COMPANY PROFILE
CertainTeed® has helped shape the building products industry for more than 110 years. It was founded in 1904 as a General Roofing Manufacturing Company. Today, it is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fencing, decking, railing, trim, insulation, gypsum and ceilings. CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,300 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. It is a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain.
CHALLENGES
One of the biggest challenges we face as an organization is improving communications. CertainTeed is committed to employee development; however, having a customizable approach to deliver training is important because we are manufacturing-driven. There are some teams in the organization that can accommodate a half-day session, while others need a quick hit and can only afford 2 hours or less.
Another challenge is sustainability. The price with the previous vendor was simply too high for CertainTeed to continue offering assessments to all employees. Not to mention, the customer service from the previous vendor was woefully lacking.
SOLUTION
We found Extended DISC® through a marketing email. Switching to Extended DISC® has been a great decision. The customer service, resources and depth of the reports far surpass the vendor we were using.
Customer Service For example, after certification, customer service helped me prepare for an upcoming workshop and walked me step-by-step through the process. I’m an experiential learner, so it met me right where I was. The response time from customer service is incredible. It’s usually within minutes. We have really appreciated the 24/7 customer support.
Resources The resources that Extended DISC® provides are phenomenal. The tutorial videos have been lifesavers to refresh key actions within our account. The fact that they are available on-demand 24/7 is great when we are working after business hours.
The PowerPoint provided did not need to be customized; it was ready to use in our training sessions. We also use the Extended DISC® training videos to help participants understand the 4 DISC styles. The most fun has been the playing cards we purchased. The different games in the card deck really help us to solidify the message of the 4 styles.
The most impactful resource has been the “My Communication Strategy” handout. We have used it to better relationships with others. There are so many other activities available, we just haven’t had time to explore and implement all our options.
Depth of Report The reports with Extended DISC® are very robust. The facets of the Diamond provide more depth and insight into the person. We are still learning the capabilities of the reports. It’s so much more than just the 4 DISC quadrants. The do’s and don’ts are extremely helpful because they are not generic, they are very specific to the individual. And I LOVE the Work Pair report.
BENEFITS
Currently at CertainTeed, we mostly use the Extended DISC® with intact teams. It’s rare to find someone who hasn’t had exposure to DISC. We have found it’s the previous users who become the biggest cheerleaders in the room. They recognize that repetition is helpful and brings awareness.
The pricing Extended DISC® offers has given us sustainability. In 2020, we will begin to push Extended DISC® versus pulling in intact teams. We will offer Extended DISC® at our Headquarters so anyone who is interested can come and learn about DISC.
We will also be partnering with an outside organization to measure the return on investment of the program. It will tell us if the program is impactful, why, and if behaviors change. I can’t wait to see the results moving forward.
