PTPN IV Palmco's Inclusive Strategy, Manage Diversity of 55 Ethnic Groups to Boost Productivity

JAKARTA - As one of the largest palm oil plantation companies in the world, PTPN IV PalmCo has now become a large home for tens of thousands of highly diverse workers as part of an inclusive strategy.

Like "Miniature Indonesia", PTPN IV PalmCo shelters 55 ethnic groups to boost productivity.

PTPN IV PalmCo President Director, Jatmiko K. Santosa, said the very diverse demographic structure is not a coincidence, but a strategic strength that is consciously managed by management.

"PTPN IV PalmCo is really like a miniature Indonesia, the palm garden is located in many corners. Because the local population is limited, our brothers from various islands finally came to work. This is where the cultural meeting took place," said Jatmiko in his statement in Jakarta, Monday, February 16.

Based on demographic data as of December 2025, PTPN IV PalmCo oversees a total of 69,455 employees. Interestingly, this composition is not dominated by one ethnic group alone.

Company data notes that there are at least 55 ethnic groups that are mixed in the PTPN IV working ecosystem. This composition includes a wide spectrum of the archipelago, ranging from the Javanese, Batak, Malay, Dayak, Minang, Bugis tribes, to the representation of tribes from East Indonesia and other regions such as Ambon, Flores, to Papua.

According to Jatmiko, this cultural mix produces a strong and complementary team. "Imagine, the perseverance of colleagues from Java meets the firmness and spirit of colleagues from Batak, plus the hospitality of the Malay culture and the wisdom of the local people. When all these good qualities are combined with corporate values (AKHLAK), the result is a way of working that is incredibly productive," he said.

Jatmiko gave a simple example of how beautiful tolerance is in the palm oil plantation. "When Muslim friends are Lebaran, the factory operations are guarded by Christian and Hindu friends. On the other hand, during Christmas, Muslim friends are backup. So, our operations are alhamdulilah-nya never stop operating, and brotherhood is getting stronger," said Jatmiko.

The phenomenon of Miniature Indonesia in the body of PTPN IV PalmCo is in line with the analysis of the Executive Director of the Palm Oil Agribusiness Strategic Policy Institute (PASPI), Dr. Ir. Tungkot Sipayung, who on various occasions emphasized the function of palm oil as an agent of economic equalization.

Referring to the general view of PASPI, the palm oil industry naturally creates new economic growth centers that attract labor migration across provinces. This forms a compound (multicultural) social structure as reflected in PTPN IV demographic data.

In the context of regional economics, well-managed heterogeneity like this is considered capable of creating social balancing that dampens the potential for conflict and spurs competence-based performance.

This human resource management strategy of PTPN IV is also relevant to the concept of the Modern Agribusiness System advocated by the National Plantation Figure, Prof. Dr. Ir. Bungaran Saragih. In Bungaran's perspective, the competitiveness of the future agri-business is no longer only based on land and technology, but on Human Capital that has a strong industrial culture.

The transformation of the work culture carried out by PTPN IV Palmco by merging 55 ethnic groups into one professional entity is the implementation of a shift in the mindset of traditional agriculture towards a modern corporate culture that is adaptive and globally competitive.

Meanwhile, in terms of sustainability, Professor of Agribusiness at IPB University, Prof. Dr. Ir. Bayu Krisnamurthi, often reminds of the importance of the Social Sustainability aspect in meeting global market standards.

The presence of tens of thousands of workers from various ethnic and religious backgrounds who work harmoniously at PTPN IV is a concrete answer to this social challenge. This data is also an empirical evidence (evidence-based) of corporate compliance with the principle of non-discrimination and equal employment opportunities, which is an absolute requirement in sustainability certification such as ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil) and RSPO.

With the support of human resources dominated by the productive age, where data records the age group of 31-40 years old as much as 27 percent and 41-50 years old 41 percent of PTPN IV PalmCo people, they are optimistic that this cultural wealth will continue to be the main fuel in realizing national food and energy security.