As our associates grow and acquire new skills, they can continue developing the innovative water management solutions we need for the future. Delivering these opportunities in a range of formats—including leadership development programs, on-the-job training, virtual education and peer-to-peer learning—empowers every associate to advance their careers in ways that work best for them.
BUILD: Participants learn skills such as leading through conflict, emotional intelligence, understanding working styles, and setting and managing priorities
GROW: Participants learn skills such as influencing others, critical thinking, behavioral interviewing and change leadership
ACCELERATE: Participants learn skills such as leading innovation, having crucial conversations, leading across cultures and leading virtually
Each level combines self-paced learning and on-the-job experiences and requires roughly four hours of training per week over three months. In 2022, 198 associates participated in our manager development program.
Managers, directors and executives are eligible for a virtual course on accountability, communications and group dynamics. 275 associates participated in leadership development, attending courses in 13 topics.
21 associates completed the Essential Leadership course, which helps high-potential new and prospective supervisors/managers develop a leadership mindset and build trust-based credibility and relationships.
14 associates completed our Emergent Leaders Program, which is designed to help high-potential new managers, high-performing managers and subject-matter experts cultivate the skills needed to advance to the next stage of leadership roles.
Marquette University's Bridge to Business for Engineers is a six-day program for early career engineers, sponsored by Zurn Elkay Water Solutions. Attendees receive classroom instruction and participate in applied learning opportunities to build their technical skills and knowledge of business fundamentals. Five Zurn Elkay associates completed the Bridge to Business program in 2022.
McKinsey & Company’s Connected Leaders Academy is a training program designed to enhance the skills and professional networks of Black, Asian, Hispanic and Latinx business leaders. Recognizing the importance of these opportunities to improve our associates’ lives and strengthen our talent pipeline, we had nine associates participating in McKinsey programs in 2022, including:
Hispanic & Latino Management Accelerator
Black Management Accelerator
Black Executive Leadership Program
Asian Management Accelerator
Sr. manager of international logistics Leo Hilzeger came to Zurn Elkay in 2022 with more than 15 years of experience in logistics. He participated in the four-month Hispanic & Latino Management Accelerator, where he and his peers focused on developing a leadership mindset and behaviors, sharpening problem solving for impact and helping the organization set and execute a business strategy.
“The Management Accelerator helped me learn from others on how to be my authentic self as a leader and embrace my culture, share experiences of how we’ve overcome cultural differences and how different cultural backgrounds can bring a lot of value to the workplace.” Leo recalled.
Our internal e-learning platform empowers associates to drive their individual development in areas including technology, management skills, product knowledge and the Zurn Elkay Business System. Associates accessed the platform 6,029 times, participating in curricula covering the leadership development core, embracing equity and inspiring resilience.
This forum on the Zurn Elkay intranet platform encourages associates to share examples of continuous improvement from their day-to-day work experience. Circulating these wins broadly across the company helps foster peer-to-peer learning and recognizes individuals for their contributions and insights. Associates submitted a total of 1,832 improvement projects. These initiatives generated an estimated $3.2 million in savings.
All non-temporary employees are eligible for up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursement for costs related to associate, undergraduate or graduate degrees.
In-house subject-matter experts hosted over 20 60-minute sessions overviews on topics such as supplier quality, plumbing IP and compliance, open to all associates companywide.