Personnel-Related Development
Personnel Systems
Toyota's personnel and labor systems are built on comprehensive human resources development and efforts to maximize the benefits of solid teamwork, based on the principles of mutual trust and responsibility embodying respect for other people. Toyota reviews its methods in conjunction with changes in the management environment, but the underlying approaches remain the same.
|
Year
|
Month
|
Systems and organizations
|
|---|---|---|
|
1937
|
September
|
First management organization instituted;
- Administration Division, Sales Division, Work Division, Engineering Division, Design Division, Inspection and Improvement Division, and Research and Development Division established at three business offices located in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya |
|
1938
|
August
|
Toyota Department Store established;
- Daily necessities for employees sold at the store |
|
October
|
Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. Health Insurance Society (now the Toyota Motor Health Insurance Society) established
|
|
|
November
|
Employment Regulations instituted
|
|
|
1939
|
|
Large-scale hiring of female plant workers commenced;
- Toyota Motor becomes a pioneer in the hiring of women in heavy industry (Records indicate that in 1943 there were 6,104 men and 1,519 women employed at the Koromo Plant (now the Honsha Plant) |
|
1941
|
|
Personnel Sub-Section established in a corner of the plant building (office in the plant) and use of plant personnel system in on-site management commenced
|
|
1943
|
December
|
Gihan Kohan and Koshi title system instituted
|
|
1945
|
October
|
Welfare Section established;
- Benefits programs focused on providing employees with daily commodities to enhance their personal autonomy |
|
December
|
Gojokai consumer co-operative established
|
|
|
1946
|
January
|
Toyota Motor Koromo Labor' Union (now Toyota Motor Workers' Union) established
|
|
April
|
First Executive Conference held
Age-based minimum wage system introduced; |
|
|
November
|
Benefits Division established;
- Benefits Division comprised of Benefits Section (responsible for company housing), Culture Section (responsible for cultural and physical education activities), and Welfare Section |
|
|
1947
|
April
|
Company's portion of health insurance premiums changed from one half to two thirds
|
|
May
|
Toyota Kindergarten opened and Toyota Branch of Minami; Elementary School established
|
|
|
June
|
Toyota Company Housing Association established
|
|
|
July
|
Management Research Committee formed
|
|
|
1948
|
July
|
Production allowances (productivity bonuses) introduced
|
|
October
|
Management Research Committee reorganized and Management Rationalization Committee, also dealing with matters related to the workers' union, established
|
|
|
1949
|
February
|
Employee and worker wages unified under daily wage and monthly wage system
|
|
July
|
Toyota Consumers' Co-operative Society established
|
|
|
July
|
Administrative assistant managers posted at all plant's shops
|
|
|
1950
|
April
|
Company reorganization plan presented to union; Labor strike starts in association with personnel adjustments;
- Strike resolved on June 1 (The main terms of the agreement were a voluntary reduction of 2,146 employees (from 8,140 to 5,994), and closure of the Kamata and Shibaura Plants); |
|
November
|
Transition made to performance-based wage system that takes into account completion rates and the number of regular personnel
|
|
|
1952
|
October
|
Home purchase loan program commenced
|
|
1953
|
|
Group leader system launched;
- group leader approved as a formal work organization system |
|
1954
|
November
|
Operations curtailed (five day working week system) in response to deflationary recession;
|
|
November
|
Team leaders system launched
- Team leaders approved as a formal leadership system |
|
|
|
Shift made from wage increases to promotion system
|
|
|
1955
|
November
|
Toyota Motor Sales Co. Ltd. posts first overseas representatives to S?o Paulo, Brazil
|
|
1956
|
July
|
Hiring of non-full time employees commenced
|
|
October
|
Managers become non-union employees
|
|
|
October
|
Qualification system for Shuji , Gishi , Shujiho, and Gishiho instituted
|
|
|
1959
|
May
|
Worker registration system (temporary workers selection system) implemented;
- 45 persons registered (hired) in initial phase; |
|
November
|
Management Council renamed Labor Management Council
|
|
|
1960
|
October
|
Supply of gasoline commenced
|
|
1961
|
October
|
Probationary employee system implemented
|
|
November
|
Direct hiring of former Self-Defense Force members commenced
|
|
|
1962
|
January
|
New vehicle brokering for employees commenced;
|
|
February
|
Joint Declaration of Labor and Management signed as the basis of labor-management relations founded on mutual trust between labor and management, and announced within and outside the company
|
|
|
April
|
Hiring of high school graduates commenced
|
|
|
September
|
Operation of two-shift system (day and night) commenced
|
|
|
1963
|
|
Trial hiring of fixed-term contract employees (seasonal workers) commenced
|
|
1964
|
September
|
Home purchase savings program established
|
|
1965
|
January
|
Employee registration system overhauled including renaming of temporary employees to probationary employees
|
|
1966
|
March
|
Personal Touch Campaign commenced
|
|
1967
|
June
|
Toyota Motor Co. Ltd. Pension Fund (now the Toyota Motor Pension Fund) established;
System for rehiring employees after retirement at age 55 instituted |
|
1969
|
April
|
Employee ranking system established;
- Adoption of system for all employees other than professional personnel at the assistant manager level and above and shop floor personnel at the team leader level and above to be referred to and treated as general employees, and for employees to set and work towards their own goals |
|
August
|
Self-assessment system introduced (professional personnel)
|
|
|
1972
|
February
|
Overseas travel system commenced for employees who retire at retirement age
|
|
August
|
First Toyota Seminar at Sea (conducted through 2008)
|
|
|
1973
|
April
|
System granting two full days off per week launched
|
|
May
|
Toyota Sports Center completed in Toyota city, Aichi Profecture, Japan
|
|
|
November
|
Mandatory retirement age system modified;
- Mandatory retirement age extended from 55 to 60 years old |
|
|
|
Multi-Ability Appraisal Program (MAP) introduced
|
|
|
1974
|
February
|
Labor agreement signed with labor unions
|
|
1976
|
January
|
Orphan scholarship program established
|
|
1978
|
January
|
Middle and Advanced Age Project launched
|
|
1980
|
July
|
Continued employment of personnel who reach 55 years old, mainly applying to assistant managers, commenced
|
|
1981
|
March
|
Hiring of foreign employees commenced
|
|
April
|
Toyota Family Fund established
|
|
|
June
|
Suitable Occupation Development Project Team established;
- develops jobs that older workers can perform at the manufacturing site; Rotation among different positions introduced (shop-floor staff positions) |
|
|
1982
|
July
|
Reorganization implemented and personnel management systems integrated in conjunction with the merger of Toyota Motor Co. Ltd. and Toyota Motor Sales Co. Ltd.
|
|
September
|
Toyota Motor Worker's Union and Toyota Motor Sales Co. Ltd. labor unions merge
|
|
|
1983
|
April
|
International human resources development system introduced
|
|
1985
|
April
|
Consultant Office on Child Education for Overseas Expatriates established
|
|
1986
|
April
|
Hiring of female shop-floor staff personnel commenced at Hirose Plant;
|
|
April
|
Administrative Reform Committee established and Challenge 50 Campaign launched
|
|
|
1987
|
November
|
Occupational qualification system introduced (proffesional positions);
- Ten qualifications including senior general manager, Sanji, and Jokyu Shidoshoku established |
|
1988
|
|
Authorization by Three Management Layers Campaign launched
|
|
1989
|
August
|
Vertical decision-making structures reduced and new personnel systems (review of qualifications and ranks) introduced (proffesional positions);
- Challenge Rotation and Internal Recruiting introduced |
|
October
|
Flex-time introduced for some positions (proffesional worksites)
|
|
|
|
Timecards eliminated
|
|
|
1990
|
March
|
Full scale flex-time system introduced (proffesional worksites)
|
|
April
|
New wage system introduced (proffesional and shop-floor staff positions)
|
|
|
April
|
New evaluation system introduced (proffesional and shop-floor staff positions)
|
|
|
1991
|
January
|
Three-team two-shift work system introduced (shop-floor staff worksites)
|
|
June
|
Specialized work discretionary labor system introduced (proffesional worksites)
|
|
|
|
Toyota Skill Development system introduced (shop-floor staffworksites)
|
|
|
|
Hiring of female shop-floor staffpersonnel expanded (shop-floor staffworksites)
|
|
|
|
Skilled Partner system introduced (shop-floor staff positions);
- Skilled Partner is the name for rehiring of employees who are older than 60 years of age as temporary employees |
|
|
1992
|
July
|
Intra Company Transferee (ICT) system introduced;
- employees at overseas affiliates are assigned to TMC for periods of six months to three years to learn the Toyota Way and specialized skills through on-the-job training |
|
1993
|
April
|
Wages system revised (proffesional positions)
|
|
June
|
Business Reform activities commenced;
- 20% of employees at proffesional worksites assigned to addressing new issues, with the remaining 80% continuing in their current positions |
|
|
1994
|
January
|
Mandatory retirement age for managers who are college graduates introduced (proffesional positions)
|
|
June
|
Contract employee system introduced (proffesional positions), flattening and generalization of teams and sub-sections commenced (shop-floor staff work sites)
|
|
|
1995
|
January
|
Mandatory retirement age for managers who are college graduates introduced (proffesional positions)
|
|
May
|
Continuous two-shift system introduced (shop-floor staff positions in plant divisions);
- two-shift (day and night) system was changed at plants for first time in 33 years |
|
|
August
|
Flattening and generalization of organizations commenced (proffesional work sites)
|
|
|
1996
|
January
|
Casual day introduced (proffesional positions)
|
|
April
|
U-time system introduced (proffesional positions)
|
|
|
July
|
Challenge Program introduced (proffesional positions)
|
|
|
July
|
Challenge Career Support system introduced
|
|
|
July
|
Self-improvement leave system introduced (proffesional positions);
- a system that allows senior grade 3 executives (formerly managers and nonunion members) who are promoted to spend one month engaged in personally planned self-improvement; Adopted in place of the former retiree travel program |
|
|
July
|
PRO21 Comprehensive Personnel Reform Program implemented (proffesional positions)
|
|
|
1997
|
January
|
Qualification and rank titles changed (chief expert CX, chief leader CL, etc.) (shop-floor staff positions)
|
|
January
|
Team leader position eliminated
|
|
|
June
|
Stock option system introduced
|
|
|
1999
|
January
|
Grand expert (GX) system introduced (shop-floor staff positions)
|
|
March
|
New personnel system for shop-floor staff positions introduced
|
|
|
April
|
Hiring of college graduate general employees terminated (proffesional positions)
|
|
|
April
|
Professional Human Resources Development Program introduced (proffesional positions))
|
|
|
October
|
Qualification system reorganized (proffesional and shop-floor staff positions)
|
|
|
October
|
New wage system introduced (proffesional positions)
|
|
|
November
|
J-Net system introduced;
- operations computerized with switch from paper form completion to PC use |
|
|
|
GLOBAL 21 implemented (proffesional positions)
|
|
|
2000
|
January
|
System for advancement from general positions to specialized positions introduced (proffesional positions)
|
|
2002
|
January
|
Toyota Institute founded with the primary task of spreading the Toyota Way 2001 globally; Toyota Institute organization also established internally
|
|
January
|
Diversity Project 2002 launched;
- Various programs conducted from women's perspectives including Balancing Work and Childcare, Women's Career Development, and Reforming Corporate Culture and Awareness |
|
|
October
|
Toyota Personnel Support Co., Ltd. established
|
|
|
2003
|
March
|
Worksite daycare centers established (three centers by 2006)
|
|
2004
|
April
|
Shop-floor staff position wage system reviewed (shop-floor staff positions)
|
|
October
|
Points-based retirement pay system introduced
|
|
|
2005
|
|
Work Skill Improvement Program commenced (proffesional positions)
|
|
2006
|
April
|
System instituted for rehiring of employees after mandatory retirement at age 60
|
|
2007
|
January
|
Team leader system introduced; Team Leader (TL) made into a formal position (shop-floor staff worksites)
|
|
April
|
Planning operations discretionary labor system introduced (proffesional positions)
|
|
|
July
|
Personnel organizations reformed to create less vertical decision-making structures (proffesional worksites);
- Shift made from flat organizations to small-group organizations, master development and clerical new employee systems introduced |
|
|
2008
|
April
|
Iki-Iki (work dynamically and vigorously) Action Program 2020 commenced (shop-floor staff positions)
|
|
May
|
Toyota Loops established to increase employment of people with disabilities,
- disabled persons appointed to carry out internal and external mailing operations, printing operations, etc. |
|
|
2009
|
January
|
GATEP (Global Assignment at TMC Positions) commenced;
|
|
April
|
Grand Master certification system launched
|
|
|
2010
|
April
|
Our Attitude booklet published and distributed
|
|
2011
|
October
|
TMC introduces study-abroad program for job-offer recipients
|
|
October
|
System of overtime work revised
|
