Human Capital Development

Policy and basic philosophy

Human Capital Development Policy

Kanematsu believes that human resources are the source of value creation. Even as our fundamental belief in valuing human capital remain the same, the knowledge and experience required by the direction of the Company’s growth change. We therefore engage in hiring, training, and providing education to increase the ranks of our human resources who can more sustainably create value.

Overview

To embody the above values, we believe that our people must demonstrate outstanding character, encompassing the ability to act under any conditions, the determination to responsibly carry tasks through to the end, and the ability to communicate appropriately with business partners and others within the Company.
Kanematsu’s human resources value a robust spirit of adventure that includes an enthusiasm for developing new businesses and taking on challenges, as well as the ability to think in innovative ways needed to build new business models and develop new ideas not bound by existing concepts. In pursuit of ongoing value creation, we advance human capital development from a foundation of excellent character in line with the Company’s direction of growth.

The values we uphold at Kanematsu

  • Sense of purpose and responsibility for solving issues faced by customers, business partners, and society
  • Imagination, ingenuity, and ambition to sow new seeds
  • Sincerity in valuing mutual prosperity with customers and business partners
  • Enthusiasm for work and team spirit to work toward common goals

Visual representation of our human capital basic policy and course of growth

Training System

Kanematsu University

We have set “acquire and expand added value” as one of our courses of growth in order to keep continuously creating value in the long term. We believe the development of management professionals is essential to “acquire and expand added value.”To this end, Kanematsu University (KGU) was established in July 2019 as a reinforced and more systematic version of the existing training system with the goal of developing management professionals who can create new businesses. The curriculum at KGU consists of three categories: general education, interpersonal knowledge and skills, and professional knowledge and skills, with a wide variety of courses available through e-learning and group training, depending on the content. The course content ranges from the basic business manners and languages skills, to specialized knowledge and skills, such as business investment, legal matters, and anger management, and is designed to develop the next generation of management professionals.

Overall Approach to Human Resource Development

Graduate School Program Goal for Human Resources(Employees with 11 to 15 years of working experience or equivalent are enrolled)

Concept

Learn advanced management expertise

Goal

  • Has specialized management knowledge
  • Has progressed from theoretical understanding of management topractical ability
  • Specific knowledge of management strategy and M&A in multiple businesses
  • Knowledge of corporate governance and risk management
  • Practical skills in setting goals, operational management, team building, andhuman resource development
  • Practical skills in mission formulation, developing medium- and long-termdivision strategy, and organizational design

Main training program:【Executive Management Training】

Kanematsu created a new executive management training system in FY2018 to foster the skills to operate businesses and organizations from an executive management perspective. In the first year, we implemented this training for general manager-level employees and then from FY2020 onward primarily for those enrolled in the Graduate School. The program aims to help enrolled employees develop skills in strategy formulation and human resource management and acquire the basic knowledge required as management professionals. With this program, we develop human resources capable of leading organizations and operating businesses as we strive to “acquire and expand added value.”

[Program Outline]

  1. Strategy formulation

    Finance (accounting, M&A), corporate philosophy, strategy

  2. Human resource management

    Organizational management, goals, evaluation, communication, compliance as a manager or executive.

  3. Acquisition of basic management knowledge

    Harassment, corporate law, governance, overseas subsidiary management, SDGs

Undergraduate School Program Goal for Human Resources
(Employees with 1 to 10 years of working experience or equivalent are enrolled)

Concept

Gain comprehensive basic knowledge needed for management

Goal

  • Has the discernment of a business creator and manager as a next-generation management professional (global leader); can be entrustedwith actual business management in a management role
  • Knowledge

    Overall management knowledge, including management strategy,finance, and accounting

  • Experience

    Experience in a project management office and in organizationalmanagement

Main training program:【Business plan training】

Kanematsu Group aims to improve corporate value by further developing areas of strength, making new investments for business creation, and taking on other new challenges.
Participants learn the basic knowledge required for business creation in the first year, and in the following year, they participate in team workshops (and work on formulating new business plans), focusing on developing human resources for business creation from both input and output perspectives.

[Program Outline]

  1. Basic course

    Critical thinking, management strategy, business planning, accounting and finance.

  2. Presentations

    Using the skills, they have learned, participants present their new business plans to each business planning office.

Programs for Managers (not covered by KGU)

Evaluator's Training for Managers

Adaptation by the organization's leaders to changing times has a significant impact on everything, from strategy formulation and implementation to improving organizational engagement.
This six-month training course is designed to help leaders recognize their roles and acquire management techniques for the "new normal" era, with consideration to the changing environment of the times.

[Program Outline]

Participants learn important elements of organizational management such as leadership, psychological safety, engagement, and goal setting.

Training for Newly Appointed Managers (Not covered by KGU)

Employees newly appointed to manager positions review the knowledge and skills necessary to protect the organization, including topics such as insider trading, health management of subordinates, and harassment.
With regard to harassment in particular, training is provided on the measures that managers should take when harassment actually occurs or is reported.

[Program Outline]

Human resources and labor management (diversity, dispatch law, labor management, health management, etc.), compliance, insider trading, internal control, harassment, etc.

Monetary and Time Investment in Human Resource Development (Non-Consolidated)

  Training hours*1 Average hours of training per FTE*2 Monetary investment Average cost of training per FTE
FY2022 20,403 hours 25 hours 91.4 million yen 110,000 yen
FY2021 14,500 hours 19 hours 103 million yen 130,000 yen
  1. Total of KGU. 2021 does not include courses Graduate School (GS) launched in the middle of the fiscal year.
  2. Number of employees calculated based on full time equivalent (FTE); does not include employees on leave, re-hired retirees, or temporary employees.
  3. Note 1 Each training year starts from July 1st to June 30th of the following year.
  4. Note 2 Figures by course are as follows.
    FY2021
    Basic course: 123 participants averaging 67 hours;
    Advanced course: 85 participants averaging 11 hours;
    Professional course: 38 participants averaging 21 hours.
    FY2022
    Basic course:175 participants averaging 63 hours;
    Advanced course: 112 participants averaging 28 hours;
    Professional course: 47 participants averaging 19 hours;
    GS course: 102 participants averaging 51 hours

Development of DX Human Resources

Kanematsu is promoting DX to work with our business partners and overcome challenges as we strive to shift to businesses that conform to next-generation standards by leveraging digital and automation technologies in our supply chain. We believe the DX human resources that we are looking for require not only digital knowledge but also business knowledge. As such, we not only provide training to enhance IT literacy but also opportunities to interact with employees of group companies that specialize in digital technologies. With this initiative, we aim to develop human resources who can promote DX in line with the digitalization progress of our business partners.

Evaluation System

In our personnel evaluations, we have introduced the Review & Challenge (R&C) system for setting specific personal targets, which is based on organizational goals set from management by objectives (MBO) as well as each individual's characteristics and future growth.
Within the R&C system, employees set goals at the beginning of the term, and reviews are conducted during the middle and end of the term to see how much they have achieved. This is then reflected in the benefits and evaluations of the employees. The system is also used as an opportunity to review one’s career and work duties, helping to develop human resources who take on challenges.