Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We believe that it is essential for a diverse workforce to be able to play an active role in order for a company to grow sustainably. We respect the diversity of our employees, support flexible working styles, and treat them fairly, striving to create an environment where employees can work in their own way and find fulfillment. Additionally, we are working to protect and respect the human rights of all people involved in our business.

Active participation of each employee is crucial for a company's sustainable growth. Thus, Advantest has "INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY" as one of its core values. We believe that creating a comfortable and inclusive workplace environment and instilling working practices that maximizes employee capabilities while balancing work and home is imperative to a company. Based on this idea, we are actively working to create a workplace and corporate culture where each and every employee at Advantest can maximize their individuality and abilities and continue to play active roles in the company.

Advantest has consistently strived for success and growth by attempting to leverage our talented human capital on a global basis. One of the most notable examples of this is the integration of Verigy, acquired in 2011. This integration resulted in a major change in our workforce composition, with nearly half of our employees located overseas at that time. Today, this trend is even stronger, with approximately 60% of our workforce now located in our overseas bases. In the recent years, in order to further expand its business globally, Advantest has been recruiting personnel who have deep cross-cultural understanding and communication skills and can work in a global arena.

For instance, Advantest will continue personnel exchange among group companies so that employees can experience working in a global environment, and share their skills and know-how through routine work and training in each organization so that individual employees can acquire more advanced skills, including skills to adapt to various business environments.

Advantest Group operates a “Global Transfer Policy" for inter-company transfers. In order to facilitate the exchange of talent among Advantest Group companies, the Global Expatriate Program was comprehensively revised in fiscal 2024, and is now in place to ensure fair treatment of employees regardless of their types of operations on a global basis.

In addition, as competition for human resources intensifies on a global scale, we are striving to retain excellent human resources by expanding the scope of stock compensation and grant.

As of July 2026, 17 out of 29 executive officers, who are management personnel, have foreign nationalities, and employees from 11 countries are currently working for Advantest Corporation. Advantest will give fair opportunities to talented personnel, regardless of their nationality, and promote global personnel development and organizational globalization through borderless personnel recruitment and exchange.

Advantest acknowledges diverse workstyles for the sake of our employees' diverse lifestyles and individual growth. As part of this effort, in November 2022, we established rules for external double careers (second jobs) for all employees with the aim of improving employee skills and acquiring and retaining a wide variety of talents. As of September 2026, 45 employees are engaged in second jobs.

Advantest has a diverse group of employees with special skills. We believe that second jobs not only provide employees with opportunities to improve and develop their skills, but also help to create innovation within the company by giving the company a grip on these talented skills.

On the other hand, second jobs naturally come with risks. For this reason, along with requiring employees to obtain approval to engage in second jobs, the company also requires that both the employee and his/her supervisor read the manual thoroughly and take an e-learning course to guarantee that they fully understand the precautions before starting a second job.

While due consideration is to be paid to the risks involved, second jobs are attractive not only to employees but also to the company itself as a way to develop and improve employees' skills and produce innovation within the company. We will endeavor to make the system meaningful while developing rules in response to the changes over time.

In April 2025, Advantest launched the internal double career program to encourage employees’ self-directed and autonomous career development in a similar manner. Under this system, employees can apply for and be matched with jobs offered by recruiting departments within the company, allowing them to engage in work outside their current departments, with a maximum of 20% of their weekly working hours. The program is designed to provide opportunities for motivated employees to further develop their skills, and to promote organizational and individual growth by expanding opportunities for utilization of human capital, which would ultimately increase corporate value.

Although the majority of Advantest's employees are new graduates, the number of mid-career employees has been increasing over the past few years. To promote understanding of Advantest's corporate purpose & mission and our product portfolio among mid-career employees and to help them get to know members of other departments, the following initiatives are being implemented starting from 2023.

These initiatives were developed from the voices of our fellow employees. In response to these requests, a group of volunteers communicated with each other, formulating an even larger project, which promoted interaction with those who joined mid-career and led to new projects. An environment in which mid-career employees can play active roles leads to an environment in which all employees can play active roles. We will continue to value diversity and revitalize our organization.

Please note that there is a GNEO program implemented globally for mid-career employees. For more information, see "Global New Employee Orientation (GNEO)".

We launched a follow-up training program for employees who joined the company through mid-career recruitment within the past four years. As of August 2026, a total of 164 employees had participated in the program. Previously, training for mid-career hires primarily consisted of an onboarding session conducted by the Human Resources Department on their first day, focusing on company policies and procedures, as well as business training programs attended by all employees. The follow-up program was developed in response to both the aspirations of the Human Resources Department to provide a more effective learning experience and create opportunities for stronger peer connections, and requests from mid-career hires who wanted to learn more about the Company's products and history and visit other sites. By aligning these needs, the program was successfully established.
The program is designed to help mid-career employees deepen mutual understanding through communication and interaction with one another. Participants have opportunities to visit company sites and learn more about the Company, while also taking part in workshops on The Advantest Way. These workshops enhance their understanding of the Company's management philosophy and foster a stronger sense of belonging as members of the Advantest Group.
Following the training, participants attend a networking session where they can spend time with colleagues in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Post-training surveys have generated overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many participants commenting that the program provided a valuable opportunity to connect and communicate with people they would not normally interact with in their day-to-day work.

To improve employee communication, which remains a challenge, lunch gatherings were organized. We have named this lunch gathering as "Mystery Lunch", since several participants are chosen at random from those who wish to attend, to eat lunch together. During the planning process, many employees took the initiative to join the secretariat. The lunch gatherings have been held at almost every business location Japan, with a total of more than 500 people attending. Since this was an unprecedented initiative, the lunch gatherings provided a valuable opportunity to resolve simple questions about the company or gain those to turn to in times of trouble.

Some of the mystery lunch participants went on to have get-togethers afterwards, and some made friends within the company. For reference, Q^12® on Gallup's Engagement Survey asks the question, "Do you have a best friend at work?" We believe that the mystery lunch was an outstanding initiative, for having friends within the company enhances employee engagement.

For more information on Gallup's engagement survey, see "Employee Engagement".

This initiative was suggested by a manager in the administrative department who propsed, "Many people in the administrative department do not know much about our products, so we want to give them a chance where they can learn. Seeing and learning about the products should lead to better engagement!"

After receiving lectures on memory, T2000, and V93000 products from the employees in charge, the participants were given a tour of the actual equipment. The program was then rolled out to new hires, mid-career employees, and indirect department employees as well as the Corporate Administration Group. The program received a stream of positive feedback from the participants, and we plan to continue hosting these tours in the future.

In April 2024, a community called "Greeters" was launched at the initiative of 12 volunteers at four domestic locations to support an environment in which employees who have joined the company mid-career can play active roles.

Greeters provides a place where newly joined employees can feel free to ask questions and seek advice, mainly from employees who have similar experiences, so that they do not run into any obstacles. In the Greeters group chat room, which has about 90 registered members from various locations in Japan, information useful for both inside and outside the company, such as self-development seminars held by volunteers and introductions to technical events and social gatherings, is exchanged, providing opportunities for mid-career employees to unlock new discoveries and tips for growth.

In June 2025, Greeters received "The INTEGRITY Award" (an internal award where employees nominate, recognize, and celebrate peers who embody INTEGRITY), further highlighting Greeters' activities.

Going forward, Greeters will continue to contribute to the growth and development of the company as a whole by supporting employees and promoting communication to build a better work environment.

Advantest has revised its re-employment program for utilizing employees who retire at the age of 60. Advantest is actively utilizing the skills and know-how of experienced employees by employing senior personnel steadily and treating and assigning them to jobs with consideration towards their past experience and assigned positions during their working years. In addition, Advantest has established a system to reflect each individual's achievements in their wages to motivate senior personnel and expect them to produce results that match their wages. Furthermore, in FY2018, Advantest introduced a system where employees are allowed to reduce their working hours or days as desired and have a second job on non-working days.

In FY2025, of the 62 individuals who started with our re-employment program, 6 employees are working shorter days. This system will allow senior personnel to work more flexibly according to their lifestyles, contributing to further enhancing work-life balance.

At Advantest, a senior employee with many years of experience in the Production Unit has begun holding a training course for employees at the Gunma Factory titled "What is a Tester?" since June 2022. When asked of his motives for developing this course, he mentioned that products are increasingly difficult to understand as they have evolved in complexity, and the psychological burden on employees has been swelling due to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic as well as by the challenges faced in parts procurement with production volume increasing rapidly. The senior employee planned the event hoping that by learning about testers, it would teach people the relationship between their own work and products, as well as between products and society as a whole, and ultimately, everyone could find their work rewarding.

Since May 2023, in response to requests and feedback from employees who shared the enthusiasm for this initiative, which was published on the internal newsletter, a series of lectures titled "What is a Tester?" were launched in domestic and overseas' bases. The lectures were created from the perspective of senior employees with diverse career backgrounds. Since FY2024, the Human Capital Department has been developing small-group, face-to-face training courses for administrative employees. By listening to firsthand accounts of how the lecturers have faced the history of semiconductor evolution, participants have been able to learn the importance of adapting to change.

In order to promote the employment of the disabled, Advantest established a special subsidiary company, Advantest Green Corporation, in September 2004. Since its establishment, this company has been working to promote stable employment of the disabled under the slogan of "Independence of individuals and growth of society."

Its core business includes landscaping, cleaning, delivery, baking and sale of bread, and recycling promotion. Advantest Green is providing workplaces where its employees can work comfortably, and is also actively collaborating with local communities and relevant organizations to develop workplaces where disabled and non-disabled people can work together.

Currently, 31 highly motivated disabled employees are working at overseas affiliated companies.

As of March 2026, Advantest's employment rate of the disabled is 2.72%, which exceeds the mandatory employment rate. However, Advantest will continue to actively promote the employment of the disabled to address future amendments to the mandatory employment rate.

Advantest promotes initiatives such as standardization of work procedures and work visualization to create a work environment in which employees with disabilities will be able to work to their full potential, and also refer our workplace as one in which people with various disabilities can actively participate to outlets such as special-needs schools. We also actively accept training and visitation requests for employment as well as consider new job categories and more.

Advantest introduced a paper-making machine, which produces new paper from used paper such as rejected documents, in order to launch a business that manufactures and provides items such as copy paper, business cards, and calendars made from recycled paper. We continue to support initiatives that promote employment and contribute to environmental improvement.

For more information on recycling using paper machines, please refer to "Recycling Resources"on the Environment page.

We also foster a culture of mutual respect and recognition by actively implementing initiatives through a goal or commendation system to enhance their motivation, such as "meaningfulness" and "job fulfillment," and established a "Monthly MVP" award system that involves evaluation and praise by others.

Additionally, Advantest assigns qualified staff including job coaches, counselors for the disabled, and career consultants at each workplace, along with conducting regular four-way meetings with support organizations, the company, and family members for early detection and information sharing on issues, in order to offer workplace support catered to the characteristics of employee disabilities.

In FY2021, these initiatives and the many efforts made by our employees over the years were recognized by Saitama Prefecture. In fiscal 2024, Advantest Green received the Saitama Governor’s Award in recognition of its excellence as an employer of persons with disabilities. In fiscal 2026, an employee of Advantest Green was also honored with the Saitama Governor’s Award as an Outstanding Employee with Disabilities.

The Advantest Group recognizes that respect for the human rights of all those affected by our global business activities is essential. We support and participate in the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact, which take into account the fundamental responsibilities of business in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, as advocated by the United Nations Global Compact, and we have also joined the Global Compact Network Japan, a local network in Japan that support the same principles of the United Nations Global Compact. We are continuing to promote initiatives in each of these areas.

This respect for human rights is stipulated in "The Advantest Way" and forms the basis of all our activities.

Performance assessments and career development are conducted under a common global system. Goals are set at the beginning of the fiscal year, communication with superiors is conducted as necessary during the year, and an evaluation interview is conducted at the end of the fiscal year. This interview is conducted not only for full-time employees but also for some contract and temporary employees.

In terms of compensation, we are not only committed to fairness, but also to the retention of the best talent who will ensure our future growth.

With overseas sales ratio of over 90%, and more than 60% of our employees located in overseas affiliated companies, this allows Advantest to grow as a global company. Given this structure, we introduced the Advantest Resource Management System (ARMS), a unified human resources system, in April 2012. ARMS promotes cooperation among multiple bases around the world, as well as smooth personnel exchanges and transfers.

Under ARMS, the unique job classification systems decided on by Group companies in each country have been replaced by a new 10-level job system that is common to all. In this system, job levels 1 to 6 are for general employees, while levels 7 to 10 are for management positions. There are two management paths in this system: one for "people managers," who manage budgets and deal with staff merit and labor issues, and one for "functional managers," who tend to business and ensure that operations are carried out properly. Line managers with subordinates are assigned to the first path, and all other specialists are assigned to the second. With these two lines for advancement, we ensure that our diverse personnel have opportunities to develop as managers.

We also apply common global rules to our pay scale, including basic pay and bonuses. Previously, for example, bonus payments in each country mainly reflected the performance of Advantest's subsidiary or affiliate in that country, but under the new system, bonus payments reflect the Company's consolidated earnings. Starting in fiscal 2012, we have applied a new system of evaluating employee performance. No matter where Advantest employees work, they can now be evaluated and rewarded according to the new common global system, with every employee receiving an evaluation/cultivation interview at least once a year.

Since the introduction of our global human resources system, during which efforts have been made to increase the number of employees seconded from Japan to overseas postings and the number of personnel exchanges with overseas affiliates; this system has contributed to invigorating the organization and improving corporate performance.

Meanwhile, the new human resources framework offers labor management flexibility in setting up working hours, telecommuting arrangements and other job specifics, so that managers can more aptly address such matters directly in accordance with the laws and regulations of their respective nations and in line with local employment practices.

Starting from fiscal 2014, we have established a global personnel database, which is effectively utilized for project team composition and smooth personnel changes on a global scale. Beginning in fiscal 2015, we began using a new global personnel evaluation system to replace the existing personnel evaluations. In the future, we will be setting up human resource development schemes with a worldwide reach, promoting employee diversity through active efforts to hire and promote employees with different backgrounds, and taking decisive steps toward forging an employee recruitment strategy that is in accordance with the business strategies of our operations in diverse countries.

In the spirit of establishing ourselves as a truly global company going forward, Advantest will continue to work hard to create a professional business environment where every member of a diverse Advantest Group workforce can make the most of his or her individual capabilities.

Since the launch of the INTEGRITY Core Values in 2019, we dedicated a section of the evaluation sheet in the personnel evaluation system to the core values, providing an opportunity to reflect on our actions during the term.

Specifically, the nine values of INTEGRITY (Innovation, Number One, Trust, Empowerment, Global, Respect, Inclusion & Diversity, Teamwork, and Yes) are used as the behavioral evaluation items on the evaluation sheet, where employees describe their own actions for each of the items on the sheet. Employees are encouraged to discuss with their supervisors during the evaluation interview, and their supervisors provide feedback with comments after the interview.

It is crucial for us to not only understand our core values in words through trainings or other means, but also act for it by linking these values to our own actions. Reflecting on them during the evaluation process will ultimately encourage changes in each employee, which help realize an organization that can flexibly address various issues.

Advantest introduced a stock option program in 2002 as a form of share-based compensation for directors and executive employees in Japan and overseas. To enhance the effectiveness of the program as both an incentive and a retention mechanism, the scheme has undergone several revisions over the years. In fiscal 2021, the Company introduced Restricted Stock (RS) and Performance Share Units (PSUs) for directors, as well as RS for executive employees, with the objectives of strengthening value sharing with shareholders, promoting sustainable growth in corporate value over the medium to long term, and attracting and retaining global talent.

For directors and employees who are non-residents of Japan at the time of grant, Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are granted in place of RS. In addition, since fiscal 2022, eligibility for RS/RSUs has been expanded to include key engineers whose retention is considered particularly important.
Beginning in fiscal 2026, eligibility for RS/RSUs, which had previously been limited to executive employees, was expanded to include general employees. This initiative is intended to further align employees’ interests with those of shareholders, encourage contributions to improving medium- to long-term business performance and corporate value, and appropriately reward employees who help achieve these objectives. It also aims to enhance employee motivation and support the attraction and retention of highly talented individuals. The program was implemented as part of the Company’s human capital management strategy.
Looking ahead, Advantest will continue to consider the phased expansion of both the scope of eligible employees and the scale of RS/RSU grants as one of its key talent investment initiatives, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value and strengthening its long-term competitiveness.

In addition to appropriate guidelines for payroll and creating a comfortable and rewarding workplace in the spirit of our INTEGRITY core values, we believe that such incentive and/or retention measures will also help improve employee turnover.

Advantest Japan’s retirement benefits program consists of three components: a company-funded lump-sum retirement benefit, a pension fund benefit that may be received as a pension depending on an employee’s years of service, and a defined contribution pension plan. To establish a more transparent and equitable retirement benefits system, the Company implemented a comprehensive revision of the program effective April 1, 2026. Under the previous framework, two separate retirement benefit systems coexisted, resulting in differences in retirement benefit points and benefit levels even among employees with the same grade and performance evaluations. In addition, several challenges had been identified, including the suspension of point accrual after age 55 and the limited eligibility of employees hired after age 35 to receive additional retirement benefit payments.
Under the revised system, the regulations have been consolidated into a single framework, and retirement benefit points are now awarded through a simplified mechanism based on a fixed contribution rate applied to an amount equivalent to base salary. In addition, retirement-age bonus payments and early-retirement lump-sum benefits have been abolished, with their financial resources incorporated into the contribution rates under the new system. As a result, the revised program eliminates disadvantages within the retirement benefits system for mid-career hires who join the Company after the age of 35. For employees already employed by the Company, retirement benefit entitlements accumulated under the previous system have been carried forward into the new framework, which has been designed to ensure that retirement benefit levels at retirement age will not fall below those provided under the former system. Furthermore, by continuing the accrual of retirement benefit points beyond the age of 55, the revised system is also intended to enhance employee motivation and support longer-term career engagement.

Advantest Group has formulated a basic policy to promise that it respects the human rights of individual employees, eliminate discrimination based on race, gender, age, nationality, religion, social status, disability, disease, sexual orientation, and so on. Advantest is also eliminating discrimination in employment and promotion and actively employing, developing, and promoting personnel who can play a leading role in global situations.

The graph below shows the trends in the number of employees.