Sony is committed to promoting activities to encourage Diversity in accordance with the attributes of various countries and regions, based on its free-spirited corporate climate.
This Forum was created to promote Diversity-related activities globally. It is attended by upper management from various countries, regions and business units, and provides a medium in which we can check our progress and exchange information and ideas.
Diversity Week is an initiative to continue driving forward Sony's management strategy of promoting diversity as a means of value creation, as well as a celebration of the range of diversity visible in the organization worldwide. Through holding a wide range of engaging seminars, workshops and experiences, we aim to raise employees' awareness and inspire a positive outlook regarding diversity in business, and showcase the benefits of adopting innovative work styles whilst embracing the full range of identities held by Sony's employees. We want to draw attention to issues such as gender, race, sexual orientation and gender identity and disability through holding events that make people challenge their own viewpoints and facilitate open discussion.
In 2016, events such as the ‘Women Leaders Meeting’ taking place at Sony Japan and ‘Girl Scouts who Code’ at SIE in California will help create paths towards gender equality in business and technology, while ‘Unconscious Bias’, ‘LGBTQ+ workshop’ and ‘Supportive Supervisors and Working Mothers' Meeting’ will empower employees to reach their full potential in the barrier-free workplace. There will also be cross cultural fairs and a range of online initiatives with prizes available in order to get employees thinking about what diversity means today and how it contributes to the success of Sony.
Diversity Week promises to be a thought-provoking and engaging exploration into the diversity that helps continue to make Sony such a unique company in which to work.
"CurioStep with Sony" provides learning opportunities that make use of our various technologies and creativity to support the future development of children who will lead the next generation.
Focusing on diversity, we also carry out "Inclusion workshops" and "Workshops for girls" in this program.
Diversity Message (Human Rights Slogan) CommendationsIn Japan, we are implementing programs to accommodate a wide variety of work styles designed to promote diversity even further. These include measures to provide women with more opportunities, including management programs to heighten female employees' career aspirations, and career postings for employees who are balancing family and work lifestyles; employing people with disabilities (reasonable consideration, hiring, establishing special affiliate companies to create employment for the disabled); and measures to accommodate members of the LGBTQ+ community (operate HR-related schemes, promote greater understanding within the company).
Sony North America Employees at the San Diego PRIDE Parade in honor of LGBTQ+ rights
Former Sony North America President & COO Mike Fasulo and members of the Chispa (Hispanic) Employee NetworkSony Electronics understands how diversity is linked to our success as a global company. We take pride in our diverse workforce and foster a culture of inclusion that creates an experience for employees where they know their ideas are valued and respected. This is a place where there is freedom to innovate and create products and services that reflect the desires of consumers around the world. By encouraging a wide range of ideas and viewpoints, we work together to build an amazing organization and life changing products.
Sony has many operations in the rapidly growing Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region which is undergoing many economic and generational shifts. Amidst many new challenges in attracting and retaining talent, Sony remains committed to sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce in the AMEA region to promote greater employee engagement and drive innovation and creativity within the company.
A range of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programs were initiated to achieve this vision and to better reflect the communities in which Sony operates.
In China, Sony's Beijing Office holds an event called the Sony Family Day, which aims to encourage a better work-life balance by enabling employees' families to visit the workplace. Families gain a deeper understanding of the daily routines of Sony employees through workplace tours and interchanges with colleagues. At the same time, employees working at the Beijing office are given the opportunity to consider their work-life balance more deeply.
Cyndi Lauper and Wade Leak (center) with Sony Music Out Loud colleagues at the True Colors Fund eventAs the gay rights community celebrates two major victories regarding the U.S. Supreme Court's recent same-sex marriage rulings, artists and employees alike are uniting across the Sony Music family to show their support. Sony Music Out Loud, an employee affinity group that encourages everyone, regardless of orientation, to be informed and get involved, has particularly been instrumental in providing platforms for conversation - from professional mixers to Lunch & Learn Sessions - and has even recruited long-time Sony Music artist Cyndi Lauper to the cause.
Sony Pictures employees participate in a meeting of Employee Business Resource Groups.With a vast array of content across all genres and platforms consumed by hundreds of millions of people around the world, diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of Sony Pictures' business. Through the Spectrum program, which seeks to applaud individual talent, celebrate differences and value contributions from a diverse workforce, Sony Pictures offers a variety of programs and resources for current and aspiring employees.One of Sony Pictures' signature Spectrum programs is Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRG), which are formed by employees who share a commonality or interest. EBRGs are designed to foster professional development through networking and outreach opportunities. EBRGs may host speaker series, career development seminars, panel discussions, outreach, volunteer activities and social/cultural events open to all employees.
