Award for Companies Providing Career Support in 2013

November 26, 2013

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) was selected by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as the recipient of the Award for Companies Providing Career Support in 2013. The award is given to companies that actively support their employees in taking the initiative to develop their careers. ITOCHU was presented with the award by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare today.

This award recognizes ITOCHU’s achievement in advancing initiatives to encourage each employee to consider their career development on their own and to grow, with a view to systematically promoting the “human resources development emphasizing careers and diversity” that the company has been engaged in for some time (Regarding details of company’s initiatives, please see below).
ITOCHU considers human resources to be its greatest managerial resource, and will continue to strive to create an environment where its diverse human resources are able to enjoy job satisfaction, leading to further growth and development.

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare URL:http://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/0000026011.html[Open in a new window]

Award for Companies Providing Career Support in 2013
presented by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
ITOCHU Corporation


Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo Business Category: Trading Company No. of Employees: 4,296

Systematically promotes the “human resources development emphasizing careers and diversity”
by providing a system that encourages each employee
to consider their career development on their own and to grow

1. Set up the first private sector Career Counseling Center

Career Counseling Center was set up as an internal organization in 2002 to provide career support and a permanently stationed dedicated career counseling qualified employee. Provide individual interviews with manager member of Human Resources and General Affairs Division and career counselor for individual career support at the time of stratified training.

2. Career vision interview utilizing career vision sheet

Employees are required to have an interview with theirsupervisor concerning short-term, medium-term, and long-term career vision, skill development, and so forth. Involves the preparation of an annual career vision sheet (on-line, enables them to grasp their own strengths and weaknesses, with a searchable database of more than 100 types of training to strengthen/offset these (group training or E-learning)) in order to encourage self-development through “awareness”.

3. Supporting diverse career orientations through transfer of official duties system, etc.

Once a year, the transfer of official duties takes place on a company-wide basis between managerial workers, clerical workers (general officer workers), and specialized workers (qualified lawyers, etc.). For the clerical workers, depending on their individual working style and career plan, able to choose two working streams.

4. Supporting activities to promote human resources diversification, and choosing diverse ways of working

Since 2003, the company has been developing the Promotion Plan on Human Resources Diversification to support the activities of a diverse workforce without regard to gender, nationality, or age. In fiscal 2014, the company appointed its first female executive officer. By creating role models and support for women posted overseas (establishing a new system that allows women to be posted overseas living alone with their children), the company has supported the career development of female employees who stay the course.

5. System for the development of diverse occupation capabilities

Promoting company-wide training (by rank, selection/option training) and training for six “division company” centered on OJT. Company-wide training includes new employee training, training for employees in their fourth year and in their eighth year, and training at transition stages such as when an employee has been newly appointed as department or section head.

6. Fair and impartial evaluation

All organization heads are required to attend assessor training. This training diagnoses the assessor’s own evaluating tendency, using DVD recording to provide evaluation feedback experience, and each year multifaceted observation is carried out in which a subordinate evaluates the management style of their superior

7. Impartial evaluation of temporary employees and mid-career recruits

The company conducts temporary employee training, implements an award system for outstanding temporary employees, and recruits as permanent employees. For career recruits (mid-career recruits), the company helps them build an internal network through a mentor system, group training, and so forth.