Go to the text of this page

Human Resources Development

Basic Concept

We develop human resources based on the belief that the personal growth of JAL Group employees will contribute to the growth of the organization and in turn the sustainable growth of the JAL Group.
We have defined qualities expected of all JAL Group employees and will strive to improve employee engagement (understand and empathize with the company vision, the intention and attitude to think, act and contribute autonomously to its achievement), and increase the number of employees with diverse knowledge and experience.
To achieve this, we will actively invest in human resource development by expanding internal and external education and training programs and providing opportunities to become autonomous employees.

Internal Initiatives

JAL Group Basic Education and Training Program

The JAL Group focusing in nurturing leaders and professionals in safety and service areas, it has established a common basic education and training program in FY2012 and has conducted education and training based on this program.In addition to grade-based training, it has expanded cross-organizational programs such as management skills enhancement training to polish business management skills and invitational challenge training.

JAL Philosophy Workshops

JAL Philosophy is the Group shared mindset, values and attitude expected of all persons engaged in JAL products and services.
To deepen our understanding of the JAL Philosophy and put it in to practice, we conduct JAL Philosophy Workshops three times a year for everyone engaged in JAL products and services. The JAL Philosophy Workshops is a place where employees from various divisions can communicate in cross-section and to build mutual understanding.

Facilitators create the teaching materials of the workshop and are selected from various divisions, such as Cockpit Crew, Cabin Attendants, Engineering & Maintenance, Airports and Sales. Workshops are also conducted in oversea stations using Japanese or English teaching materials.
Since 2011, JAL Philosophy Presentation Meeting is held once a year to further deepen our understanding and to reach self-growth. The JAL Philosophy Presentation Meeting will continue as a venue to share examples of how to apply the philosophies including failures and concerns and to seriously focus on putting it into practice.

We will conduct initiatives that promote wider application of the JAL Philosophy as we aim to realize the Corporate Policy that states that we will “deliver unparalleled service to our customers” and “contribute to the betterment of society.”

JAL Philosophy Workshop at Haneda
The JAL Philosophy Presentation Meeting
The JAL Philosophy Presentation Meeting

Grade-based Training

The JAL Group conducts training for all new JAL Group staff in spring and autumn, new managerial staff, and Area managers as a venue to acquire knowledge and deeply understand the role required in each Grade. In addition to this, each group companies conduct training to following each career path.

Career-Training

To promote active participation of each employees irrespective of age,the JAL Group conduct Career-Training for employees of all ages. Employees are asked to look back on their career and to build their future career.

Workplace Improvement Program (Advance)

With the aim of developing future candidates for management positions, we provide training for employees who have been employed for four years to learn problem-solving techniques and logical thinking. After the training, they work on improving workplace operations for six months. The results are then presented at a presentation session to share the results of work improvements at each workplace.

  • This training has resulted in a profitable business for all sectors in our company, including sales, airports, cargo and maintenance.
  • By completing the improvement measures planned by the participants in fiscal 2022, the estimated medium- to long-term profit effect in the business is as high as approx. 4.35 billion yen.
  • Participants in this training are 0.33% of all employees.
  • In fiscal 2022, there were 125 employees in their 4th year of employment, and 120 participants. Percentage of eligible employees participating was 96%.

Training for polishing Business management skills

We provide opportunities to learn business skills such as logical thinking, problem-solving, and time management, which are necessary for business execution.
In addition to general business skills, we also focus on airline business training and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training specific to the airline industry.

Activity-based Training

JAL Group aim to draw initiatives from every employee by conducting Activity-based training. For example, through Communication Leader Meeting (CLM), rather than merely providing suggestions, each member works in the center of the vortex to consider measures and lead example to solve workplace problems and to common issues within the JAL Group.

Group-management Training

JAL Group provide a common program for all Group companies in which candidates for leadership roles can receive training and opportunities to enhance their abilities mutually and beyond the boundaries of companies. Furthermore, we specify the positions recognized as important for our business and management as “Group Management Posts” and have adopted a system for assigning highly motivated employees with strong potential to these positions regardless of which Group company they have worked for.

The JAL Group Next Leaders’ Training

The JAL Group Next Leaders' Training is held annually for management candidates selected from JAL Group companies (operations, cargo, sales, reservations, maintenance, ground handling and other areas). They learn about expected roles as a manager of the JAL Group, management strategy of the JAL Group, marketing, finance and accounting, 3C (customers, competitors and company) and PEST (political, economic, social and technological) analysis methods, and based on these, seven teams of six people each will spend approximately six months formulating a business transformation plan that will lead to an increase in the JAL Group's corporate value and business profits. They then present each team's proposal. The training will be held twice a year.

  • The profit from the business transformation plan of the 14 teams in this training is about 1,085 million yen next 5 years, which is expected to be hugely profitable.
  • As a result of holding this training every year, employee satisfaction in the human resources development in their 40s has improved from 3.54 in FY19 survey to 3.65 in FY21 survey (maximum 5.0).
  • Participants in this training are 0.23% of all employees.
  • The proportion of 84 participants selected from the 5,000 main target age groups for this training is 1.68%.

Training Period and Cost per Person

The JAL Group has a variety of initiatives to motivate its employees.

This table can be scrolled horizontally.
FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 Unit
Training Period per Person 70.8 72.3 277.1 162.3 259.4 Hours/Person
Training Cost per Person 470,698 449,480 109,321 84,469 138,651 Yen/Person

Performance Appraisal

At our company, we encourage each employee to look back on the process and results they achieved in the past year toward their own objectives, and use this as an opportunity for self-development. In addition, we conduct performance appraisal with the aim of providing guidance to subordinates and developing human resources such as skill development.
Specifically, we conduct performance appraisal using PFO (Performance for Objectives), in which the results of individual objectives and the actions taken to achieve them are linked to the "key elements of human resources expected by the company".
Individual objectives are set at the beginning of the fiscal year based on the objectives of the organization to which the employee belongs, through dialogue with their boss. After half a year, an interim review will be conducted with the boss to review the progress of individual objectives. At the end of the fiscal year, a "Human Resources Review Meeting" is held to conduct a multidimensional peformance appraisal by multiple departments. After that, each employee will confirm the process (practice status) and results of objectives achievement together with the boss, and share the strengths and learning points with the boss. Strengths and learning points are indicated in line with the "key elements of human resources expected by the company" used in the performance appraisal. Education and training menus are prepared according to each element, and employees can choose the menu after receiving the strengths and learning points.
By having agile conversations with their boss, receiving follow-up on goals and feedback on results, the company leads the performance appraisal to employee development.
The company also introduces 360-degree feedback to manegement level from fiscal year 2023.

Employee Engagement

The JAL Group positions employee engagement as one of the key elements of our human resources strategy.
The company conducts a company-wide organization revitalization survey (job satisfaction survey), extracting questions that lead to engagement, such as career and remuneration, evaluative and eudemonic measures, positive and negative affects such as motivation, satisfaction or feel of load in work, and indexing the percentage of employees who give favorable answers to those questions.
The JAL Group aims to realize a virtuous cycle, by increasing engagement, leading to higher productivity, and appropriately investing the obtained results to employees, which leads to further increase of engagement.

This table can be scrolled horizontally.
FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 Unit
Employee Engagement 54.4 54.4 51.7 51.7 %
Ratio of employees who
responded to the survey
81.2 81.2 70.6 70.6 %

External Initiatives

University Education

The JAL Group is also focusing on education to transmit knowledge and experience cultivated in the aviation business to university students, who will become the next generation of leaders. Through education, we aim to deepen understanding of the aviation industry, develop human resources for the tourism industry and contribute to vitalizing regional economies and local industries.
At universities, we give lectures on the airline business to study its history, features and latest business models and lectures on hospitality management to learn the meaning of hospitality while sharing JAL's approaches to hospitality. We conduct activities to pass on both theory and embodied experience and knowledge cultivated over time through practice on the frontline. In addition to lectures, we offer problem-solving classes in collaboration with universities. Specifically, we share problems arising in the aviation industry, seek solutions through the students’ flexible thinking and the ability to take on challenges, hold group discussions to come to a good conclusion, and thereby improve teamwork. These activities not only foster the next generation, but also broaden their career options. The JAL Group will continue to contribute to fostering the next generation through university education initiatives.

Promotion of Overseas Human Resources

To meet the growing demand for air travel, the JAL Group is actively working on human resources development overseas. Starting with Myanmar in 2018, we have started arrangements for partnerships with vocational training schools in Fiji and Nepal. We aim to train overseas airline personnel by providing education on the airline business and JAL Group’s operating system and business through remote lessons, e-learning, and instructors sent to the local schools.
The active participation of overseas human resources in the aviation industry will lead to diversity and new business ideas.The JAL Group will continue to focus on human resources development overseas to realize a society where diverse human resources can play an active role in society.

To Page top