlock the potential of our people and strengthen the collective capabilities of our organization. We will further accelerate investment in human capital so that individual talent with a variety of backgrounds and experience is empowered to take on challenges that shape the future. By advancing these efforts, we will enhance the effectiveness of our management strategies and achieve sustainable growth in corporate value.
Integrated Report（p.14 Value creation model）
To put our value creation model into practice, we continuously invest in and advance the following five fundamentals of human capital. Through these efforts, we work to enhance employee engagement and foster individual growth. We aim to create a virtuous cycle where the growth of each of our people drives the growth of the Group’s businesses, with the resulting achievements returned to our people as new opportunities for growth. This cycle is the foundation of the Group’s growth and embodies the significance of our ongoing investment in human capital.
Our goal is to implement the business strategies defined in our medium-term management plan and create long-term value by strengthening the capabilities of our strategic execution drivers－our people and our organization.
From a long-term perspective, as shown on the previous page, we aim to enhance and evolve our human capital by continuously investing in the five fundamentals in alignment with our value creation model to drive sustainable growth in corporate value. At the same time, we identify priority areas of human capital to strengthen at each stage of our strategy and take measures to enhance our execution capabilities.
While strengthening human capital to lead and drive the sustainable growth and development of the Group, we identify key priorities to enhance strategic execution under our medium-term management plan and work to reinforce our people and organization.
In the previous medium-term management plan, we worked on the foundation of our HR system as part of the Management Base SHIFT strategy. Specifically, we introduced a job grading system that eliminates seniority-based management and determines grades based on the scope of the job. We also reformed the evaluation system, shifting from relative evaluations to absolute evaluations focused on individual development. In addition, we integrated career courses, eliminating the rigorous course-based career system and unifying them under a professional track. These initiatives removed various institutional barriers, breaking away from conventional HR management practices often influenced by personal attributes. This created a foundation for truly placing the right talent in the right positions without bias.
The Medium-Term Management Plan 2026 marks a major shift toward a new growth stage. Building on the foundation established in the previous plan, it positions “empowerment of people and organizations” as a key element in the pursuit of becoming “No.1 in Each Field,” enabling individual talent to fully demonstrate their potential.
In the face of a rapidly evolving VUCA environment, we uphold the slogan “Unlock Your Power.” This means creating workplaces where individuals with diverse knowledge and experience, who are empowered more than ever, can passionately create new businesses and solve challenges in pursuit of “Enriching lives and the world.” In particular, we have identified “business engineering power,” “leadership,” and “speed” as critical capabilities of our people and organizations. We will take various measures to strengthen these capabilities and deliver dynamic growth.
We monitor the scores for “Employee Engagement Index” and “Work Environment Index” as indicators to verify whether our initiatives for people and our organization are producing the intended effects. Currently, our scores are on par with the global average, and we aim to maintain or improve this level.
Sumitomo Corporation established the Sumitomo Corporation Group "Global HR Management Policy". This policy sets forth the vision and concept of talent management on a global basis with the aim of achieving talent management for the creation of new value. It is used as the foundation for each HR initiative.
Sumitomo's Business Philosophy emphasizes the need for an enterprising spirit to stay a step ahead in dealing with change. It also ascribes the importance of maintaining integrity and sound management, avoiding easy gains, and working for the public interest, without being misled by short-term changes. This philosophy has continuously formed the basis of Sumitomo Corporation Group's business for more than 400 years. With the aim of experiencing and assimilating Sumitomo’s Business Philosophy, which is the basis of the Group’s Management Principles, we conduct training annually at Besshi Copper Mine in Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture (Trainings in FY2020 and FY2021 were cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19). The Besshi Copper Mine continued to produce copper for approximately 280 years from its opening in 1691 to its closure in 1973 and supported the foundation of Sumitomo's business. The visit of this mine is an opportunity to reconfirm the role that the SC Group should play in society. Also, all employees learn the history of Besshi Copper Mine upon joining the company.
As a global organization contributing broadly to society, the Sumitomo Corporation Group holds management principles that place prime importance on integrity and sound management with utmost respect for the individual. Based on this principle, the Group developed the “Human Rights Policy” and the “CSR Action Guidelines for Supply Chain Management” to address various social issues including human rights. Through these initiatives, we aim to respect human rights to fulfill our social responsibility and pursue sustainable growth with society.
To this end, we have established the Human Rights and Dowa Issues Promotion Committee, which facilitates discussions on human rights issues such as discrimination against marginalized communities, persons with disabilities, foreign residents, and online human rights violations, at various organizational levels annually. Additionally, we conduct annual "Human Rights Training" with external speakers to further raise awareness of human rights issues.
Moreover, we provide e-learning content on the impact of corporate activities on human rights and the responsibility of companies to respect human rights, enhancing internal awareness efforts. We also conduct training on mental health and labor-related topics. Our tiered training programs for management include content on harassment prevention. We also provide education on fostering a harassment-free workplace and responding appropriately should any issues arise, thereby ensuring a workplace free from human rights violations.
In position-based training programs, as well as those designed for new graduates, mid-career hires, and locally hired employees of our overseas offices and Group companies, we conduct lectures on Sumitomo’s Business Philosophy, organize visits to historical sites such as the Besshi Copper Mine, Sumitomo Yūhōen, and Sumitomo Kakkien, and hold workshops where participants share episodes related to our corporate philosophy, their personal strengths, and their work. Through these activities, they create their own version of “My Enriching lives and the world.”
These activities aim to promote a deeper understanding and internalization of Sumitomo’s business spirit, the Sumitomo Corporation Group’s corporate philosophy, and our corporate message among our people.
In an ever-changing business environment, where the regions, sectors, and business models in which we operate continue to diversify, inclusion of talent with a variety of backgrounds and experience is an essential element of our management strategy. We are committed to cultivating an organizational culture where individuals with diverse perspectives and ways of thinking can fully express themselves, regardless of attributes such as race, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, as well as conventional values. We believe that creating such an environment is key to unlocking individual potential, generating new value and innovation, and ultimately enhancing our corporate value.
In terms of recruitment and appointments, we adhere to employment-related laws and regulations in each country and are committed to providing opportunities based on individual aptitude and ability. We do not engage in any form of unfair preference or discrimination based on personal attributes.
As a company that engages in global business, Sumitomo Corporation Group requires talent who are attuned to our businesses and principles, have high aspirations and continuous intrinsic motivation with an enterprising spirit, and a willingness to create new value on a global scale. We actively hire both new graduates and mid-career hires throughout the year, in alignment with our management and business strategies.
(Unit: persons)
| FY2020 | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New graduates*1 | 154 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 98 | 97 | |
| Male | 102 | 75 | 72 | 63 | 62 | 57 | |
| Female | 52 | 31 | 29 | 37 | 36 | 40 | |
| Mid-career*1 | 27 | 20 | 75 | 88 | 64 | - | |
| Male | 24 | 14 | 47 | 68 | 46 | - | |
| Female | 3 | 6 | 28 | 20 | 18 | - | |
| Ratio of mid-career hires*2 | 15% | 16% | 43% | 47% | 40% | ||
*Updated on May 1, 2025
We hold various seminars relating to recruitment and create opportunities to support the career development of post and undergraduate students.
We offer internships to university and graduate students every year to have them experience the business of an integrated trading company and to provide an opportunity to support the development of their career views.
In FY2024, we conducted two types of internship programs, one is a workshop program related to our business, the other is a program which provides students with ‘work-experience’ on several business groups and organizations. The workshop program was based on Energy and Tubular business, allowing participants to get an experience on new business creation process utilizing design thinking skills, such as ‘originality’ and ‘creativity’ etc. On the work-experience internship program, participants could get to know realistic business world, through working alongside our employees, being assigned to one of 16 organizations. Through these programs, we provide opportunities for participants to experience the process of bringing a business into reality, develop their career perspectives, and deepen their understanding of our unique approach to creating new value.
〈Number of Past Participants〉
FY2020: 164 / FY2021: 148 / FY2022: 230 / FY2023: 319 / FY2024 : 193
The business environment surrounding us is changing rapidly. In order to survive the competition in this age of tremendous changes, we need to take on the challenge of doing business in new fields while expanding and advancing our existing businesses. To respond to these business needs, in line with our business strategy, we recruit mid-career professionals with diverse expertise and knowledge. Our mid-career hires have a wide range of backgrounds and include lawyers, public accountants, and those with other qualifications, as well as people with experience in various industries. These professionals from various fields are making use of their respective expertise for the benefit of our company. Mid-career hires account for approximately 40% of all annual hires, including new graduates. Notably, around 75% of mid-career hires are recruited for managerial positions, and they now represent 14% of all managers in our company (approximately 400 individuals). The number of mid-career hires appointed to director-level positions has also increased—from 11 in 2021 to 24 in April 2025.
Sumitomo Corporation recruits mid-career hires not only for their expertise and knowledge. We expect these talents who have diverse backgrounds to revitalize the company and organizations with their ways of thinking, work methods, out-of-the-box ideas, values, and help us enhance our competitive strength. Sumitomo Corporation will continue to promote mid-career recruitment along with the employment of new graduates for the retention of a diverse workforce.
We hold an annual company-wide Inclusive Awareness Event.
The aim is to remind all of our people that inclusion of talent with a variety of backgrounds and experiences is a source of competitiveness and serves as a catalyst for specific behavioral changes that further cultivate our inclusive culture. We deliver management messages and hold participatory events and seminars where employees can think about Inclusion from various perspectives. We will continue to hold this event on a regular basis in order to further cultivate our inclusive culture.
A panel discussion was held featuring President Ueno and Outside Director Otsuki as panelists, under the theme “What is a strong organization that can realize “No.1 in Each Field”?” The session explored the actions and mindsets necessary for Sumitomo Corporation to achieve significant growth, from the perspective of Inclusion.
A panel discussion was held with alumni who have taken on new challenges outside the company and employees who have returned to Sumitomo Corporation, providing an opportunity to reflect on what it means to build an authentic and self-directed career.
To foster a more inclusive organizational culture, a Family Day event was co-hosted by labor and management to encourage open conversations in the workplace about family and parenting, and to deepen understanding of childcare-related issues.
To promote an inclusive organizational culture, “Femtech Day” was held at both the Tokyo Head Office and the Kansai Office. The event provided an opportunity to openly address often-overlooked health challenges and deepen mutual understanding, while also introducing potential solutions. The program featured seminars led by external experts and exhibitions showcasing Femtech-related products and services.
Sumisho Well Support Co., Ltd., established in 2014 as a special subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, co-hosted seminars and exhibitions aimed at deepening understanding of disabilities. These initiatives were designed to foster greater awareness and inclusion within the organization.
Sumitomo Corporation regards women’s empowerment as an important theme especially in Japan, and we have formulated action plans with the aim of advancing this further, and set the following targets to be achieved by FY2030.
Ratio of women in managerial positions: At least 20% or more (Actual ratio 10.4% (FY2024))
Ratio of women in general manager positions: At least 10% or more (Actual ratio 2.6% (FY2024))
Ratio of women in Director and Audit & Supervisory Board Member positions: At least 30% or more (Actual ratio 18.8% (FY2024))
To achieve these targets, we are strengthening talent development and placement through the new HR system introduced in FY2021, and fostering an environment where all individuals can realize their full potential. We are strengthening our management pipeline by appointing a broad range of individuals, including women, with diverse backgrounds and professional experiences, to management positions.
In addition, in order to support our employees to balance life events and career development, we have reinforced tangible aspects including the establishment of internal policies that go beyond regulatory requirements and have addressed the intangible elements such as correcting long working hours, encouraging employees to take paid leave, and reforming employee awareness with the aim of creating an environment that facilitates active participation in the company after childbirth and childcare.
Aiming to recruit and develop talent who can lead global business operations, the Sumitomo Corporation Group is focusing on promoting and developing locally hired employees in its overseas offices and Group companies.
As part of these efforts, we conduct training programs for locally hired employees at different career levels, such as senior executives, managers, and senior staff. These training programs establish a shared sense of the SC Group's corporate DNA and strengthen the sense of unity among employees as members of the Group by reaffirming participants' understanding of Sumitomo’s Business Philosophy and the Group's management principles.
The Sumitomo Corporation Group deploys business operations globally in a wide range of industries. Such operations are supported by the Group’s global network consisting of 21 offices in Japan and 104 outside Japan, extending to 63 countries and regions throughout the world, with approximately 7,500 employees as of April 2025. The latest data shows that the number of locally hired overseas employees in managerial positions has reached around 950, up from 820 employees recorded five years earlier. The ratio of locally hired overseas employees in management positions in the organizations outside Japan is more than 66%. In order to promote strategic assignment and appointment in line with the business strategies and to consistently promote the principle of “the right talent to the right positions” on a global basis, the SC Group develops and updates succession plans for the next generation and subsequent generations. Such succession planning covers key positions in both domestic and overseas organizations and our group companies, and is aimed at fostering successful talent management across the SC Group. For candidates to key positions, we arrange systematic career development plans to ensure that they can gain the necessary experience and skills. In this way, we endeavor to enrich our talent pool in terms of both quality and quantity. As a tool for this purpose, we have established the Global Mobility Policy (common rules for the SC Group regarding treatment and benefits for employees when relocating overseas) and Job Grading, which enables us to compare the size of jobs on a global basis. We are also building a talent database on a global basis. Toward the sustainable growth of the SC Group, we will continue to actively appoint talented people to key positions in Japan and overseas, regardless of nationality.
The Sumitomo Corporation Group Compliance Policy and the Employment Rules codify that no fear or discomfort shall be caused through sexualized speech or conduct, harassment, slander or defamation, intimidation, violent behavior, or the like on the basis on sexual orientation or gender identity. We also work on awareness-raising activities such as in-house training, with the aim of creating a work environment where each employee supports the LGBTQ+ community with an informed and respectful understanding of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. In addition, we are also continuously working to improve our systems and environment, so that all employees including LGBTQ+ can feel safe and be their true selves at work. In recognition of our comprehensive LGBTQ+-related measures in Japan, we received the highest “Gold rating” in the “PRIDE Index” in 2023 and 2024. This index was developed by the Japanese voluntary association “work with Pride” to evaluate workplace initiatives related to LGBTQ+.
We will continue to work to create an environment in which each individual can fulfill their potential and continue to generate new value, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
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As part of its efforts in corporate social responsibility and toward diversity, Sumitomo Corporation Group has been promoting the employment of people with disabilities.
In 2014, we established Sumisho Well Support Co., Ltd., a special subsidiary company, and we have worked with them since then to employ people with disabilities and provide them with opportunities to participate.
As of June 2025, approximately 120 employees with disabilities are working for the two companies, and Sumitomo Corporation's actual employment rate is 2.65%, exceeding the Japanese legal requirement.
Employees of Sumisho Well Support are engaged in various tasks, such as outsourced general office tasks, scanning documents for digitization, printing and binding of business profiles, and business-related data input. They are extremely important to the business activities of our company. Going forward, SC Group will continue to rely on the uniqueness of each of our employees with disabilities to help in our creation of added value.
Sumisho Well Support Co., Ltd., a special subsidiary company（Japanese only）
The SC Alumni Network was established in FY2019 to provide opportunities for alumni now working in other companies to interact with current officers and employees of Sumitomo Corporation. The purpose of the network is to foster an open corporate culture while creating new business opportunities by merging various knowledge and personal networks inside and outside the company. Alumni are expected to play a supporting role in securing talent while working to create a more interconnected network.
MIRAI LAB PALETTE promotes various collaborations as a community organizer to create new values with partners in diverse fields beyond the framework of the Sumitomo Corporation Group. We launched it in 2019 as part of Sumitomo Corporation's 100th anniversary initiative.
Based on the concept of breaking away from traditional practices, creating a space where people of completely different backgrounds and cutting-edge technologies can meet and inspire each other, and creating new value that transcends all organizational boundaries, we provide facilities (Otemachi) and functions designed to bring together a diverse range of people and foster collaboration and co-creation.
MIRAI LAB PALETTE's greatest strength lies in its diversity, with over 8,500 members registered (as of May 2025) from various sectors, including industry, academia, government, and the private sector. Additionally, the average number of active visitors per month is approximately 1,800.
Through various daily activities, such as providing collaboration spaces, hosting events and programs, and facilitating member matchmaking, we create collaborations that transcend all boundaries.
Sumitomo Corporation Group has inherited and upheld Sumitomo's Business Philosophy throughout our history spanning over 400 years. One of its core tenets, “Business is People,” represents our unwavering belief that our people are the source of our competitiveness, the driving force behind our growth, and our most important management capital.
As the Group is engaged in a wide variety of businesses on a global scale, it is our people — our human capital — each of whom brings diverse knowledge and experience to conceive and advance our business initiatives and plan and implement our strategies. We focus on developing such talent while building a pipeline of global management talent who can continuously create value even in rapidly changing business environments. By strategically and continuously investing in our human capital, we support the sustainable growth of each employee, simultaneously enhance the market value of individuals and strengthen our capabilities as an organization.
We are methodically creating opportunities for diverse talent to rapidly acquire the skills and experience needed to drive our medium-to long-term strategies.
This initiative is driven by a company-wide commitment, with the CEO, Group CEO, regional heads, and HR working together to shape a clear vision of the future leadership talent needed over the next 5 to 10 years and refine the capabilities required to succeed. Based on this, we are matching talent with challenging assignments and cross-organizational rotations so that our talent can enhance the required capabilities. By running a talent review cycle that monitors post-assignment performance, we are steadily cultivating and producing future management talent.
We organize approximately 130 OFF-JT training sessions annually under the Sumisho Business College (SBC). We provide an environment where individuals can proactively acquire the knowledge and skills required in their respective fields. In addition, we continue to offer long-term, selective programs that provide the knowledge and skills necessary for business management. Many of our participants, upon completing these programs, assume leadership roles in domestic and international business operations. We also leverage high-level external training opportunities, such as overseas executive programs, to further enhance our talent development efforts. Furthermore, starting from fiscal year 2024, we have introduced the e-learning platform “LinkedIn Learning” company-wide. This initiative aims to provide equitable self-learning opportunities regardless of location or working conditions, fostering a self-initiated learning culture within the company and supporting each employee's self-directed growth and career development.
| SBC Training* | Training Conducted by Business Units (excluding SBC Training) | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of sessions (per year) | 2,703 sessions | 1,267 sessions | 3,970 sessions |
| Total number of participants (non - consolidated) | 12,435 people | 52,997 people | 65,432 people |
| Total training hours (non - consolidated) | 76,351 hours | 66,108 hours | 142,460 hours |
| Average number of training courses taken per employee (non - consolidated) | 2.5 sessions | 10.7 sessions | 13.2 sessions |
| Hours of training per employee (non - consolidated) | 15.4 hours | 13.3 hours | 28.7 hours |
In our long-term selective programs, we aim to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of management, facilitate self-reform, and develop practical leadership skills—objectives that are challenging to achieve through short-term programs. Each training program is designed to select individuals who are currently excelling in their fields or are anticipated to become future leaders. These programs are dedicated to fostering and advancing the development of "Top Tier professionals" across diverse fields.
This program is designed for individuals at team leader to unit leader level, who are expected to assume future leadership positions and are anticipated to develop a company-wide management perspective. Through dialogue with top management and members from various industries, participants will receive insights and external stimuli from executives and industry leaders. The program aims to help them gain awareness of the broad strategic perspective, thinking, and commitment essential for executives. Approximately 30 participants will engage in the program over a six-month period, which includes around 30 days of sessions. They will conceptualize Sumitomo Corporation’s management strategy and present action plans as leaders towards their envisioned goals.
This program is designed for employees who are expected to gain experience in strategic planning from the perspective of SBU heads or division managers, as future executives. Through various case studies, participants will repeatedly engage in simulated executive experiences to develop their strategic vision, decision-making abilities, and leadership skills. Additionally, by visiting the Besshi Copper Mine and participating in leadership philosophy sessions, participants will solidify their personal theories and worldview regarding management and organizational talent, thereby fostering their own management perspectives. Approximately 25 participants will take part in this program, which spans about 10 months and includes approximately 20 lectures. Upon completion, participants will deliver presentations on the theme of "The Desired Vision as the Head of an SBU/Division/Key Business Unit Ten Years from Now."
We sponsor employees who are expected to become future executive candidates within their respective organizations to participate in executive programs at business schools both domestically and internationally. The objectives of these programs include cultivating an awareness and mindset suitable for future executives, acquiring comprehensive management knowledge and decision-making skills, and gaining insights through interactions with professionals and executives from other companies. Each year, we send over 60 participants to domestic business schools and consistently send more than 5 participants to top-tier business schools abroad.
In our selective programs, we offer over 50 different programs that cover a broad range of knowledge and skills, from foundational to advanced levels, necessary for thriving as a management professional who can contribute to society through business. Initially, participants are required to complete the "Introduction" and "Fundamentals" courses to acquire the standard skills expected of a trading company professional. Following this, they have the freedom to select and enroll in programs that provide the specific knowledge and skills needed for their roles from among the available options. Our programs are designed to be accessible regardless of the participant’s current department or responsibilities, supporting employees who are committed to continuous learning through comprehensive training opportunities.
We provide training programs at key career milestones, such as upon promotion to higher grades or appointment as a line manager or organizational leader. These programs are designed to ensure understanding of internal systems and to build the competencies necessary to drive business forward. In addition, we are currently working to restructure our training framework and are considering the global implementation of leadership development programs tailored to the specific responsibilities and roles required at each level.
The Instructor System and New Employee Supporter System are important initial training programs to develop new employees into professionals and Sumitomo Corporation employees.
We provide on-the-job training to help new employees start their professional life smoothly (explanation of job duties and basic behavior as a member of society), comprehensive education, values to have as a Sumitomo Corporation employee, and the transmission of the organization's work culture, etc. to foster a mindset that will be the foundation for growth as a Sumitomo Corporation employee.
In FY 2022, we introduced the New Employee Supporter System with the aim of supporting new employees in their working environment. The newcomer supporter is a senior employee who stands a little apart from the new employee and provides support and training through periodic one-on-one interviews. We aim to develop our talent throughout the organization in cooperation with supervisors and instructors.
| Instructor | New Employee Supporter | |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | P1 (AP possible) | |
| Term | 1 year | |
* AP: Advanced Professional, P1: Professional 1
* Supervisor, as "Promoter," provide guidance from a higher perspective and create an
organization-wide environment to guide and develop new employees.
As a global business group, the Sumitomo Corporation Group offers many intern programs to develop our talent who can work effectively around the world.
These include a trainee program designed to develop talent who can play an active role on the global stage, a language training program that develops language and regional specialists, an overseas study program primarily for acquisition of an MBA, a venture intern program designed to foster individual strengths in domestic startups.
Each year, 80 to 100 trainees in these training programs are dispatched to different regions of the world, including Japan.
The Sumitomo Corporation Group also attributes importance to talent development at Group companies in and outside Japan. We leverage the development know-how gained at Sumitomo Corporation to provide Group companies with training programs suitable for them. These programs also provide participants with opportunities for interpersonal exchange and to build great networks.
We provide locally hired employees of our overseas offices and Group companies with different-career-level training in English, with a view to helping them achieve growth. We invite locally hired employees from across the world to the Head Office in Tokyo, where we conduct lectures on Sumitomo's Business Philosophy and strategies and help them acquire business skills such as cross-culture and leadership. Through this training they can develop a sense of unity and improve their skills as members of the Group.
Targeting Sumitomo Corporation Group employees who are expected to become leaders responsible for managing their own company, we implement a leadership program in which participants acquire the skills necessary to set visions and strategies from a long-term perspective and hone the leadership abilities they will need to implement the strategies. Over the course of approximately six months, participants attend around 15 lectures and conclude the program by delivering a presentation on the theme: "What our company should aspire to be in 10 years."
For Group companies in Japan, we provide a range of programs from new employees to general managers to help them acquire the leadership mindset and skills required for their respective positions and make progress for further improvement.
We are developing working environments where every individual can work with intrinsic motivation regardless of their age.
In both our current HR management system and post-retirement re-employment system revised in FY2022, we follow the basic concepts of “Pay for Job, Pay for Performance.” We have eliminated seniority-based promotion and ensured that we promote the right talent to the right positions according to the strengths and expertise of each talent.
On the other hand, for senior employees who have a wide range of experience and extensive knowledge, we offer additional support measures to help them develop a strengths-based career path. This includes encouraging self-directed career development and offering opportunities for recurrent training throughout their careers.
We conduct career training workshops tailored to each generation. For senior employees, we provide opportunities to reflect on their careers and offer insights and information to help them design their future career and life plans, fostering continued growth and success.
We provide valuable information through our Career Design Seminars, supporting senior employees as they take their first steps toward reskilling and rethinking their career and life plans.
We offer opportunities for employees to interact with professionals from different industries through our External Interaction Program. These experiences help them recognize their own value and identify transferable skills, thereby expanding their future career possibilities.
Every year, employees aged 45 and older are provided with an opportunity to consult with their direct superiors regarding their post-retirement career and life plans. Through this system we support them in selecting flexible post-retirement work styles aligned with their individual needs.
Moreover, during the interview, employees aged 58 and 59 are briefed on the assumptions about their post-retirement assignment and treatment. The interview thus provides both employees and the company with an opportunity to align their mutual expectations.
Sumitomo Corporation has established a dedicated body within its HR Solutions Department to assist employees aged 50 and older in exploring future career options. This team provides career support to employees, including assistance with internal role transfers, guidance for external career opportunities, and strategic planning for their next professional steps.
To further support those considering career changes outside the Company, we have appointed re-employment support agencies. These agencies' professional counselors work closely with individuals to support their next careers by providing various services tailored to their specific needs.
The Sumitomo Corporation Global HRD Center in Ginza, Tokyo serves as a training center to develop global talent as well as a strategic multipurpose facility. International colleagues from different organizations and countries all over the world meet at this facility for intensive discussions on the future visions and strategies of the Sumitomo Corporation Group.
Sumitomo Corporation Global HRD Center
Sumitomo Corporation conducts job training programs through Toyota Iraq, a subsidiary, to create local opportunities for stable employment and enhance the skills of job seekers. Prolonged conflict in Iraq has had tremendous impacts on the people, and more than 3 million people have been forced to leave their homes and have become internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Over recent years, employment has become a more serious issue for the younger generation in particular, and creating local skills training and employment opportunities is an urgent matter. Because of such problems, Toyota Iraq has been working with the UNDP since 2016 to conduct job training programs for such IDPs. Starting in 2020, the company has also been working with the International Organization for Migration, an organization affiliated with the United Nations, to conduct new programs offered to persons other than IDPs as well. To date, 108 persons have completed a total of 9 job training programs. These graduates have been offered support in finding work at local companies, and the programs themselves are continuing.
Sumitomo Corporation hopes to achieve sustainable development of local communities through these programs and will continue to support the creation of job opportunities and skill enhancement in Iraq through these business activities.
Trainees receiving training on vehicle maintenance, parts warehouse management and customer services
Sumitomo Corporation has adopted the “Declaration of Iki-iki Waku-waku Health and Productivity Management” for the Sumitomo Corporation Group, based on the concept that a healthy mind and body are essential for each employee to maximize their performance and are the foundation for the continuous creation of new value. In line with the “Declaration of Iki-iki Waku-waku Health and Productivity Management,” the SC Group will engage in various initiatives according to current conditions at each group company.
The Sumitomo Corporation Group aims to be a company in which all employees work with energy (Iki-iki), excitement (Waku-waku), and in good health, taking on challenges to create new value.
Our Group’s Corporate Mission is: “To achieve prosperity and realize dreams through sound business activities.” In order to fulfill this mission, it is necessary for all employees to perform at their highest level and to continue to create new value. To this end, it is crucial that each employee maintain good health.
The Sumitomo Corporation Group will engage in “health and productivity management” that allows employees to work with energy, excitement, and good health, and creates value by further enhancing existing measures for maintaining and promoting employee health.
We will consider, implement, verify, and improve viable measures by establishing a foundation for health promotion that can be shared throughout the Sumitomo Corporation Group in accordance with the current circumstances at each group company.
The Sumitomo Corporation Group believes that its most important management capital is the health of its employees, who work in challenging global business environments characterized by complexity and rapid change, and declares its intention to strategically implement measures to maintain and promote the health of its employees in mind and body.
Chief Administration Officer and Chief Compliance Officer
Yasuhiro Yoshida
In addition, Sumitomo Corporation has set three main pillars for health and productivity management: “Improvement of health literacy,” which will enable employees to continue to work energetically, “Reassurance in emergencies,” which provides reassurance that employees will be taken care of when they fall ill, and “Global medical support,” which is unique to trading companies. With these three pillars, Sumitomo Corporation will further promote health and productivity management in accordance with the aforementioned Declaration.
We have been certified by METI as an enterprise with outstanding health and productivity management for nine consecutive years from 2017 to 2025.
Health management is carried out through the following structure to maintain and enhance the health of employees under the direction of the CAO (Managing Executive Officer) who serves as the Safety and Health Manager.
Sumitomo Corporation holds a monthly health and safety committee meeting, which is attended by labor union officials on behalf of employees, to receive reports on worksite patrols by an industrial physician and discuss health promotion for employees and better work environments. A roundtable conference on work styles is also held twice a year by management and the labor union, where participants exchange opinions with a view to improving work styles qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of appropriate working hours for union members.
Sumitomo Corporation has established an in-house clinic (for internal medicine and dentistry) to support employees’ health management. The internal medicine department, works on preventive measures for lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia, and provide follow-up care for patients with chronic diseases by specialists. Before employees are stationed abroad for overseas assignments, we conduct additional tests in addition to the usual examination items and provide assistance for vaccination according to the medical situation at the destination. We also support appropriate medical care during overseas assignments.
Our dentistry department offers regular dental health checkups and individual dental oral hygiene guidance.
The in-house clinic provides employees with a regular health checkup service. New employees as well as employees to be transferred overseas and those who have returned to Japan can also undertake health checkups at the clinic. Employees aged 35 and older are encouraged to take a comprehensive medical examination at an external medical institution, for which they can receive financial support from the Health Insurance Society up to a maximum of 80,000 yen.
Based on the results of the regular health checkups, we also offer careful follow-up services such as treatment at the in-house clinic and health guidance provided by public health nurses at the clinic to younger employees (under 35 years old) who are not included in the specific health guidance (participation rate: around 73%). In addition, the Health Insurance Society endeavors to give the specific health guidance to employees to help them with the prevention and early detection of any diseases.
The HR Solutions Department conducts regular health awareness surveys targeting all employees working domestically and abroad, to measure presenteeism*1 and grasping health issues of employees as well as implementing various initiatives for prevention and resolution. The presenteeism rate in the 2024 health awareness survey was 12.6 percent*2.
<Examples of health management measures implemented>
We provide training on mental health, including self-care education and training for managers. Through these comprehensive programs implemented by inviting external instructors, trainees learn key points about their own mental health and that of those around them. Many employees (including those from Group companies), mainly young employees and managers, take this training each year. We have also set up the “SCG Counseling Center” “for everything, with confidentiality totally protected,” which is used by a total of over 2,500 annually. In addition, we conduct stress checkups, which are extended to employees working overseas as well. The in-house clinic offers counseling services for both physical and mental health, which are also available to expatriate employees. To prevent the progression of mental illness and help employees return to work, the in-house clinic also has a specialist in psychosomatic medicine. In the FY2024 stress checkup, the percentage of those experiencing high levels of stress was approximately 6.2% (2019 national average: 14%).
Sumitomo Corporation has more than 900 employees and their family members stationed in 70 countries and regions (as of April 2025). We provide these expatriates working in different environments from Japan with healthcare services to maintain their health, such as support for annual health checkup. Counseling services provided by our in-house clinic and the “SCG Counseling Center” are also available for those with mental and physical disorders.
Around the world, many countries continue to face serious health challenges—not only from COVID-19, but also from diseases such as HIV(AIDS), tuberculosis, and malaria. Sumitomo Corporation Group is committed to proactively addressing these global health issues.
To ensure that our SC Group employees are equipped with accurate knowledge and preventive measures against infectious diseases, Sumitomo Corporation constantly collect accurate and up-to-date information and provide it to our employees who are assigned to work overseas. In addition, we provide various training programs prior to overseas assignments.
To support employees embarking on their first overseas business trips or those seeking updated information on infectious diseases, we also offer e-learning programs and Safety and Security Seminars. These initiatives aim to foster a strong sense of risk awareness and promote the dissemination of accurate, current knowledge.
Importantly, these programs are not limited to Sumitomo Corporation alone—they are open to employees across our entire domestic and international Sumitomo Corporation Group. Through these efforts, we are committed to supporting the health and safety of our employees living and working abroad.
Sumitomo Corporation has the SCG Counseling Center within the head office to help Sumitomo Corporation Group employees work energetically. It is staffed with multiple counselors, who work to mitigate employees’ concerns and help them solve problems. It was opened in April 2005 as a center where employees could consult about any issue and all the details would be treated in strict confidence. Being widely recognized as such, the center has been used with ease of mind by a range of employees. (The center received more than 2,500 requests for counseling per annum.)
| Provider | Service | Target | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCG Counseling Center | Counseling in person | Mainly for employees in Tokyo | Qualified counselors provide counseling to employees in Japan and overseas. Qualifications of the counselors include certified public psychologists, senior industrial counselors, clinical psychologist, career consultants, and family counselor. |
| Counseling by phone and on line | All employees | ||
| Counseling by visiting the employee's site | Employees outside of Tokyo | ||
| Various seminars | All employees | Implementing seminars for managers, general employees, employees overseas, and employees' families | |
| Consultation | Management | Consultation for managers regarding how to respond to their subordinates | |
| External contracting company | Counseling in person, by phone, and online | All employees | Contracting external companies to provide counseling in person and by phone |
The “Koriton” massage room was opened within the head office in April 2008, with a view to helping Sumitomo Corporation Group employees promote their health and recover from fatigue. This service is highly evaluated by users, because it helps them improve their health condition in their spare time and subsequently increases their work efficiency. Approximately 380 employees use this massage service every month. To ensure that employees can use the facilities with peace of mind, we operate them with attention to hygiene.
As a part of efforts to prevent infectious disease, influenza vaccinations are offered in the Head Office building, and the Corporate Health Insurance Society reimburses insured employees and their dependents when they receive such vaccinations at outside clinics.
Following the relocation of the head office in September 2018, we completely banned smoking on the office floors of the head office building. We also provide support for those who wish to quit smoking, including providing consultation at our clinic and implementing an online smoking cessation support program through the Health Insurance Society. (The smoking rate for all employees in fiscal year 2024 is expected to be 13.5 percent (down 0.7 percent from the previous year).)
To improve the rate of young female employees undergoing gynecological exams, during Pink Ribbon Month (October) we communicated the importance of early detection and appropriate treatment of breast cancer and cervical cancer, and encouraged people to undergo gynecological checkups. In addition, the cost of the health check can be subsidized by the Health Insurance Society up to a maximum of 10,000 yen each.
We are also strengthening our awareness-raising activities, such as holding seminars and disseminating information on health issues specific to women. Starting in fiscal 2022, we have held a Femtech Day event, which focuses on health issues specific to women, such as menstruation, fertility treatments, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause, and features exhibitions and seminars showcasing products and services that solve or alleviate these issues. We encourage participation from male employees who work together in order to deepen their understanding.
We introduced an advanced healthcare expense coverage program for employees to cover substantial financial burden for treatment of medical conditions not covered by insurance.
| Indication | Target | FY2020 | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of Employees Undergoing Health Checkups | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 99.97% |
| Stress check Implementation rate | 90% | 89.9% | 90.6% | 88.7% | 89.3% | 91.1% |
| Smoking rate | 10% | ‐ | 13.7% | 13.3% | 14.2% | 13.5% |
| Rate of female employees under 35 years old who undergo gynecological exams | 15% | 2.9% | 19.1% | 20.7% | ‐ | 37.8% |
[List] Previous Seminars
| Name | Format | |
|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | Sleep is the Best Weapon of Selfcare | Online |
| February 2022 | About the Ovum | Online |
| July 2022 | Eating Habits Improvement Seminar | In person and online |
| October 2022 | Femtech Exhibition | In-house Exhibition |
| December 2022 | How to Deal with Mental Health Problems and “Life Rhythm Theory” | Online |
| March 2023 | The Connection between “Periodontal Disease” and Systemic Disease | Online |
| March 2023 | Mental disorders in Youth and Middle Age ~To survive in society~ | Online |
| August 2023 | Smart Drinking Habits for Enjoying Alcohol in Later Life | In person and online |
| October 2023 | Coping Strategies for Men and Women During Menopause | Online |
| December 2023 | The Era of Visible Sleep: Improving Sleep Through Visualization | Online |
| March 2024 | Understanding the Mind and Mental Health | Video Streaming with Live Q&A |
| March 2024 | Femtech Day | In-house Exhibition |
| February 2025 | Correct knowledge about diet and health that a registered dietitian wants to share ~Rethinking health foods~ |
Online |
| April 2025 | A new keyword for preventing high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease! -Improve your diet by being aware of your Na-K ratio!- |
In person and online |
Online seminars and video content can be viewed by group company employees and family members, thereby helping improve health literacy widely.
As per our Global HR Management Policy, we aim to build a “Great Place to Work” where diverse individuals continuously and passionately create new value. In this context, we offer a range of work style options so that each individual, with their diverse values and lifestyles, can maximize their performance both at work and in private to enrich their overall quality of life. By cultivating an environment that enables our people to work in a self-disciplined and flexible manner, we promote an output-oriented approach to work to generate high added value.
Sumitomo Corporation offers various options that are available to employees regardless of gender with the aim of creating a work environment where diversified employees who have entered the life stage of child-rearing can exert their maximum performance. When an employee files a notice of pregnancy or childbirth for themselves or their spouse, we provide information on the systems for childcare leave and confirm if they want to use those systems through a survey. If they want to use the system, we assist them (men and women) with HR's support as needed, etc., through the process of using childcare leave.
We have a system to reemploy, under certain conditions, employees who had to quit their jobs with the company due to the transfer of their spouse, with a view to providing them with an opportunity to once again put their abilities to work for the company.
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of applicants for reemployment under the system for those who had to quit due to the transfer of their spouse | 4 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 13 |
Sumitomo Corporation offers various programs to help its caregiving employees to continue work with a sense of security. Through activities such as e-learning and individual consultation sessions on caregiving, introduction of subsidies for purchase of long-term care services and supplies, and creation of “Handbook for Managing Work-Caregiving Balance,” we are working to create a work environment where employees who have entered the life stage of caregiving can maximize their performance.
Sumitomo Corporation has been fostering the separation of professional and private life, aiming to increase the work efficiency of employees. In this age of diversification and sophistication of businesses, it is not appropriate to manage working hours simply to reduce the hours regardless of the specific business conditions, although longer working hours do not always lead to better business performance. In recognition of this fact, we need to pursue more value-added work styles also from the viewpoint of global competition.
>The following is an example of our efforts to raise employees’ awareness and to provide them with useful information.
Sumitomo Corporation fosters the separation of work and private life to encourage our people to increase their productivity to achieve greater results within a limited time.
> We promote a smart work style with the aim of improving productivity to achieve maximum results in a limited time. Efforts to achieve this goal include the setting of a company-wide target for the number of paid leaves to be taken in a single year through 2016 to 2019. The number of days of paid leave taken has steadily increased, and the targets were achieved. Starting in 2020, rather than setting a company-wide target that applies uniformly to all employees, we adopted a policy of allowing each organization and individual to exercise self-disciplined management.
The teleworking and super-flextime systems are designed to provide employees with an environment that enables them to work in a self-disciplined and flexible manner beyond the conventional framework and thereby promote high-value-added, output-oriented work styles. By working in a self-disciplined and flexible manner, employees will proactively make more effective use of time to foster their own mental and physical health and increase their own value, which will lead to the maximization of their performance.
As a part of our efforts to develop flexible work environments that promote the self-disciplined work approaches among employees, we focused on the “location” and the “time” of work and introduced the teleworking system and the Super flexible work hours system in 2018. To build on these systems, in 2020, we modified the dress code to further promote mindset shifts in the individual and the organization as well as self-disciplined work styles. After reviewing current rules on attire, we eliminated dress codes as long as it is within the scope of common sense and appropriate for work and the workplace based on TPO.
In 2018, we adopted a teleworking system, with workers able to work at home up to a certain number of days. When traveling or working outside the office, employees can telework from hundreds of contracted satellite offices nationwide, and expanded flexibility around work location. In principle, there are no restrictions on the use, and employees with different circumstances, such as providing childcare and long-term care are provided an opportunity to work proactively and flexibly. Since 2021, we have been encouraging the best-mix of work style that allows employees to combine in a self-disciplined manner in-office and remote work in a well-balanced manner to maximize the performance of the organization. The average in-office attendance rate in FY2024 was approximately 70%.
In recognition of these efforts to promote teleworking, we received the Excellence Award of the FY2020 Telework Promotion Award (Kagayaku Telework Award) presented by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. Please refer to the following link for more information.
In 2018, we abolished the flexible “work hours system”, under which employees were required to be present during the fixed core hours from 11:00 to 15:00, and newly adopted the “super flexible work hours system.” The new system has no core hours. Employees can start and end their work at any time during the flexible time band from 5:00-22:00. This system allows employees to design and manage their own work style, leading to further improvement of both the organization’s and the individual’s performance.
Sumitomo Corporation regards all issues related to harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of power, and discrimination against pregnant women and minorities including LGBTQ+ individuals, as serious infringements of human rights and deals with these issues sincerely and strictly.
Specifically, we have implemented the following measures:
Sumitomo Corporation conducts an annual Engagement Survey for all of its employees to assess (1) their level of commitment to the organization, their engagement indicating their willingness to take initiative in their work, and (2) whether their work environment enables them to maximize their performance. The results of the survey are affected by not only the area of HR management but also by various factors such as business strategy, organizational structure, and work procedures. By carefully interpreting them, we are promoting various measures at company-wide level and at each workplace.
From FY2023, the survey is conducted for all employees worldwide, including locally hired employees in domestic and overseas offices, and “Employee Engagement” has been added as one of the evaluation indicators for stock based remuneration in the executive remuneration. We have set a target of maintaining or improving the score from the previous year, and evaluate whether this target has been achieved.
In the previous medium-term management plan, we focused on strengthening the foundation of our HR systems as part of a shift in our management infrastructure. By eliminating various institutional constraints—“barriers” that had existed in the past—we are laying the groundwork to break away from talent management practices that tend to be influenced by biases based on personal attributes. This enables us to promote true “the right talent in the right position” without regard to such attributes.
In addition to financial rewards, we provide non-financial incentives such as career development opportunities and a sense of purpose at work through fair and transparent processes.
This approach helps to enhance employee motivation and supports self-directed career development.
We have terminated seniority-based system for managers and introduced a job grading system that determines grades according to scope of responsibilities. This enables us to maximize organizational performance by optimally allocating the best talent with an emphasis on expertise and skills.
We pursue talent revitalization in all generations, from recent university graduates to veteran employees, through job-based HR management.
Furthermore, we are shifting to diverse models of professional training with double track formats consisting of expert job groups, which demonstrate high levels of creativity and expertise, and management job groups, which are responsible for organizational management.
Under our HR system, we conduct talent allocation after thorough alignment with the company’s expectations and the individual’s career aspirations. As an integrated trading company, continuous development of talent who possess a variety of knowledge and expertise is essential for the sustainable creation of value tailored to the social issues of the times, and we will continue assignment rotations to expand this talent pool. Rather than enforcing uniform assignment rotations, we place greater emphasis on the individual’s career aspirations and the deepening of expertise. In some cases, employees remain engaged in a specific field over an extended period to further develop their specialization.
By introducing “360-degree evaluation” and “absolute evaluation,” we will improve fairness in our evaluations and draw out our talent’s potential by paying earnest and full attention to them as individuals. Additionally, through career assessment and an internal job posting system, we will enhance our reviews on each of the individuals’ career philosophy, experience, aptitude and challenges to optimize how we match training needs with business needs.
Furthermore, we will support the self-directed career development of each individual through a diversity of settings where they can take on challenges in the course of advancing their business objectives and also through an extensive talent development program.
As part of our Medium-Term Management Plan 2026, we have positioned the “Empowerment of People and Organizations” as a key initiative toward becoming “No.1 in Each Field”. In line with this, we revised our internal job posting system starting in fiscal year 2025.
Instead of limiting postings to once a year, the system now enables opportunities to be posted and applied for at any time, allowing both individuals and organizations to utilize the system more flexibly. This revision enables employees to more actively pursue self-directed career development, encourages fair and transparent opportunities for challenge and competition, and fosters the creation of new value through enhanced diversity—all of which are being increasingly put into practice across the organization.
To support each employee’s self-directed growth and career development, we launched LinkedIn Learning company-wide in April 2024. This initiative is designed to unlock the potential of our talent and empower them to take ownership of their growth and career development by offering equal opportunities for career development opportunities and enabling all employees to learn what they need, anytime, anywhere, regardless of location. Whether stationed domestically or abroad, employees benefit from the unique advantages of online learning, accessing the same content globally.
In addition to LinkedIn’s contents, we have offered approximately 20 original courses, with plans to expand further. Within just 2 months of implementation, the activation rate*1 reached 76%, and the monthly login rate*2 exceeded the average of the top 25% tier of companies in Japan that have adopted LinkedIn Learning company-wide. As of March 2025, the total viewing time across the company reached nearly 41,200 hours.
Looking ahead, we will continue to promote skill development by organizing essential courses into learning paths. These will include foundational knowledge in DX and IT—critical for driving digital transformation—as well as leadership and management courses to enhance line manager’s capabilities in people management.
“0→1 Next” (Zero One Next) is an in-house entrepreneurship program launched in FY2018 with the name of “ 0→1 Challenge“, and then its design has been partially updated in FY2024. All Sumitomo Corporation Group employees worldwide regardless of affiliation or title are eligible to participate. Its aim is to enable individuals in each workplace to realize new business ideas. The concept of the challenge is to create businesses from zero (ideas never seen before) to one (creating next-generation businesses). In addition to creating new businesses, the program serves for enhancing business engineering power and leadership through challenge. Driven by their enthusiasm and intrinsic motivation to "absolutely make their ideas a reality," challengers go beyond the boundaries of their own organizations, and proactively interact and collaborate with people and organizations both inside and outside the company to refine their business concepts. The visions and aspirations of those challengers have resonated widely within the company and led to a culture of taking on challenges. Over 1,000 applications were received over the seven years from FY2018 to FY2024. As of the end of FY2024, 15 ideas, including ones that passed the selection process in previous years, are in the process of achieving commercialization. Program participants are working passionately to bring to realize new ideas that Sumitomo Corporation Group have not embarked yet and that respond to new trends in our society. Even after the challenge is over, previous challengers play active roles in their organization, and colleagues around who witness the participants' challenges also become inspired. This program energizes the organization and leads to new initiatives in existing businesses and increased interaction with others internally and externally.
We actively approve external side jobs as a means of developing top-tier professionals and enhancing corporate value. These opportunities are expected to promote self-directed development and enable employees to gain diverse experiences, insights, and networks that are difficult to obtain through their primary roles alone.
As part of our ongoing talent management reform, we are introducing various initiatives with a key focus on strengthening people management capabilities that enable sincere engagement with individuals. We have introduced an absolute evaluation system that focuses on the individual. Instead of comparing specific actions, progress, and outcomes against those of others, the evaluation is based on the degree to which the individual has achieved their assignments and related objectives. We have also adopted a 360-degree feedback system as a mechanism to enhance the objectivity and validity of the absolute evaluation, and to engage sincerely with individuals to unlock their potential. 360-degree feedback is currently applied to managers and above. By soliciting a wide range of comments from colleagues who work closely with the individual, supervisors can base their final evaluations on this feedback. In this way, we aim to obtain valuable insights into how others perceive the individual, which enhances the people management skills of supervisors and enables them to engage more sincerely with their subordinates. It also provides subordinates with opportunities to gain deeper insights as well.
In addition, an annual career assessment interview is conducted between supervisors and subordinates to help reflect on and align the subordinates' career views with their supervisors on those views. In these interviews, we review the individual’s career goals, experience, aptitude, and challenges from a medium to long-term perspective as we align company expectations for work and personal development needs with the individual’s own aspirations. This also aims to facilitate communication and help individuals recognize that these interviews provide opportunities for supervisors and subordinates to comprehensively address career plans and challenges that need to be overcome. We are expanding our training programs to enhance communication skills and provide practical guidance on effectively engaging with subordinates.
Through these evaluation systems and career assessments, and one-on-one meetings, we aim to support individual development and facilitate varied career paths. Furthermore, by combining talent development measures, such as the internal job posting system and planned rotations, we support self-directed growth and diverse career development for each individual. Our objective is to continuously develop top-tier professionals.
To foster a mindset shift toward growth and accelerate the realization of sustainable growth, we have introduced an organizational evaluation system. This system comprehensively assesses each strategic unit (such as SBUs) from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives, not only on short-term growth but also on the long-term enhancement of corporate value. Evaluation results are reflected in compensation, encouraging the sharing of best practices and the continuous improvement of the PDCA cycle across the organization.
We have adopted “a system of compensation linked to investment performance” as part of our initiatives to rigorously select investment projects and enhance post-investment value-creation. This system reflects the performance of new investment projects in remuneration, aiming to improve the success rate of new large-scale investments, and foster the sense of ownership among those responsible for executing them.
Based on the collective agreement with the Sumitomo Corporation Labor Union, Sumitomo Corporation provides its employees with explanations of management policy and business status, as well as opportunities to discuss wages, labor conditions, personnel affairs, safety and health, and employee benefits on a regular basis. The agreement defines that the company must maintain and improve employment conditions and ensure stable lives for employees, and the labor union must keep order and discipline at work and make an effort to increase labor efficiency, and both parties must cooperate with each other in developing the company‘s business. To achieve this objective, we make every effort to have serious and sufficient discussions on each specific project, while ensuring mutual understanding and trust. In addition to matters for collective bargaining and negotiations on an official level, we hold various meetings to discuss on a wide range of issues with sincerity. They include informal meetings with the president, round-table discussions on business performance, medium-term management plan and related issues, Human Capital Strategy and personnel systems, work styles and rewarding work, informal meetings with Business Leaders, discussions on overseas affairs. We also hold seminars organized jointly with the labor union. As the number of Mid-career hires increases, both the company and the labor union are engaged in networking initiatives. Sumitomo Corporation adopts a union shop system in which all employees participate, excluding executives above a certain level and employees classified as non-union members based on an individual agreement considering the nature of their jobs. As of March 2025, the number of members of the Sumitomo Corporation Labor Union is 3,242, accounting for 66.4% of all employees of Sumitomo Corporation (non-consolidated basis).
Our group's human capital is our most critical management capital. Through interviews, we will introduce you to our talents who are active in various business fields and regions, as well as the diverse ways in which they build their careers.
