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Living Values

2007 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

 

Working Environment

 

All-Associate Engagement Survey

OfficeMax associates feel their …In an effort to tap into the valuable knowledge and opinions of our associates, and to help continually improve the associate experience, OfficeMax conducted its first-ever All-Associate Engagement Survey in 2007. More than just a tool for gauging satisfaction, an engagement survey measures the level of personal investment and effort associates are willing to put into the performance of their roles, as well as the critical factors that impact engagement.

While survey results varied based on a variety of factors, generally speaking, OfficeMax associates are relatively engaged and satisfied in their jobs. Associates reported that they understand and believe in the Core Values of the organization, embrace the Brand Essence, and feel their managers listen to them, recognize them, include them, and treat them fairly. Scores on items measuring ethics as well as Diversity and Inclusion were very high compared with benchmarks, indicating that associates feel that the people with whom they work have high ethical standards.

A major purpose of conducting the survey was to identify opportunities to improve the associate experience. Associates stated that they want to know more about where OfficeMax is headed as a company, better understand their own futures with the company, and see increased recognition for their efforts. Initiatives put in place over the last year have begun to address these opportunities, including the implementation of a companywide recognition plan.

While companywide results are important, action at the local level has the most impact on improving the associate experience. To make this happen, survey results were distributed to local managers who shared results with their teams and built action plans specific to their area of the company.

The survey was distributed in English and Spanish and made available online to all of OfficeMax’s associates in their U.S. and Puerto Rico locations, with a small percentage of associates completing a printed version of the survey. OfficeMax enlisted an outside vendor to implement the survey. To ensure associate confidentiality, all responses went directly to the vendor, who reported aggregate results back to OfficeMax. Participation was encouraged, but voluntary. In 2007, 66 percent of OfficeMax U.S. Operations associates participated in the survey.