By implementing a human resource strategy that faces each employee on an individual basis, we aim to realize the Total Healthcare Strategy.
Executive Officer in Charge of Human Resource Management, Administration, and Risk Management &
CHRO
SUGI Holdings Co., Ltd.
Shigeki Mori
Based on the belief that “employees are our most important assets,” the SUGI Pharmacy Group promotes a
human resource strategy closely integrated with its management strategy. By placing central importance on
“improving the job satisfaction of each employee” and “drawing out the strengths of each employee to
achieve organizational goals,” we aim to remain a company that is valued by society over the long term. As
a result of implementing a human resource strategy that fosters employee job satisfaction, growth, and
well-being—including personnel system and work style reforms—the employee turnover rate has been reduced
by half compared to 2018, while employee engagement has been steadily improving year after year.
Building on these achievements, we are now launching a new human resource strategy for our new medium-term
management plan.
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Transforming into a group of specialists who support local communities through a job- and skill-based personnel system
The driving force behind the SUGI Pharmacy Group’s continued growth is its “human resources”—each and every employee. To ensure employees hone their skills in their respective positions and become specialists who contribute to local communities, we will transition to the SUGI Pharmacy job- and skill-based personnel system. This system enables career advancement by enhancing both the core skills required of all employees—such as critical thinking and teamwork—and the specialized skills required for each position. With this system as our foundation, we will align our educational programs and career paths along a skill-based axis. By directly reflecting proficiency and performance in evaluation and compensation, we will foster autonomous employee growth and channel it into vitality for the entire organization. In April 2026, we also launched a new personnel system for partner employees. In addition to skill-based promotions identical to those for full-time employees, we have introduced a new grading system equivalent to full-time status to satisfy the ambitions of employees who wish to gain experience across various store locations and test their capabilities. For those who achieve results while taking on transfers within a certain range, we have established a compensation and bonus system at high levels comparable to those of full-time employees. At the same time, to support employees through changes in their life stages, we are expanding opportunities for changes in employment status and promotion to full-time employee positions more broadly than ever before while enhancing educational frameworks that support these challenges. By carefully nurturing diverse work styles, we will cultivate a corporate culture in which all employees can experience personal growth and truly feel that “working at SUGI was the right choice.” -
Human resource development to support individual skill enhancement and autonomous career growth
In our human resource development initiatives, we promote two complementary approaches, “training to acquire knowledge and skills” and “job rotation to gain experience,” so that each employee can hone their skills and advance their careers. For on-the-job training, grounded in our founding philosophy of “kindness,” we will further deepen the development of pharmacists and registered pharmaceutical distributors who contribute to local communities as “pharmaceutical professionals,” thereby enhancing their quality as specialists. For next-generation leaders, in addition to external dispatches that provide opportunities to learn alongside employees from other companies, we plan to launch an “in-house corporate university” this fiscal year to help participants sharpen specialized skills in areas such as finance and human resources. At the same time, we aim to improve operational efficiency and service quality through digital transformation (DX) literacy education for all employees.
In addition to these educational frameworks, we will link our “free agent (FA) program,” which allows managers to leverage their skills and market themselves to other departments, with our “in-house job posting system,” which enables employees to apply proactively for open positions of interest. Through these initiatives, we will cultivate self-directed employees who can shape their own career paths, rather than relying solely on company-driven transfers. -
Recruitment strategy for job-ready talent centered on internal promotion
To secure human resources, we are strengthening the recruitment of individuals who possess both a shared resonance with our corporate philosophy and high-level expertise. In new graduate recruitment, we have set a target to achieve a 30% hiring ratio of our own student partners. Linked with our partner personnel system, we will implement initial salary increases for those who have obtained registered pharmaceutical distributor qualification or achieved a specific grade level or higher. In addition, we will launch a new internship program called “SUGI College.” This practical program allows students to develop business proposals from a frontline perspective and present them directly to the management team. By offering an opportunity to experience the true essence of corporate management, we seek to secure autonomous, highly capable talents at an early stage. In mid-career hiring, we will focus intensively on securing highly specialized experts in areas such as DX, corporate planning. finance, and legal affairs, thereby enhancing the overall expertise of our organization. -
Developing an open corporate culture
The number of consultation calls received through the Workplace Concerns Consultation Hotline has continued to increase steadily. This suggests that the hotline is helping to enhance psychological safety across the organization. In FY2026, the relevant departments will continue to work together to address all concerns raised in a sincere and responsible manner. Since FY2021, we have also continued our initiative of “conducting tours of all stores by all officers,” gathering more than 4,000 pieces of feedback during this fiscal year. Employee feedback is reviewed by the Board of Directors, which considers specific actions to address the issues raised. We are committed to providing a response to employees in all cases, including whether implementation of the proposed measures is feasible. By ensuring that the voices from frontline employees are consistently communicated to management, we are working to foster an open corporate culture. -
Promotion of healthy and safe management
To date, we have promoted thorough health management through the use of the health management system “Carely” and through close collaboration between the Safety and Health Committee and occupational health physicians. As a result of focusing on work style reforms and the expansion of welfare benefits, we have been consecutively certified as an Outstanding Organization of KENKO Investment for Health. Going forward, we will accelerate the creation of an environment in which employees can thrive in optimal physical and mental health by strengthening initiatives such as the introduction of online medical consultations, the improvement of health literacy specific to women, and the promotion of mental health. Through these measures, we aim to obtain “White 500” certification while further enhancing the quality of health management across the entire Group. -
Promotion of diversity management
To ensure that all individuals can maximize their strengths regardless of time constraints, we have promoted work style reforms, such as reducing meetings and documentation and establishing work schedule guidelines. We have also revised our personnel system, including extending the eligibility for reduced work hours for childcare until children reach ninth graders. As a result, overtime hours have been reduced by half, and the percentage of female managers has increased to 15%. Going forward, we will develop a dedicated succession planning program for female employees and aim to increase the percentage of female managers to 30% by FY2029.