Initiatives for Empowering a Diverse Range of Talent
Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Kewpie Group's Approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
At Kewpie Group, we position diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) as one of our key strategies for human capital management. We aim to achieve sustainable growth and social contribution by leveraging the diverse values and abilities of all our employees. Based on this policy, we value dialogue among employees and are working to create opportunities for them to understand and experience DE&I, to create environments that allow diverse employees to thrive, and to develop career and learning systems that enable them to feel a sense of growth. In order to maximize the value of human capital, we respect the individuality and desire for growth of each and every employee in the Group and are working to foster a corporate culture that allows them to maximize their abilities.
Fostering a corporate culture that creates new value
We will promote DE&I so that the diverse perspectives, abilities, and skills of each employee will create new value and lead to the growth of the entire group. We will strive to create a corporate culture that is psychologically safe and encourages employees to take on challenges in pursuit of their goals.
Initiatives for Empowering a Diverse Range of Talent
To diversify individual skills and experiences, we facilitate personnel exchanges within the group. We also actively recruit experienced professionals to bring in fresh perspectives from outside the company.
Conducting a survey
Every year, we conduct a diversity engagement survey to assess employee attitudes. The survey results are fed back to each company and organization and used to promote employee success and foster a better organizational culture.
Implementation of seminars and study sessions
We are accelerating the promotion of diversity through seminars and study sessions that group employees can participate in.
In fiscal year 2025, we conducted the Universal Manners Certification Level 3 course in Shibuya, Sengawa, and online, allowing a total of 225 employees to learn the mindset and actions necessary to interact with diverse people.
Diverse talent participates in important decision-making processes.
We are implementing "KEEP20," an initiative to stimulate discussion by ensuring that over 20% of the members participating in important meetings are diverse (in terms of age, gender, skills, and career), eliciting opinions from different perspectives than before. This provides traditional participants with new insights and diverse participants with learning opportunities to access management information and business decisions.
To enable each and every employee of the group to unleash their potential
Towards the advancement of female employees
In fiscal year 2025, the percentage of female managers was 19.9% for Kewpie alone and 20.5% for the entire group (including overseas). We aim for the percentage of female managers to reach 30% for both Kewpie alone and the entire group by fiscal year 2030. Women make up about half of Kewpie Group's workforce, and the active participation of women will become increasingly important in the future. We will promote the use of a generalist employment system that does not require relocation, and the conversion of regional employees to generalist positions, while also focusing on creating an environment where motivated and capable female employees are properly evaluated and can thrive.
| Key indicators for human resource success | FY2025 results |
FY2030 Target |
|---|---|---|
| Ratio of female managers (Kewpie only) |
19.9％ | 30％ |
Approach to employing people with disabilities
At Kewpie Group, we value the abilities and individuality of each person, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, and aim to create an environment where they can experience the joy and fulfillment of working.
Based on this philosophy, we do not apply group-wide policies to the employment of people with disabilities. Instead, Kewpie Corporation, including Kewpie Ai Co., Ltd. (a special subsidiary), employs people in their respective regions, thereby contributing to the creation of diverse employment opportunities in local communities.
Trends in the employment rate of people with disabilities (as of June 1, 2025)
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.72％ | 3.78％ | 3.66％ | 3.74％ | 3.47％ |
Initiatives within each group company
Kewpie Ai Co., Ltd. (a special subsidiary company) handles a wide range of tasks, including in-house logistics, cleaning, and the creation and distribution of promotional materials. The employment rate for people with disabilities is 3.06% ( Kewpie Ai Co., Ltd.: as of June 1, 2025).
Furthermore, we are actively involved not only in supporting the employment and retention of people with disabilities, but also in contributing to the local community and society. Specifically, we accept interns seeking employment for people with disabilities, dispatch instructors to teach universal design classes at elementary schools, and conduct exchanges and company tours with special needs classes.
Each company within the group actively employs people with disabilities, primarily in its factories, and the group-wide employment rate for people with disabilities is 3.47%.
Initiatives for human resource development
Approach to of human resource development
Kewpie Group has adopted a human resources policy that outlines its approach to talent development: "We will engage with each individual's way of life and make their pursuit of self-realization the driving force for their growth."
To support each individual in taking center stage, respecting each other's lifestyles, and striving for self-realization through their work, we are expanding various career support systems, specialized training, and self-development programs, as outlined below.
1. Self-Career Dock
2. Career Self-Declaration Scheme and In-House Recruiting System
3. Expanding autonomous learning (skills training, self-development support)
To further deepen career dialogue between superiors and subordinates and support the growth of each employee, we introduced the "Self-Career Dock" program in fiscal year 2024. We have established a system where all employees are required to take this course at least once every five years, which is considered a significant milestone in their careers.
This initiative combines "career training" with "career consulting interviews" conducted by external professionals holding national qualifications. It provides employees with an opportunity to deeply consider the career path they should aim for, and is raising awareness throughout the company that employees should proactively shape their own future.
Furthermore, we have established systems to steadily bring to life the "ideal future" envisioned by our employees. Through our "Career Self-Declaration System," employees can directly communicate their aspirations and career goals to the company, enabling them to forge their own career paths.
Furthermore, we have significantly expanded opportunities for "autonomous learning" to realize these career paths. In addition to "skills training" that allows employees to systematically learn the skills necessary according to their roles, we continue to expand our "self-development support" content to encourage individual self-realization. As a result of regularly improving the usability of these learning platforms, the amount of time spent learning per employee has increased significantly.
Moving forward, we will continue to strive to create an organization where diverse talent can perform at their best, maintain high levels of engagement, and continue to grow, in line with our talent policy.
- Role-Specific New Employee Training: Training for core staff (newly appointed core staff) and new employees (new employees in spring and autumn).
- Self-Career Dock: Career training tailored to individuals in their 20s to 50s + career consultation interviews (e.g., Career 28, Career 53).
- Skills Training: Skills training is provided for each position (from general staff to department heads), along with foundational skills development and learning materials for core staff.
- Self-development support: We provide business knowledge support for general needs and language learning support for language learning needs.
- Other options include: learning through videos, workshops/short seminars, and other general training.
- Specialized training: "Monodukuri Gakko", prepared food school, and other specialized training (implemented according to work and challenges).
+Career Self-Declaration System: A system that allows employees to share their desired areas of specialization with the company.
Kewpie Group's Training System Diagram
Reward system
Kewpie Group has established various award systems, including the President's Award, with the aim of supporting employees in actively taking on challenges and learning, and encouraging them to make suggestions for the future of the company.
President's Award
This system recognizes achievements and social contributions made through the group's technology and the ingenuity of each individual. The aim is to create a Kewpie Group culture through the President's Award.
Invention Award
We recognize employees who have acquired patents that have made a significant contribution to the company or that contribute to society.
Paper Award
This involves employees offering suggestions for the company's future based on their observations of societal changes and the challenges they face on a daily basis.
This program, which has a long tradition of over 50 years, also aims at self-improvement through the writing of academic papers.
Qualification reward system
As part of fostering a culture of proactive learning and supporting each individual's career, we have established a qualification reward system. By supporting employees' learning and communicating the qualifications that the company particularly emphasizes and recommends, we aim for mutual growth between employees and the company.
Initiatives for new challenges
Kewpie Group actively pursues new challenges by promoting research and development across a wide range of products, from mayonnaise and dressings to eggs and vegetables, and by establishing systems to foster innovation. We will create new value through group collaboration, leveraging external resources, and meet the expectations of our stakeholders.
Kewpie Startup Program
To realize the ideas of each employee and create new businesses, we have established an internal application system called the "Kewpie Startup Program." Participants in the program can build a network with mentors across departments, leading to skill development and career advancement.
- STEP 1 Mindset Development ~ Application: From November to January of the following year, participants will enhance their customer profile and awareness through seminars and consultations, and then apply for "Kewpie Start Up!".
Business Plan Selection Steps
- STEP 2 First Selection (Document Review): In early January, judges will review the submitted documents to select the plans that will advance to the next stage.
- Refinement and identification of customer issues: From February to April, we will improve the clarity of the customer issues with advice from consultants.
- STEP 3 Second Selection Round (Oral Presentation): In early May, participants will present their business plans to the judges, and the plans that advance to the next step will be selected.
- Refinement and Solution Verification: From late May to September, we will test hypotheses to increase the accuracy of the solutions and formulate hypotheses for commercialization.
- STEP 4 Final Review (Oral Presentation): In mid-September, present the plan to senior management and obtain their approval to consider commercialization.
- STEP 5: Proof of Business Feasibility and Deliberation: Starting in October, the owner and members will proceed with preparations for launching the business, and deliberations will be held at the appropriate time.
Ideas originating from the "Kewpie Startup Program"
| Business Model | Actions |
|---|---|
| Supplements containing acetic acid bacteria enzymes | This is the first product to be submitted under the business model application system. It's a supplement containing enzymes derived from acetic acid bacteria (alcohol-degrading enzymes and aldehyde-degrading enzymes), achieved through the world's first mass production using Kewpie Group's unique brewing technology. *Product name: YOITOKI One |
| A functional food containing Gluconacetobacter hansenii GK-1 | A supplement containing Gluconacetobacter hansenii GK-1 and GABA. Gluconacetobacter hansenii GK-1 have been reported to have two functions: "reducing nasal discomfort caused by pollen, dust, and house dust" and "maintaining immune function." This is the first supplement in Japan to be approved as a functional food with these two functions. *Product name: Diare Plus |
| GABA Potato Salad | "Body-Conscious Menu" is the first series of delicatessen foods foods in delicatessen foods industry to be labeled as functional foods. This salad contains GABA, which has been reported to have the function of lowering blood pressure in people with elevated blood pressure, and is labeled "For people with elevated blood pressure," making it a salad for people who are concerned about high blood pressure, as well as health-conscious individuals. |
| We operate a multi-purpose facility in Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture, based on the concept of "A farm that makes people excited about vegetables, makes them fall in love with them, and nurtures everyone's smiles." |
Products born from the "Kewpie Startup Program"
Fukaya Terrace Vegetable Friends' Farm: Harvesting Experience
Initiatives for flexible work arrangements
Work style approach
At Kewpie Group, we actively support individual growth and success by providing flexible work arrangements that allow employees to continue working in accordance with their various life stages and circumstances, and to utilize their abilities in the most optimal way.
Initiatives regarding flexible working arrangements
We offer a flexible work environment that allows employees to pursue productivity while flexibly choosing their work style according to their individual roles and job characteristics, without being bound by time or location. This includes a flextime system with no core hours, telecommuting, and the use of satellite offices.
We offer flexible working hours to employees working reduced hours, creating an environment that makes it easier to balance work and childcare.
Initiatives to support childbirth and childcare
We regularly send company information to employees on childcare leave through our childcare support website. Furthermore, before their return to work, employees have meetings with their supervisors to discuss their work style and career development upon their return, and to convey the supervisors' expectations for their success.
We support supervisors by providing them with online content to learn about various company policies regarding employees returning from childcare, as well as essential management knowledge such as unconscious bias, so that they can effectively support employees returning to work.
Furthermore, we are promoting the use of childcare leave among male employees by individually informing male employees and their supervisors about taking childcare leave when a child is born, and the rate of male employees taking childcare leave in fiscal year 2025 reached 102.4%.
Parental leave guide
Parental leave utilization status
Female employees
- Number of employees who have taken childcare leave this year
(Survey subjects: Kewpie Corporation only)
Male employee
- Number of leave takers: the number of employees who took leave before their children turned two
- Ratio of leave takers: the ratio of employees who took leave the year their children were born
(Survey subjects: Kewpie Corporation only)
Care support initiatives
We are committed to creating an environment that makes it easier to balance work and caregiving, even when time constraints are imposed. We support flexible working arrangements tailored to individual circumstances by utilizing caregiving leave and vacation systems, reduced working hours, flexible working hours without core hours, and telecommuting.
Furthermore, in 2025, we distributed a "Caregiving Handbook" and "Work-Life Balance Seminar Videos" to all employees, and established an internal consultation service. We are creating an environment where employees can continue working with peace of mind.