For employees independently seeking to develop their skills, we help them to clarify their goals, offer systematic training in support of their efforts, and award skill development points. In these ways, we encourage employees to pursue self improvement. Moreover, we are supporting the participation of women in the workforce and promoting the employment of people with disabilities and non-Japanese.
Under this system, employees are given a certain number of points every April, which they can use to select skill development programs. Employees are each given around 100 points (1 point is worth ¥1,000), according to their grade within the personnel system, and these can be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Employees also receive bonus points when they are promoted.
Points can be used for self-directed learning, outside training courses and career plan training, as well as training that an employee believes is necessary for their current job or to advance their career, such as courses at graduate school. Points cannot be used for mandatory training, manager training, management training or other designated or elective training, or editorial and other core competence training. The system is essentially designed to support independent learning by individual employees.
Around 60% of Benesse employees are women. Benesse also has a long history of promoting women to director and managerial posts, with roughly 40% of these positions now filled by women. In addition, around 23% of female employees are working mothers.
From the latter part of the 1970s, even before laws were passed in Japan to encourage equal opportunity in the workplace, Benesse realized that attracting female university graduates was crucial to securing the best personnel. There are no disparities between men and women in terms of advancement and promotion at Benesse. Furthermore, we have systems and policies centered on childcare support that enable a variety of working styles, regardless of gender, and help women to play an active role in the workplace at Benesse.
Benesse has long promoted the employment of the physically disabled. In April 2005, we established Benesse Business-mate, Inc., and in May 2005 we received approval from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to apply the handicapped employment rate system for five Group companies, including this special subsidiary—Benesse Corporation, Benesse Style Care Co., Ltd., Telemarketing Japan, Inc., Persons Inc., and Benesse Business-mate, Inc. As of April 2008, the ratio of workers with disabilities within the workforce was 2.37%, above the statutory rate of 1.8%. Moving forward, we will continue to promote the employment of workers with disabilities across the whole Group, not just at the five aforementioned companies.
Benesse currently employs five foreign nationals.
For employees independently seeking to develop their skills, we help them clarify their goals and offer systematic training in support of their efforts. The main training offered is as follows.
- (1) Business Framework Training
This is mandatory training for employees up to grade 3. Employees learn the basics of their jobs, including planning, marketing, logical thinking and accounting. -
(2) Core Competence Training
Training to equip employees with the necessary skills for a particular job; relevant employees receive training according to the level of their job, such as editor training (beginner and practical). Furthermore, given the increased provision of services and advertising using the internet, beginning in fiscal 2008 we have enhanced basic training for individuals responsible for internet activities. -
(3) Management Training
Mainly given to newly appointed section managers, this training teaches employees about goal setting and evaluation required for management, labor affairs, compliance and other subjects.
| *Click the table to see the details |
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| Benesse Business-mate held a party in 2008 to thank its employees and mark its third anniversary |
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