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View Sumitomo Corporation's Sustainability : Our People
Human capital is the greatest driving force behind the Group’s efforts to execute its management strategy of achieving “No. 1 in Each Field” and creating sustainable value. This approach is rooted in Sumitomo’s Business Philosophy of “Business is People,” which has been passed down through more than 400 years of our history. Building on this, we set forth our aspirations for both individuals and the organization in our Global HR Management Policy, which serves as our shared global vision for human capital management.
The Group’s business operations are becoming increasingly diverse across regions, industries, and business models, while the external environment is undergoing rapid and discontinuous change. Against this backdrop, we are advancing human capital management to strengthen our strategy execution capabilities. To this end, we are enhancing the value of our human capital—the knowledge, skills, and experience of our diverse talent around the world—as well as the time and passion each individual devotes to their work.
To enhance the value of our human capital, we have identified five fundamentals of human capital as targets for investment and are making ongoing investments in them. Through investing in these fundamentals, we are enhancing employee engagement and fostering a virtuous cycle in which the growth of each of our people drives the growth of the Group’s businesses and ultimately enhances corporate value. The resulting achievements are then returned to our people through the five fundamentals as new opportunities for growth.
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.
Alongside continuous medium- to long-term investment in the five fundamentals, we identify priority areas of human capital for each stage of our strategy and take measures to strengthen our strategy execution capability.
Under our previous medium-term management plan, SHIFT 2023, we pursued structural reforms to strengthen downside resilience and raise our earnings power. These included exiting low-profit businesses, implementing turnarounds, and reallocating management resources to steady business growth where we could better leverage our strengths. As a foundation for these initiatives, we overhauled our HR system and eliminated institutional barriers, such as seniority and job classification. This laid the groundwork for pursuing optimal talent deployment on a global basis, grounded in the principles of “Pay for job, Pay for performance,” without being constrained by personal attributes and focus on each person’s individuality, strengths, and values. Under Medium-Term Management Plan 2026, which marks a major shift toward a growth phase, we are building on the foundation established in the previous plan to achieve our goal of becoming “No. 1 in Each Field.” To this end, we are focusing on “Empowering people and organizations,” where individuals hone their own strengths, while our organizations maximize those strengths and combine diverse talents. We are also advancing and enhancing human capital management on a global basis to further strengthen our ability to execute global SBU strategies. We will expand the initiatives and achievements from our previous medium-term management plan—which focused on removing barriers in Japan—to a more global scale going forward. For example, goal management processes and evaluation systems vary by region, presenting a challenge for members around the world trying to work as a unified team to advance strategies toward a common goal. To remove these obstacles, we will progressively establish systems and frameworks that should be standardized globally, while enhancing the visibility of each talent’s capabilities, skills, and experience to enable the strategic deployment of the best talent on a global basis.
We conduct an annual engagement survey globally, including at regional organizations in Japan and overseas, to monitor the effectiveness of our initiatives to people and organizations.
| Indicators | Overview | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Engagement | Employees' level of commitment to the organization and their willingness to take initiative in their work | 70% | 71% |
| Work Environment | Work environment enabling employees to maximize their performance | 71% | 72% |
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 except during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 “Sustainable Supply Chain Action Policy” 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.
Under the leadership of the Chief Sustainability, DE&I Officer (Managing Executive Officer), we implement a variety of Inclusion initiatives.
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)
| FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New graduates*1 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 98 | 100 | |
| Male | 75 | 72 | 63 | 62 | 58 | |
| Female | 31 | 29 | 37 | 36 | 42 | |
| Mid-career*1 | 20 | 75 | 88 | 64 | 52 | |
| Male | 14 | 47 | 68 | 46 | 33 | |
| Female | 6 | 28 | 20 | 18 | 19 | |
| Ratio of mid-career hires*2 | 16% | 43% | 47% | 40% | 34% | |
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 FY2025, we conducted two types of internship programs, one is a program which provides students with ‘work-experience’ on several business groups and organizations, the other is a workshop program related to our business. On the work-experience internship program, participants could get to know realistic business world, through working alongside our employees, being assigned to one of 19 organizations. As per the workshop program, participants could have an opportunity to get an experience on business creation process, co-working with our employees. 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〉
FY2021: 148 / FY2022: 230 / FY2023: 319 / FY2024 : 193 / FY2025 : 210
We recruit mid-career professionals with diverse expertise and knowledge, in line with our business strategy. Our mid-career professionals come from diverse backgrounds, and their perspectives—shaped through experience at other companies—bring fresh insights and foster innovation across the company. In recent years, mid-career hires have accounted for approximately 40% of our total annual hiring, including new graduates. As of April 2026, they represent approximately 15% of all managers in our company (approximately 430 individuals).
We will continue to strengthen our mid-career recruitment and expand our pool of professional talent across diverse business fields.
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, including those from President & CEO Opening Message, to demonstrate management’s commitment to Inclusion, and hold participatory and experiential events where diverse employees across regions, organizations, and positions come together to reflect on Inclusion and deepen their connections with one another.
We held a panel discussion on the theme of “Cognitive Diversity and Leadership” featuring leaders who joined the company in the same year but have pursued different career paths and developed different values.
Using Microsoft Teams' translation feature, we facilitate one-on-one communication in each person's native language between overseas regional organizations.
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.
We launched a matching program that allows female employees facing career or life-event challenges with colleagues who have navigated similar experiences.
We held 'Kaigo Café' as a place where employees currently facing caregiving, or those who may need to in the future, can openly talk and seek advice about caregiving.
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 11.3% (as of April 1, 2026 ))
Ratio of women in general manager positions: At least 10% or more (Actual ratio 2.6% (as of April 1, 2026 ))
Ratio of women in Director positions: At least 30% or more (Actual ratio 20.0% (as of April 1, 2026 ))
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.
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 103 outside Japan, extending to 62 countries and regions throughout the world, with approximately 7,300 employees as of April 2026. To support this, the Company has introduced initiatives such as a job grading system that enables cross-regional comparison of roles and responsibilities, and the development of a global human capital database. In addition, the Company is enhancing development opportunities through training programs and personnel exchanges across locations, thereby promoting the systematic development and appointment of talent, including locally hired employees overseas.
As a result, the ratio of locally hired employees in managerial positions at overseas locations has increased to 67% (approximately 980 employees).
The Company will continue to promote the development and appointment of personnel based on ability and aptitude, regardless of nationality, in support of its sustainable growth.
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 where all employees can perform to the best of their ability, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, and where all employees including LGBTQ+ can feel safe and be their true selves at work.
Examples of Key Initiatives (Japan)
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 2026, approximately 120 employees with disabilities are working for the two companies, and Sumitomo Corporation's actual employment rate is 2.71%, 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 9,000 members registered (as of April 2026) from various sectors, including industry, academia, government, and the private sector. Additionally, the average number of active visitors per month is approximately 1,500.
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 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 — who 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, while enhancing the market value of individuals and strengthen our capabilities as an organization.
We systematically provide 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 management talent profile based on a 5 to 10 year business outlook and to further refine the capabilities required to succeed. Based on this, we match talent with challenging assignments and cross-organizational rotations that enhance these capabilities. Through a continuous talent review cycle that monitors post-assignment performance, we are steadily building a strong pipeline of future management talent.
We provide diverse learning opportunities by combining a structured training framework based on Sumisho Business College, commonly known as SBC, with selective development programs and digital learning platforms.
Each year, we offer approximately 130 off-the-job training courses, providing a wide range of learning opportunities from fundamental business skills to advanced specialized knowledge. We also leverage overseas business schools and external educational institutions to strengthen global perspectives and management capabilities.
We provide opportunities for employees to acquire a broad range of knowledge and business skills as a foundation for responding to a changing business environment and continuously creating value.
Through programs systematically organized from basic to advanced levels, we provide an environment in which employees can progressively acquire the fundamental capabilities expected of Sumitomo Corporation employees, as well as management literacy, specialized knowledge, and various business frameworks. Employees can choose the programs they need according to their business responsibilities and career aspirations, enabling them to deepen their learning proactively.
In fiscal 2024, we also introduced the e-learning platform LinkedIn Learning company-wide, providing learning opportunities that are not limited by time or location. It is used both as pre-learning linked to in-person training and as part of daily self-development, thereby promoting a culture of self-directed learning.
To develop talent who will take on future management responsibilities, we implement long-term, selective development programs in addition to strengthening leadership capabilities according to each employee’s role.
Leadership training enables participants to reflect on their own roles and influence, and to strengthen the capabilities required to demonstrate practical leadership. In addition, we send high-potential talent who are candidates for future management positions to programs conducted in collaboration with overseas business schools and to external training programs, including company-sponsored MBA programs, in order to support the development of executive perspectives, judgment, and management philosophy.
Through these initiatives, we continue to send more than 80 employees each year to top-level educational institutions in diverse fields (89 employees in FY2025), leading to the continuous development of talent capable of managing business companies in Japan and overseas.
We regard the self-directed growth of each individual as an important pillar of talent management. In an era of accelerating change, where there is no single correct answer for future careers, we believe it is important not only for employees to proactively build business careers that enable them to succeed in global fields, but also to develop their careers in a broader sense, rooted in each individual’s values, by considering questions such as “What kind of person do I want to become?”, “What do I value?”, and “What do I want to accomplish?” Based on this concept, we conduct career development programs to help employees consider self-directed career formation and support each individual’s challenges. In fiscal 2025, 551 employees participated in these programs.
Under our Digital and AI Strategy, or DAIS, we are working to enhance the digital skills of all employees. Beginning in fiscal 2026, we introduce the D Grade digital skills certification system, which promotes the visualization and advancement of skills by emphasizing not only knowledge acquisition but also practical experience in implementing digital capabilities in business. Employees enhance their skills through training, certification, and hands-on experience, with the aim of acquiring a certain level of digital literacy.
For our company, which conducts business globally, strengthening leadership and organizational management capabilities in cross-cultural environments is an important priority. We provide training for employees assigned overseas on topics such as safety measures, cross-cultural understanding, human resources management, and evaluation and development methods, thereby supporting the sustainable growth of overseas locations and appropriate risk management.
As a foundation for sustainable business operations, we provide training globally on compliance, ESG, and information security. We offer education tailored to each level, from new employees to management, to enhance understanding and practical capabilities related to key risks such as legal compliance, human rights and environmental issues, and cybersecurity. Through these initiatives, we promote responsible business activities and strengthen governance on a global basis.
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 provide training programs in English by inviting locally hired employees(Manager level) of our overseas offices and Group companies to Japan, 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, visit to Besshi Mine. Through this training employees can develop a sense of unity and improve their skills as members of the Sumitomo Group.
The Instructor System and New Employee Supporter System are important initial training programs to help new employee become productive at an early stage and smoothly adapt to the organization.
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 an employee from different team 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 trainee 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.
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 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 to assist employees aged 45 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 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.
Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
To achieve well-being—which is one of Five Fundamentals of Human Capital—and in accordance with the “Declaration of Iki-iki Waku-waku Health and Productivity Management,” we have visualized our health management strategy map as part of our policies and initiatives designed to support “business athletes” who take an autonomous approach to managing their health.
Our health management strategy map is here.
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 (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) as an enterprise with outstanding health and productivity management for ten consecutive years from 2017 to 2026.
We conduct 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 2025 health awareness survey was 13.8 percent*2.
<Examples of health management measures implemented>
＜Link below＞As indicated, we conducted the seminar. By making the online seminar and video distribution accessible to employees and their families across our group companies, we are broadly supporting the improvement of health literacy.
In fiscal year 2025, we held health seminars on topics such as dietary habits, menopause in men and women, and sleep, as well as the health-related exhibition “Wellness Day,” which attracted a total of over 400 participants. According to participant surveys, satisfaction rates for each seminar and event ranged from 80 to 100 percent.
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, 900 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 FY2025 stress checkup, the percentage of those experiencing high levels of stress was approximately 6.53 % (2019 national average: 14.0 %).
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 2,900 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 online | 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 |
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 90 %). 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.
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.
Sumitomo Corporation has more than 900 employees and their family members stationed in 66 countries and regions (as of April 2026). 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.
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.
| FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health checkup participation rate (domestic employees) | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 99.97% | 100.00% | |
| Ratio of C and D ratings*1 | - | 45.00% | 46.00% | 41.00% | 43.10% | |
| Implementation rate of health guidance for young people | 48.00% | 91.00% | 82.00% | 100.00% | 90.20% | |
| Proper Weight Maintenance Rate | 69.00% | 69.00% | 68.00% | 68.00% | 69.40% | |
| Stress Check Participation Rate (domestic employees) | 90.60% | 88.70% | 89.31% | 91.06% | 91.48% | |
| Ratio of employees suffering from high stress (domestic employees) | 6.00% | 6.80% | 5.89% | 6.27% | 6.53% | |
| Stress Self-Check Participation Rate (Overseas employees) | 77.70% | 73.30% | 76.01% | 80.69% | 79.45% | |
| Ratio of employees suffering from high stress (Overseas employees) | 7.90% | 7.00% | 7.28% | 6.78% | 5.60% | |
| Gynecological examination rate among women under 35 | 19.10% | 20.70% | - | 37.80% | 40.28% | |
| Smoking rate | 13.70% | 13.30% | 14.20% | 13.50% | 13.50% | |
| Pre-Overseas Assignment Dental Examination Attendance Rate | 81.40% | 83.00% | 92.20% | 91.70% | 95.49% | |
| Presenteeism*2 | - | 11.20% | 12.50% | 12.60% | 13.80% | |
| Absenteeism*3 | 2.0 day(s) | 1.5 day(s) | 1.5 day(s) | 1.9 day(s) | 2.2 day(s) | |
| Work Engagement*4 | 2.59 | 2.58 | 2.66 | 2.69 | 2.71 | |
| Participation rate in first-year public health nurse interviews | - | 95.10% | 95.20% | 84.70% | 92.20% | |
[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 *Co-sponsored by Kagome Co., Ltd. |
| September 2025 | Improve your core, improve your performance! ~For golf improvement and body shaping~ |
In person |
| December 2025 | Menopause Seminar ~Creating a Workplace Where We Learn, Talk, and Support Each Other~ |
In person and online |
| February 2026 | Wellness Day | In-house Exhibition |
| March 2026 | Seminar on Improving Sleep Quality: How to Create a Body That Sleeps Well to Enhance Work Performance | In person |
| June 2026 | Workplace Health Seminar: [Exercises for Stiff Shoulders and Lower Back Pain] | In person |
Online seminars and video content can be viewed by group company employees and family members, thereby helping improve health literacy widely.
Health management is carried out through the following structure to maintain and enhance the health of employees under the direction of the Senior Executive for Health Management who is the CAO(Senior Managing Exective Officer).
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.
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.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of applicants for reemployment under the system for those who had to quit due to the transfer of their spouse | 14 | 11 | 16 | 13 | 8 |
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, to provide them with useful information, and to improve the work environment.
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 FY2025 was approximately 80%.
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”, 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 and introduced a job grading system for managers 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.
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 initiatives, 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.
As part of our efforts to support self-directed growth and career development of each employee, we internally provide access to job descriptions that outline the responsibilities and scope of each position.
Through this initiative, we enable employees to better understand the content and expectations of various roles. This provides a foundation for employees to proactively design their own careers and pursue the capabilities needed for their development.
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.
“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 eight years from FY2018 to FY2025. As of the end of FY2025, 14 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.
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.
Our compensation is linked to the scale of assigned roles, responsibilities and performance required to execute our management strategy. Through this approach, we ensure fair and transparent treatment regardless of attributes such as nationality, gender, or age.
Compensation consists of base salary and bonuses. The base salary reflects the scale of duties and responsibilities (Pay for Job), while bonuses reflect the performance of individuals, organizations, and the Company as a whole (Pay for Performance).
We set a standard theoretical annual compensation for each job grade based on the scale of duties and responsibilities, assuming standard performance evaluations and achievement of target results.
To ensure competitive compensation levels for attracting and retaining talent, we verify the competitiveness of theoretical annual compensation by referencing objective market data provided by external professional institutions. In addition, the higher job grade corresponding scope of duties and responsibilities, the greater the linkage to Company performance, thereby encouraging value creation from a perspective closer to management. For the highest job grade, approximately 30% of annual compensation is linked to Company performance.
The theoretical annual compensation by job grade is determined annually to ensure both sound governance and employee acceptance. It is resolved by the Management Council and finalized through dialogue and consultation with the labor union. Individual annual compensation is determined in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with the criteria of the evaluation and compensation systems.
We will continue to pursue the appropriate design and operation of our compensation systems in response to changes in our human capital strategy and the external environment.
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 2026, the number of members of the Sumitomo Corporation Labor Union is 3,272, accounting for 66.3% 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.
