FAQ (Frequently Asked Question)

<Questions Concerning Operations>

When was Pasona founded? What is its history?

Pasona was founded on February 16, 1976. The founder Yasuyuki Nambu began temporary staffing operations with the desire to create a different kind of hiring infrastructure that would allow housewives to utilize their skills and experience to reenter the workforce. More about the history of Pasona can be found in here.

Why was Pasona Group Inc. established, and why did the business change to a pure holding company structure?

We changed to a pure holding company structure in an effort to secure robust and sound Group growth and to evolve into a structure with which we can provide services that will help solve many of Society's Problems, with a focus on maximizing the potential of each individual's skills and abilities.
Pasona Group's role is to formulate business strategies that encompass the entire Group, promote optimal allocation of financial and management resources to growth areas and help to accelerate growth strategies. In strengthening management systems relating to affiliated companies, the Company will bolster the compliance and corporate governance functions.

What is your corporate philosophy?

Since its foundation, the Pasona Group has worked diligently to provide "Solutions to Society's Problems" by creating employment opportunities. Guided by this corporate philosophy, our goal is to establish and develop employment infrastructures that enable individuals to freely choose the kind of work they would like to do irrespective of age or gender.
For more details, go here.

What community activities do you engage in?

The Pasona Group aims to have all of its officers and employees comprehend and practice the corporate philosophy and contribute to achieving our social responsibility to contribute to our localities as a "social activist".
In order to provide opportunities for all people to demonstrate their individual abilities and talents with vision and pride, the Pasona Group supports those with disabilities, and participating in cultural and artistic events and international exchanges. The Pasona Group also operates volunteer funds and engages in many other community activities.
For more details, go here.

In addition, we launched the "Pasona Shadow Cabinet" to review social issues from the perspective of a corporate entity and foster the human resources capable of advancing appropriate solutions. For more details, go here.

What are you doing about the environment?

Pasona Group establishes the Environmental Credo to dedicate to the preservation of the environment. In order to preserve a healthy, beautiful planet for the next generation, we believe strongly in the need for good corporate citizens to use the earth's limited resources responsibly and eschew practices that harm the environment. Group companies in Japan and overseas set up themes tailored for the locality and aggressively pursue such measures as environmental protection, beautification and cleanup, and promoting use of cups and chopsticks that people carry around to stop waste of use and dispose utensils.
For more details, go to Environmental Activities and Community Activities.

Tell me about corporate governance.

Pasona Group supports strong corporate governance and constantly operates with a high level of ethics and respect for the law. Specifically, we have introduced external directors and auditors as well as operating officers to oversee the separation of oversight and enforcement. For more details, go here.

I would like to know a little about Group CEO Yasuyuki Nambu

Mr. Nambu was born January 5, 1952, in Kobe, Japan. While attending university in February 1976, he founded the Company from a strong desire to "help housewives who are not able to find jobs despite experience and skills to find reemployment," and established a temporary staffing system. Since then, he has focused on creating jobs.
Among his books are Jinzai Kaikoku (Opening the World of Personnel) and Sogyo wa Soshoku de aru (Building Companies Means Building Jobs). He writes his thoughts on the Official Yasuyuki Nambu Site For company history, go here.

<Questions Concerning Business>

What kind of business is Pasona involved in?

Pasona offers comprehensive personnel-related services centered on temporary staffing/contracting, followed by placement/recruiting, outplacement, outsourcing, and training.
For more details, go to Business Outline.
Pasona Group Inc. holds stock in these companies that are engaged in the personnel business. It formulates operational strategies and manages operations for the whole Group, and performs related services.

What is the temporary staffing business?

Operating within the scope of the Worker Dispatch Law, licensed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Pasona Group companies engage in temporary staffing activities. Business includes the recruiting, registration and dispatch of temporary staff to clients (registration-based temporary staffing). Members of our temporary staff sign fixed-term employment contracts with Group companies and work under the direction of our client companies where they are dispatched.
We primarily dispatch general office workers. We proactively work with housewives and seniors.
We aggressively hold skill-improvement training and events to help dispatch staff with their work. We support stable careers for our staff as professionals by providing a full slate of benefits such as social insurance, healthcare, 24/7 mental care, and relaxation facilities like our Club PASONA Omotesando.

What is the difference between placement/recruiting and outplacement?

In placement/recruiting, we recruit and register people wishing to change careers, collect corporate job opening information and match the two needs. It receives a referral fee from the company that hires the job-changer.
In the outplacement business, we help those who have or are about to leave a company due to company circumstances with resume writing, preparing for interviews, information about available jobs, and mental healthcare at more than 80 locations around Japan at the request of the company. We support people's post-retirement life besides outplacement service. We collect a consulting fee from the company that the employees are leaving.

<Questions Related to Performance and Finances>

When does Pasona announce its fiscal results?

The Company closes its books at the end of May every year, and plans to announce consolidated results in July.
A schedule of announcements is available on our IR Calendar.

How did Pasona perform?

Our most recent performance data can be viewed in Financial Reports.
Materials used during the fiscal results meeting can be viewed in Presentation.

<Questions Concerning Shares>

When were Pasona Group's shares listed?

Pasona Group Inc. listed its shares on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Hercules market of the Osaka Securities Exchange on December 3, 2007.

In accordance with the application for delisting on October 29, 2008, the company's shares were delisted from the Hercules market on December 8, 2008.
Currently, Pasona Group's shares are traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange only.

Pasona Inc. had listed its shares on the NASDAQ Japan (currently Hercules) market of the Osaka Securities Exchange on December 18, 2001. The Company listed its shares on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange on October 28, 2003, but in connection with the shift to a pure holding company structure, Pasona Group Inc. was established and listed.

What is the Company's securities code?

"2168" (First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange).

How many shares outstanding?

Pasona Group has 416,903 shares outstanding. (as of 2010.5.31)

How many shares make up one trading unit?

One share is considered a trading unit.

Have there been any stock splits in the past?

Pasona Inc. implemented a five-for-one common share stock split on July 22, 2002 and a three-for-one common share stock split on July 20, 2004.
Pasona shares were transferred to those of Pasona Group. Each share of Pasona was exchanged with one common share of Pasona Group.

When is the general shareholders meeting held?

The general shareholders meeting is held in August of every year.
Notifications of shareholder meetings and referendums for the exercise of voting rights are sent to shareholders listed in the register of shareholders as of May 31, the conclusion of the general shareholders meeting.

What is the number of shareholders and shareholder breakdown at present?

Detailed information is available in Share Information.

Who is the transfer agent for changing beneficiary names and addresses?

Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. is in charge of handling changes to beneficiary names and addresses for Pasona shares. Contact information is available in Share Information.

What dividends can be expected?

In connection with the appropriation of profits, the Company takes into consideration the funds required to engage in new businesses and capital investments aimed at fulfilling the Company's responsibilities to continuously develop the growing human resources business market, to strengthen the Company's operating platform and earnings capacity and to expand shareholders' returns by enhancing corporate value. On this basis and for the foreseeable future, the Company has adopted the basic policy to implement a consolidated dividend payout ratio target of 25% in an effort to continuously deliver adequate and stable returns to shareholders taking into consideration its operating performance.

For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2011, the Company has declared an annual dividend of 1,000 yen per share. In connection with cash dividends for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2012, the Company does not plan to pay an interim cash dividend. The Company does however intend to pay a period-end cash dividend of 1,200 yen per share.