Human Resources Strategy and Development

Human Resources Strategy

We have set the following strategy to foster Human Capital Management

A wide variety of people with highly specialized expertise work together under strong leadership to take on challenges to solve problems we face —To become a professional group like this, we will proactively invest in the following activities:

Recruit and develop human resources with a high level of expertise
Select and develop leaders
Promote DE&I
Provide an agreeable work environment

Recruitment

Recruitment Policy

Guided by the Purpose Statement, “We will solve issues facing the earth and people’s lives through Sumitomo Seika’s ‘Chemistry’,” we continue to embrace challenges in pursuit of more fulfilling lives for people and solutions to social issues through the creation of new materials and technologies, as expected of a responsible chemical manufacturer. In this effort, we recruit individuals fairly, equitably, and without discrimination, with full respect for their basic human rights. Selections are based on applicants’ abilities, experience, potential, and ambitions, regardless of attributes such as nationality or gender.

Sumitomo Seika seeks individuals who:

Proactively take on challenges with a sense of purpose
We seek highly motivated individuals who constantly aim high and embrace new challenges with purpose.

Think globally and stay ahead of the times
We seek forward-looking individuals who stay attuned to rapidly changing global trends.

Sustain personal growth with a passion
We value those who are passionate about continuous self-improvement and aspire to thrive on the global stage.

Priority Measures (Indicators)

Recruitment of New Graduates

We recruit recent graduates to secure a steady inflow of talented personnel who support stable plant operations and sustainable business growth. As part of this effort, we organize the following events to help them shape their perspectives on work and career paths.

Work Experience and Internship Opportunities for Undergraduate/Graduate Students
We organize career-experience events and internship opportunities to provide students with hands-on experience at a chemical manufacturer.
In fiscal 2024, we introduced programs that provide students with a more realistic experience through, for example, factory tours, in an attempt to help deepen the understanding of the chemical industry.

Draft a new business plan using our products (science and literature students / online / two days)
Gain experience in finance operations at a chemical manufacturer (science and literature students / in-person / five days)

Internships for Technical College Students
Our in-person programs offer hands-on work experience at a chemical manufacturer for students majoring in chemistry, engineering, mechanics, etc.

Gain experience in engineering job categories at a chemical manufacturer (science students / in-person / five days)

Mid-Career Recruitment

In a bid to meet increasingly sophisticated business needs in this age of rapid change, we recruit professionals with diverse expertise aligned with our current business strategy. We believe that allowing open-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds to thrive is essential for the Company to adapt to new values and maintain and enhance its competitiveness. To this end, we actively recruit experienced talent.

Recruitment of People with Disabilities

With the aim of promoting normalization in society, we are advancing the employment of people with disabilities. At many of our offices and business sites in Japan, we remain committed to assigning tasks and responsibilities that align with each individual’s aptitudes, thereby creating a framework that allows employees with disabilities to work positively and in ways that suit their needs.

New Graduates and Experienced Personnel Recruited (Persons)

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
New Graduates	54	58	46	39	35	40	32
Male	41	43	35	29	24	28	18
Female	13	15	11	10	11	12	14
Experienced	26	31	12	21	24	32	27
Male	18	23	9	16	15	25	22
Female	8	8	3	5	9	7	5
Experienced ratio	33%	35%	21%	35%	41%	44%	46%

Human Resources Development

Human Resources Development Policy

Train people through work
People grow with on-site experience. It is through hands-on experience and overcoming challenges that individuals develop. The core of our human resources development lies in nurturing people at each workplace.

Respect diversity
We aim to create an organization with a corporate culture where employees respect one another’s individuality and career paths. Through this diversity, we foster mutual resonance under the Corporate Mission and encourage growth through friendly competition.

Train people via rotation
We develop talent through structured, purpose-driven rotation across the organization as part of our educational framework.

Enhance employability
We continue to develop “Sumitomo Seika persons capable of successfully competing outside the Company,” who have broad insight, high aspirations, and a strong sense of identity.

Human Resources Development/Training

We are committed to supporting our employees who have a strong desire for self-growth and are motivated for learning. For those individuals, we have designed a personnel development and training system that guides them on what to learn and how. Specifically, we support the acquisition of various qualifications, provide diverse learning opportunities, offer on-the-job training and rotational assignments, and assist in developing various competencies, all with the aim of increasing the resilience of the entire organization by helping diverse employees enhance their knowledge and skills.

Human Resources Development Programs

Driven by our desire for our employees to take the initiative to develop their own competencies according to their career plans, we offer a variety of human resources development programs, primarily in the following categories. For “position-specific training,” we provide programs covering internal systems and essential business literacy, designed for employees when they join the Company or are promoted to higher job grades. These programs aim to help trainees understand the expectations and roles tied to their positions and begin adjusting their behavior accordingly. Through specialized training programs, such as those on “knowledge and skills” and “handing down technologies and techniques,” we facilitate the acquisition of advanced knowledge and techniques.
While supporting all employees in autonomously building their careers, we also provide invitational training programs for those who are self-driven and proactive. Participants are free to choose programs that help them acquire the knowledge and skills needed to perform their duties, such as business communication and management skills. In this way, we provide a supportive environment that encourages continuous learning for employees eager to grow.

Personnel System

Basic Concept of the Personnel System

The key concept behind our personnel system is “to train employees and help them grow so that we can fulfill both their dreams and those of Sumitomo Seika as a whole,” contributing to the advancement of society through chemistry under the Corporate Mission of the Sumitomo Seika Group. Across the full scope of the personnel system, from recruitment and training to assignment, evaluation, and compensation, we are driving a transformation toward a corporate culture that empowers diverse talent to build fulfilling and rewarding careers, based on the idea of having people produce results in their roles and centered on the themes of “Taking on Challenges,” “Change,” and “Growth”. With these keywords serving as the linchpin, we define expected behaviors and the ideal employee profile. By training and evaluating employees in light of this desired profile, we hope to inspire employees to link their own growth, and that of those around them, to the growth of the Company. This, in turn, drives major outcomes for the organization as a whole and aligns with employees’ expectations for fair recognition and compensation based on performance. Through this approach, we aim to enhance our employees’ employability and work morale. By implementing a fair and transparent personnel system, we are promoting a mindset shift and continuing to build a corporate culture where diverse human resources can thrive and feel truly valued.

Management by Objectives System

Under our system of management by objectives (for non-managerial employees), job descriptions (job requirements) are defined for each position and job grade to clarify the roles and expectations at every workplace. This enables each employee to understand their responsibilities and fulfill their role effectively. Our goal is to help employees determine specific tasks within their duties and carry them out efficiently, thus enhancing individual and departmental performance and contributing to the Company’s overall success.

Timing	Agenda	Evaluatee	Supervisor
March - April	Setting objectives, interview	Set objectives in interview	Interviews (Confirmation of the objectives and comments on career-building objectives)
September - October	Intermediate follow-ups	Intermediate self-evaluation Entry of supervisor’s comments	Interviews (Coaching)
March - April	Year-end follow-ups, evaluation	Year-end self-evaluation Entry of supervisor’s comments	Interviews (Year-end follow-ups and evaluation -> To be reflected in merit rating)