Basic Policy

In order to achieve Mission TREEING 2030 and realize sustainable management, Sumitomo Forestry has established human resource strategies based on three pillars: "Securing and developing human resources who will transform and create businesses," "A system to maximize employee performance and a free and open corporate culture," and "Promotion of health management." In addition, as the basic policy for human resource development, we have set forth to "nurture employees who learn by themselves, think about the essence of things, and take action on their own," and "goal of creating a workplace culture in which employees can work open minded and energetic." By supporting growth of employees with high morale and pride, and by fostering an open minded and energetic culture, we aim to realize our corporate philosophy.

Promotion System

Sumitomo Forestry Business (SBC) Institute, Personnel Department is in charge of planning and promoting human resource development initiatives throughout the entire company. It assigns personnel in charge of human resource development to each division and Group company, conducts training to acquire knowledge and skills required by each business, and plans human resource development measures.

Sumitomo Forestry Business Institute, Personnel Department

This institute makes efforts to serve Sumitomo Forestry employees ranging from new recruits to middle management and management level employees, with a goal of 1.comprehend and develop the corporate philosophy based on Sumitomo's Business Spirit, 2. master universal business and management skills, 3. nurture global human assets, 4. train management, and 5. create a workplace culture that allows employees to work energetically and vigorously.”

We are also promoting group management by 6. foster a sense of unity between all Group employees and developing human resources.

Human Resources Development Department, Housing Division

Employees of the Housing Division conducts practical education around the axes of the customer perspective and professionalism for employees who belong to the Housing and Construction Division (sales, design, interiors, production, general affairs, and head office staff).

This department also supports training at each company by working closely with each Group company managed by the Housing Division.

Group company and each department

Education to teach the necessary skills in each field and training to develop professionalism are conducted at each Group company and in each department.

Human Resource Development System at Sumitomo Forestry Business (SBC) Institute, Personnel Department

Under a theme of "nurture employees who learn by themselves, think about the essence of things, and take action on their own," and "goal of creating a workplace culture in which employees can work open minded and energetic.", Sumitomo Forestry Business Institute of the Personnel Department has increased training programs to not only include " hierarchical " and "selective" training, but also more "self-development" training, to develop employees' ability while valuing the autonomy of each individual for the purpose of nurturing employees who take the initiative to learn, think and act independently.

1. Teach the corporate philosophy based on Sumitomo's Business Spirit

We hold Shikoku forestry training in which all of our new graduates and mid-career hires who join the company visit the ruins of the old Besshi copper mine and Company-owned forests to learn about the Sumitomo Group history and business spirit. In fiscal 2023, 527 employees of whom 268 and 259 belong to the parent company and Group companies, respectively, took the class.

In addition, the Sumitomo Forestry Business Institute e-learning hosts a program on the history and corporate philosophy of Sumitomo Forestry taken by each Sumitomo Group employee every year.

2. Acquisitions of business knowledge and management skills

We support employees' learning by respecting their autonomy at Sumitomo Forestry Business Institute of the Personnel Department. In addition to 200 courses, including e-learning, correspondence courses, and dispatch to external training programs for the purpose of acquiring business skills and knowledge, we offer online video learning courses from approximately 9,500 courses (all external courses). Moreover, we have established a system to subsidize 50,000 yen for external training courses not designated by the company. In fiscal 2022, a total of 926 employees participated in such training, and 1,847 employees participated in fiscal 2023.

In hierarchical training program, new general managers are given training to learn their attitudes and roles and to develop a broader perspective. In fiscal 2023, 13 new supervisors participated. We have conducted evaluator training for 60 employees in fiscal 2023 in order to firmly establish and utilize the evaluation system. In addition, as part of the multifaceted assessment to develop managers' management skills, a multifaceted evaluation feedback work was offered for 60 first-time evaluates in fiscal 2023, to assist them accurately grasp and practice the evaluation results. We also conduct aptitude assessments for employees who wish to assume management positions to clarify their own strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics, thereby determining the direction of necessary skill development. In fiscal 2023, this program was conducted for 83 participants.

Furthermore, all of our 62 general managers from the Housing Division attended the housing general managers workshop co-hosted by Sumitomo Forestry Business Institute of the Personnel Department and Human Resources Development Department. General managers are to improve their management skills by engaging in discussions about setting visions and formulating strategies at each branch and their readiness as a person responsible for a branch with other general managers and the corporate management team.

3. Nurture global human resources

Sumitomo Forestry strives to nurture human resources to entrust with business operations as business expands overseas. Therefore, we conduct an overseas human resource development program where employees who were in charge of overseas-related businesses for many years, including those who have been posted overseas, provide 1-on-1 guidance to employees who would like to work abroad with extraordinary business performance. This guidance includes learning English and Indonesian. The curriculum is an original program adapted to the skill level and work content of each employee taking the course, and encourages the study of bookkeeping and accounting. In addition, we have been implementing a program dealing with international affairs in general since fiscal 2022.

Anyone who has acquired the minimum knowledge (languages including English, and accounting-related knowledge) required to handle overseas-related businesses in anticipation of a future overseas assignment or has achieved that level through self-development complete from the program. Since fiscal 2018, a total of 100 employees have graduated, with 36 of those trainees participating in fiscal 2023. (118 employees are working abroad as of December 1, 2023, including those preparing to leave for their post)

4. Nurture management human resources

Sumitomo Forestry conducts selective training for employees who are at least 35 years old. In fiscal 2022, 56 employees participated in 15 programs, and in fiscal 2023, 53 employees participated in 11 programs, focusing on management leader development training and middle reform-oriented training.

5. The realization of an open minded and energetic work environment

Since fiscal 2021, Housing Division has been implementing the "three-star Project" with the goal of creating a workplace culture in which employees can work open minded and energetic.

Aim of the three-star Project is to create a branch that is as dynamic as a three-star store, highly regarded by customers, and deeply rooted in local community. By fiscal 2022, 122 young employees from 10 branches had participated in the project, and in fiscal 2023, 233 employees from 22 branches participated. During workshops of six month, we discussed what each branch should be and what we should do to realize it, and examined specific measures. The knowledge obtained from the training was immediately applied to their work. In the future, we plan to expand the project gradually to a total of 62 branches.

In addition, since fiscal 2021, we have been conducting psychological safety training for General Manager and new general managers of Housing Division in order to create an open workplace where free and open discussion can take place. In fiscal 2023, 174 employees participated.

6. Foster a sense of unity between all Group employees and develop Human Resources

We are aiming to build a sense of unity throughout the Group and raise awareness of working members of society by offering training for new employees in a program that is common to all Group companies. In fiscal 2023, the content of the programs was standardized and conducted online training at each company, while connecting Group companies online for some programs, with 458 employees taking part.

In addition, we also conduct self-development seminars to learn about changes in the world in a timely manner. In fiscal 2023, we held an online seminar by a well-known lecturer in the field of DX, and 139 employees participated. In fiscal 2023, a total of 256 employees from 12 domestic Group companies participated in this program.

Moreover, the e-learning system has also been deployed as a learning tool shared by Group employees, allowing employees of Group companies in Japan to share and learn from 164 courses on topics such as Sumitomo Forestry's history, business spirit and corporate philosophy, as well as acquiring business skills and knowledge.

Sumitomo Forestry Business Institute Training System, Personnel Department (FY2023)

*1The period of data collection for fiscal 2020 is from April to December 2020 (nine months due to the change in the accounting period)

*2Figures in the parenthesis are reference data collected from January to December 2020

*3Expenditure on training for fiscal 2023 (Non-consolidated) is 611 million yen

Support for Obtaining Qualifications and Attending External Education

Sumitomo Forestry promotes independent efforts for capacity building and career development. For instance, the Company's Regulations for Assistance in Obtaining Qualifications and Attending External Education include provisions for assistance when an employee seeks to obtain qualifications or use an external educational institution.

With regard to obtaining qualifications needed for managing operations and qualifications recommended for capacity building, the regulations prescribe assistance limits for each of the 138 qualifications. In fiscal 2023, 1,067 employees took advantage of the program.

In particular, a lump-sum payment up to 500,000 yen is provided to the employee who passes the examination for first-class registered architects, and 26 employees satisfied the criteria in fiscal 2023. 24 employees obtained second-class architect licenses under the guidance of the Human Resource Development Department in fiscal 2023.

Introduction of in-house qualification system in Sumitomo Forestry Home Tech

Sumitomo Forestry Home Tech introduced an in-house qualification system, the "Structural Diagnosis Master" in fiscal 2021 and "Seismic Diagnosis Master" in fiscal 2022. The goal of the internal qualification system is to improve employees' motivation for self-improvement while also improving legal compliance and quality control. In fiscal 2023, the third and fourth tests of the structural diagnosis master and the second test of seismic diagnosis master were conducted. 655 employees took the exam and 360 passed. A total of 587 employees (72% of eligible employees) have acquired in-house qualifications.

Initiatives in the Human Resources Development Department, Housing Division

The Human Resources Development Department engaged in training and a variety of other initiatives in accordance with the training and education policies. Among the trainees, junior employees aim to become independent by the end of their third year in education that concentrates on making trainees think. OJT strengthens the coordination with trainers and incorporates methods for flipped learning as a means to strengthen OJT. The training aims to provide faster mastery of the content as a place to find more practical follow up.

We have begun insourcing video materials to broadcast before training for the purpose of an effective flipped classroom before regular training. There are interactive features in the 360-degree videos, such as information hotspots, quizzes, and knowledge verification modules, where clicking on information pulls up text and other information, contributing to student engagement and retention. In addition, Sumitomo Forestry is furthering links to a Learning Management System (LMS) to manage the learning progress of each employee while also driving future human resources strategies, human resource management and other initiatives in anticipation of the medium to long term by advancing the understanding of skills and accumulating employee data.

Flipped Classroom Using Videos

Beginning in 2022, Sumitomo Forestry is using the headquarters studio to create video materials for training for employees joining the company. From April 2023, we support on-the-job training at branches by establishing "Jinkai e-Learning," an environment that enables employees to learn business operations from the time they join the company. In conjunction with this initiative, we aim to establish a dual-axis training program for new graduates and mid-career hires by rooting a regular face-to-face training program for mid-career hires that began in 2022.

Example of LMS in Use

Flow of Flipped Learning

To ensure the OJT for junior and mid-level employees reaches its full potential, we are nurturing management skills, product knowledge, and human assets development capabilities of current and future managers to support and guide on efficient work styles.

Training Using Tablets

Sumitomo Forestry has adopted a paperless system as a training material for employees in their first year who have a particularly high number of training opportunities during the education period and is providing tablets during the training. By using this system, employees can revise and save things, such as notes on important matters in the electronic text during the training session. Trainees can even review and use learning materials anywhere by using these tablets even after the training ends. In addition, the provision of tablets to employees from the time they join the company also contributes to the improvement of IT literacy among younger employees. We will continue to strive to realize an educational ICT environment to further develop the qualities and abilities of each employee.

Hybrid Face-to-Face and Web-Based Training

We have conducted training mostly online due to the impact of the COVID-19 since 2020. Online training saves the student traveling and enables highly productive lectures. Unlike traditional training, there are additional training management alternatives available, such as multiple days of brief training sessions, which greatly contributes to the structure of the training curriculum. We have established a hybrid training management approach that combines small scale face-to-face training and online training, in addition to the usage of online training, since there are some lectures where face-to-face training has a greater training effect.

Hybrid training that combines smaller scale face-to-face training and online training

Training Using VR and AI

We've been working on VR videos for a while now, and they've been proven to be quite effective. In addition to on-site training, trainees quickly learn the knowledge necessary for construction by experiencing various virtual environments without exterior influences, and deepen their understanding of operational processes through hands-on experiences as though they are training on an actual site. We hope to expand the highly productive VR training to the entire group and boost the cost-effectiveness of training operations by bringing the training materials in-house.

In addition, we are currently conducting sales talk analysis for housing salespeople, with the goal of efficiently and effectively strengthening customer service skills by using AI to objectively analyze the content of business talks with customers. More customer service assessments will be conducted in the future, leading to the development of Sumitomo Forestry's conversation model and the improvement of individual skills.

Initiatives in Sumitomo Forestry Home Tech

Needs-Based Sales Training

Sumitomo Forestry Home Tech, has two businesses; “Owner Business,” managing renovation and maintenance of Sumitomo Forestry's custom-built wooden detached homes and “Customer Business,” renovation of non-Sumitomo Forestry houses. From 2021, we have implemented “Needs-Based Sales Training” for up to the fifth year of new-graduate-employees who are in sales and design up. While the average age of owners who order renovation is around sixty years old after their life stage change, the targets of this training are in their early twenty's and finding common topics for a small talk is already a challenge. The training was to cultivate “problems” or “something missing” and provide solutions for the home owners; then to propose a plan that addresses the potential needs of customers. The training is comprised of three sessions: awareness change, behavior change, and result change, and is conducted in a role-playing format. Role-playing format and the “awareness change” step lead to better communication in cultivating the unnoticed problems of the home owners. As a result, their sense of accomplishment increased with such comment as “the home owner now recognizes me as a family consultant” or “I now enjoy sales as I am not selling goods, but solutions for the family.” The sales for owner business per personnel improved as well.

As a result of the training, the motivation of sales and design up personnel has increased, and the number of proposals that led to actual contracts in routine work has increased. Improved motivation has led to an increase in the employee retention rate. Furthermore, a positive cycle has been created in which sales increase further due to increased self-confidence by increased unit price of orders.
Orders for "Owners Business" (Sumitomo Forestry homes) are mainly operated by young employees, who are the target of this training. In December FY2023, as compared with December FY2021 in which the training was started, number of low-price orders received by periodic maintenance was decreased, but number of high-price orders received which led to solution of each problem by the proposal was increased by 45%. Needs-Based Sales training, which stimulates owners' potential demand and leads to better sales results, is proven effective in providing added value to customers and motivating young employees, which leads to lower turnover ratio as well.

In fiscal year 2023, 301 employees in the company participated in this training.

Promotion of Certifications Acquisition

Sumitomo Forestry encourages and supports employees to acquire certifications necessary for its business operations and promotes skilling up to secure sufficient certified personnel. Qualified workforce would lead to higher business performance and to improved customer satisfaction. For instance, in the Housing Division, sales personnel are encouraged to acquire the certifications of Real Estate Transaction Specialist and the Level 2 Financial Planner to enable them to provide consulting sales in financial and legal aspects. The average number of orders received by sales personnel in their second and third years with certifications is almost twice as much as by those without.

In fiscal year 2023, 276 employees in the Housing Division participated in these certification acquisition support programs.

The latest results of this support are as follows.　

*No support for obtaining qualifications in fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2023.

Sumitomo Forestry focuses on training to develop its design capabilities. The Company seeks to develop its "Design Skills", "Presentation Skills" and "Customer Service Skills" by having all design personnel evaluate drawings in advance to detect and reinforce the Company'’ design trends and challenges, resulting in a strong design group that can compete with other companies. In the future, we will also collaborate with interior designers to strengthen their "Presentation Skills", "Customer Service Skills", and "Total Coordination Proposals", and are considering and planning to develop a team that includes interior designers. We're also considering training engineers who can handle medium- to large-scale projects.

Handing Down the Techniques Used in Building Wooden Houses

Sumitomo Forestry recognizes that in order to preserve the way of building houses that makes best use of the traditional Japanese wooden post-and-beam construction method, it is important to pass on these skills and techniques to the next generation of workers.

The Sumitomo Forestry School of Professional Building Techniques is an in-house educational institution certified by the governor of Chiba Prefecture, and was founded by the Company in 1988 as a corporate boarding school for vocational training. Implementation of a one-year training curriculum, the school provides training for new employees at Sumitomo Forestry Home Engineering Co., Ltd. who aspire for a job in carpentry. In terms of construction-related subjects, students study classroom-based subjects such as an introduction to building, structure, drawing, methods of construction, materials and supervision, as well as practical subjects, such as tool operation and maintenance, the traditional technique of marking timber with sumi ink and a carpenter's square, processing, safety work, model-based practical training, demonstration-based practical training and computing with the goal of acquiring a 2nd class carpenter license upon completion. On completion of their training, graduates are assigned to places all around Japan, and after a few years, they return to the school to undertake seven to ten days of training in Japanese rooms and in a preparatory course for acquiring the 1st class carpenter license as a certified specialist.

In fiscal 2023, the school had another 97 new enrollments.