'We don't see it necessary to change our direction just because one country's president is against it'
More than three in four employers in Japan plan to maintain their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) despite the ongoing corporate withdrawal on DEI initiatives in the United States, according to Reuters.
Its survey among Japanese firms found that 77% are planning to "press ahead with their diversity efforts."
Another three per cent are reviewing or considering reviewing their DEI policies, while 20% said they had no diversity promotion plans in place, Reuters reported.
The survey comes in the wake of the ongoing scale back of US firms when it comes to DEI initiatives, with organisations such as McDonald's, Meta, Harley Davidson, Toyota, among others, making changes to their diversity policies.
US President Donald Trump, in one of his first orders in his second term, also placed on administrative leave all federal employees in DEI offices.
Experts are concerned that this corporate withdrawal in the US can have a ripple effect in other markets, such as Australia, where firms have been advised against following Americans' footsteps.
"DEI is a global trend. We don't see it necessary to change our direction just because one country's president is against it," a manager at a Japanese machinery manufacturer told Reuters in the survey.
"It is important to manage a company in a way that is fair to everyone regardless of race or gender."
According to Reuters, some of its respondents also underscored that diversity and inclusion are also important in attracting and retaining talent.
Employers across Japan are suffering from a tight labour market. A Jiji Press report last year found that the country's labour force shortage will reach 3.84 million workers by 2035.
DEI has long been recommended as a strategy to address skills gaps in workplaces.
Randstad said last year that inclusive workplaces "excel at bridging skills gaps, retaining top talent, and meeting evolving market demands."
"By cultivating inclusive workplaces, organisations reduce turnover rates and preserve their investment in talent, leading to substantial savings on recruitment and training expenses," Randstad said.
It stressed that employers will not find talent that they're seeking if they keep "looking in the same ways and places that they always have."
"Taking an approach that prioritises workforce diversity and skills-based hiring helps them not only unlock pools of talent they overlooked before but also leverage each individual's full potential, creating greater equity in the hiring process and allowing the organisation to reap the full business benefits of a diverse workforce," Randstad added.
