Global Human Resources Strategy Enters a New Stage

Talent Management Process

Since fiscal 2008, ITOCHU has been promoting a global human resources strategy in order to maximize the value of human resources and optimize the talent development of the Group on a global basis. In parallel, an environment is being developed that will allow employees to take on new challenges by respecting their diverse values and individuality, heightening their motivation, and optimally bringing their skills and talents to the fore, all without regard to nationality, age or gender. In promoting this global human resources strategy, each Division Company, the Human Resources & General Affairs Division at ITOCHU Headquarters, and Global Talent Management Centers (GTECs) in four major cities worldwide had, by fiscal 2011, come together to create a common global platform, including standardized evaluation items and a global human resources database. From fiscal 2012, focusing on individual employees, we will strengthen human resources strategy in core overseas markets such as China and Asia in order to secure, develop, and optimize personnel that will contribute to business development worldwide.

Specific Initiatives

1. We are inviting employees from our overseas blocs worldwide to come to our headquarters for approximately two years as a form of HR development through actual operations. These employees are provided the opportunity to master business operations, gain a firm understanding of our corporate philosophy and culture, and build interpersonal networks. At the same time, this initiative encourages our headquarters to become more global in its outlook. (From April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2011, a cumulative total of 54 employees have been accepted.)
2. We are assigning, promoting, and developing human resources on a global basis regardless of nationality, using the ITOCHU Global Classification (IGC) as a common measure of job level/level of responsibility for all jobs and positions worldwide.
3. We promoted a globally shared human resources strategy through the ITOCHU Global Recruitment website, a channel that human resources desiring local recruitment overseas can also utilize. In addition, we conducted an internship in English for foreign university students in August 2010 as a form of PR targeting talented human resources.
4. We have incorporated the five ITOCHU Values, formulated as the new ITOCHU Mission, into the human-resource requirements for ITOCHU leaders. These requirements are reflected in our hiring standards and our evaluation and HR development programs led by internal instructors, enabling us to hire and develop human resources suited to ITOCHU’s values globally.