Human Capital Management
Policy/Basic Concept
SNBL has set forth the Human Resources Strategy Vision, "An organization that grows together with employees and the company and creates a chain of happiness" in order to make "human resources" who are the assets of society.
Our company views human resources as the source for differentiating ourselves from other companies and enhancing corporate value. We respect the individuality of our employees and support the realization of each employee's dreams by improving their sense of purpose and job satisfaction. Additionally, we are building an organization where each employee feels a sense of solidarity as a member of the company, utilizes their aptitudes to demonstrate their abilities, and complements each other's weaknesses with gratitude.
We will promote this virtuous cycle where diverse human resources who resonate with our company's philosophy gather, achieve self-realization through working with us, and create value for a wide range of stakeholders.
- Easy to work at
Improving the environment - Balanced results
Reward system - Spreading our corporate philosophy
- Unique human resource development
- Promoting health and productivity management
Creating a comfortable working environment
Systems that support flexible working styles
Teleworking
Our company introduced a 'telework system' in December 2018, allowing employees to freely choose their workplace and working hours. We have established an environment where employees can continue working even in cases where commuting is difficult due to personal or family illness, relocation due to a partner's job transfer, or needing to return home for caregiving.
* Our company generally requests employees to come to the office. We believe that face-to-face, high-density communication among employees is important for both organizational growth and employee development.
Flextime system and staggered working hours
We have introduced a flextime system and staggered working hours to recognize diverse working styles and improve work-life balance, such as balancing work with family, childcare, and caregiving.
Paid leave by the hour
Annual paid leave can be taken in half-day increments and can also be divided into hourly increments. Employees can take up to three days of hourly paid leave per year, allowing for flexible responses to various employee needs.
Childcare center attached to the office
With the desire to eliminate situations where women are forced to resign due to marriage or childbirth, we established an 'on-site daycare center' in December 2007.
The choice of a 'no overtime work style'
In recent years, the values regarding working styles among employees have become increasingly diverse. In our company, voices from younger general employees expressing a desire to value their private time more have been rising.
To respond to these voices, our company introduced a system in April 2024 that allows general employees to choose a 'no overtime work style.' This new working style respects the diversity of employees' work preferences and establishes an environment that realizes the intentions of employees who do not wish to work overtime.
Systems exceeding the standards of labor-related laws
Shortened working hours for childcare
The statutory period for using short-time work for childcare is until the child reaches the age of three, but our company allows for a maximum of two hours of reduced working hours per day until the child reaches the start of elementary school.
Additionally, as support for those who wish to return from childcare leave earlier than planned, we allow for the advancement of the end date of childcare leave (early return) and provide childcare fee subsidies up to 800,000 yen.
Legally prescribed system
Childcare leave
In principle, you can take childcare leave until your child reaches the age of 1 (up to 2 years under certain circumstances).
Nursing care leave
You can take caregiving leave for a total of up to 93 days per eligible family member.
Short-time nursing care
When working while caring for an eligible family member in need of care, you can work reduced hours of up to 2 hours per day, separate from the caregiving leave period.
Nursing/care leave
You can take nursing or caregiving leave for up to 5 days per year for one eligible family member, or up to 10 days per year for two or more.
Career Support System
Dual-track personnel management
Career orientation, aptitude, and the diversification of work values are advancing. To accommodate the career development of such diverse talent, we have introduced a dual-track personnel system.
In general positions, you can choose between two work styles: aiming for a career (management position) as a Proactive Staff (PAS) or valuing private time and not working overtime as a Basic Income Staff (BIS). In management positions, there are also two courses: a Core Position with a managerial role and an Expert Position with advanced specialized knowledge and skills, allowing each employee to build their career according to their aptitude.
Change of occupation
There is an annual opportunity to declare a 'Career Plan' within the company, where you can submit your preferences regarding your career plan, including job changes. Additionally, we have introduced an internal recruitment system where departments in need of talent can recruit internally, and anyone can apply for these internal postings. The positions are posted on the internal web for all employees to view.
Reemployment
We are actively promoting the re-employment of former employees by building an alumni network. In the HR field, 'alumni' refers to people who have left or retired from a company. By utilizing the alumni network, former employees who once left due to life events such as childbirth or childcare are thriving again at our company through re-employment.
Additionally, we have introduced a contract re-employment system to promote the active participation of senior talent. After retirement, if the individual wishes to be re-employed and meets certain conditions, they can work as a contract employee.
Support for obtaining qualifications
We actively support employees in obtaining qualifications for their autonomous growth. For general employees who obtain qualifications specified by our company, we provide a qualification allowance ranging from 2,000 yen to 160,000 yen per month, depending on the difficulty level.
Internal Scholarship for Degree Acquisition
To support employees in acquiring the latest and highest level of specialized knowledge and skills, we have established a scholarship system for employees aiming to obtain a degree. For employees wishing to enroll in educational and research institutions such as universities and graduate schools, both domestically and internationally, we provide scholarships covering (1) qualification exam fees, (2) entrance exam fees, (3) admission fees, (4) tuition fees, and (5) transportation costs (including travel expenses).
Subsidy System
Childcare support system
We have newly introduced a system that provides 10,000 yen per day and 5,000 yen for half a day when an employee is absent to care for a sick child. Previously, if paid leave was exhausted, the salary was reduced according to the number of absent days, but with the introduction of this new system, support funds are provided even if there are no remaining paid leave days.
Childcare Fee Subsidy System
For employees who return to work with less than 150 total days of leave before and after childbirth, we provide childcare subsidies from the month they return until the month their child turns 3 years old.
Medical check-up assistance
At our company, employees aged 35 and over can undergo a comprehensive medical check-up instead of the annual statutory health check-up, and the company covers part of the cost.
Assistance with obtaining qualifications
We actively support employees in obtaining qualifications for their autonomous growth. In addition to covering exam fees for eligible qualifications, we also have a subsidy system for the admission and tuition fees of classroom and correspondence courses aimed at obtaining qualifications.
Other/Employee Benefits
Contract re-employment system
Upon retirement, if the individual wishes to be re-employed and meets certain conditions, they can work as a contract employee.
Company stock investment association
When you join the company stock investment club, you can receive a 10% incentive from the company. We recommend it as part of our employees' asset management.
Condolence money
In addition to wedding and childbirth congratulatory money, condolence money and disaster relief money are provided. We provide generous support for employees' life events.
Use of Benefit Station
You can use a benefits package that allows you to access services such as domestic and international travel, hotel stays, leisure facility tickets, car services, interior fashion, shopping for miscellaneous goods, movie and theater tickets, fitness, and restaurants at special prices and special plans.
A reward system balanced with performance
How to think about wage levels
Based on the principles of compensation for labor, the principle of livelihood security, the principle of market price for labor, and the principles of internal and external equity, we aim for competitive wages in accordance with our company's financial situation.
Achieving equal pay for equal work
Our company does not allow gender, gender identity, race, or other factors to influence employee selection or wage decisions, and we provide equal opportunities to all employees.
Our company will continue to promote a workplace environment that meets diversity and inclusion, and will continue efforts for equal pay for equal work regardless of gender or race.
Gender pay gap
Our company discloses the gender pay gap and is working towards eliminating the gender pay gap.
There is no wage difference for the same work, but wage disparities arise due to the following two factors.
- The fact that women take longer maternity and childcare leave and that there are more people working shorter hours has resulted in a difference in total working hours between men and women.
- The proportion of women in managerial positions is lower compared to men.※1・2
To address the gender wage gap, we are establishing a system to support employees who work while raising children, such as providing childcare subsidies for employees who wish to return to work from parental leave earlier than planned, and support funds for employees who take leave to care for sick children. Additionally, we have set a goal to achieve a 30% ratio of female managers by March 2029.
※1 The ratio of female employees in our company has remained around 50% over the past five years, and the employment rate of women is comparable to that of men.
※2 The wage gap between men and women in managerial positions exceeds 90%, and when considering factors such as female managers taking maternity leave and age distribution, the disparity between genders is almost eliminated.
Regular feedback on employee performance evaluations
Our company has revamped its evaluation system to support employees in realizing their dreams, creating an environment where they can balance work and study for growth. Since 2022, we have introduced a new evaluation system based on three pillars: the practice of our philosophy (compliance), budget achievement, and individual challenges. We have revised the seniority-based wage system to ensure fair evaluation of employee diversity, building a personnel system that fosters a corporate culture where each individual autonomously and proactively "challenges, creates, and innovates" while honing their intellect.
All employees have the opportunity to frequently conduct one-on-one meetings with their supervisors throughout the year, allowing them to check the progress of their activity goals and make adjustments as needed. During meetings with their supervisors, they summarize activities, discuss individual strengths and weaknesses, provide feedback on evaluation results, and talk about plans for future activities, development policies, and career formation. Evaluation feedback is conducted quarterly, and the evaluation results are reflected in employee compensation.
Spreading our corporate philosophy
Holding management philosophy meetings and distributing the president's message
Our company holds a management philosophy meeting once a month, attended by managerial staff at the level of section manager and above, including full-time executives. Additionally, every Monday, the president delivers a video message to employees in his own words, promoting the dissemination of our philosophy and fostering a sense of unity within the organization.
In 1997, when the current president assumed the role of CEO, a philosophy handbook was created to clarify the corporate philosophy and distributed to all employees, along with "Reading Nagata-ism Volumes 1 to 4," which contains explanations of the philosophy. This is also published on our company's website, advocating the importance of philosophy-driven management to society at large.
Introduction of 4-line diaries and 1-on-1 meetings
Since 2001, all employees have been engaging daily in "My Philosophy Practice" (4-line diaries), where they write down reflections on the day in four categories: events, insights, lessons, and declarations. They reflect on whether their actions aligned with the corporate philosophy and work on disseminating the philosophy throughout the organization through feedback from mentor employees randomly matched each month.
Additionally, 1-on-1 meetings are held at least once a week to enhance employee motivation and growth. Managers undergo coaching training and engage in "dialogue for growth" rather than dialogue for evaluation.
Unique human resource development
Our company views human resources as the source of differentiation from other companies and the realization of increased corporate value, focusing on creating a workplace environment where each employee can grow autonomously and proactively.
In 2002, we established the in-house educational institution "SNBL Academy," implementing unique internal education aimed at "disseminating the corporate philosophy" and "Transformation" for employees. We offer multiple programs to develop a wide range of talent, from new employees to future managerial and executive candidates.
Additionally, the president personally spends a significant amount of time (over 40 days a year) on employee development and executive training (Nagata School), valuing direct discussions with employees, which is a major feature of our company's human resource development.
Promoting health and productivity management
The CEO, who is also a doctor, serves as the Chief Health Officer (CHO) and promotes health management under the slogan "I am happy, you are happy, everyone is happy," supporting employee health maintenance and enhancement, and building an organization where each employee can perform efficiently.
Under the CHO, we are implementing health promotion measures centered around the dedicated Health Management Department and the General Affairs and Human Resources Headquarters. Progress is reported at the Management Philosophy Meeting, and we are establishing a system that allows us to quickly take necessary measures within the company by sharing employees' health status.