We aspire to be a great company where people from various backgrounds can be actively involved.
Akiyo Matono
Representative Board Member,
President & CEO
Japan faces population decline and, as such, worsening labor shortages in the future cannot be avoided. Furthermore, although women make up half of the population, as it currently stands, female employees do not come close to making up half of our workforce, an issue that I believe needs remedying. When I worked in North America, having female directors for the group companies was considered par for the course, and I remember being surprised by that at the time. In comparison, the number of women actively involved in management at Nissui is still very low.
Those companies that have large numbers of highly talented personnel taking an active part are also those that have created policies and environments that make it easier for women to work. At Nissui, we are still failing to provide a place where women are sufficiently involved. In other words, we’re stuck in a rut in terms of using and increasing the participation of our human resources.
Now, however, we are aware of the problem and if we can change, I think awareness of Nissui as a company that welcomes diversity, where female employees are better able to play leading roles, will spread. If we can do that, we will be able to gather together even more gifted individuals, regardless of gender.
Diversity is an important management issue for any company. While “diversity” is comprised of many elements, the first step for us at Nissui is to place a priority on female participation, and aspire to be a great company where people from various backgrounds can be actively involved.
Training is another key issue for us. We will train those employees who enter the company, whether male or female, equally. Limiting the type of work someone does because of their gender is a form of discrimination. While there may sometimes be cases where gender should be taken into consideration, such as where an employee is assigned or dispatched, or the nature of their duties, that should not rob them of any opportunities.
As an employee, workers should know what it is like to stand on the front lines, as it were, and their perspective will be broadened by experiencing a range of job roles. Whatever their academic background or specialism, it is how they are trained after they join the company and how they adapt that has the biggest effect on the capabilities they come to show. In that, there is no difference whatsoever between men and women.
Our company provides products and services that are needed by society, and the profit we earn is a resource we can use to train people. With that, we will create an atmosphere where diverse human resources can play an important role. I would like us to create this kind of virtuous circle, where the talented individuals we gather together under our banner lead to greater profit, and vice versa.