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Living Values

2007 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

 

Working Environment

 

Training and Education

Interns especially valued …Associates in our U.S. Operations participated in nearly one million cumulative hours of training during 2007. Associates received, on average, 29.5 training hours of training during the reporting period, with actual hours varying by function and need, in the areas of merchandising, supply chain, information technology, Retail, customer service, and Contract sales.

Due to enhancements in our techniques for measuring training hours in 2007, which we believe yield more accurate results, it is not possible to draw comparisons between the reporting period and previous years. Moving forward, we now have the systems in place to begin tracking performance trends as they relate to training hours received.

In addition to job-specific training, OfficeMax began conducting Diversity and Inclusion education and awareness training as part of our overall Diversity and Inclusion efforts, with plans to expand. Other specialized training implemented in 2007, and expected to be implemented or expanded in 2008, include the following: Economic Value-Added Analysis, Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance, Leadership Development, Respect in the Workplace, Manager and Supervisor Training, and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

Internship and University Relations Program

A well-strategized college internship program supports both our need to recruit world-class talent and our commitment to promoting quality educational experiences in the community. In 2007, our Internship and University Relations Program, introduced in 2006, enjoyed a successful first full year of implementation, gauged by intern feedback and value realized by the company.

A total of 13 undergraduate and 12 graduate students participated in the comprehensive program, which engages interns in projects of measurable value to the organization. The composition of the group – 44 percent from diverse ethnic backgrounds and 68 percent female – added another dimension of value. The majority, but not all, of our 2007 interns came to us through partner institutions established previously by our University Relations and Human Resources functions. For 2007, these schools included: Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, Texas A & M University, and University of Notre Dame.

Program participants indicated a high degree of satisfaction with their internship experience and compensation, especially valuing face time with OfficeMax Chairman and CEO, Sam Duncan, as well as other executive leaders. All 25 interns reported that they would consider a career at OfficeMax based on their experience. Most of the 2007 participants agreed to join OfficeMax as Student Ambassadors to assist in the recruitment of new interns.

Through cross-functional learning opportunities, interns develop leadership skills, gain first-hand exposure to strategic operational methodologies through field trips to learn about different business units, and obtain competitive business knowledge for career achievement, while contributing to the success of OfficeMax.