Mutual understanding and active communication promote more active roles by a diverse range of employees

~Aiming to create a work environment that allows all employees to be active and achieve their full potential~

Mar.03, 2021

Mutual understanding and active communication promote more active roles by a diverse range of employees

The AISIN Group strives to be a company where a diverse range of employees, regardless of nationality, gender, sexuality (LGBT) or disability status, can be respected as individuals, find fulfillment in their work and bring their unique professional skills and characteristics to the table.

In terms of the employment of people with disabilities, each company in the AISIN Group has been actively working to create a work environment in which every person can work with a sense of pride and fulfillment, with “normalization,” a concept that a normal workplace allows all people to perform the same tasks at the same workplaces, as an axis.

Cherish the feeling of taking action

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Mr. Kaneda, Production Dept.
  • Entered the company in 2019
  • Belongs to the Production Dept. for automatic transmission, one of the Aisin Group’s main products

Regarding his communication in the workplace, Mr. Kaneda says:
“I have a hearing problem. After I entered the company, I waited until somebody communicated with me. I did nothing on my own to communicate with others. Even when I noticed something or had trouble with work, I hesitated to convey it to somebody. One day, however, one of my colleagues communicated with me by using sign language. I was very happy to learn that he had learned sign language and approached me to talk. After that, I started to communicate with other members in the workplace from my side.” Mr. Kaneda says that his immediate superior is learning sign language.

Regarding active communication by other people in the workplace, he says that there is something he cares about. “When I make conversation with others by means of writing, I don’t want to make them wait. I organize what I want to say first and try to write a message clearly and concisely.”

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Writing communication tool

Mr. Kaneda is studying to obtain licenses for his career advancement. He plays an active role in the workplace and is greatly trusted by his superiors. For example, he contributed to the quality improvement of production lines by coming up with various ideas in working group meetings.

“Increased communication in the workplace has given me many opportunities to express my views and opinions. In developing measures for quality improvement, I can engage in active discussions using a writing communication tool to generate various ideas. Now, I’m working with high motivation,” Mr. Kaneda says.

Mutual understanding and active communication lead to more active roles by a diverse range of employees and increased morale in the workplace.

Creating a work environment that allows employees to promote mutual understanding and cooperation

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Mr. Murase, Aisin Well Smile Co., Ltd.

Regarding the promotion of career advancement of employees with disabilities, Mr. Murase from Aisin Well Smile Co., Ltd. (a special subsidiary company of the AISIN Group) said:

“I believe that it is my mission to create a work environment where every employee with a disability can play an active role as an indispensable part of the workplace. I’m always thinking about how to create a workplace in which people can work comfortably, by listening to employees with disabilities and other people about their anxieties and worries. To promote more active roles by employees with disabilities, it is important to create and have take root a workplace culture that promotes mutual understanding and cooperation between those with disabilities and other members, including their superiors, in the workplace.”

The AISIN Group has been implementing a wide variety of measures, mainly for superiors of employees with disabilities, to promote mutual understanding and active communication in the workplace.

  • Workshops to promote understanding about major characteristics of disabilities, with the participation of specialists
  • Presentation meetings about job training for employees with disabilities
  • Interviews with employees with disabilities to talk about what they want to be in the future and what kind of work they want to try
  • Active learning programs to understand how difficult it is for employees with different cultural backgrounds (Japanese culture and sign language culture) to communicate with each other
  • Sign language workshops, sign language posters put on walls in the workplace
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Workshop for career formation and to promote mutual understanding between employees with impaired hearing and their superiors

Other efforts include making facilities barrier-free, using height-adjustable desks, distributing writing communication tools, and introducing various types of equipment and tools, such as voice-to-text conversion applications.

The AISIN Group has established a corporate culture that enables all employees—regardless of whether or not they have disabilities—to have a career vision and pursue a career proactively. A wide variety of measures have been implemented to enhance employees’ understanding of disabilities and promote communication with employees with disabilities.

“The severity of the disability varies according to the individual, and required support also differs for each person. Listening to those with disabilities about their anxiety and worries, I want to make efforts to promote communication in the workplace and provide equipment and tools necessary for them to achieve their full potential, thereby realizing a work environment where each individual can show more individuality and strengths,” Mr. Murase says.

Aiming to create a workplace where every employee can play an active role

Enabling individual employees to demonstrate their individuality will enhance the vitality of the company, eventually leading to boosting its competitiveness. The AISIN Group will continue to promote diversity to realize a more comfortable and rewarding working environment for every employee.


Promoting diversity with "normalization" principle as a foundation

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