Diversity: Leveraging a Diverse Workforce
Promoting Greater Diversity and Inclusion
The NSK Group believes that employing people from diverse backgrounds—in gender, age, nationality, culture, lifestyle and values—will foster a work environment full of new perspectives and ways of thinking. This, in turn, will strengthen our competitiveness and capacity to avoid risks. Accordingly, we are working to build a corporate culture that embraces diversity and is inclusive of all people and the values they hold.
Diversity and Inclusion Roadmap
The NSK Group is working to promote diversity and inclusion in a three-phase initiative lasting from 2016 to 2026.
We are taking ongoing steps to promote women’s career development, which is an important management objective. At the same time, we will expand our initiatives in other areas, working also to empower non-Japanese employees and all those who identify as LGBTQ+. In this way, we are determined to advance diversity and inclusion from a broad perspective.
We also recognize that encouraging diverse employees to play an active role requires that we make progress in creating more flexible work arrangements. This is why we are moving forward with work-style reform in tandem with diversity and inclusion, recognizing that they are critical to one another. In this way, we will work to achieve a shift both mindset and behavior.

- Priority 1: Promote a better understanding of diversity and inclusion
- Priority 2: Promote career advancement for women
- Priority 3: Promote career advancement for non-Japanese employees
- Priority 4: Support work-life balance (parenting, caregiving, medical or infertility treatment; Facilitating Work-Life Balance (related page))
- Priority 5: Promoting Safe, Secure, and Comfortable Workplaces(related page)
◆Diversity Promotion System
NSK established a Diversity Development Team in 2006, which worked to create workplace environments that promote a balance between work and personal life for all employees. In 2016, the team was reorganized as the Diversity Promotion Office, strengthening the organizational framework for advancing diversity and inclusion.
With a mission to “support increase employee engagement in the workplace and corporate culture by helping each person to make the most of their abilities and individuality,” the office is developing measures with a focus on five priority areas to accelerate diversity promotion activities at NSK.
Promoting a Better Understanding of Diversity and Inclusion
The NSK Group is undertaking the following initiatives to become an organization in which every employee understands the need for diversity and inclusion, and respects and accepts diverse workplace members and their values.
《Main Initiatives》
- Communicating commitment from senior management (diversity training for executives, and sharing diversity messages from the president and other executives)
- Diversity seminars and training
- Diversity lectures
- Unconscious bias training
- Information sharing on internal diversity portal site and social media
- Training on LGBTQ+ issues
◆Promoting Career Advancement for Women
At NSK, promoting greater career opportunities for women is a management priority. By empowering more women to demonstrate their full abilities and play an active role, the aim is to further advance diversity and inclusion and strengthen the competitiveness of the company. For this reason, we are increasing the percentage of new hires who are women, while striving to create an environment where work and family can be balanced, supporting career development for women, and providing the opportunity to be active in a wide range of roles. We are also implementing initiatives to promote the active participation of women Group-wide. The aim is not only to expand the number of women in various roles, but also to increase the diversity of background and values among our managers.
With Japan's Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace now in effect, NSK investigated its current situation for the active participation of women, and analyzed the issues. We have created an action plan based on the results.
《Main Initiatives in Japan》
- Career advancement training for women (assistant manager/assistant manager candidate level)
- Internal talks by women in role model positions
- Facilitating interviews between junior women and senior women who can mentor them in their careers
- Workshops for women in the sales divisions: improvement activities and skill training, etc.
- Workshops for women in the technology division: social contribution activity (Riko-challe*)
* Riko-challe: An initiative led by the Gender Equality Bureau of Japan’s Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Japan Business Federation, to support career choices for female students who are interested in STEM fields

Career advancement training

Social contribution activity (Riko-challe*)
《Main Initiatives Outside Japan》
- Diversity event held at the European Management Conference
- NSK Americas Women’s Development Program

Diversity Event, held as part of the European Management Conference

Participants in NSK Americas Women’s Development Program
◆Leveraging Global Talent
The NSK Group continually hires and trains outstanding human resources to support the operations of the NSK Group worldwide, striving to assign the right person for each position. Key management positions in NSK’s global business operations have been identified as “global posts.” In consultation with the senior management and human resources departments in each global region, we determine the leadership competencies required for these positions. With these competencies as core requirements, we devise successor plans and systematically evaluate, promote, and compensate our global talent. This program includes the possibility of transfers between different regions of NSK’s business. We also provide a variety of human resource development programs for current and future leaders. Meanwhile, we are working to develop organizational infrastructure to ensure that we make the most of our global talent across national and regional boundaries, including establishing Group-wide guidelines designed to facilitate international personnel transfers.
◆Career Advancement for Non-Japanese Employees in Japan
As an important part of our Mid-Term Management Plan, we are working to foster an environment that allows non-Japanese employees to take an active role in advancing their own careers.
Specifically, we are working to develop career paths, create workplaces where non-Japanese members can perform of the best of their ability, and fostering mutual understanding and an inclusive organizational culture.
《Main Initiatives》
- Cross-cultural exchange and creation of a multinational employee community
- Cross-cultural communication training
- Creation and distribution of a guidebook for non-Japanese employees living in Japan
- Foreign language training support (Japanese, English), provision of language support tools
- Bilingual preparation of internal information
- In-house lectures and sharing information to create a more inclusive corporate culture

NSK’s tea ceremony club hosts an event introducing employees of all nationalities to Japanese culture
◆Supporting Hidden Diversity: LGBTQ+ (SOGI)
NSK has clarified the following principles regarding LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other) employees, and awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).
(1) We will eliminate discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation, while protecting the basic human rights of LGBTQ+ employees.
(2) We will increase the number of allies who understand SOGI and support LGBTQ+ employees.
(3) We will create workplaces and a corporate culture that allows everyone to play an active role regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Based on the principles, NSK has been promoting initiatives. In recognition of its activities, NSK has received the Gold PRIDE Index for four consecutive years.

*About the PRIDE Index
This is an indicator for evaluating the efforts of companies and other organizations toward LGBTQ. The five categories are Policy, Representation, Inspiration, Development, and Engagement/Empowerment. The awards are given in three overall levels: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
《Main Initiatives》
- Enlightenment activities:Employee seminars, lectures, and e-learning sessions
- Guidelines for respecting transgender individuals
- Family benefits expanded to include same-sex partners.
- Establishment of LGBTQ+ consultation services
- Training for LGBTQ+ consultation providers
- LGBTQ+ Ally community activities
- Distribution of LGBTQ+ Ally stickers and pins
- LGBTQ+ events for children
- Installation of "all-gender" restrooms
◆Utilizing the Talent and Experience of Senior Employees (Japan)
NSK recognizes that the knowledge and skills of experienced senior employees are beneficial in growing its business. Our basic policy is to provide work opportunities to employees willing to continue at NSK after retirement. We have had a rehiring program in place since April 2001. NSK is committed to ensuring that its human resources system meets the needs of all employees. We will work to build environments in which the knowledge and expertise of veteran employees can be fully utilized to support the sustainable growth of our business activities.
◆Providing Work Opportunities to People with Disabilities (Japan)
At NSK, we believe it is our responsibility to provide suitable employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities. With four sites in Japan, special subsidiary NSK Friendly Service Co., Ltd. provides opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to work and thrive in our organization. Going forward, some of these employees will also be assigned to other sites to further expand employment opportunities.

Employees of NSK Friendly Service at work