We aim to create a workplace in which all employees, regardless of gender, can work actively.
As we have been promoting positive recruitment of women, the total number of female employees is increasing. However, the ratio of female managers is still low. Going forward, we will continue to implement a variety of initiatives to support women to attain managerial positions and encourage them to work with a sense of fulfillment.
Our company has formulated the Second Action Plan under the Act on the Promotion of Female Participation and Career Advancement in the Workplace, which aims to realize a society in which women can fully demonstrate their qualities and capabilities.
For promoting active participation of women in the workplace, we will implement initiatives in the employment from fiscal 2022, with the numerical target of increasing the employment rate of female new graduates to: 50% for administrative career-track positions; 15% for technical career-track positions; and 15% for general technical positions.
Transition in the Ratio of Female New Graduates Recruited by Job Types
We are working to develop female leaders with the numerical target of increasing the ratio of female managers and site supervisors by a factor of 2 compared to fiscal 2020".
Ratio of female managers (Kobe Steel)
| FY2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New graduates | Mid-career | Total | ||
| Number of New hires | Men | 254 | 71 | 325 |
| Women | 39 | 5 | 44 | |
| Total | 293 | 76 | 369 | |
| Percentage of women（％） | 13.3％ | 6.60％ | 11.90％ | |
| FY2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Workforce* | Men | 9,849 |
| Women | 1,021 | |
| Total | 10,870 | |
| Percentage of women（％） | 9.40％ | |
*full-time employees
| FY2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Years employed* | Men average | 15.3 |
| Women average | 14.3 | |
| Difference in average years of employment by gender | -6.50％ | |
*full-time employees
| FY2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of Managers | Men | 1,888 |
| Women | 55 | |
| Total | 1,943 | |
| Percentage of women（％） | 2.80％ | |
| FY2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of Directors | Men | 11 |
| Women | 2 | |
| Total | 13 | |
| Percentage of women（％） | 15.40％ | |
Kobe Steel introduced a mentoring system in 2006 ahead of other companies. Since 2014, we have implemented various measures to further promote women’s participation and advancement in the workplace.
In particular, we are conducting a variety of initiatives aimed at supporting the long-term career building of young female employees, such as implementation of the following original career advancement plans:
This training was held for the first time in fiscal 2019 to provide young female technical employees with an opportunity to think about their career from a long-term perspective, including life-altering events (marriage, childbirth, etc.). It also provided an opportunity for female employees to form connections with employees in other business locations and departments.
Employees from all offices gathered at the Kobe Head Office or the Kakogawa Works, and an external lecturer was invited to allow participants to work on deepening their understanding of themselves, thinking about their future career, and coming up with an action plan to work toward their goals.
This training was held for the first time in fiscal 2019 for managers of young female technical employees to help them understand and experience the significance of career development, as well as learn how to support the careers of their female subordinates and interact with them. Through group work and other activities, we also provided an opportunity for managers with young female technical employees as subordinates to form networks.
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Based on the interviews we conducted with technical and administrative employees in fiscal 2015, we are promoting initiatives aimed at supporting the active role of these employees in the workplace.
As one part of that effort, we added a significant number of items to the skill enhancement training menu for technical and administrative employees starting in fiscal 2017. We invite lecturers requested by employees and approved by bosses to increase the employees' ability to perform their jobs in accordance with each organization's needs.
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We have been holding this event once a year since fiscal 2014. The main objective is to support female career-track employees so that they can work for a long time and play an active role in the workplace. We believe that, in the face of a dearth of role models, forming networks among females has a certain effect on raising female employees’ motivation with regard to career development and long-term employment. Male employees have been added to training sessions since fiscal 2016, and we have held group discussions aimed at creating a workplace where all employees feel comfortable working.
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Kobe Steel has been employing female technical employees that work on-site since 1999, ahead of other companies, and some even serve as team leaders at some workplaces.
However, the rate of female technical employees is still low at approximately 1% to 2%. We learned that this can cause employees a number of issues as they work, including a sense of isolation due to the low number of women. To address this, starting in fiscal 2016, we began holding exchange meetings for female technical employees once a year where new employees can hear directly from female team leaders about their experiences. The aim is to figure out beforehand what difficulties they might experience in the future and how they can overcome them.
Kobe Steel held an exchange meeting for young female employees to interact with employees from other companies in different industries. The meeting aims to provide an opportunity for employees to think about their own career development objectively and form relationships they can utilize in their jobs from a medium- to long-term perspective by exchanging views with women working at other companies across different industries. It was the first event that we organized with companies outside of our Group.
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Since fiscal 2015, we have been holding diversity training for line general managers, the key individuals contributing to creating the workplace atmosphere, with an aim to deepen their understanding on diversity.
We invite lecturers from outside the company to speak from their experience about why diversity is important and what is needed to promote it within workplace environments, referring to relevant topics such as management of subordinates, work styles, and others.
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