Our approach

Based on the belief that people represent the core strength of our business operations and are indispensable assets, we are committed to developing innovative human resources who are highly motivated, take initiative in learning and growing continuously, and are capable of delivering new value.

Specific initiatives

• Providing various educational programs
• Utilizing a human resource evaluation system to evaluate results appropriately
• Utilizing human resource systems that make work more rewarding　etc.

Fundamental philosophy about human resources management

Our basic policy is to design the future through a thirst for learning—a process emphasizing discovery, rather than instruction. In order to cultivate human resources capable of understanding and adapting to priority issues in our human resources strategy, we are evolving our approach to development—from transmitting and teaching to encouraging discovery and proactive contributions.

Examples of Initiatives

Providing diverse training programs

We provide all employees with training opportunities allowing them to take up and put into practice Yakult’s founding spirit, Shirota-ism, thereby contributing to the continual dynamism of the Company and its improved performance. Specific examples include job-level-specific training, workplace training, and training on specific management issues (global engagement, innovation, diversity).

Using the personnel evaluation system for human resources development

Every year we implement training in personnel evaluation as part of a thorough effort to ensure the operation of a fair, impartial and highly reasonable personnel evaluation system. We revised this system in April 2022 in an effort to enhance the appropriateness of the evaluations, and in fiscal 2024, we continued to promote a deeper understanding of evaluation rules, such as through training not just for evaluators but also for those subject to evaluation.

Emphasis during training is particularly given to improving the skills of evaluators in goal setting at the beginning of the year, observation of behavior during the year, and feedback interviews at the end of the year so that personnel evaluation can be used to promote staff development.

Utilizing human resource systems that make work more rewarding

Based on the conviction that we must be a company that rewards hard work, we seek to operate a personnel system that is fair, impartial and satisfactory to all, with the aim of maximizing employees’ enthusiasm and motivation. Specifically, the Company classifies employees into different role groups (job levels) and career tracks (job types), according to how large a role they are expected to play and the nature of their work. Thus, we match the right person with the right job, helping employees to assume responsibilities according to their abilities and offering them a clear career vision. In addition, we are encouraging a greater sense of competition and willingness to take on new challenges through a more flexible system of personnel evaluation, bonuses, salary increases and other forms of compensation．