CHRO Message
We will continue the creation of new value through fostering an open environment where diverse individuals can fully realize their capabilities.
Representative Director, Executive Vice President,
Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Compliance Officer
Yoshiaki Takemasu
What are your views on the link between the Company’s human resources strategy and corporate value enhancement?
Our human resources strategy exists to achieve the Company’s management goals, so the linkage is crucial. The key to advancing our “create, grow, extend” business model always lies in our people. Through the steady implementation of our human resources strategy, we aim for diverse individuals who share the same aspiration and passion to form agile teams in and out of Japan, addressing social issues and fostering innovation through crossindustry initiatives.
Could you tell us about the Mitsui Engagement Survey (MES)?
MES, introduced in 2018 as a metric to measure the effectiveness of our human resources strategy, is now conducted across all offices outside Japan and major subsidiaries both in and out of Japan. This survey, from the perspective of each individual employee, measures and analyzes attachment to the workplace, motivation, feeling of personal growth, and empathy towards the organization’s strategy and directions. The results are used to encourage improvement actions. To ensure the objectivity and transparency of the survey, we have partnered with an external research firm and customized the survey methodology to fit Mitsui’s characteristics. Given the significant correlation observed between MES results and organizational productivity and performance, the results are reported to the Board of Directors as one of our key management indicators and are also utilized as a KPI for remuneration of Directors. 73% of the responses in the “employee engagement” score in last year’s MES were positive, which was an improvement from the previous year, and provided various insights for addressing organizational issues.
Regarding diversity, we achieved our goal of increasing the percentage of female managers to 10% this year and have set a new target of 20% by FY March 2031. Considering that the percentage of female managers at our overseas trading affiliates is approximately 40%, challenges are with the situation in Japan, while we aim to realize our corporate philosophy of “Thrive on diversity” not just by achieving such numerical goals but by improving MES results at the same time. By the end of this year, our global talent management system “Bloom” will be fully operational for 9,000 employees. We plan to evaluate the effectiveness of various human resources measures based on data and leverage this to drive Mitsui’s further growth.
Can you provide examples of how your human resources strategy has led to new value creation?
Our participation in the ADNOC LNG Project in the Middle East is expected not only to serve as a foundation for stable energy supply but also to demonstrate the value of our diverse talent working shoulder to shoulder across different business units. Their efforts went beyond infrastructure development in resource-rich countries to include the promotion of new industries and market development, which has been recognized by our partners.
Our current earnings base is the result of promoting both growth and human resources strategies. Moving forward, we will continue to enhance an open environment in which as many individuals as possible embodying Mitsui’s growth can be nurtured, and diverse talent can fully realize their capabilities.