Calbee Fundamentally Revamps HR System for the First Time in Approximately 17 Years; New System to Promote Diverse Contributions and Growth to Be Introduced from April 2026

Calbee, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO: Shin Ehara) will introduce a new human resources system from April 2026 to strengthen an environment where diverse talent can thrive, encouraging employees' challenges and creativity, under its human resources vision of "All Employees Active." This fundamental system revision is the first in approximately 17 years since 2009.

【Background of the Revision】

The Calbee Group advocates "All Employees Active," meaning that "diverse talent leverages their strengths, contributes to the organization and society, and feels happiness and pride through their own growth," aiming for an organization where each employee can proactively demonstrate their abilities.

Meanwhile, customer needs are diversifying due to the maturity of the domestic market and population decline. To achieve the management strategies of strengthening profitability in domestic businesses, expanding into global markets, and cultivating new business areas, our HR system also needs further evolution.

The current system, introduced in 2009, has supported performance improvement through an emphasis on results, but it has also shown aspects where challenging and creativity are difficult to exercise, and issues related to a seniority-based compensation structure. Based on these challenges, we began considering a new system in April 2024. We conducted over 100 hearings at 20 locations nationwide, including headquarters, factories, and branches, and reconstructed the system by incorporating feedback from the field.
The new HR system adopts "Promoting diverse contributions and growth" as its basic policy and clarifies two desired talent profiles. One is talent that accumulates steady effort, ingenuity, and improvements, passing on value to the future. The other is talent that challenges new possibilities beyond existing frameworks and pioneers the future. By having such talent leverage their strengths, respect each other with a spirit of altruism, and collaborate, we aim to connect this to Calbee's sustainable growth.

【Key Revision Points】

● Integration of regular employees and indefinite-term employees into a single grade system

The grading systems for regular employees and indefinite-term employees (currently approximately 1,300 individuals) will be integrated. Grades will be based on expected roles, realizing treatment commensurate with roles and contributions.

● Compensation structure and level to be externally competitive

The ratio of basic salary will be increased by up to approximately 15% compared to the conventional system, contributing to employees' financial stability and strengthening recruitment competitiveness.

● Enhanced evaluation of results, teamwork, and process

Through three evaluation systems – "Achievement Evaluation," "Behavioral Evaluation," and "Contribution Evaluation" – daily actions, processes, and contributions will be carefully evaluated. By introducing "Multi-faceted Absolute Evaluation," which incorporates features of both relative and absolute evaluations, we aim to align evaluation standards and ensure fairness, in addition to defining individual development directions. Furthermore, we will newly introduce our unique "MAP Sheet," which visualizes the organization's purpose and key themes. This will enable each individual to recognize their role within the organization and deepen the meaning of their goals through dialogue with their supervisor, thereby creating a positive cycle of proactive behavior and growth.

－Comment from Noriko Ryugo, Head of HR Strategy Department, HR & General Affairs Division－

The essence of an HR system lies in its implementation. And the main driver of implementation is the field. To design a system with implementation in mind, we gathered feedback from the field and engaged in repeated dialogues at headquarters, factories, and branches nationwide from the initial stages of consideration. There were numerous course corrections, but I believe this was an indispensable process for enhancing the system's effectiveness and acceptance. Without overly seeking perfection or the 'right answer,' we will maintain a stance of 'making it better' and steadily promote the realization of 'All Employees Active' through continuous evolution of the system and its operation.

【About Calbee Group】

Since our founding in 1949, we have cherished nature's bounty, created deliciousness and enjoyment, and contributed to people's healthy lives. Under our unchanging corporate philosophy, we are working to solve various social issues with the aim of becoming a company that continues to challenge for over 100 years. The Calbee Group will create a new food future by embarking on a transformation for its next stage of growth. (https://www.calbee.co.jp)