What Diversity Means to Us

  • GENDER
  • GLOBAL

“I wish to reach my true and full potential.
My aim is to inspire others because everyone has an equal chance to face challenges”

Manager, Human Resources, General Administration & Sustainability, UNIQLO India

*Affiliations and positions are as of the time of the interview

Diversity and Inclusion in dynamic India, a market with great potential

There are more than 1.4 billion people living in India today. It is a great and giant market that continues to grow. As a dynamic country with richly diverse cultures, languages and religions, the active promotion of diversity and inclusion empowers every individual’s potential and contributes to rapid economic progress. In our country I believe UNIQLO will be one of the foremost companies spearheading the advancement of diversity and inclusion.

UNIQLO opened its first store in India in 2019and I was recruited about a year before to help kickstart our business from a project stage to until the official launch.

There is a particular expression in the Indian fashion industry which symbolizes superb quality of clothing: ‘UNIQLO STANDARD.’ It may also be used as a benchmark of quality in many production and quality management shopfloors. The expression illustrates the point that UNIQLO is regarded as a ‘high quality icon.’ I was impressed with the company’s achievements and that’s why I decided to join.

One of the decisive factors that convinced me was the positive assurance and encouragement from the executive team. When I asked about my career path and development potential during the job interview, the reply was straightforward and impressive: ‘Each and every member has an equal chance to reach the top including you, of course.’ Localization is our ultimate goal. For us this means developing local leaders to take the business forward and preparing them to become future global leaders.

Numbers of qualified applicants increased fivefold Widely acknowledged as ’The global company where you can aim for the top position’

Soon after joining UNIQLO I realized that what the executive team told me had substance. There are equal opportunities to achieve various high goals, and you are rewarded with a series of promotions when you produce better results. Results open many doors of greater opportunity to take on more challenging assignments. I had worked in other companies previously to advance my career, but such a positive culture at UNIQLO impressed me as the most refreshing and invigorating I had come across so far in my career.

Soon after joining the company, I was offered the big task of developing and managing human resources for India. As I was given far-reaching mandates which were much greater than those my counterparts had in other companies, I have been capable of creating and improving a leading workplace environment where there are absolutely NO ‘glass ceilings’.

There are no barriers in our company such as age, gender, race d or national origins that prevent or slow down career advancement. Just to illustrate the transparent nature of our development programs, we offer promotion opportunities to o employees in clear terms. For example, they describe potential positions in 6 months’ or 12 months’ time, in addition to new responsibilities and opportunities to strengthen their careers.

As India is one of the most promising markets in the world with fierce competition for talent, managerial candidates aspiring to become future corporate leaders are scrupulous and critical when considering options. To promote a greater understanding, we actively organize various interactive sessions, dialogues and events for graduates and manager candidates to describe our principles of equal opportunities in recruiting and career advancement. We give detailed presentations so they can familiarize themselves with the type of plans we can provide if they were to decide to join us. Their eager interest in our company is sometimes reflected in direct questions such as, ‘Will I be offered equal career opportunities like everyone else in the company even if I am locally recruited?’ Naturally, we always answer accurately and sincerely by providing useful information that includes the UNIQLO principles, values, human resource policies and examples we have so far accumulated within our 2 years in India.

Our highly transparent programs and culture of equal opportunity have become widely acknowledged by university students and aspiring candidates. The impact has been truly astounding. While UNIQLO INDIA operates 7 stores with approximately 300 employees, the numbers of fresh graduate applicants for this year alone exceeded 1,000 which is five times greater than just 2 years ago.

Most significantly, our open-minded tradition of paying the utmost respect to diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace has been highly and widely appreciated. Such acknowledgements are reflected in remarks by manager candidates, including ‘I can believe in the value and culture of this company, and that’s why I am willing to dedicate my full attention and hope to develop together with the business,’ and ’This is the global company where I can really aim for the top and I know the sky is the limit.’ The business community also appreciates our efforts and I was chosen as one of the top ‘100 HR (Human Resources) Leaders Under 40 in India’ in 2020.

Develop your career focusing on the future
The trustworthy company, growing with rich diversity

Thanks to the open-minded and fair human resources policies of our UNIQLO I am confident and capable of focusing on new and great challenges every day. I can engage effectively because of the exciting company culture, which enables me to grow well together in the future. We value paying respect to everyone and appreciating each other’s individual differences and personalities.

Our commitment naturally includes the goal of creating and constantly improving a workplace where female employees can maximize their full potential. Seventy per cent of our store managers and area managers in India are female, and this reflects an adaptable environment where employees can choose suitable working methods according to their life stage. These policies and practices are not limited to female employees.

Just like the UNIQLO principle of offering LifeWear apparel to people all over the world, there are all kinds of growth opportunities for everyone working at UNIQLO in India and in other countries and regions worldwide too. In fact, the mission of UNIQLO parent company Fast Retailing is ’To create truly great clothing with new and unique value, and to enable people all over the world to experience the joy, happiness and satisfaction of wearing such great clothes.’ In this light, UNIQLO strives each and every day to achieve this mission globally, and that’s why I have faith in this company