Diversity
Basic Approach
Starting as an electronics business, Sony has continued to evolve and expand into diverse fields including semiconductors, music, pictures and games. Today, many of our major businesses are headquartered in the United States and operate through globally optimized organizational structures. Supporting these businesses are our diverse employees, one of Sony’s most important management resources and the foundation for creative innovation.
Our approximately 100,000 employees around the world represent a wide range of nationalities, ethnicities and professions, reflecting the breadth of our businesses, and they are the driving force behind the growth of each business. We believe that innovation is created when these diverse employees are empowered to fully express their individuality and when their unique perspectives and ways of thinking are harnessed as a source of organizational strength. To achieve this, we must not only enhance diversity, but also continue to harness the differing views of our employees. Specifically, we are focusing on initiatives centered on three areas for growth: “Diversity of People,” “Diversity of Experience” and “Leadership and Corporate Culture that Embraces Diverse Perspectives.” The group works together to strengthen our corporate culture of embracing different ways of thinking by building an environment where employees of varied backgrounds can thrive and providing opportunities to gain new experiences that transcend both corporate and national boundaries, while also developing leaders capable of leveraging the individuality of our employees.
Metrics / Results
-
Achieve a percentage of 30% or more both for women and for persons of non-Japanese origin*1 among its executives*2 at Sony Group Corporation in Japan by FY2030.
Results: Percentage of women: 25%; percentage of non-Japanese origin: 43% (as of the end of June 2026) -
Meet Sony Group Corporation and domestic group-wide targets for the percentages of women in management positions*3 and men taking childcare leave*4
Targets: 25% of women in management positions; 100% utilization rate for men taking childcare leave (as of the end of March 2031, Sony Group Corporation)
Results: 20.5% of women in management positions; 84% utilization rate for men taking childcare leave (as of the end of March 2026, Sony Group Corporation)
For targets and results at major subsidiaries, please see Securities Report (in Japanese) for Fiscal Year ended on March 31, 2026. -
Continuously monitor the percentage of Sony Group Corporation Senior Executives and Corporate Executive Officers with overseas assignment experience
Results: 75% (as of March 31, 2026) - Employee engagement survey results at Sony Group Corporation (FY2025): engagement index score*5, 71 points; opportunities for growth score*6, 69 points.
- *1Individuals of non-Japanese nationality or who were born outside Japan.
- *2Directors, Senior Executives including Corporate Executive Officers, and other officers.
- *3The percentage of women in management positions in the total number of managers is stated (rounded at the second decimal place and shown to one decimal place).
- *4The percentage of the total number of male employees who, among male employees who were employed as of the end of the relevant fiscal year and whose spouses gave birth during the relevant fiscal year (excluding employees seconded to the company), took childcare leave, etc. during the same fiscal year and the number who used leave programs for the purpose of childcare is stated (figures below one decimal place are rounded down).
- *5A score calculated by converting responses on a 5-point scale to the question indicating employee engagement into a scale where a rating of 5 equals 100 points, 4 equals 75 points, 3 equals 50 points, 2 equals 25 points and 1 equals 0 points.
- *6A score calculated by converting responses on a 5-point scale to the question “Do you have ample opportunities for learning and growth?” into a scale where a rating of 5 equals 100 points, 4 equals 75 points, 3 equals 50 points, 2 equals 25 points and 1 equals 0 points.
Organizational Structure
Material issues related to human capital are addressed under the oversight of key executives and business leaders through deliberations and reporting to the Sony Group Corporation Board of Directors, as well as HR-related meetings with the management teams of group companies. At the same time, the HR departments of Sony Group Corporation and Group companies are building a consistent group-wide framework while promoting autonomous management tailored to each business and region.
Fiscal 2025 Main Initiatives
- Continued to expand operations of SONY STEAM GIRLS EXPERIENCE (founded in 2024), aimed at young women studying science and engineering in Japan. In fiscal year 2025, Scholarships were awarded to 10 people, with opportunities provided for interaction with engineers and to learn about leading technologies.
- Participants from locations around the world, including Japan, the USA, Europe, China and Asia-Pacific, took part in Sony University, our program for fostering the next generation of leaders, across business boundaries.
- The “Leadership that inspires people” session was held by company executives for group employees and viewed online by over 12,000 employees*7 group-wide. EQ*8 leadership was introduced as a part of the mandatory curriculum in training for new managers at major group companies in Japan.
- *7Sony implemented a partial spin-off of its Financial Services business in October 2025. Although the scope of this report excludes the financial business, the cumulative data presented here includes employees from the financial business.
- *8Emotional Intelligence Quotient: The ability to understand one’s own and others’ emotions and act accordingly.
Diversity of People
As we work to improve our abilities to respond to both complex social issues and the market environment in order to achieve sustainable value creation, we promote the recruitment of human resources who are diverse in terms of nationality, disability, gender, age, occupation and expertise, while also working to build an organization that enables each of these individuals to demonstrate their fullest capabilities. With respect to the diversity of employees, approximately half of Sony Group employees are engaged in business operations outside Japan and more than 90% of such employees are locally hired.
This diversity is also prioritized in management, so we have adopted the goal of increasing the percentage of women and persons of non-Japanese origin among Sony Group Corporation executives to more than 30% each by FY2030. As of the end of June 2026, women and persons of non-Japanese origin accounted for 25% and 43%, respectively.
Attracting Diverse Talent
We conduct strategic recruitment activities at group companies around the world to acquire various talent who are ambitious and want to grow. We provide fair employment opportunities regardless of nationality or background, depending on business and local needs, and promote the hiring of people with outside experience and new perspectives while also providing career development opportunities that do not differentiate between new graduates and mid-career hires. Furthermore, recognizing gender diversity challenges in science and engineering in Japan, we are also promoting initiatives beyond the company to help broaden the future talent pool.
Case Studies
Sony Group Corporation conducts the SONY STEAM GIRLS EXPERIENCE with the aim of broadening the pool of women pursuing science and engineering, and reducing stereotypes and biases that may affect their future career choices. In the second year of the program, 10 scholarship recipients were selected from 243 women studying science and engineering in fiscal year 2025. The program also held lectures, networking events, career development programs, and other activities in collaboration with multiple high schools and universities. The scholarship recipients themselves also communicate the appeal of science and engineering and their own experiences with girls in junior and senior high school.
Sony Corporation is promoting a variety of measures at each stage, from recruitment to training and promotion, in order to create an environment that enables women to thrive. The company conducts recruitment activities aimed at increasing the number of women pursuing studies in science and engineering hired by the company, implements leadership development programs for women, and regularly monitors the proportion of women in management positions. In addition, the company has implemented measures to deepen understanding of psychological safety and unconscious bias, while working to create a work environment where everyone can demonstrate their abilities through opportunities for women engineers to interact with each other and employee-led diversity initiatives.
In North America, Sony Music Entertainment continued to strengthen partnerships with educational institutions and organizations committed to diversity to connect with talent from a wider range of backgrounds and promote inclusive recruitment. In Europe and other regions, the company implemented career support programs for socioeconomically disadvantaged people, young people, people with disabilities, and others, working to develop the next generation of talent. The company also expanded its reach to potential candidates by using a multilingual career site, making recruitment information more accessible to people from diverse backgrounds.
Diversity of Experience
An important priority for Sony is creating an environment where diverse talent across its businesses can draw on their respective expertise and strengths to take on challenges from a cross-functional perspective. We provide opportunities for employees to expand their areas of expertise and skill sets, such as through systems for employees to take on new jobs at their own initiative, expanded learning opportunities, development through daily work, or assignments that transcend boundaries of business or region. In fiscal year 2025, approximately 2,353 Sony Group employees transferred to other companies within the Group. Among those, approximately 770 employees were on international assignments, taking on a variety of roles including creating new businesses and transferring technology and knowledge.
We view the diversity of experience fostered through these wide-ranging career development opportunities and cross-business personal connections as important assets that support individual and organizational growth. While we value this diversity of experience across the group, we believe it is particularly important for Sony Group Corporation executives who lead the group to build experience across different businesses, countries, and regions, and we continuously monitor the breadth of their experience. As of March 31, 2026, 75% of Sony Group Corporation Senior Executives and Corporate Executive Officers had overseas assignment experience at Sony. We also continuously monitor employee perceptions of opportunities for growth through the employee survey to assess whether opportunities to gain diverse experience are contributing to each individual’s sense of growth. The opportunities for growth*9 score in the fiscal year 2025 survey was 69 points.
- *9A score calculated by converting responses on a 5-point scale to the question “Do you have ample opportunities for learning and growth?” into a scale where a rating of 5 equals 100 points, 4 equals 75 points, 3 equals 50 points, 2 equals 25 points and 1 equals 0 points.
Systems to Support Employee Ambition
Taking on new challenges has long been encouraged at Sony. To foster this mindset, we have systems in place that enable employees to take on challenging new roles or enter new fields through our internal recruitment system, which was launched in 1966, as well as our internal dual-role and free agent systems, our skills and experience matching system, and our external side job system. Furthermore, we are broadening individual experiences through assignments that transcend business or region, and other workplace initiatives.
Specialized Talent and Cross-Company Collaboration
In key technology areas, highly specialized engineers are encouraged to expand their impact beyond organizational boundaries. Engineers appointed as Corporate Distinguished Engineers work across the group, gaining new perspectives and knowledge through connections both inside and outside the company, while also contributing to the development of the next generation of talent. Furthermore, through mechanisms that recognize the challenges and achievements of individual engineers, Sony encourages them to take on advanced technical challenges and supports efforts that lead to the integration of original technologies and the creation of new value, fostering a corporate culture that encourages innovation and enhances engineers' motivation.
Autonomous Career Development Opportunities
Sony provides opportunities for skill development tailored to individual employees’ careers and needs. In addition to visualizing individual skills and career paths through online platforms and supporting reskilling and the enhancement of expertise, we encourage the acquisition of new perspectives and knowledge by actively providing opportunities to learn together across business and job boundaries, including through career development workshops.
We further support employees’ autonomous career development by encouraging discussions with their supervisors about their career aspirations and growth at each stage of their professional journey.
Case Studies
A variety of learning and dialogue opportunities are provided to strengthen employees’ ability to adapt to change and collaborate across the organization. Strategic offsites and workshops were offered to reinforce mission and values and enhance multi-project management and communication skills. Programs and sessions were also conducted to help employees understand and leverage individual characteristics and team dynamics and further develop their strengths. These initiatives deepen both self-understanding and mutual understanding while supporting individual employee growth through exposure to diverse perspectives and experiences.
To identify and develop future management talent, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation has established a company-wide system to provide a wide range of developmental experiences from a multi-year talent development perspective.
This included revising the framework for evaluating and assessing talent and promoting the visualization of talent such as early-career employees. For key management positions, an integrated framework was put in place that encompasses succession planning, placement, and promotion. Through these initiatives, the company aims to develop talent with a wide range of experience and maintain a continuous pipeline of future management talent.
Sony China provides various career development opportunities that enable employees to grow through experience across departments and areas of expertise. Through Career Plus, an employee-driven internal gig program, the company supports reskilling and upskilling, expands career opportunities, and strengthens engagement, retention, and internal networking . Company-wide job rotation programs also provide opportunities to gain experience in different departments and roles. Through these initiatives, the company is creating an environment where employees can gain new knowledge and connections, broaden their perspectives, and proactively pursue their own career development.
Leadership and Corporate Culture that Embraces Diverse Perspectives
No matter the level of interaction between diverse talent and the provision of cross-border experience, new value cannot be created without leadership that brings out the aspirations and initiative of each individual and a supportive corporate culture. Sony prioritizes dialogue that encourages people to listen to ideas different from their own and fosters an environment that encourages employees to take on challenges. Furthermore, Sony provides ongoing training and skill enhancement across the Sony Group by leveraging the comprehensive capabilities of its multifaceted businesses to nurture future leaders.
EQ Leadership and Dialogue
We prioritize dialogue that embraces diverse values and opinions through EQ leadership, which is based on understanding emotions and attentive listening. This ensures psychological safety, fostering an organizational culture where employees can take on challenges without fear of failure.
In fiscal year 2025, we have started to incorporate EQ leadership into the curriculum of its training programs for newly appointed managers in major group companies in Japan. Furthermore, Sony Group Corporation held lectures by its executives on “leadership that inspires people,” targeting all employees across the Group, and also conducted roundtable discussions that provide opportunities for Group executives and employees who continue to take on challenges in their respective areas of expertise to directly exchange views.
Leadership and Future Leaders
Key talent development across the group supports the continuous fostering of the future leaders who will drive Sony growth. Through Sony University, Sony brings together employees from across businesses, countries and regions and provides selected next-generation leaders with broader perspectives and leadership capabilities through interaction beyond business and regional boundaries. There have been approximately 1,800 participants so far, leading to collaboration within the group and the formation of networks.
The Sony Cross-Mentoring Program was launched in 2022. This program tailors development by connecting mentor executives with next-generation leaders across business. Engaging in dialogue with management of differing businesses enables a deeper understanding of new fields and improves the perspective of management.
Much of management across businesses and regions is involved in these initiatives—the entire group is working to develop the talent that will carry Sony into the future.
Case Studies
Tiered connected global leadership development programs spanning Individual Contributor to Senior Vice Presidents were designed and implemented to amplify the Company’s unique culture, connect leaders from across the globe and enhance leadership capabilities across four distinct organizational altitudes. These programs promote aligned expectations, shared language and deeper productive relationships across the leadership population.
Sony Corporation of America is expanding opportunities for dialogue between management and employees through in-person and online events, working to foster a corporate culture where diverse opinions and perspectives are shared across departments and organizational levels. By creating more opportunities for employees to connect and exchange ideas internally, the company has promoted greater mutual understanding and active communication. Company-wide meetings have also been introduced to give employees the opportunity to engage directly with senior management and better understand their thinking and direction. These opportunities promote two-way dialogue while strengthening connections and a sense of belonging across the organization.
Sony Europe BV provides mentor development and management coaching programs to develop leadership that encourages collaboration while respecting different values and opinions. These programs help mentors build their skills and foster a culture of coaching. EQ assessments have also been introduced for key senior leaders, providing opportunities to deepen self-awareness and understanding of others. Through these initiatives, the company aims to strengthen inclusive leadership and encourage dialogue and decision-making that draw on diverse perspectives.
An Environment Where Diverse Employees Thrive
Sony believes that strong revenues are supported by the sustainability of our employees, so it is essential that we maintain employee health and enrich both their work and private lives to ensure sustainable growth. Based on “work-in-life,” the belief that both work and private life are important in shaping the lives of our employees, Sony offers flexible working provisions and comfortable work environments while adhering to the customs and laws in the countries and regions where we operate.
Flexible and Sustainable Work Styles
Supporting diverse ways of working has long been a priority at Sony. The company has employed a flex-time system and a discretionary working system in Japan since the late 1980s, and since 2017, group companies in Japan began implementing a work style reform project, working to ensure employee awareness of existing systems put in place to avoid overtime and promote taking annual paid leave. Through this project we foster a work environment that is both physically and mentally supportive of our employees to ensure they can perform at their best.
In addition, Sony Group Corporation and other companies are promoting flexible and efficient work styles by adopting telework, abolishing core time, introducing workation systems, and adopting the Flexible Career Leave System, which supports private study abroad programs to deepen and expand one's expertise. We also support employees in balancing life events with their careers through Symphony Plan, which offers childcare, nursing, and treatment support; as well as Career Plus Leave Program, which supports learning and career development during leave.
Employee Engagement Surveys
Assessing and improving employee engagement is an important part of supporting employee success and organizational vitality. Employee surveys are conducted regularly to collect and analyze employee feedback regarding trust in the company, value creation, work efficiency and effectiveness, ease of working and job satisfaction, career development and growth, and wellbeing. The results are used to identify areas for further improvement and effective action. The employee engagement score*10 at Sony Group Corporation was 71 points in FY2025.
- *10A score calculated by converting responses on a 5-point scale to the question indicating employee engagement into a scale where a rating of 5 equals 100 points, 4 equals 75 points, 3 equals 50 points, 2 equals 25 points and 1 equals 0 points.
Workplace
An appealing workplace is one that supports a strong corporate culture, diverse work styles, activity-based working, improving the work environment and supporting employee ambition. To this end, Sony implements open office designs and support hybrid work, creating environments where employees can choose a workspace best suited to the task at hand. Through PORT and other co-creation spaces, we promote proactive employee education and fostering of connections that transcend organizational and regional boundaries, fostering a strong corporate culture and supporting employee ambition. Through these initiatives, we work to create attractive and sustainable workplaces that enable employees to continue to learn and challenge themselves while staying connected.
