Diversity & Inclusion

Nihon Kohden has established Diversity as one of its Core Values and promotes diversity & inclusion to realize its Long-term Vision, BEACON 2030. We develop the new potential of our teams by leveraging diversity based on empathy and trust. We respect the individuality of each person and strive to create workplace environment where a diverse range of people can work with vigor and enthusiasm, regardless of gender, age, disability, nationality, race, other diverse attributes, values, or work styles.

There are no gender differences in the Company’s wage structure or system. However, there are differences between men and women in terms of job classifications and management ratios, resulting in differences in wages. In order to realize the Company’s goal of “an organization where each individual can maximize their potential and fully demonstrate his/her full potential,” we will work on measures to promote diversity & inclusion, such as increasing the ratio of female managers.

We formulated an action plan for 5 years from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026 and set a target of increasing the ratio of female managers to at least 12% and the ratio of male employees taking childcare leave to at least 30%.
With the new role-based (job-based) personnel system, we reviewed the role grades of managerial positions, primarily in the sales and service departments. As a result, the ratio of female managers in FY2023 was 8.1% in the parent company, which was a decrease of 0.5 points from the previous fiscal year. Female executives account for 14.3% of all executives, increased by 2.8 percentage points from the previous fiscal year (2 female outside directors and 2 female operating officers as of June 30, 2024).
To encourage male employees taking childcare leave, in addition to awareness raising activities by utilizing the Company Newsletter, we have formulated and distributed a guidebook for male employees to help them balance childcare and work. We have also conducted individual consultations regarding childcare leave. Moreover, partial wage support is provided for the first month after the start of childcare leave from FY2022 to alleviate financial concerns during childcare leave. As a result of these efforts, the ratio of male employees taking childcare leave in FY2023 was 51.4%, far exceeding the Company’s target. Additionally, we have introduced a spousal maternity leave system as our unique system to support male childcare, and the combined take-up rate of this system with childcare leave was 87.4%. We will continue to develop an environment where any employee who wishes to take childcare leave can do so, regardless of their workplace or job category.
By advancing the development of a workplace where women can play an active role and realizing a comfortable and fulfilling work environment for not just women but all employees of Nihon Kohden, we are implementing concrete measures to ensure that each employee can demonstrate their abilities to the fullest.

To achieve a 12% ratio of female managers, in FY2023, we continued to implement the Women’s Activity Promotion Program which started in FY2022. For female employees at the leadership level who are candidates for management positions, the program is designed to help think about their career development, including the option of management positions, by addressing time and physical factors related to childcare and other responsibilities and psychological factors related to job experiences and work environment. In FY2023, we expanded this program to include younger employees, aiming to help them balance work and personal life while developing their unique careers and leadership skills.
For both programs, the guidance was also provided to the supervisors of the participants to actively involve them in supporting the career development of their subordinate.

Since FY2015, Nihon Kohden has established a mentoring program covering mainly newly appointed managers and other female employees in mid-career. Mentors with extensive knowledge and industry experience help them resolve career development issues and support their personal growth. The program aims to help expand female employees’ horizons and strengthen their internal networks through dialogue with mentors, as well as develop their humanity, judgment, and leadership skills, and motivate them to set themselves more ambitious goals. The program has been expanded to include male employees since FY2021 to support the career development of a larger number of human resources.

In FY2021, we have established the Beacon Terrace, an employee exchange meeting led by female employees who volunteered to participate. By connecting employees across divisions, the Group aims to expand and improve their perspectives and strengthen their company network as well as co-create value in their respective work while fostering an organizational culture that encourages the active participation of diverse human resources.
In FY2023, we organized and held a total of four exchanges meetings, divided into two themes: “Products” and “Careers and Work Styles.” In the exchange meetings themed around “Products,” female employees from development, sales, and service roles shared their unique perspectives on product utilization and specifications, discussing potential new customer value the Company could offer. The meetings themed around “Career and Work Styles” provided opportunities for cross-functional understanding of various roles and for exchanging information on future career development within the same job categories.
In FY2024, we will continue to hold exchange meetings themed around “Products.” The exchange meetings themed around “Career” will be partially integrated into a career education program for all employees.

In October 2022, Nihon Kohden held a diversity promotion seminar for supervisors entitled Unconscious Bias Management. When a supervisor manages diverse members, it is important that each staff can play an active role and his/her team can realize the organizational growth. The seminar is held with the aim of learning about Unconscious Bias.
The seminar has been held three times for the managers of domestic sales branches and area services. For the first time, this fourth seminar was attended by 115 managers in each R&D department. Through a lecture and work on the impact of unconscious bias on people and organizations, participants were able to confront their own unconscious bias. It also provided an opportunity for managers who do not normally interact with each other to share their workplace situations.
We will continue to implement training programs to promote diversity & inclusion, aiming to realize a workplace environment where each and every employee can play an active role freely and vigorously without being constrained by unconscious bias or prejudice.

In November 2017, we held our first trial Management Seminar to Uncover the Talents of Female Employees. The seminar targeted managers with female employees who have recently joined the Company, and participants from the Kansai and Tohoku regions participated in this seminar through a video conference system. In promoting the activities of female employees, the development of managers who can conduct follow-up activities for female employees is also required.
The purpose of this seminar was to encourage managers to understand how to communicate with female employees and engage with them as superiors for building their career. There were many passionate voices that expressed the impressions of the seminar such as “The seminar is helpful as this is the first time for me to participate in training that aims to develop female employees” and “The seminar was a good opportunity to understand the female way of thinking and re-think methods of interacting with female employees.”
The Nihon Kohden Group will continue to deploy measures to promote diversity and aims to create a workplace where all employees can participate actively regardless of gender.

In January 2007, Nihon Kohden introduced a re-employment program to rehire applicants as senior employees or senior part-time employees after their retirement at the age of 60. In February 2019, the Company also introduced a program that allows re-employed staff to continue working as managers. This program is intended to provide them with more opportunities to utilize their experience and exercise their skills. Additionally, in April 2023, we extended the retirement age to 65 (raised by one year annually) and revised the reemployment system.

With the goal of improving productivity, revitalizing the workplace, and motivating individual employees, the Nihon Kohden Group introduced in 2016 a Senior Advisor Program that enables postretirement senior employees to pass on the rich experience and skills they have cultivated over the years to younger workers.

Nihon Kohden has held seminars aimed at promoting the employment and a greater understanding of persons with disabilities. Our aim is to facilitate the creation of a working environment in which each employee’s individuality is respected, disability or not, and where they can work enthusiastically and to the best of their abilities.

In January 2018, Nihon Kohden held a seminar for all executives and all managers in each department to support the employment of persons with disabilities. This seminar was intended to enable participants to acquire a basic knowledge about the characteristics of disabilities in order to create a workplace where all employees can work with peace of mind.
In February 2019, we also held a seminar for promoting the understanding of people with disabilities in preparation for welcoming them as co-workers.
Going forward, Nihon Kohden will continue to develop measures to create a workplace where everyone can enjoy doing rewarding work.

Nihon Kohden aims to realize locally-oriented management by appointing appropriate personnel, regardless of nationality, to managerial positions at its subsidiaries in each country and region where the Company operates. The Nihon Kohden Group actively promotes local staff to executive positions at each of its subsidiaries, including the presidents of Nihon Kohden OrangeMed LLC, in the U.S. that develops and produces treatment equipment, and Nihon Kohden America LLC, a sales subsidiary in the U.S. As of FY2023, the rate of overseas subsidiaries led by executives hired locally is 45.0%.
Additionally, we employ approximately 700 people at our development, production, and sales facilities in North America, and approximately 900 people at our other overseas development, production, and sales facilities, including approximately 350 in China and 150 in India, bringing the total number of local employees to about 1,600.