To realise an organisation where individual strengths and abilities can be demonstrated regardless of gender, we believe that the gender ratio in management positions should be equal to the ratio of all employees. To foster new ideas and generate innovation, it is necessary to have a diverse organisation in which female employees with management aptitude, motivation and potential can vividly demonstrate their strengths. To this end, we are promoting initiatives to confront unconscious bias in the workplace and increase psychological workplace safety.

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Initiatives up to 2023

The following initiatives were mainly implemented in the two teams of “Life & Career” and “Unconscious Bias” in 2021-2022, and in the three teams of “Promotion”, “Recruitment” and “Awareness-raising” in 2023.

• Conducting an Unconscious Bias Survey
• Implementation of training for managers
• Selection of manager candidates and their training within each divisional operation
• Conduct briefing sessions for female managerial candidates
• Holding meetings (JAC Women's Empowerment Salon) to exchange information with other companies on creating a comfortable working environment for women
• Running a system for female leaders and manager candidates
• Organisation of internal events such as round-table discussions and social events with the Chairman and CEO and female managers

As a result of promoting the creation of an organisational culture in which female employees can positively take on various challenges, including careers as managers, while respecting their personal values and maintaining a balance between life and career, the percentage of female 'leaders' who are candidates for manager positions increased from 27.3% (as of 2023) to 31.9% (as of January 2024).

These efforts were also recognised externally, and JAC Recruitment was awarded 31st place in the corporate ranking out of approximately 1,900 eligible companies in the Women Awards 2023 organised by Forbes Japan, the Japanese edition of Forbes.

Initiatives for 2024

The following initiatives will be carried out by five teams: “Team 1: Recruitment”, “Team 2: Awareness-raising and development”, “Team 3: Retention”, “Team 4: Recognition improvement” and “Team 5: Systems”, to achieve the target of 40% female managers by 2025.

Team 1: Recruitment Take initiatives to increase the proportion of female employees, to ensure that internal systems, evaluations, and operations do not need to be defined by 'gender'.

Team 2: Awareness-rising Establish a mechanism to increase the number of potential female leaders and managers, operate a mentoring system, and organise events such as roundtable discussions and social events with female managers.

Team 3: Retention Provide follow-up on life events and develop an environment where female employees can discuss their concerns more easily, so that they can continue to build their careers even after their promotion.

Team 4: Recognition improvement To connect with people working on DE&I beyond the boundaries of the company and contribute to the realisation of gender equality in society as a whole, several efforts will be made to raise awareness by holding meetings (JAC Women's Empowerment Salon) to share information with other companies and by communicating the activities of the DE&I Committee both internally and externally.

Team 5: Systems Measures will be taken to inform employees about the company's childcare and other support schemes to promote their use and improve these schemes. The team also operates the Working Parents Committee, which promotes the exchange of information among employees raising children and the taking of maternity leave by male employees, to create a working environment where employees, including women, can be active for a long time while aiming to take on challenges and improve their skills in their careers.

Aims to increase the understanding of LGBTQ+ among Group employees and to create a working environment where all employees, regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, can be equal and be themselves. We believe that this will enable us to utilise the different opinions and ideas of our diverse employees and create innovative power. We will also contribute to increasing the diversity of society through recruitment by consultants with an understanding of diversity.

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Initiatives up to 2023

From 2021 when activities were launched through to 2023, the following initiatives were mainly implemented to raise awareness and promote the correct understanding of LGBTQ+ within the Group.

• Conducting biannual internal awareness surveys
• Implementation of training for directors, managers and employees
• Distribution of Ally stickers to those who wish to express their Ally status
• Conducting opinion exchange meetings with LGBTQ+ sections of other companies.
• Prepared 'Support Tips for LGBTQ+ registrants' as an internal document and disseminated it to employees.
• Participated in Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2023.
• Announced its support for Business for Marriage Equality, which promotes marriage equality (legalisation of same-sex marriage) in Japan.

As a result of the above initiatives, the number of employees within the company who know the meaning of the word 'Ally' increased from 21.1% (as of October 2021) to 88.6% (as of June 2023).

In addition, our proactive initiatives were also recognised from outside the company, and we received the highest rating of “Gold” in the “PRIDE Index 2023”, an evaluation index for LGBTQ+ and other sexual minority initiatives formulated by the voluntary organisation “work with Pride”, for the second year in a row from 2022.

Initiatives for 2024

In 2024, we set the goal of 'deepening understanding of LGBTQ+ within our and creating a workplace environment where everyone can work as they are', aiming to create a workplace free from discrimination and harassment, and to increase the number of people expressing themselves as Ally.

As well as continuing the efforts to date, we will implement initiatives to promote social diversity through our business, such as holding joint events with companies and NPOs working on DE&I, participating in Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2024, as we did last year, and providing support to LGBTQ+ candidates.