Promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

NSG Group had been firmly committed to further improve DEI, embracing the internally and externally declared Statement of Intent and one of our Core Values, "Respect Others and Unleash their Potential". In June 2023, NSG Group announced that we formulated the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Policy that develops and evolves Equality into Equity to enhance and accelerate the Group's current State of Intent to promote Inclusion & Diversity.

Our effort

NSG Group has a Global DEI Steering Committee which was established with the aim of enhancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion across the entire Group. The Committee comprises members covering all Strategic Business Units, functions, and regions. It works with individual businesses to identify and implement local, regional, and global initiatives, identifying areas for improvement and measuring progress. One central focus is to move DEI beyond the Human Resources team and establish it within all thinking.

Taking action

We aim to create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected. Embracing diversity, ensuring equity, and fostering inclusion are integral to who we are and how we operate. We aim to attract and recruit a wide range of talent from diverse backgrounds and work to ensure our job descriptions are free from bias. We provide training to help employees understand and embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion on topics such as unconscious bias and inclusive leadership.

We maintain a workplace free from discrimination and harassment where everyone feels they belong. Any form of harassment or intimidation is forbidden.

We regularly review our pay and benefits to ensure they are fair and competitive. We provide benefits that cater to the diverse needs of our workforce, such as parental leave and health and wellness programs. Our policies and practices are reviewed regularly to eliminate biases.

In line with the annual Group and Regional DEI Action Plans, each country or site is responsible for implementing their own actions.

Examples of diversity days celebrated are days such as International Women’s Day and International Day of People with Disabilities. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion objectives have also been set for our senior leaders and various countries have also set up their own Diversity, Equity & Inclusion country committees.

Promotion of Female Career Advancement

NSG Group supports our female career development through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programs. We were certified as Platinum Kurumin Certification by Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2019 as we achieved high standards of the targets for our employees to satisfy both their career and childcare.

Examples of improvements include: greater visibility for females in succession planning discussions, identifying and confirming the positions to which female managers can be positioned, and encouraging more paternity leave. Online workshops have been regularly held for female managers to improve their networking and career planning opportunities, which in turn have helped with career motivation for participants.

We also introduced an exchange program with Sumitomo Group female members. During an online career seminar in 2021, attended by several companies in the Sumitomo Group, participants explored opportunities to discuss their own leadership style and consider future career options. We also have been actively participating in external workshops and recurrent education programs at universities. Their experiences were shared within the company and contributed to our female career advancement.

NSG Group's Global DEI Steering Committee set a goal of increasing the female managers ratio across the Group by at least 1% from the level of 12.7% at the end of June 2021 in each Strategic Business Unit and Function by FY2024/3. In FY2024, the actual rate improved to 16%, an improvement of 3.3% that exceeded the target.

Promotion of Foreign and Mid-career Employees

We operate as an integrated international Group, with a multinational management team. We believe that our diverse workforce with its range of nationalities, skills, qualifications, and experience is a substantial benefit to our business. Our management style is to put the best person in each job, regardless of nationality or region. Our overseas subsidiaries are managed by local leadership teams.

NSG Group has a diverse workforce with its range of skills, qualifications, and experience in the world. We are promoting mid-career employment in Japan to satisfy the skills and careers required by our businesses and functions.