Activities with Employees

Local emphasis for recruiting

We believe that recruiting people who live in areas near the automobile auction sites where they will work contributes to the vitality of these areas. Our policy is to conduct initial interviews of job applicants at auction and other business sites. The next step is an interview at the head office. Following the interview new employees will be assigned to USS Group locations under a basic premise that each new employee will be able to work near his/her home.

Attrition rate

During the fiscal year that ended in March 2025, 5.1% of the USS Group's workforce left their jobs voluntarily.

Salary structure

The USS Group pays salaries at a rate that is higher than the minimum wage in the area where each employee is located. In addition, employees who are highly motivated and interested in improving themselves and our business activities receive favorable evaluations. We do our best to incorporate their ideas and suggestions in our business operations. In 2014, we established personnel and salary frameworks that placed emphasis on the performance and capabilities of individuals in order to retain people and enable employees to advance their careers. The average annual salary at the USS Group was ¥7,329,000 in the fiscal year that ended in March 2025.

Performance evaluations

We assess the performance of employees twice every year and perform evaluations based on how people fulfill the roles and responsibilities of their respective jobs. Individuals undergoing an evaluation submit reports on progress regarding goals, actions to improve their job skills and specific measures taken for business process and other improvements. Assessments also include motivation concerning teamwork and improving how jobs are done, the ability to do one's job, and other aspects of personal performance. Furthermore, people performing and undergoing evaluations hold meetings for direct communication concerning the next goals and other subjects.
All employees are encouraged to submit suggestions for ways to improve business processes in order to create better workplaces. Every suggestion is carefully considered and as many ideas as possible are used in order to improve auction operations and increase the motivation of our workforce.

Employee benefit programs

・Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

The USS Group has an ESOP that fulfills two purposes. First is giving employees an additional incentive for contributing to the long-term growth of corporate value. Second is creating an opportunity to invest in USS stock in order to help employees accumulate savings.

・Long-term disability insurance

USS Group employees are covered by group long-term disability insurance that provides supplementary income to individuals unable to work for a long time due to a disease or injury. With this income, people are better able to concentrate on doing what is needed to restore their health quickly and return to their jobs.

・Pension programs

Employees of USS and three consolidated subsidiaries receive a lump-sum payment, which is a defined benefit retirement program requiring no contributions by beneficiaries, when they leave their jobs due to retirement or another reason. In addition, USS and six consolidated subsidiaries have a defined contribution pension plan.

The USS Group has many programs to give all employees the knowledge and skills needed to be valuable members of the USS team and achieve their personal career goals. On-the-job training is the most important element of these programs because this approach allows both people giving and receiving instructions to upgrade their skills together.

Training for automobile inspectors

Accurately performing inspections of vehicles to be auctioned is vital to the operation of our auctions. Inspections must be performed consistently at every auction site by using the same set of standards to ensure that decisions are made with accuracy.
USS established its Inspector Certification Program in 2006 in order to improve the methods used for inspecting and evaluating vehicles and ensure the consistency of inspections. Every inspector undergoes annual written and practical examinations to acquire a certification from level one to four. USS has instructors who rotate around each auction site throughout Japan to guide and develop the skills of automobile inspectors and manage inspection certification programs. These training programs strive to build a consistent inspection framework. We have updated our traditional training program to more quickly develop vehicle inspectors in anticipation of an increasing number of vehicles at our auctions in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024 The new vehicle inspector training program provides employees group training at a large Auto Auction site right after they join the Company in an effort to develop and certify the skills of inspectors over eight months.

Training for managers

We revised our human resource systems in October 2023 with the aim to strengthen organizational capabilities while appointing several new managers. These new managers undergo training for new management to strengthen leadership and management skills as well as evaluator training on the evaluation and development of staff.USS continues to conduct these training programs to develop future auction site managers.

Employee education and training

We have a training program structured specifically for newly hired people centered upon teaching proper business manners. Newly hired people first work with a mentor to learn about business operations and receive advice about any issues and uncertainties involving their responsibilities.
We also provide career-oriented training, and in FY 2024 we conducted executive training, mid-career training, and women's empowerment training for eligible employees.

Group-wide human resource management

The USS Group is aware promoting internal communication is most important when striving to improve employee communication. That is why everyone in the Company respects one another's opinions and ideas in an effort to build a work-friendly environment.
Starting in FY 2024, we launched the "Workplace Environment Improvement Project" as a workplace-driven initiative to strengthen our human capital with the goal of achieving a 50% market share in the auto auction business. Under this project, our young employees take the lead in planning and implementing improvements to create a more work-friendly environment. We are currently advocating measures to promote community activities based on interactions with other departments and to promote employee health, as well as reviewing work spaces and introducing comfortable work attire. Through this project, we intend to improve employee engagement while also fostering self-motivation among our young employees.

Survey on Group-wide human resource management

The USS Group is aware promoting internal communication is most important when striving to improve employee communication. That is why everyone in the Company respects one another's opinions and ideas in an effort to build a work-friendly environment.
In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, we conducted an employee survey to gather feedback on internal recruitment practices, transfers and other job rotation opportunities as well as stratified training by occupation and position. As a result, we discovered a certain number of employees hope to advance their careers through job rotation opportunities via transfers. USS will regularly conduct this kind of survey to further enhance employee engagement in the future.

Maintaining the health and safety for everyone at the USS Group is essential to our ability to continue to achieve steady growth. All employees receive periodic medical check-ups. Once individuals reach the age of 45, they must undergo more thorough annual examinations. There is no cost to employees. We plan to increase activities for preserving and improving the health of our workforce as well as for providing our people with pleasant and safe workplaces.

Health and Hygiene Committees

Every USS Group business site with at least 50 people has a Health and Hygiene Committee that is responsible for improving workplace health and hygiene. As a rule, these committees meet once each month. Committee members discuss measures for keeping employees healthy and subjects involving workplace hygiene.

Employee health promotion and management

Maintaining the health and safety for everyone at the USS Group is essential to our ability to continue to achieve steady growth. All employees receive periodic medical check-ups. Once individuals reach the age of 45, they must undergo more thorough annual examinations.
We plan to increase activities for preserving and improving the health of our workforce as well as for providing our people with pleasant and safe workplaces.

Prevention of long working hours

The USS Group closely manages the amount of overtime to maintain a pleasant workplace environment and prevent excessive working hours during peak periods of auction volume. Measures to perform tasks more efficiently and the use of shifts are two ways we are holding down working time. Furthermore, every auction site and subsidiary submits working time reports to the Board of Directors and other supervisory bodies. Directors and others hold discussions in order to determine actions to take as needed.
The monthly average overtime during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 was 30.0 hours due to the increase in the number of vehicles handled at auction.We have set a monthly overtime target of 20.0 hours or less. USS will enhance its efficiency and introduce leading-edge technologies to build a more work-friendly environment.

Days off and paid leave

The average utilization rate for paid leave at USS is 61.4%. We have programs that encourage people to use more of their time off every year.

Mental health

We have a contract with an external mental health services provider for preventing and assisting with mental health issues of employees. Support is available to everyone at the USS Group.