Well-Working in Action: SmartHR's Employment Initiatives for People with Disabilities
SmartHR's corporate mission is "Well-Working, Well-Being: Solving societal issues surrounding work and creating a society where everyone can choose how they contribute".
Our use of the word "everyone" naturally includes people with disabilities.
- Equity: Removing societal barriers
- Diversity: Welcoming people with diverse backgrounds and experiences into our organization
- Belonging: Enabling people to perform at their best and contribute, regardless of whether they have a disability
- Inclusion: Creating a workplace where everyone can work well together
These principles form the foundation of SmartHR's initiatives for employing people with disabilities.
Diverse Ops, SmartHR's In-House BPO Team Supporting Employment for People with Disabilities
At the center of SmartHR's initiatives is Diverse Ops, a unit launched in 2024.
Rather than assigning members to specific departments, Diverse Ops operates as a task-sharing BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) team that takes on work from departments across the company. Its role is not limited to routine administrative tasks: by taking on non-core work from other employees, the team contributes directly to improving productivity across SmartHR.
Demand from internal departments consistently exceeds the team's capacity. Even so, Diverse Ops has earned strong recognition for both the quality and speed of its work. In surveys of departments that request support from Diverse Ops, the combined share of "Very Satisfied" and "Satisfied" responses has reached 100%. The team has also maintained a 100% on-time delivery rate. As a result, Diverse Ops continues to play an increasingly visible role within the company.
Hiring Is Only the Starting Point
Only 26.8% of companies in Japan's information and communications industry meet the statutory employment rate for people with disabilities. Across companies in Tokyo, the figure is still 30.5% (Source: Tokyo Labour Bureau, as of 2024).
At SmartHR, we see meeting the statutory employment rate not as our final goal, but as a starting point. Our hiring target is to find talent who can contribute to our business as part of the BPO organization, and we particularly focus on culture fit.
Looking ahead, we plan to further develop the organization by transitioning to a specialized unit structure in 2027, with units tailored to the internal departments they collaborate with.
Providing Growth Opportunities
The 2022 amendment to the Act on Employment Promotion of Persons with Disabilities clarified employers' responsibility to improve the quality of employment.
At SmartHR, we apply our company-wide evaluation criteria and systems to the career development of members employed through this initiative. Members set goals connected to business contribution, participation in recruitment activities, and team building. They are evaluated based on SmartHR's values and behavioral assessment guidelines, known as HRT: Humility, Respect, and Trust.
These efforts have already led to tangible outcomes. As of the end of 2025, 3 out of approximately 25 members have transferred from Diverse Ops to two other departments. In 2026, 2 members were also promoted to full-time employee positions. These decisions were made in line with the business needs of the organization.
We have also introduced a task leader system, creating opportunities for members to take on leadership responsibilities. Through these systems, we aim to build an environment where people are not only employed, but are also able to contribute and grow.
Providing Accommodations Based on Each Person's Needs
SmartHR also has many employees with disabilities working outside the Diverse Ops unit.
We provide reasonable accommodations wherever possible, based on each person's needs. Through this, we aim to make SmartHR a workplace where everyone can choose how they contribute.
Employees and job applicants can request accommodations through a dedicated contact point within SmartHR's HR department. HR follows a defined process to discuss each request with the individual and relevant stakeholders, then considers what accommodations may be appropriate.
Note: Information regarding the contact desk for job applicants to request accommodations is shared individually during the selection process.
