Initiatives to promote diversity
Initiatives to promote diversity ～Diversify the attributes of human resources～
Initiatives to Promote Women's Empowerment and Participation
Kirin Group has worked from early on to realize an organizational culture in which women can utilize independence and creativity and work with high energy. Along with fairly assessing the outstanding applicants for employment with the aim of women making up half of all hiring, efforts have been made to provide career support and leadership training to further increase the feeling of satisfaction at work and raise awareness of continued personal growth. In addition, the necessary programs and systems have been created to ensure female employees can fully experience the various life events with their partners, including marriage and childbirth. In 2022, we formulated the "Kirin Group's Long-Term Plan for the Advancement of Women 2030", which aims to increase the ratio of female leaders at Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd. to 30% by 2030. The following are several of the initiatives being implemented by Kirin Holdings Company, Limited on an individual company basis.
Fast-tracked career development
We aim to foster an organizational culture that enables both men and women to demonstrate leadership early in their careers. To achieve this goal, we are implementing a fast-tracked career development approach, which supports employees to build work experience, achieve successes, and create areas of expertise before they face the challenges of childbirth and child-rearing.
Kirin-Mentoring-Baton
We provide female executives opportunities to receive guidance from experienced mentors. We are aiming to help the female executives become aware of their unconscious biases, gain insights into necessary skills as executives (perspective, viewpoint, scope, trends, management methods), and develop their own authentic leadership style.
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*The photo features a mentor giving feedback on a mentee’s presentation regarding the six-month training.
Kirin Women's College
Select training program targeting mid-career female employees designed to foster next generation leaders equipped with good business literacy. (The program ended in 2023.) The training is made up of a total of 7 sessions, and along with setting the session times so that women with young children can easily participate (10:00-17:30), it is also possible for female employees to apply while on childcare leave.
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*Based on the prerequisite that the female employee has returned to work when the program begins.
Becoming a Signatory Company of the UN Women’s “Women’s Empowerment Principles”
In December 2012, Kirin Holdings became a signatory company of the “Women’s Empowerment Principles,” which were formulated through collaboration between UN Women, an organization that aims for gender equality and the empowerment of women, and the UN Global Compact. Taking into account these principles, Kirin Holdings will further promote efforts to encourage the active role of women while incorporating perspectives from external sources.
Support for the Leaders Coalition for Empowerment of Women
Yoshinori Isozaki, CEO of Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, has endorsed the declaration of the Leaders Coalition for Empowerment of Women, an initiative led by the Gender Equality Bureau of the Cabinet Office of Japan.
Member of 30% Club Japan
Aimed at achieving 30% representation of women on the Board of Directors by 2030, the goal of the club is to strengthen corporate governance, promote sustainable growth, increase international competitiveness and thereby promote the development of a sustainable society in Japan.
LGBTQ+ Inclusion Initiatives
The Kirin Group has implemented a range of initiatives to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. These include messages from senior management to all employees, human rights training to raise awareness, efforts to deepen recruiters’ understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, and the establishment of an internal consultation desk where employees can seek advice on concerns related to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), including LGBTQ+ matters.
In July 2017, we revised our Compliance Guidelines to clearly state that discrimination or violations of personal dignity based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, age, nationality, or other personal characteristics are not permitted. The guidelines also set out the standards of conduct expected of employees. In 2018, we established a human rights policy to deepen employees’ understanding of human rights issues in the countries and regions where we operate and declared that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity would not be tolerated.
We have also revised various internal systems—including condolence leave, allowances, and company housing—that previously applied only to spouses and relatives in legal marriages, so that employees in same-sex partnerships or de facto marriages can use these systems on an equivalent basis. In addition, employees may use accumulated leave—up to 60 days of unused paid annual leave carried over from previous years—for gender-affirming surgery and hormone therapy. We have also introduced measures that allow employees who plan to change their registered family records after joining the company to use their preferred names within the company from the time they begin their employment.
Sponsorship of Tokyo Pride 2026
The Kirin Group is participating as a sponsor of Tokyo Pride 2026, an event organized by the certified nonprofit organization Tokyo Rainbow Pride. The event aims to create a society that respects sexual and gender diversity and enables everyone to live authentically and pursue happiness.
Establishment of the LGBTQ+ Ally Community
The KIRIN ALLY Community, commonly known as KAZ, was established in November 2022 as an employee community for people who support LGBTQ+ inclusion. It began full-scale activities in 2023 and promotes the exchange of information on LGBTQ+ topics through internal communication tools and regular community meetings. Through these activities, KAZ works to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion across the Kirin Group.
LGBTQ+ Guidelines to Promote Respect for Sexual and Gender Diversity
To promote respect for sexual and gender diversity and create a workplace where everyone can feel safe and be themselves, the Group has developed internal LGBTQ+ guidelines for all employees. The guidelines provide foundational information on LGBTQ+ topics and sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). They also address the importance of not disclosing personal information without the individual’s consent, communicating respectfully, and understanding relevant internal policies and support systems. The guidelines are used to deepen employee understanding and foster an inclusive workplace.
Initiatives to Support the Participation of People with Disabilities※
In 2011, Kirin Group formulated the Charter for Hiring People with Disabilities under which the group has worked to realize the employment of people with disabilities in a way that is unique to Kirin so that all people, regardless of disability, can work with high energy.
Our society is made up of diverse individuals, including those with a disability.
At Kirin Group, we are working to prepare a good workplace environment that includes rational courtesies and the removal of both physical and awareness barriers. Through this, we are aiming to improve our ability to respond to diverse market changes and create new value through mutual inspiration by people from various backgrounds. Moreover, we are working with the group companies to promote the hiring of people with disabilities and expand the job positions.
Initiatives to support the hiring of people with mental and developmental disabilities
Kirin Group is partnering with local special needs schools and accepting students in a work shadowing program. In 2019, Kirin Office Service Company, Limited was established to enable members with a disability handle part of the head office internal affairs function, as well as streamline work operations at the group overall, expand the opportunities for employees with a disability and further promote the hiring of diverse people.
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*The term “handicap” is sometimes used instead of “disability”. However, the term “handicap” suggests that such people are at a disadvantage to the socially defined normal. At Kirin Group, we believe that although people may have a “disability” compared to others within society, they are not at a disadvantage when given the necessary support. The term “disability” is used here to further promote this awareness within society.
Initiatives to Promote Senior Participation
Age is not related to achievement at work, and efforts are being made to create an environment in which older employees can fully utilize the experience and skills accumulated over the years to contribute to the business results, as well as pass on their skills and otherwise have a positive impact on the younger generations.
Re-employment System
Remain employed up to the last day of the month in which the employee turns 65 years old at a maximum.
Career Design Seminar
Seminar for employees who have turned 50 years old that prompts them to autonomously consider their remaining careers.
Life Seminar
Seminar that provides an opportunity for employees in their 50s to think about their life plan until retirement. The employee’s partner may also participate.
Assigning Career Consultants to Provide Support
Employees who have acquired the necessary national qualification are assigned to the HR Division to provide consultations and support as necessary.
Support Initiatives Related to Other Minorities
As part of its initiatives to promote diversity, the Kirin Group also recruits individuals from various backgrounds, such as skilled employees and foreign nationals. By creating an environment where diverse talents can work together within the organization, we are fostering an organizational culture that embraces diversity, while also strengthening our capabilities for innovation and global responsiveness.
Launch of Global Kirin, an Employee-led Initiative
In 2024, as the Kirin Group expanded its global recruitment, employees launched Global Kirin to deepen understanding of different cultures across the Group. The initiative organizes seminars, training programs, and events to promote cross-cultural understanding and strengthen connections among employees of diverse nationalities and backgrounds.
Skilled employment
Based on the belief that new innovations are born by accepting and combining the differences of diverse talents with various backgrounds, values, sensitivities, and experiences, we have been strengthening our mid-career recruitment since around 2018 and actively hiring diverse talents from a wide range of industries.
Initiatives to promote diversity - Diversify individual viewpoints/values
Initiatives for Diversification of Mindset
The Kirin Group aims not only to promote diversity in attributes but also to diversify individual values, abilities, and perspectives by providing opportunities to acquire various knowledge and experiences.
In 2019, we introduced the Work Abroad Program. In 2020, we lifted the ban on Side Jobs and began accepting side job employment. In 2022, we launched a pilot program to facilitate side job exchanges between companies, actively fostering employee diversification.
Lifted the Side Job Ban / Started Employing Side Job Workers
Since 2020, we permit employees taking side jobs and accept side job workers, providing employees with opportunities to gain various experiences beyond their primary job, such as giving lectures, writing, consulting, as well as accounting and auditing tasks.
Work-Life Balance Support Leave
We have implemented a support leave system to achieve work-life balance that allows employees who meet certain conditions to take extended leave for reasons such as spouse relocation, volunteering, and self-development. This system provides an opportunity for employees to gain knowledge and experience that they might not usually acquire through their regular jobs.