Stable product supply, unwavering quality assurance

Initiatives to improve customer satisfaction

We emphasize employee education through skills training and other initiatives, based on our belief that it is essential to provide higher-level proposals to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of customers. On top of that, we conduct group training for selected local staff from overseas subsidiaries and offices to boost customer satisfaction both in Japan and overseas.

Health and safety initiatives

We pursue health and safety initiatives designed to eliminate unsafe operations that could lead to serious accidents, striving for zero serious accidents at coil centers and other processing facilities.
This includes: (1) having managing supervisors perform worksite patrols to identify unsafe operations and frequent risk assessments through the steady implementation of hazard predictions, etc. by workers; (2) reviewing similar accidents and performing hands-on danger drills so that workers are more aware of unsafe operations and avoid them; (3) upgrading equipment for greater safety, such as installing safety sensors to reduce risk; and (4) raising employee awareness of compliance with rules through operational training (such as crane slinging) and reviews of work standards.
In addition, we have assigned safety managers at each Group company to promote these safety activities and are raising the level of health and safety activities at each company. Moreover, we have established a safety officer meeting at which safety officers share knowledge and information related to health and safety every other month to ensure that everyone across the JFE Shoji Group shares the same values.
Whenever an accident is serious enough to require time off work, the president of the Group company concerned reports it to top management so that the entire JFE Shoji Group can enhance safety management. There is also an annual safety commendation system to promote these activities. We use these activities to raise the level of Group-wide safety management and continually promote safe and secure working environments.

Discover illnesses early, and maintain and promote the health of employees and their families

Initiatives to support diverse workstyles

To achieve a good work-life balance, JFE Shoji is seeking to reduce working hours through initiatives such as having all employees leave at regular hours on Wednesdays, prohibiting work after 10 p.m., and establishing days to encourage the use of paid leave.

Starting in April 2016, we expanded the flextime system and changed the core time to between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. We also introduced a work-from-home system for employees with time restrictions, such as for childrearing and family care, and implemented “challenge days” for all employees regardless of restrictions to try out telecommuting and shared offices. Through these and other activities, we are enhancing our support for diverse working styles.

We are increasing the flexibility of our programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including expanding eligibility for working from home to include all employees and provisionally introducing a flextime system with no core time. Looking ahead to the post-COVID-19 age, we have also launched a project team to review potential new workstyles. We aim to boost efficiency and allow more flexible workstyles, including promoting paperless operations and determining what offices will suit the “new normal.”

J-SLIM operational reform activities

Promoting diversity

We hold diversity seminars for management and conduct diversity management training for managers, including managerial positions at Group companies. We also proactively support women’s careers, including through mentor programs and next-generation leadership training. In June 2021, we received the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “Eruboshi” certification in recognition of our initiatives to promote the participation and advancement of women in the workforce. In addition, we hold meetings for employees on childrearing leave to allow them to share information, and we conduct follow-up training after they return to their jobs so that they can continue to contribute at high levels after major life events.

For employees hired locally at overseas locations, we promote global human resources development and exchanges—including providing management training in Japan—with the aim of promoting them to managerial positions. In these and other ways, we have prepared an environment in which diverse human resources can play major roles.

Re-employment system

We are consciously creating an environment that motivates experienced employees sixty years old and above that allows flexible workstyles and is conducive to good health. We offer employees the choice of various workstyles according to their lifestyles, including full-time work, reduced number of working days and reduced working hours.

Training and measures to draw out the full potential of human resources

To expand our trading company business in Japan and overseas, we have prepared training so that employees with diverse backgrounds can flourish in their own location and situation. We conduct skills training to teach trading company employees the basic skills they need—including negotiating skills, financial skills and strategic thinking—as well as new-hire training for mid-career hires. We also seek to raise the expertise of our employees throughout the Group, offering training opportunities to a wide range of employees. This includes overseas training in which employees work at Group companies overseas as well as training in Japan at the Tokyo head office for outstanding employees hired overseas to boost their skills and motivation.

Global human resources development

In addition to hiring and training career-track employees of foreign nationality and local staff overseas, we are also enhancing human resource development through practical experiences by proactively sending young employees overseas. This is in addition to our existing overseas study and training program for Japanese employees.