Corporations today are questioned about how they can contribute to building a sustainable society. The Mitsui Chemicals Group is committed to creating the values that society requires, and the key to achieve this is human resources. Valuing individual employees is also important so that the company and employees each inspire the other on an equal relationship to create a better future together. Aiming to realize this, we set the simultaneous goals of "Sustainable growth of the Mitsui Chemicals Group" and "Promoting the happiness and fulfillment of employees" as stated in our Corporate Mission. We plan to build an organization that always keeps learning and pushing its boundaries, driven by making the most of individual employees’ potential abilities. This is how we will create a sustainable competitive edge.
The Mitsui Chemicals Group set out its Human Resources Management Policy to demonstrate its approach to both employees and stakeholders. Based on the Action Guidelines, this Policy states our principles which are positioned and applied as the foundation of human resources measures across the entire Group. The Human Resources Management Policy is disseminated across the Group in Japanese, English, and Chinese.
Human Resources Management
Management System
Policy and Basic Approach
Human Resources Management Policy of the Mitsui Chemicals Group
- "Always in Good Faith"
- The Mitsui Chemicals Group will require employees to "Always in good faith" as stipulated in "The Action Guidelines," highly appreciate such employees and offer an appropriate environment for them to give full rein to their strengths.
- Mitsui Chemicals will comply with all labor and employment laws wherever it operates.
- Mitsui Chemicals will disclose its rules and operate fairly and with justice according to the rules regarding recruiting, assignment, training, evaluation and compensation of employees without any discrimination against gender, race, nationality, age, religion and disabilities.
- "For people and society"
- Mitsui Chemicals will require employees to "For people and society" as stipulated in "The Action Guidelines," highly appreciate such employees and offer an appropriate environment for them to give full rein to their strengths.
- Mitsui Chemicals will protect employees' safety and health in the workplace.
- Mitsui Chemicals does not tolerate any form of harassment, and in turn supports and respects the protection of human rights.
- "Dream-inspiring Innovation"
Mitsui Chemicals will require employees to have the following attitudes and engage in certain behavior in order to pursue the "Dream-inspiring innovation" as stipulated in "The Action Guidelines," highly appreciate such employees and offer an appropriate environment for them to give full rein to their strengths:
- To take on challenges unflinchingly with full trust in our potential without fear of failure.
- To create novel value by enhancing our sensitivity.
- To consider and act proactively based on the actual data and facts at the workplace.
- To aim to be world-class professionals with a global view.
- To develop the future generation by passing on our experiences and technologies.
- To integrate individual strengths into the organization through active communication.
We established core values* as leading action guidelines to capture the spirit of all employees working at Mitsui Chemicals Group sites all around the world and to act as a unifying force, ensuring that we are all working toward the same goals. The “spirit of challenge," “respect for diversity," and “teamwork" established in the Action Guidelines are each connected to the three core values of Challenge, Diversity, and One Team.
- Mitsui Chemicals, based on the aforementioned, will conduct Human Resources Practices under the following policies:
| Toward sustainable growth of the Mitsui Chemicals Group | Toward promoting the happiness and fulfillment of employees | |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | We flexibly design and form organizations to achieve our management and business strategies, appropriately allocating jobs (positions). | We form organizations and allocate people to make the best of each individuals’ motivation, competency, and capability. |
| Recruiting | We employ human resources with diverse expertise and values who can contribute to the sustainable development of the organization. | We offer job opportunities equally to individuals who have the work motivation, capability, and diverse values sought by the Group. |
| Assignment | We actively employ human resources who have high potential to achieve fruitful results (the right person in the right position). | We allocate employees to maximize their motivation, career ambitions, and expertise. |
| Human Development | With a long-term perspective, we develop global experts and managerial human resources. | We offer various constructive training opportunities to develop employees’ expertise and management literacy globally, and support their self-reliant career development. |
| Evaluation | We appropriately evaluate each individual’s achievement and encourage their further growth through timely feedback. | We evaluate employees in a fair and objective manner to enhance their motivation and capabilities. |
| Compensation (Remuneration) | We aim to achieve a competitive compensation standard in the global market. | We aim to achieve a competitive compensation standard in the global market to secure motivated and capable human resources. |
We also strive not to violate minimum wage regulations and working hours regulations on the basis of the laws and regulations stipulated by each country and region.
*Core value:
Core value is to capture the spirit of all employees working at the Mitsui Chemicals Group sites across the world and to act as a unifying force, ensuring that we are all working toward the same goals.
| Challenge | To encourage employees to challenge the status quo actively and openly. |
|---|---|
| Diversity | To learn about the cultures and histories of others to deepen understanding of each person’s personality and ethnicity and make the most of this understanding for Mitsui Chemicals Group’s growth. |
| One Team | To unite our minds and efforts regardless of different positions, generations, genders, nationalities, organizations, and regions. |
Human Resource Strategy
The Mitsui Chemicals Group has been devising and implementing human resource strategies based on long-term business plans, and various HR/organizational strategies to address identified priority issues, steadily spearheading the reformation of the business portfolio on global Group-wide levels and expanding businesses across the globe in terms of HR management. As a result, since Mitsui Chemicals was established in 1997, the Group has grown to 163 consolidated subsidiaries and 19,861 employees (as of the last day of March 2024, excluding contract employees), with approximately 40% of the workforce now based overseas.
In formulating the human resources strategy to realize VISION 2030, we have quantitatively and qualitatively assessed the gaps between the current state and the desired future state of human capital, considering changes in the external environment, and identified priority challenges and actions to take. This gap analysis considers both the quantitative and qualitative changes in the human resources portfolio—such as knowledge, skills, experience, and abilities that are lost when employees leave—and the impact of motivation and engagement on output and outcomes. It also takes into account structural aspects like corporate culture, organizational norms, and systems. Through various initiatives within the human resources strategy, we aim to bridge these gaps and foster the desired corporate culture of "self-initiative, autonomy, and collaboration," thereby enhancing sustainable corporate value.
Key Perspectives in Formulating Human Resources Strategies*
*Created by the Company with reference to the MERITUM Guidelines (2002).
System and Responsible Officers
The Mitsui Chemicals Group has established the position of CHRO*1 as part of its efforts to strengthen the chief officer system and clarify executive responsibility in order to strengthen the executive system and promote reforms in the Group and globally.
The CHRO will strengthen the linkage between business plans and human resources strategies from a medium- to long-term perspective, and boldly invest and reallocate human capital toward business portfolio transformation in a more timely manner at the group and global levels. At the same time, the CHRO is responsible for effectively and proactively communicating these initiatives and human capital values to internal and external stakeholders.
As for Head Office functions, we have established the HR Management Team*2 and appointed a Senior HRBP*3 as partners to the senior management. This enables us to monitor and share the progress of management strategies in business sectors and functional divisions in a timely manner. Based on this understanding, we have been driving effective HR practices after annually reviewing our human resources strategies.
We have also organized a global CoC*4 system that includes HR representatives from Japan, Europe, the Americas, and Asia to devise and launch human resources strategies and HR practices on global Group-wide levels, revolving around five functions: 1) Talent management, 2) Organizational and human development, 3) Global compensations and benefits, 4) Global platform & analytics, and 5) Global recruitment and branding.
The measures are shared and implemented by Regional HR Divisions, and the management of domestic and overseas subsidiaries and affiliates, HR department, and HRBPs. We also periodically share and discuss the progress of mutual HR practices with the representatives of Regional HR Divisions with domestic and overseas subsidiaries and affiliates.
In addition, the HR management team under the CHRO is responsible for human resources strategy decision-making, including HR issues at each business/functional headquarters, region, and affiliates. The measures critical to business are discussed by the company-wide and divisional Key Talent Management Committee. The Key Talent Management Committee develops future executives, as stipulated by the Management Committee and described in the Corporate Governance Guidelines.
*1 CHRO:
Chief Human Resource Officer. As a member of the management team, plans and executes human resource strategies.
*2 HR management team:
A policy and initiatives formulation body within the Human Resources Division, composed of responsible officers, department heads, and group leaders from the Human Resources Division and the Global Human Resources Division.
*3 HRBP:
Human Resources Business Partner. As the partners to the heads of each business sector and functional division, HRBPs are responsible for planning and executing human resource strategies and initiatives that align with various business and functional strategies. The HRBP structure includes both HRBPs who drive initiatives within their assigned sectors or divisions on a day-to-day basis, and Senior HRBPs who cover multiple sectors or divisions, providing timely advice and support to HRBPs and facilitating coordination across sectors, divisions, and among HRBPs.
*4 CoC:
Center of Competence. A designated HR function to oversee the entire group.
Human Resources Management System
*Comprehensive regular meetings for HR officers from each company in the region (the Americas, Europe, China, and Asia Pacific) to exchange information and promote HR measures specific to each region. The meeting frequency varies depending on the region.
Monitoring
The state of compliance of human resources management at business sites and subsidiaries and affiliates is being checked regularly through internal audits conducted by the Internal Control Division.
Goals and Results
Key Talent Management
| Metric | Scope | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2030 (Medium to Long-term) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Results | Goals | Goals | ||
| Successor coverage rate for critical positions | Mitsui Chemicals Group | 235％ or more | 220% | 235% or more | 250% |
Diversity
| Metric | Scope | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2030 (Medium to Long-term) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Results | Goals | Goals | |||
| Number of executive officers with diverse backgrounds (women, non-Japanese, mid-career hires) | Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. | Diversity rate of future executives: 20% or more | 18.5% | Diversity rate of future executives: 20% or more | 10 or more (including at least 3 women) | |
| Ratio of women in management positions (manager-level or above) | Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. | 7% or more | 6% | 7％ or more | 15% | |
| Percentage of women among regular recruitment | Career-track administrative positions | Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. registered employees | 40% or more | 37% | 40% or more | 40% or more |
| Career-track technical positions | 25% or more | 23% | 25% or more | 25% or more | ||
| Skilled staff (mainly factory operators) | 10% or more | 13% | 10% or more | 10% | ||
| Ratio of employees with disabilities | Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. registered employees | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.6% | ─ | |
*The past regular recruitment data posted on this website is based on the data of employees who joined the company in the applicable fiscal year. Therefore, the numerical values may differ from those on the Action Plan for Promotion on Women's Empowerment V, which shows the overall number of employees expected to join the company in the next fiscal year.
Improvement of Employee Engagement Score
| Metric | Scope | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2030 (Medium to Long-term) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Results | Goals | Goals | ||
| Engagement score | Mitsui Chemicals Group | 36% or more | 36% | 38% or more | 50％ |