Corporate Profiles in Diversity: Newell Rubbermaid

Newell Rubbermaid, an international marketer of consumer and commercial products, employs a global workforce of approximately 30,000. Leading the Fortune 500 company's worldwide recruiting efforts is Mike Rickheim, Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition. Mr. Rickheim shares his inside perspective on diversity recruiting at Newell Rubbermaid and its future goals for Hispanic talent acquisition

Mike Rickheim Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition, Newell Rubbermaid

First, can you tell us a little about your own background and history with Newell Rubbermaid?
I joined the organization in 2003, and I am currently Vice President - Global Talent Acquisition for Newell Rubbermaid, a Fortune 500 consumer products marketer. In this role I am responsible for developing and improving worldwide talent acquisition efforts and aligning with global business unit hiring objectives. Our organization takes a very aggressive approach to talent acquisition, and we do nearly all of our hiring through our internal recruitment efforts - from entry-level to executive and everything in between.

What challenges have you encountered in recruiting Hispanic employees? What methods have you found to be most effective for recruiting multicultural candidates?
In our values, we state that “the success of our company starts with our people,” so we recognize how important talent acquisition is to our overall success. Our goal is to look and think like our consumers. Our product line is broad - ranging from office products to strollers and car seats to cookware to hand tools and accessories and beyond. The Hispanic consumer has an increasingly large impact on each of our businesses, and this makes our Hispanic recruitment efforts that much more important. We continue to challenge ourselves to identify creative channels to source, screen, and secure top Hispanic talent.

How do you define and meet your diversity goals and objectives?
Our Global Talent Acquisition team has aggressive diversity hiring goals in place. It is our goal to hire and retain a diverse employee base in all of our Global Business Units, functions, and locations – and again, to ensure that we are mirroring our consumers and end-users.

What initiatives exist to help your current workforce value diversity?
In addition to the creation of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion in 2006, Newell Rubbermaid has launched two Employee Resource Groups: HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Latinos) and WIN*WIN (Women in Newell Rubbermaid – Working, Inspiring, Networking). We plan to launch additional Employee Resource Groups in the future, and we recognize that a common dimension of diversity can go beyond gender and ethnicity. For instance, we are considering the launch of a group for new parents.

Employee Resource Groups, also known as affinity groups or network groups, are organized networks for Newell Rubbermaid employees who share a common dimension of diversity to join together and build relationships across the organization. These employee-initiated, grassroots groups are established with defined goals, are aligned with business objectives, serve as a positive forum for professional and personal development, and are sponsored by a member of senior management.

How does your employee onboarding process help promote an inclusive atmosphere for diverse employees right from the start?
We are currently in the process of re-tooling our orientation programs to support our objective to become “One Company.” The Diversity and Inclusion message will resonate significantly throughout orientation and training for all new employees.

Many companies struggle to bring diversity to all areas. Has Newell Rubbermaid been successful in achieving diversity in upper management? How were you able to achieve this?
Building a diverse executive team is a priority for the organization. We have made significant strides over the past several years but recognize that we have a lot of work to do in this area. That said, we are proud of the progress that we have made in our efforts to bring female leaders and diverse leaders into the organization. We will continue to focus carefully in this area.

What is your company’s leadership commitment and involvement in diversity? How has the CEO or other top officer of the company embraced or championed diversity?
Our CEO, Mark Ketchum, has been instrumental in building the business case for diversity and inclusion. Mark believes strongly that diverse teams working in an inclusive environment creates an atmosphere that attracts world-class talent, enables creative approaches and innovative solutions, and fosters a global community united by a common vision and strategy. He has been an excellent champion for the cause of diversity and inclusion.

What role does diversity play in the overall success of your organization? How are you able to correlate bottom-line results to workforce diversity?
A global, diverse workforce allows us to have a broader view of the world and to identify business opportunities through the lens of inclusion. The business case for diversity is becoming increasingly clear based on the rapid demographic changes within the United States and around the world. To be competitive, we – and all companies – will need a diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of their consumers.

What would you say to Latino candidates applying to Newell Rubbermaid today? What can they do to use their language and cultural skills to their best advantage?
We are a company that rewards top performers, and recognizes and values a strong work ethic. As we continue to grow, the opportunities for Latino employees to have a visible and immediate impact will be tremendous.

What do you want prospective diverse employees to know about Newell Rubbermaid and its commitment to diversity?
Newell Rubbermaid is constantly looking for new ways for our employees to come together, share experiences, coach one another, get career advice and connect with the community through volunteerism and local events.

We recognize that the Hispanic population is the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States with the greatest increase in spending power over the next few years. To maximize our success as a company, it is critical that we understand these consumers and appeal to their needs. The good news is that we do not have to look very far to be well informed. Our employees are also our consumers, providing valuable leads and in-depth consumer insights.