The global response rate, which was 82% in the first year, rose to 89% in the FY2022 survey. While the number of employees in the Elastomer Business decreased significantly due to the business transfer, the number of participants in the survey increased significantly following the expansion in the target Group companies, careful explanations and cooperation with each company, and increasing awareness among employees.

In addition, based on the results of the first year, we improved the survey content and decreased the number of questions to rebuild the foundation for continuous improvement of employee engagement in the future.

An analysis of the overall survey results revealed positive aspects of the Group, such as business execution (delegation of authority/business processes), expectations for innovation, and respect for individuals, and we reaffirmed that these are the strengths of the Group.

On the other hand, in order to continuously increase employee engagement going forward, we found that there are two common global issues: first, making employees feel the company has a promising future and second, making employees feel that they can achieve their career goals at JSR.

In addition, each Group company and department shares their own scores, interprets and discusses them with all members, and formulates improvement actions using a bottom-up approach. In FY2022, we saw many initiatives related to career and company policies around the globe.

We will continue to conduct the survey on a regular basis and work to improve employee engagement by implementing continual improvements from both the top down and bottom up while carefully examining the appropriateness of such actions and reflecting them in measures.

Initiatives in Japan

In addition to common global issues, quantitative and qualitative analyses, especially in Japan, have revealed two-way communication between management and employees as an issue. After discussions at the Executive Committee, we have set the "Communication Series," in which management disseminates information on JSR Group's strategies, future policies, expectations for employees, and other issues, and exchanges opinions at dialogue meetings, as a high priority top-down action.

Going forward, we will continue to provide opportunities for communication from management and dialogue with employees to foster a sense of unity within JSR Group.

Initiatives in North America

In North America, we launched the Every Person Influences Culture (EPIC) conversation series as one of our initiatives to increase employee engagement. EPIC is an online event in which employees from various parts of JSR Group participate and discuss with management specific topics that will strengthen and support JSR Group employees so that they can reach their full potential. EPIC is a meaningful opportunity to listen to the opinions of others and learn specific actions that each individual should take in order to realize a workplace where diversity, equity and inclusion is firmly established.

• For details, see the diversity, equity and inclusion page.

The greatest priority is growth through work via on-the-job training. We have produced the Seven Articles of OJT (Trainer’s Edition) and the Three Articles of OJT (Trainee’s Editions) and are using these to develop human resources through work at each workplace.

We have established the following systems to support self-education:

• Correspondence course system: Once an employee has completed a voluntary correspondence course selected from menu of 250 courses the company has selected, the company will pay roughly 50% of the course fee as a subsidy.
• Public certification course system: The company will pay testing fees, course fees, and the cost of course texts to employees who have acquired certifications necessary for their work.
• External training support system: The company will pay part or all of the course fees for external courses employees have taken that are necessary for their work.

We provide the following off-the-job training to augment on-the-job training.

Training in the common knowledge and skills considered necessary for skill qualifications or for each job grade level, from a company-wide perspective.

Training in the specialized knowledge and skills needed for each job for career building and to improve work efficiency.

• Specialized skill training: For engineers and technical staff, this includes plant training in common skills, safety training, quality control training, technology management training, and R&D environmental safety training. For administrative staff, it includes external courses on management strategies, accounting, finance, and other areas.
• Courses on handing down technological expertise: Expertise on the past business activities of JSR is shared among employees, including understanding of the past history, background on initiatives, techniques for problem identification and control, problem points, discussion of failures and tips for succeeding. We pass on the good DNA of JSR and have employees utilize it in the future business activities of each department.

For issues that should be addressed on a company-wide level, we narrow down the objectives and focus on the needs.

• Language training: To develop language skills and the mindset for global response, we support short-term language study abroad (in English and Chinese), and hold conversation classes in English and Chinese.
• Overseas research dispatch: Employees voluntarily perform research at universities and research institutions overseas for up to two years to improve research skills and learn challenging and innovative new technologies useful for future business creation and technological innovation.
• Dispatch for MBA/MOT: Employees acquire MBAs and MOTs at graduate schools in Japan while working their normal jobs.
• Life planning/management seminars: Employees around the ages of 51 to 52 have the opportunity to think about their lives after retirement by learning about the three pillars of life planning: 1) career development plan, 2) lifelong economic plan, and 3) health management.

• Training content is the same for all domestic Group companies and the employees of domestic Group companies also participate in training conducted by JSR. JSR is working to develop human resources for the entire Group.
• Some training is provided online, depending on the training objectives.
• To promote the advancement of women, the Diversity Development Office provides training to managerial level employees who have female subordinates, sends them to external training (the NPO, J-Win), and provides other training opportunities. Click here for more information.
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion: Initiatives promoting the advancement of women
• As part of our efforts to promote digital transformation (DX), we provide training in data science to employees who will be the next generation of leaders, training in programming to young engineers and technical staff, and an introductory course in data literacy to young administrative staff.

As globalization and digitalization progress, the demands made of leaders are changing. At JSR, we have been providing the “Training the next generation of leaders” course with external cooperation since 2007. This course is focused on development of the next generation of leaders. The training teaches participants established practices, the essentials of digital management, and other necessary business skills through discussions based on actual cases. Participants also expand their perspective by imagining that they are in the position of a superior, thinking about what is important from a management perspective, and outlining a vision for their own departments. Those who have taken this training include people who are already officers and the training is steadily generating diverse human resources who are equipped to look beyond the present and spur innovation themselves.

As part of its nurturing and career development for young employees, JSR established and runs the Career Development Program (CDP). CDP is a job rotation program for university graduates on the management track. Since introducing the program in 1988, we have continued to improve and refine this method of training.

The program is for employees up to their 10th year with the company who are able to work for a number of different departments. This program not only produces employees with diverse and broad horizons, but also leads to increased inter-departmental communication. In terms of career development, CDP gives participants the opportunity to think about their own careers and facilitates autonomous career building for the future.

To consider transfers under CDP, CDP Committee members individually interview employees who will enter CDP before discussing individual rotation plans at a general CDP meeting, which are also based on a comprehensive view toward the employee’s desires and aptitude. The Human Resources Department runs the CDP Committee, and each General Manager is a committee member.

We established a self-evaluation system in which individuals report frankly on how they view the status of the work they are currently responsible for and their future vision and career ambitions for themselves. This system plays a role in the career development of participating employees and increasing engagement. Skill development objectives are set for the coming year through discussion between the individual and his or her superior based on feedback from wage assessment results, skill development results during the past year, and the individual’s self-evaluation. As a result, using this system, we conduct systematic and efficient skill development to achieve self-realization, skill improvement, and autonomous career development, as well as human resource development that is important for both the individual and the company.

JSR conducts a variety of training programs to raise the skills of its employees.
The total annual training time and education cost per JSR employee was as follows.

Note: This total was calculated by including technology and skill training, stratified training programs, and other training organized by human resources departments. It therefore does not include hours spent in education provided independently by departments or external education. Additionally, it does not include educational hours based on e-Learning.

The status on providing core training is shown below.

Note: Nearly all technical training common to all plants, miniature plant training and safety education, and quality control education is conducted by internal instructors or alumni. We provide instructor training to improve the instruction techniques of these internal instructors and alumni.

We have established training centers near our Head Office and in the Yokkaichi area to create an environment that can provide continual educational support to employees. We are using these training centers to focus on further refining our strengths in technology and developing human resources by passing on technical skills at manufacturing sites and expanding employee education programs.

The following types of original educational programs and symposiums are also held at domestic Group companies.

This program is designed to develop human resources equipped to support global business operations overseas. The three-month program involves learning the mechanisms of company operation and management at the U.S. subsidiary while studying at a language school in the U.S.

Techno-UMG Co., Ltd. has been conducting selective business training since FY2022. The training consists of two phases. Phase 1 involves systematically learning the management skills required for business leaders. Phase 2 utilizes what participants learned in Phase 1 to think about what will be important to the company in the future from a management perspective, identify an ideal state, and formulate the necessary business strategies to achieve it.

This symposium has been held since 1989 and facilitates interaction with researchers who are leading global biological research. The 33rd Symposium was held in FY2022. The free-ranging discussions include presenters and participants of all generations and lead to opportunities to gain new perspectives and motivation.

• Takato Molecular Cell Biology Symposium (Japanese only)