Building a Better World depends on people who find purpose in their work. It’s a long standing mindset and essential component of the entrepreneurial spirit that many of our RPM associates embody. It drives us to do the right thing for each other, for our customers and for the future of our planet.
We could not take on the challenge of Building a Better World without the committed RPM associates around the globe. We involve them in our sustainability efforts through awareness campaigns, feedback surveys, programs, contests, incentives, goals and initiatives that offer opportunities to collaborate with their fellow associates and to help build a better world at RPM.
The Building a Better World Engaged People Subcommittee is chaired by our Vice President – Corporate Benefits and Risk Management and composed of representatives from each of our operating groups and senior leaders at the RPM corporate level. The Subcommittee addresses key issues affecting our workforce, including diversity, equity and inclusion. It develops and implements programs, and suggests improvement measures to the Building a Better World Oversight Committee and, ultimately, RPM’s Board of Directors.
We recognize that our workforce is rapidly changing, becoming more diverse and we are continually adapting to what current and new associates value. We work to create leadership development opportunities to foster top talent. We develop policies and programs to attract and retain the best workforce and we strive to provide overall wellbeing, including safe and pleasant working conditions through our health and safety training and management, benefits and educational programming.
For example, we have partnered with a job posting board focused on connecting all U.S. businesses with diverse candidates, including veterans, women, people of color and individuals with disabilities.
Associate Development
As part of RPM’s entrepreneurial culture, we look for ways to offer learning opportunities for our associates to meet continuing training needs, stimulate personal growth and development and advance education. We are committed to supporting our associates in their personal and career growth and development and assist in positioning them to excel throughout their careers. Our Engaged People Subcommittee is also creating centralized training and development content for associates across the entire organization.
Our Chief Talent Officer is responsible for management and oversight of associate leadership development and engagement and chairs our Global Organizational Leadership Development (GOLD) Team.
To promote interest in leadership roles among our associates, the GOLD Team emphasizes a leadership-oriented learning culture across RPM. The team ensures that programming is tailored to emerging trends and best practices and oversees our RPM University, Leaders of the Future and Strategic Leader Staff Ride programs.
We believe that better culture starts with better conversations, so the GOLD Team drives the Better Conversations Every DayTM (BCE) program. Since February 2020, nearly 900 RPM associates have been trained in BCE behaviors that build trust and collaboration for better business communications.
One initiative of our Engaged People Subcommittee has been to expand the Women at Rust-Oleum affinity group platform to a global associate group: Women of RPM. The objective of the group is to share learning and development opportunities across the entire company to help grow and develop our associates. Women of RPM began holding events open to all RPM associates in summer 2022.
Additional initiatives established by our Engaged People Subcommittee include:
- Provide specialized training for human resources and recruiting managers focused on unconscious bias, diversity of thought and bias in hiring.
- Intentionally work to broaden our applicant pool with more diverse candidates.
- Review current benefit offerings to identify gaps in inclusivity.
- Develop and expand training and educational opportunities equitably for all associates.
- Review hiring and recruiting practices for diversity and inclusiveness.
- Review organizational communications for cultural appropriateness, diverse representation and accessibility.
RPM University
The RPM University (RPMU) program, introduced in 2015, is a one-year program focused on cultivating cohorts of high-performing leaders who will leave a lasting legacy at RPM for years to come. Our partners at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) collaborate with us to facilitate the program and integrate fundamental RPM tenets such as The Value of 168, transparency, trust and respect, and Connections Creating Value.
The RPMU program has graduated 91 RPM leaders since its introduction, with 14 currently enrolled.
Associate Engagement
Building a Better World depends on associates who find purpose in their work. Our new RPM center-led approach to communication enables us to facilitate a more direct line of communication and engagement with our associates.
Through education and communications we encourage our associates to voice concerns and opinions with their managers, human resources team members, compliance departments, forums, surveys and via the Ethics and Compliance Hotline.
In early 2022, we distributed our first company-wide associate engagement survey. We had a response rate of 44%, with 83% reporting favorable engagement and 88% “proud to be a part of RPM.” Approximately one-third of the respondents provided constructive comments as part of the survey. To make that feedback actionable, we have used the survey results, including associate comments, to focus efforts. Our companies are tasked with preparing an action plan to address specific feedback areas over the next year and report progress toRPM senior leadership.
We plan to conduct an associate engagement survey annually to monitor the impact of our action plans and track associate morale, satisfaction and engagement.
Sustainability Engagement
We developed the Building a Better World program to integrate sustainability into our company culture from the top down and the bottom up. It is critical that our associates are informed of what sustainability means to our business and how it and climate change may impact our risks, opportunities and strategy and that our associates contribute to our sustainability success through opportunities to lead and share their ideas. The program’s success depends on and involves commitment from leaders and associates throughout all the departments and functions within our organization.
RPM Around the World Newsletter:
RPM Around the World, our global newsletter, highlights our sustainability efforts through a section in every issue dedicated to Building a Better World. We use this section to build awareness, deliver messaging about goals and objectives and showcase how RPM companies and associates integrate sustainability across their workstreams.
We share inspiring stories about how our companies and associates help build a better world through new ideas and products, unique engagements and initiatives. We spotlight our associates’ ideas, contributions and achievements and celebrate how they impact their colleagues, communities, customers and the environment, both inside and outside RPM.
Associate engagement efforts have included:
- RPM Around the World features
- Contests and drawings
- Company-wide videos explaining the Building a Better World program and its importance to RPM and its associates
- Posters detailing goals and initiatives
- Earth Day projects including recycling of consumer goods, planting trees, picking up litter, and other earth friendly team building activities
Building A Better World Internal Awareness:
RPM has launched an official corporate-wide Building a Better World awareness campaign. We designed this program to increase awareness, create inspiration and facilitate engagement internally around RPM’s ongoing commitment to a sustainable future.
Associate Recognition and Awards Programs
Our168 Awards annually recognize excellence within RPM across many categories, such as innovation, operational excellence, efficiency, sustainability, teamwork and more. The awards spotlight great new products, acquisitions, teamwork, sustainability and operational excellence. Award winners receive recognition at an awards ceremony in honor of their valuable contributions.
In 2021, we introduced two Building a Better World-specific accolades to our 168 Awards program to empower and encourage our associates to participate in our sustainability journey.
- Building a Better World – Environmental Impact Award
- Building a Better World – Social Responsibility Award
For 2022, we have added a Building a Better World– Product Sustainability Award, which will be granted to an RPM associate or team that has enhanced the sustainability profile of a new or existing product.
Our operating companies also have employee recognition programs, examples of which are below:
- Tremco CPG celebrates the achievement of production and safety milestones
- Stonhard hosts monthly associate appreciation days
- Carboline recognizes their associates’ achievements by providing them with service awards and hosting appreciation events
Benefits
At RPM, we put associates first by offering comprehensive benefits packages and resources that cultivate livelihoods in and outside the workplace. Our benefits package for full-time U.S. associates includes:
Associate Assistance Program
We deeply value the mental health and wellbeing of our associates. Our associate assistance program provides short-term, no-cost or low-cost mental health and counseling services, legal guidance and financial wellness education and assistance.
Retirement and Pension Programs
RPM is proud to provide a defined benefit pension plan as well as a matching 401(k) plan to its eligible U.S. associates. Our retirement plans enable our associates to plan for their future to remain financially stable as they enter their next stage of life. Associates with full careers at RPM who actively participate in the 401(k) plan will enjoy a significant percentage of their pre-retirement income level after they retire.
Financial Planning
Recognizing the stress that finances can cause, we have implemented a program that provides access to low cost, individual financial planning to our associates. Our initial level of participation is higher than the provider’s book of business.
Flexible Work
Since expanding remote work at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, RPM has created numerous new remote or flexible work opportunities for our associates around the world.
Our experience has found that providing flexible work options allows us to attract and accommodate a more diverse talent pool, bringing a host of different viewpoints and ideas to foster innovation and collaboration. The flexibility also helps us continue cultivating inclusion throughout our workforce regardless of location.
Recruitment Programs
Our organization develops thoughtful ways to attract new associates to promote diversity and access to skills and knowledge. Our recruitment strategy includes career fairs, internships, apprenticeships and other programs to attract new diverse talent. Our operating companies also promote customized talent attraction programs that advance our core values and cater to specific business needs in a rapidly changing workforce. A key part of our strategy is attracting talent across generations and of diverse backgrounds. We have partnered with a job posting board focused on connecting all U.S. businesses with diverse candidates, including veterans, women, people of color and individuals with disabilities.
