Expanding Career Horizons: Supporting Diverse Life Stages at Seven-Eleven Japan
At Seven-Eleven Japan, various systems have been introduced to support working styles and career paths that reflect each employee’s individual circumstances. However, many employees are not always aware of these options or how they can be used in practice.
To address this, the Education Promotion Department has launched initiatives to share information across the company and provide opportunities for employees to learn about these systems and hear real experiences from colleagues balancing work and private life. Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is also an important part of their mission.
In this article, Shiga and Saito from the DEI Promotion team discuss their efforts to expand career possibilities by introducing diverse ways of working.
Navigating Career Paths During Major Life Transitions
Around ten years ago, when Shiga was working as an OFC (Operation Field Counselor), visible examples of colleagues balancing significant life milestones with their careers were scarce. Conversations about returning to work after starting a family or managing elderly care were limited, and practical information was difficult to find.
Shiga remembers that period of uncertainty clearly. At the time, there was no clear evidence of employees successfully combining domestic duties with their professional growth.
Shiga, a member of the Education Promotion Department at Seven-Eleven Japan.
OFCs provide management consulting to 7-Eleven franchise owners. While performing that role, Shiga occasionally heard rumors that some colleagues were raising children while continuing their careers, but these stories lacked detail. Concrete information regarding post-parenthood working arrangements remained elusive.
Her understanding began to change after she transferred to the Education Promotion Department, where she encountered a supervisor who was balancing work and childcare by using the company’s support systems.
Seeing a senior colleague continue her career while adjusting her schedule offered a new perspective. It was the first time Shiga felt that continuing to work after having a child could be a realistic option.
Saito, a member of the Education Promotion Department at Seven-Eleven Japan.
Saito’s path was somewhat different. Like Shiga, she had previously worked as an OFC. After leaving that position, she experienced several life changes of her own, including marriage and the birth of her child. Unlike Shiga’s early days, Saito was surrounded by colleagues already navigating the balance between their careers and family life.
Directly engaging with these peers made a world of difference. She learned the specifics of their daily routines and how they utilized company benefits. Nevertheless, questions about how these choices might influence her long-term trajectory continued to linger.
Creating a Space to Share Real Work Experiences
Although Shiga and Saito arrived at their roles through different experiences, both eventually reached the same realization. Employees across the country needed clearer access to real examples of diverse working styles so they could better imagine their own futures. With that goal in mind, the two began developing new initiatives within the Education Promotion Department.
“What I needed most at the time was simply the knowledge that other options existed,” she recalls. “I also wanted to hear directly from people balancing work and childcare. When employees learn about those experiences, the range of career possibilities becomes much wider. At the same time, supervisors gain a deeper understanding. Knowing that there are different ways to work creates reassurance for everyone.”
This thinking led to the launch of the Work Style Information Exchange in 2022. The initiative shares real experiences from employees who pursue different career paths, covering themes such as childcare, caregiving, career development, and parental leave.
Accessibility was a key consideration when designing the program. Seven-Eleven Japan has employees working throughout the country, and the team wanted everyone to have equal access to the same information. For that reason, the sessions are held online, with recordings available for those who cannot attend in real time.
Saito believes this has made a meaningful difference.
“Employees can now learn about real experiences whenever they need them. In the past, I spent a lot of time searching for information myself,” she says.
Encouraged by Colleagues’ Experiences
Participation has grown steadily with each session. The team has also begun to see the program encourage more employees to make use of the company’s support systems.
Fujita, an OFC, is one employee who found clarity through these sessions. Although aware of the company’s family leave programs, he hadn’t seriously considered taking time off until his own circumstances changed.
Fujita, an OFC at Seven-Eleven Japan and a father-to-be in spring 2026.
When he shared the news of his wife’s pregnancy, his supervisor encouraged him to take paternity leave without hesitation. However, because he lacked male role models who had taken this path, he remained unsure of the logistics
Attending a session featuring senior OFCs who had successfully taken leave and returned to their roles provided the “mental map” he needed. He is scheduled to begin his parental leave this spring. While he acknowledges that some aspects will only become clear through experience, he approaches the decision with a sense of calm and anticipation.
Building a Workplace Where Everyone Can Thrive
While progress is undeniable, the mission remains far from complete. With a diverse workforce of over 8,000 employees stationed across the country, Seven-Eleven Japan serves as a crossroads for individuals at vastly different stages of their lives and professional journeys. Shiga and Saito are convinced that further growth is possible.
To ensure the initiative resonates with this wide-reaching audience, the team recently expanded its scope beyond traditional life-event support to include comprehensive career development. The goal is to provide a forum that offers value to every employee, regardless of their current personal circumstances.
As the first step in this new initiative, the team held a session in January 2026 titled Learning from Leaders: Building a Career That Reflects Your True Self, where current managers shared their own experiences. The event drew strong engagement from both men and women considering their future careers and recorded the highest level of participation so far.
Beginning in fiscal year 2026, the team also introduced seminars focused on health. The aim is to help employees maintain their well-being and continue working with confidence in a supportive environment.
“When you are working and living your life, there are always many things to worry about,” Shiga says. “Our role in DEI Promotion is to share different ways of working so that employees feel more confident about their choices. As more approaches become accepted, a wider range of perspectives can emerge, and those perspectives may eventually be reflected in our products and services.”
Looking ahead, Shiga and Saito plan to continue expanding these initiatives so that more employees can discover working styles that suit their lives and aspirations. By steadily building opportunities for people to learn from one another, they believe the company can continue evolving into a workplace where diverse perspectives are valued and new ideas can take shape.
This text has been translated using an automatic translation tool.
Related articles
