Seven & i Group believes that human resources are the wellspring for enhancing corporate value and that human resources capable of thinking and acting for themselves are essential for further growth. The Group constantly places importance on human resources, such as the training and education of employees, on the basis of our Corporate Creed of “Trust and Sincerity,” which was our founding philosophy, and the Group companies conduct human resources development to match their respective business characteristics.

In 2020, Seven & i Holdings split the educational function from the Personnel Planning Department and newly established an independent body, the Human Resources Development Department, to promote skill development and human resource development in the Group. We are making efforts to improve the human resource development setup to support the skill development and autonomous learning of individual employees, the standard bearers of value creation.

Based on the Medium-Term Management Plan announced in July 2021, Seven & i Group aims to build an organization in which both companies and employees can grow together and to build workplaces that are pleasant for everyone. We are undertaking initiatives to improve job satisfaction through means including enabling each and every one of our employees to develop their capabilities and supporting for autonomous learning, as well as initiatives to create workplaces where employees can feel truly comfortable working through workstyle reforms, improving productivity, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

As part of these efforts, we opened the Ito Training Center, an educational base of the Group to develop the next generation of human resources in 2012. The training center is equipped with an archive room, where employees can learn about the essence of the Group's founding philosophy of “Trust and Sincerity” and its history of challenge and innovation, with 22 training rooms of various sizes and accommodation rooms tailored for use in training camps also available for use at the center, by means of which we accommodate various forms of training. The center also provides a positive learning environment for employees, with training rooms established for the acquisition of specialized skills in store operations, sales, cooking, and other areas, aligned to the business characteristics of each Group company, with a total of approximately 480,000 employees having used the Ito Training Center to date.

Seven & i Group companies have established a training system based on business characteristics, including various level-specific training programs for managers to improve their leadership and management skills, as well as job-specific skill and technical training and self-development training, in an effort to develop the skills and career development of each individual, including part-time employees. We are also working to develop the skills and career development of each individual, including part-timers. The Group's per capita training cost for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, is approximately 120,000 yen and 40 hours* of training per person.

Seven & i Holdings holds Group Philosophy Training at the Ito Training Center. In 2023, approximately 300 employees from Seven & i Holdings and some Group companies as well as new employees participated in the Training.

The Seven & i Group provides regular opportunities to reflect on their careers toward the realization of each and every employee’s individual aspiration. This includes offering a variety of training programs by respective Group company according to the characteristics of its business. We additionally promote support for proactive career development by employees themselves through self-assessment mechanisms and interviews with superiors and others.

Seven & i Holdings conducts an annual program to develop next-generation management leaders. Selected executives from each group company participate in this program, learning management theory and practice from renowned lecturers and engaging in discussions. The program was launched in 2012, and by the end of February 2024, approximately 300 employees had participated. Seven & i Holdings is also promoting the introduction of 360-degree feedback at each Group company. The program is regularly implemented in order to obtain multi-rater feedback from superiors, colleagues, and members on the actions of management personnel, to understand their own strengths and challenges, and to promote behavioral change and open communication.

The Seven & i Group is promoting a global growth strategy rooted in our 7-Eleven business under a vision, or Ideal Group Image for 2030, to take on the challenge of increasing the value of our brand on a global scale.

To realize this, we are enhancing and expediting various measures to develop global human resources and to formulate and operate a human resources portfolio. For example, we offer short-term study abroad programs in addition to having maintained the “Seven English Training” English language training program since 2021.　Further, respective Group companies have put arrangements in place for measures to support growth such as in-house training and self-development support programs, to actively promote the development of global human resources.

Seven-Eleven Japan holds a “new employee training” program for new hires at stores, and a “shift leader training” program aimed at nurturing the “shift leaders” who will serve as models for franchise store employees. Those who undergo shift leader training are presented with a certificate of completion and a business card holder. Through the training, Seven-Eleven Japan lends support to the franchise store owner’s work to teach their employees, while also improving both work satisfaction for many employees and the level of customer service in the stores.

Ito-Yokado holds new employee training for all employees, including part-time employees, to teach company policies, retail fundamentals, and skills and knowledge required for work. Furthermore, training leading to on-the-job training at stores is continuously held to provide basic knowledge of products handled by affiliated section and to improve skills related to customer service and fresh food preparation. In this way, the company assists employees in upgrading their skills. Additionally, training is held for everyone from new recruits to sales floor staff, sales floor managers, division managers, and store managers, to provide knowledge of sales floor management and management skills in stages and in line with their respective positions. Advance training is also implemented to encourage employees to keep on learning and to improve their skills in preparation for their next positions.

York-Benimru uses target setting charts to assess the individual employee’s current skills and abilities as well as skills to be acquired and training targets between individual employees and their managers. The target setting charts include detailed items necessary for job performance, such as customer service, sales area management, ordering, and food preparation techniques, with the skills and abilities of the employee assessed on a six-step scale from 0 to 5. In the “skills version” for staff members and part-time employees, items are determined for each division depending on duties, job characteristics, and products handled for each analysis item. There is also a “management version” for store managers, assistant store managers, customer service managers and section managers that is intended to help raise and standardize management abilities. Based on the chart, employees confirm their skill levels with their supervisors and twice a year share the progress they have made with their supervisors and establish the next set of goals. This enables them to check their own growth, helping to boost motivation.

Akachan Honpo's headquarters training department holds an 　“Online Store Induction Training” for newly hired part-timers. After joining the company, they take a class involving three hours of video materials, which is followed by an hour and a half of online supplementary training and review of the video content. This is an opportunity for all new hires to learn about company policies and the basics of the business. Furthermore, on-the-job training is conducted in stores based on the training plan, and basic knowledge is established over a period of three months.

Akachan Honpo also holds a “3-month follow-up sharing meeting” to resolve any concerns they may have after joining the company, thereby providing a support system that enables them to continue working for a long time after joining the company.

To provide opportunities for employees to engage in independent study, Seven & i Group subsidizes fees, and so on for those employees who are taking correspondence courses and e-learning related to business skills, knowledge, etc.

Ito-Yokado proposes 306 correspondence courses to all employees, including part-time employees, and subsidizes part of the tuition fees of employees completing a course. In the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, 366 employees took correspondence courses.

Seven Bank supports "self-directed learning" by providing an environment for employees to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their jobs, including correspondence courses (English, financial knowledge, etc.), online courses (business knowledge, IT/DX), and commuter courses (MBA, etc.). The number of courses is approximately 240, and many employees are taking them.

Seven & i Group implements the “Career Challenge System (Inter-Group Open Recruitment System” to facilitate employees in taking on challenges across Group company boundaries, with each of these companies also having adopted internal open-recruitment systems. These systems have as their aim supporting each and every Group employee to develop their diverse careers. In the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, 712 employees took on the challenge to avail of these systems, with 206* of these subsequently transferring to jobs of their choice.

Group companies have also instituted internal recruitment systems. For example, at Ito-Yokado, employees who have worked at the company for at least one year can become candidates for managerial positions and jobs regardless of business experience or seniority. In the fiscal year ended February 29, 2024, 156 people applied through this system and 15 people were appointed to their preferred positions or jobs.