S :Society
Development of human capital capabilities for sustainable corporate value enhancement
Training and Education (Human Resource Development)
KPI
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| Item | FY 2023 results | FY 2024 results |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of training participants per year | (Non-consolidated) Regardless of gender, 1,470 total participants (managerial positions) 432 participants (technical positions) |
(Non-consolidated) Regardless of gender, 2,379 total participants (managerial positions) 478 participants (technical positions) |
Responsible Departments
HR Department
Our position and Targets
Why is “Human Resource Development through Training and Education” a critical issue to be addressed?
Explanation of the reason and background
We provide a full-range of support to our employees based on the belief that encouraging each individual employee to actively make good use of growth opportunities will lead to the company's advancement. We recognize that at our business sites expanding on a global scale, it is integral to deploy professional human resources with a strong desire to achieve and a broad range of perspectives who can make a significant contribution while having an impact on people around them. To achieve this objective, we are promoting various measures such as the development of effective education and training systems.
We will also work on new measures to develop the next generation of managers who can respond quickly to changes of the times.
We will also work on new measures to develop the next generation of managers who can respond quickly to changes of the times.
Our position and Targets
In the midst of global business development, we provide training that adheres to the "three reals philosophy" where employees learn through interaction and experience with the aim of developing the mindset, abilities, and skills necessary to make the right decisions and execute, as well as individual skills such as rank-based leadership, the ability to solve problems closely related to the workplace, and presentation and negotiating skills.
Measures to pursue our vision
We are implementing the following measures to achieve our vision.
Personnel system GLOBAL (development of core human resources)
In order to support the realization of our mid-term management plan "Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026)" in terms of human resources, this human resources system is designed to enable our employees to acquire the abilities needed as core human resources in a step-by-step manner by enhancing the linkage between post (job), performance, and compensation for employees at the management level, and by clearly specifying the added value (expected results and expected actions) required for each level and links it to the training system for general-level employees.
This personnel system introduced in 2010 was revised in 2020 to further increase the linkage between posts (jobs) and compensation for employees at the management level in order to promote the principle of the right person in the right place toward the realization of YX2026. In 2021, we introduced an early selection system for general-level employees that enables them to be assigned to managerial positions at the earliest age of 30, thus ensuring that the right person is placed in the right place regardless of age.
This personnel system introduced in 2010 was revised in 2020 to further increase the linkage between posts (jobs) and compensation for employees at the management level in order to promote the principle of the right person in the right place toward the realization of YX2026. In 2021, we introduced an early selection system for general-level employees that enables them to be assigned to managerial positions at the earliest age of 30, thus ensuring that the right person is placed in the right place regardless of age.
Use of re-employment employees aged 60 or above
Yokohama Business Association Corporation (YBAC), which was established in July 2013 as a staffing company specializing in re-employed workers, has been actively involved in the creation of the stage for re-employed workers. Currently, the system allows employees to work up to the age of 70, with 186 employees (as of April 2025) actively working after age 60.
In addition, to further promote the use of re-employed workers, in 2021, we started a system that allows employees to continue working and hold an official position after the mandatory retirement age of 60.
In addition, to further promote the use of re-employed workers, in 2021, we started a system that allows employees to continue working and hold an official position after the mandatory retirement age of 60.
Human resources development program
- Newly hired employees
- Training for new employees
We provide all new career-track employees with on-site training, mainly by having them work the shifts at the production plant and accompany sales staff at selling sites. By actually placing them at the site of manufacturing to experience what is done there, we raise their awareness of being an employee working for a manufacturer. - Tutor-supporter system
In response to the diversification of work styles including telecommuting, we have renovated our system to foster new employees by introducing a "tutor-supporter system." Under this system, a tutor (possible to assign more than one tutor depending on business content to be handled) gives specific operational guidance to new employees, and supporters (basically all members at the same workplace) respond to various consultations from them. Separating roles between a tutor and supporters enables new employees to steadily improve their skills and communicate smoothly with others at their workplace.
- Training for new employees
- Training for employees in comprehensive work positions
According to the concept of "desired personnel at each job level" specified in the personnel system, we have created training programs for each job level to learn the basic knowledge necessary to work at Yokohama Rubber and the technical knowledge about our products. In addition, we provide support programs to train mindset and capabilities, and to improve skills necessary for employees in comprehensive positions, and some of these programs are designated as mandatory and are required for promotion. - High-level professionals
At Yokohama Rubber, professionals are positioned not only as workers whose expertise is approved, but also as ones taking a post (job) where they are expected to realize our strategy by exercising their high level of expertise.
In the area of technology, we approve staff members who have achieved high results with top-level expertise in their respective technical fields and are deemed necessary to bolster our business as high-level professionals" for them to focus on technical activities. In 2020, we also introduced a system to approve administrative managers who take on responsibility for important areas in the mid-term plan of the business and have exercised their expertise and achieved excellent performance as "high-level professionals." - Technical meister system
Employees in the technical field who are able to train juniors by utilizing their specialized skills and knowledge are approved as "technical meister" to pass on our technology to the new generation. - Education for company personnel taking on overseas assignment and their family members
Amid the global expansion of our businesses, the number of company personnel assigned to work overseas is increasing every year. Since FY2009, we have provided overseas pre-departure training for all employees who accepted overseas posting before leaving for overseas duty. The seminars consist of various programs providing necessary information such as how to proceed with work operations in different cultures, regionally oriented safety lectures (necessary knowledge regarding the state of public order and for ensuring safety), medical training, legal and compliance training, training on accounting and internal control, language training, and information on schooling for accompanying children. In addition, since 2018, as part of efforts to strengthen global governance, we have been conducting training for those who will be appointed to positions equivalent to the heads of overseas offices.
The content of the training is accounting and finance, company organization, compliance, and labor management. - Incentive to employees to obtain official certifications
We have established an incentive system to encourage as many employees as possible to obtain high-level official certifications which are difficult to obtain, but essential for business operation - Allowance for qualified responsible person
The company provides an allowance to employees who are registered as qualified persons holding the official qualifications required for plant operations. - Equipment Duty Allowance
We define skills/qualifications corresponding to the growth stages of employees in equipment-related workplaces, set levels, and provide allowance amounts according to each level. - Financial incentive for language learners
To encourage employees to learn foreign languages, we provide financial incentive to employees learning a foreign language other than their native language who have achieved at advanced level and above. - Feedback for human resources development
In order to continuously develop employees' abilities and to make evaluations more transparent and convincing, we have set clear expectation levels for each role, and have established a system in which supervisors and subordinates can make sure "whether to meet the expectation levels" and "what points need to be improved" during the semi-annual evaluation feedback to support human resources development. In the face of the diversification of work styles including telecommuting, to ensure proper management and human resources development, we have provided an opportunity for a supervisor and a subordinate to meet in-person once a month in which the subordinate can consult his or her supervisor about anything, not limited to business, and enjoy more open communication.
Review of FY 2024 Activities
The measures implemented FY2024 produced the following results.
Use of re-employment employees aged 60 or above
As of the end of December 2024, there were 403 re-employment employees enrolled, including both including both employees employees directly employed by Yokohama Rubber and employees at Yokohama Business Association Corporation (YBAC). In FY2024, 92% of employees who reached the mandatory retirement age continued working by using the re-employment system, and played active roles by leveraging their experience and advanced skills, while making efforts to train juniors and pass on their specialized skills.
Personnel Training Program
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(Unit: persons)
| Name of training program | Number of participants | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | Total | |
| New employee training | 39 | 7 | 46 |
| New employee follow-up training | 23 | 8 | 31 |
| Newly Appointed Management Training | 34 | 6 | 40 |
| Newly Appointed Position Training | 29 | 1 | 30 |
| Evaluator training | 25 | 4 | 29 |
| Training prior to re-employment | 19 | 3 | 22 |
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| Education and training expenses | 249 million yen |
|---|---|
| Total number of training participants per year (managerial positions) | 2,379 employees |
- Regardless of gender, the total number of training participants per year for technical workers was 478
<System users and number of applicable employees for each program>
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- As of December 2024
| 1 New employees | Tutor-supporter system | 46 employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Advanced Specialists and Skills Meister System | Advanced Specialists | 53 employees |
| Skills Meister System | 31 employees | |
| 3 Education for Company Expatriates and their Family Members | 53 employees | |
| 4 Incentive to Obtain Official Certifications | 8 employees | |
| 5 Qualified Employee Allowance | 126 employees (Actual salary in December 2024) | |
| 6 Foreign Language Subsidy | 119 employees (Actual salary in December 2024) | |
<Number of employees that obtained official certifications>
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(Unit: persons)
| Certification | Number of Achievement Cases | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | |
| Radiation Protection Supervisor | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| Certified Measurer | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| Special Boiler Expert | 1 | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| Qualified Energy Manager | 2 | 3 | ― | 1 | 3 |
| Class-1 Health Supervisor | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| Industrial Hygiene Health Officer | ― | 1 | ― | ― | ― |
| High Pressure Gas Production Safety Manager | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ― |
| Class-1 Boiler Expert | 1 | 1 | ― | 1 | 1 |
| Operations chief of radiography with X-rays | 2 | ― | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Class-3 Electrical Chief Engineer | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Manager in Charge of Pollution Control | ― | 1 | 2 | 1 | ― |
Future challenges
We are committed to developing the necessary mindset, skills, and abilities for success across our domestic and international group companies. We are continuously improving our training and development programs. In particular, we are leveraging Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.'s comprehensive training programs to:
To ensure continued growth and success, we recognize the critical need to cultivate future leaders who can adapt to the evolving business landscape. We are actively pursuing initiatives to:
- Develop High-Potential Talent: Nurture high-potential individuals within the group.
- Enhance Skills: Provide opportunities for skills development across all levels of the organization.
- Support Young Professionals: Offer robust training for young professionals to accelerate their growth.
To ensure continued growth and success, we recognize the critical need to cultivate future leaders who can adapt to the evolving business landscape. We are actively pursuing initiatives to:
- Develop Next-Generation Leaders: Enhance MBA programs for mid-level managers and executives to equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary for future leadership roles.
- Build a Robust DX Talent Pipeline: Invest in programs and initiatives to increase the number of employees proficient in digital technologies and tools, crucial for navigating the digital transformation landscape.
