Marubeni defines engagement as “a relationship where individuals and the organization come together and contribute to each other’s growth.” To improve organizational management and various organizational systems and to create a dynamic workplace, an internal survey is used to measure the engagement score of employees. In the survey, which was conducted in July 2023, the response rate was approximately 97% and the score was 62.4, compared to an average of 50.0 for other companies. This result suggests the improvements made to the Marubeni Group’s work environment have boosted employee satisfaction and motivation. Based on these results, Marubeni received the second prize at the Best Motivation Company Award 2024: Leading Companies Division (Over 2,000 Employees). Among all companies where Link and Motivation Inc. conducted an employee engagement survey in 2023, the top 10 companies with the highest engagement score received awards. While we will continue to reinforce our strengths identified in the survey results, we are taking steps to address the issues through a range of measures.
Policy
GC2024 Marubeni Group Human Resources Strategy
Marubeni HR Ecosystem
Our human capital is the Marubeni Group’s greatest asset and the driving force behind value creation. Under our Mid-Term Management Strategy GC2024, we are working to strengthen and will further develop the “Marubeni HR Ecosystem” set forth in GC2021. The “Marubeni HR Ecosystem” is a concept that forms the basis of our human capital strategy to realize our vision of a Global crossvalue platform, and it represents the direction in which we are striving for change.
The Marubeni Group is creating an engaging ecosystem where human capital with high social value and diverse backgrounds come together, be energized, connect with each other across companies and organizations, and continue to take on the challenge of creating new value by combining diverse values and expertise.
The starting point for the idea behind the “Marubeni HR Ecosystem” is linking management strategy with human capital strategy. The Talent Management Committee, a committee that holds meetings related to human capital strategy and comprises of the CEO, CHRO, CSO, and CAO as key members, is aiming to realize a human capital strategy that aligns with management strategy. Specifically, the Talent Management Committee will continue to discuss key priorities such as human capital allocation, leader development, engagement, diversity, and HR system reform review, and they will promote the management-led changes with priority. From FYE 3/2024, the Marubeni Group newly established a CHRO position in order to strengthen the creation and promotion of HR-related systems and measures that contribute to management strategies, and from FYE 3/2025, the CHRO was moved to a direct report line to the CEO in order to further strengthen our Group HR Strategy. The CHRO advises the CEO and is involved in overall management related to HR strategy. In addition, we are strengthening links with management through various initiatives, such as increasing opportunities for direct communication between management and employees, and implementing an employee stock ownership program (enrollment rate of 94.5% as of March 31, 2024) that aims to foster a stronger sense of collective responsibility towards enhancing corporate value.
Promote the Further Progression of the Marubeni HR Ecosystem
Mission-oriented HR System
Each organization assigns employees a mission (expected role with quantitative and qualitative targets) based on each employee’s skills and characteristics. The goal of this system is to enhance the strategic execution capabilities of the organization by encouraging each employee to boldly take on challenges aligned with their greater mission, which in turn promotes the growth of human capital. As the mechanism supporting the mission-oriented HR system, we have introduced Mission Ratings. Mission Ratings drive forth the action of assigning missions to match an employee’s abilities by aligning the scale of the mission with the level of compensation, which thereby achieve a more objective and timely evaluation. The mission-based system, which traditionally applied only to management positions, has been expanded to non-management positions from FYE 3/2025. Additionally, we extended the mission-based system for deciding compensation, previously limited to management positions, to non-management positions to encourage employees to take on more challenges, and we eliminated the job classification system that distinguished between the career track and the administrative track, which had different job requirements and career paths. These changes aim to further promote competence-based placements, challenging larger missions, and career ownership, enabling each employee to fully thrive and fostering the growth of both employees and the company.
- Missions Provide the Foundation for Executing Organizational Strategy and
Furthering the Growth of Human Capital. -
- Pursuing the improvement of long-term corporate value by implementing strategies in each organization.
- Each employee is given a mission based on their skills and characteristics, with the goal of enhancing an organization’s strategic execution capabilities by augmenting each individual’s contribution.
- Each employee taking on bold challenges toward more significant missions and striving for excellence will lead to their further growth and their increased market value*1.
- For each employee to take on more challenging roles and objectives, missions are set through active communication between supervisors and their employees, a year-end evaluation and individual feedback is conducted, and missions for the following year are set based on the results of the evaluation. This continuous cycle connects to the development of each employee’s abilities and career.
Human Capital Development Policy
In order to promote the growth and success of our Group’s human capital, the source of our corporate value, we are driving talent development through a dual approach of on the job training and off the job training.
For on the job training, assignment-related initiatives, such as promoting optimal placements through mission assignments and personnel transfer plans utilizing visualized data from talent assessments, recommending early overseas assignments for early career employees, and encouraging on-site experiences are being implemented.
Regarding off the job training, we offer growth opportunities tailored to individual careers by organizing position-specific and open-enrollment training, as well as selection programs in collaboration with domestic and international business schools. Also, we provide organization-specific training based on the talent strategies of each organization and group workshops for both Japan-based and international-based Group employees.
Marubeni Human Capital Development Structure Chart
Zoom
Initiatives
On the Job Training
Talent Assessment
Through multifaceted observations and self-assessments, we visualize each employee’s distinct behaviors, strengths, and challenges. A total of 59.1% of all employees were assessed by the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024. This information is utilized by each organization for transfers/placements, assigning missions, and daily team management. Individuals can also use this information for self-reflection and to help guide decisions on future skills training and plans for career development.
Off the Job Training
Marubeni Executive LEAD Program
Under the theme of cultivating the next generation of leaders to lead the Marubeni Group, this selection program includes sessions customized exclusively for Marubeni by IMD, a business school based in Switzerland. Participants learn about cutting-edge management theories and leadership.
Marubeni Master Course
Professors are invited from Japan-based business schools to provide lectures on essential knowledge for business management, such as management strategy, accounting, finance, organizational management and marketing. Employees from various departments and of various ages participate in this program, which includes lectures, case studies, and discussions to enhance their skills.
External Vendor Online Learning Program
We have introduced an external vendor online learning program that allows access to a diverse range of learning content anytime, anywhere, and in a timely and efficient manner. This initiative further promotes the acquisition of a wide range of knowledge and skills to support individual growth.
Individual Learning Support System
To further enhance the autonomy of motivated employees, we offer support for skills development, acquiring knowledge and experience that cannot be gained through regular work activities, and employee skill development. We offer support for obtaining qualifications, approximately 210 cases annually, and have a track record of assisting around 2,000 employees with business knowledge-related learning services.
Talent Development for Digital Literacy
To strengthen talent that drives digital transformation (DX) within the Marubeni Group, we conduct various training programs and workshops.
Through these efforts, as of the end of June 2024, we had trained around 650 digital talents, i.e., people who can apply their digital skills on the front lines, an increase of about 350 individuals from last year. In 2024, we added obtaining an IT passport to the list of requirements for promotions in order to encourage all employees to learn the basics of IT knowledge.
In 2023, we internally launched the Marubeni Digital Talent Profile website. By making these digital talents and their respective skills more visible within the Company, it has become possible to reach out to the right person at the right time. Personnel who learned skills through in-house training have started to participate in projects at other business units.
Total Number of Employees that Took Training Average Training Hours per Employee
Initiatives for Surpassing Our Traditional Framework
In order to promote a workstyle that will enable us to grasp the needs of our ever-changing society and clientele, to devise solutions that fit with the times, and to create new distribution channels, Marubeni is working on a number of new initiatives since FYE 3/2019 based on the themes of “Human Capital,” “Mechanisms,” and “Time.”
Human Capital
The personnel who will be responsible for the future of Marubeni must not only be professionals in a particular product field. They should also be able to grasp social and customer issues with a multifaceted perspective that goes beyond the scope of the business and have the mindset to imagine a solution by taking full advantage of the diverse business infrastructure (The measures outlined below are being implemented to promote the development of such human capital.).
Marubeni Academia
The Marubeni Academia program aims to nurture global innovation leaders who will lead the Marubeni Group. Diverse talent who are excelling globally are chosen for this program to engage in discussions on various themes over the course of a year.
The Marubeni Digi-Challenge
Since FYE 3/2021, we have focused especially on the field of Data Science through the Marubeni Digi-Challenge initiative. This program emphasizes acquiring Data Science skills via practical, hands-on application rather than theoretical study. Participants use digital technology such as programming to address real business and operational issues that we source from Marubeni Group operations worldwide.
External Personnel Exchange Program
This is a program targeting employees who are future candidates for management and executive positions at Marubeni. The employees are seconded to leading companies in various industries for a few years to achieve results while working on the front lines. In addition to building a network of connections outside Marubeni, this program also promotes the development of personnel with an outside perspective, the ability to identify values/functions that have not been delivered thus far, and the ability to use insights gained to develop new businesses.
Crosshelp (System for Providing Value Across Organizations)
Crosshelp is a system where organizations can solicit internal assistance from other employees by openly recruiting people who can participate and cooperate on a part-time basis. Employees who wish to assist or participate can apply, facilitating collaboration across different organizations.
Triangle Mentor
Three people of different ages and from different departments form a trio and regularly communicate to form connections that transcend one’s organization and generation, to share experiences, to further mutual understanding of different values and ways of thinking, and to build a foundation for new employees.
New Business Attire Guidelines: “Self-Biz”
“Self-Biz” is a policy for fostering a culture of autonomous thinking and conduct. This policy allows each employee to select the business attire that they personally feel is appropriate, based on guidelines that define minimum requirements while discarding the categories of business vs. casual.
Mechanisms
The following measures are being implemented as mechanisms to promote innovation that transcends the vertically segmented product system of an organization.
Business Model Canvas
We have created the BMC site to increase the visibility of the assets and business models of the Marubeni Group and share them with all employees. To help create new businesses, we will expand the functions of the site. At the same time, we will promote measures enabling us to use the BMC framework in business settings.
Idea Box
This mechanism enables all Group employees to contribute proposals related to new business ideas, challenges they would like to take on, and business improvements.
Business Plan Contest
This global contest is an open call for business proposal projects within the Marubeni Group. Now in its seventh year, this contest has led to proposed projects being evaluated and commercialized, such as a digital maternal and child health record business in Indonesia, which was assessed and developed into a business. This project will continue to play an important role as a platform for fostering a culture of innovation.
M-Alumni
This is an alumni network that has been established for former employees to register, offering a dedicated social networking space for the company and former employees to connect, as well as for former employees to network amongst themselves (including in-person events). This initiative aims to encourage business collaboration and open innovation.
Cross Value Coin
This is a reward system designed to promote cooperation and collaboration across organizations by rewarding contributions of various scopes, ranging from providing information on other organizational or regional strategies to creating new business ventures.
Time
No matter how well people and mechanisms have been prepared, without time it is not possible to start something new. For this reason, the following initiatives are being implemented.
15% Rule
This measure makes it possible for employees to allocate up to a maximum of 15% of their work hours to activities aimed at developing business that will help to increase the value of the Marubeni Group. This rule aims to create an environment for each employee that makes it easier to search for and discover new solutions for customers and society by making use of the Marubeni Group’s networks, business models, know-how and human capital.
Work from Anywhere
A Work from Anywhere policy, aimed at raising the performance of the entire organization, has been adopted to encourage each employee to achieve greater quality, speed, and volume of output by increasing workplace options, such as working from home and satellite offices, and encouraging more effective time utilization.
Communication with Employees
Communication between Management and Employees
To foster unity at Marubeni, internal meetings are regularly held with the aim of encouraging communication between co-workers and between management and employees. By FYE 3/2024, a total of more than 2,800 employees participated in these meetings.
By continuing to provide opportunities for direct dialogue between management and employees, we will further energize and deepen communication within the Company.
Engagement Survey
Relationship with the Labor Union
The Marubeni Employees’ Union was established in 1949. As of March 31, 2024, it has 2,735 members, or about 63% of our employees. The Company and the Marubeni Employees’ Union share common goals such as improving the prosperity of the Company and the socioeconomic status of all employees. Both parties respect each other’s positions and engage in honest dialogue in order to build good labor-management relations. In FYE 3/2024, 10 meetings were held, including management-union discussions and other senior management members, various collective bargaining meetings*2, and committee meetings. In addition, the Company and the Marubeni Employees’ Union actively promote joint activities to introduce and implement systems and measures related to developing the working environment.
- The collective labor agreement stipulates that (1) matters concerning the working conditions of union members, and (2) other matters that have a significant impact on the Company, on the union, and on union members, are matters for collective bargaining. The agreement also stipulates that the Company and the union must respond in good faith to any legitimate request for collective bargaining by the other party and strive to resolve the issue promptly.
From the Marubeni Employees’ Union
The Marubeni Employees’ Union aims to foster a company environment where each employee of the Marubeni Group can perform to their full potential and both the Company and employees can achieve sustainable growth. To achieve this goal, it is important for both management and each employee to continuously strive together with a strong commitment to improve the company and simultaneously contribute to society.
Through dialogues with management (such as management-union discussions), the Marubeni Employees' Union addresses all management issues with the company by connecting individuals beyond their organizations, gathering company-wide knowledge, and integrating diverse values and then proposing solutions to the Company to solve challenges together with an optimized approach. At the same time, the Marubeni Employees’ Union is expanding their network with other unions that share the same sense of challenges and collaborating with them to address these issues. Through these efforts, we strive to provide value to society in our daily activities.
Participation in the Personnel Committee and Other Committees of the Japan Foreign Trade Council (JFTC)
Marubeni participates in the Personnel Committee of the Japan Foreign Trade Council (JFTC), where it engages in exchanging opinions with external parties on issues such as overseas safety management measures, efforts to reform organizational culture and improve engagement, and the promotion of DE&I.
Agenda for the Fiscal Year 2024
- Initiatives to Strengthen Overseas Safety Management Measures
- Efforts To Reform Organizational Culture and Improve Engagement
- Initiatives for Strengthening Human Capital Capabilities
- (1) Development of Global Talent
- (2) Promotion of DE&I
- (3) Improvement of the Educational Environment and Expansion of Facilities at Overseas Educational Facilities
- Continuation of Trading Company Training Programs
- Request activities and Follow-ups for Promoting the Conclusion of Social Security Agreements with Other Countries
- Response to the Disclosure of Human Capital Information
In addition, as a member of the “Human Capital Management Consortium” and the “Forum for Women’s Empowerment & Diversity Management Support (a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)”, we participate in various trainings and seminars to gather information. We are utilizing the insights gained from collaborations outside the company to develop and promote human resource strategies, ensuring that our talents can exert their utmost power in driving our business strategy.
Data
Employee Development Data*3
| FYE 3/2022 | FYE 3/2023 | FYE 3/2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Participants Trained per Year | 32,535 | 43,320 | 61,031 |
| Total Number of Training Days per Year | 24,340 days | 27,029 days | 30,464 days |
| Total Number of Training Hours per Year | 177,000 hours | 196,000 hours | 220,864 hours |
| Annual Training Hours (Days) per Employee | 41 hours (5.6 days) | 46 hours (6.3 days) | 52 hours (7.1 days) |
- In addition to training programs held by Human Resources Department, training programs provided by Corporate Staff Departments or Business Groups and company-wide e-learning programs are also included in the above aggregated data.
Major Training and Education
| Number of Participants (FYE 3/2022) |
Number of Participants (FYE 3/2023) |
Number of Participants (FYE 3/2024) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| General Training / Onboarding for New Employees | 126 | 127 | 116 |
| Follow up Training for Mid-career Hires | 29 | 22 | 34 |
| Step up Training*4 | 226 | 76 | 87 |
| Career Development Program for Senior Employees | 88 | 89 | 138 |
| Training for New Dept. GMs | 28 | 24 | 20 |
| Training for New Section GMs | 70 | 61 | 81 |
| Next Generation Executive Development Program “LEAD”*5 | ─ | 10 | 10 |
| Internal MBA Program “Marubeni Master Course” | 29 | 21 | 27 |
| Assigning to Domestic and Overseas Business Schools | 10 | 21 | 18 |
| Assigning to External Management Development Programs for Female | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| Language Training Programs | 87 | 33 | 41 |
| Overseas HR Management and Compliance Training | 163 | 196 | 147 |
- : The trainings were suspended during FYE 3/2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and postponed until FYE 3/2022 to implement appropriate COVID-19 prevention measures.
- : Stating from FYE 3/2023.