People

Providing meaningful opportunities to support our associates’ development is a top priority at Avient. We know that investing in our associates is critical to accomplishing our business goals and sustaining a great place to work culture. Our training and developmental resources and programs are provided to all full-time and part-time associates through global programs and technology, to ensure a consistent and high-quality experience for associates. In addition to providing resources for associates to improve their skills and further their career with Avient, the learning opportunities enhance collaboration across the company as associates build their networks. Learning is ingrained in our culture and every Avient associate participates in training annually, with topics varying from safety, sustainability, job-related skill development, personal development, cybersecurity, ethics, and management competencies. On average, Avient associates participated in 12 hours of training in 2021. We take our training and development efforts seriously.

Performance Feedback
100% of Avient associates receive regular performance feedback, and we leverage technology to enable the global process all year long. Associates have the opportunity at least twice per year through the performance appraisal process to request a career development discussion with their manager. The results of our Performance Management processes inform the enhancement and development of learning experiences to meet the strategic skill building needs of our associates. 

Through the Individual Development Plan (IDP) process, associates build their plans in collaboration with their managers utilizing prompts that determine development goals and create action plans. 

We also conduct 360 assessments to help individuals assess their individual development and progression based on feedback from key stakeholders.

Competencies
Our competencies provide a common language for how we define success at Avient. Our Competency Model outlines a framework for our leaders to coach and develop their teams, which drives business results and supports individual and career development opportunities for our associates. Each position at Avient focuses on competencies as a Leader of Self.  As the associates advance to management positions, they focus on leadership competencies as a Leader of Others and/or a Leader of the Business.  

Career Training and Leadership Development Programs
Avient offers various professional development and on-the-job training opportunities for associates and managers, across all regions and locations. Our Avient Academy core offerings include trainings to increase business acumen, enhance presentation skills, cultivate relationships across the company, support the transition from individual contributor to manager, and prepare top talent to become visionary leaders at the company. Our Lean Six Sigma programs increase LSS technical skills, focus on leadership and change management competencies, and provide visible assignments to implement sustainable solutions for Avient. 

Avient hosts nomination-based leadership development programs, such as NextGen and Elevate, as well as CORE Leadership, an open-enrollment program for leaders of people globally. The ENGAGE initiative was designed to broaden our culture of learning in our manufacturing footprint, bringing classroom experiences focused on our Sustainability strategy and product portfolio to the production teams at our global locations. 

On-Demand online learning is available through LinkedIn Learning and our Learning Management System for skill development needs identified using the performance management and career advancement processes. 

Course evaluations, focus groups and program pilot techniques are utilized to gain insight to program effectiveness and monitor opportunities for enhancement. We regularly review and analyze the technical and leadership skills of our workforce to deliver on the training needs of our associates to advance our business objectives.  

Mentoring at Avient
At Avient, we believe that employees can benefit from having a mentor as part of their personal and professional journey. Engagement in mentoring can provide a variety of benefits to both parties, including the cultivation of leadership skills, the expansion of a professional network, and building a trusted relationship outside of reporting lines. In addition to the annual, structured mentoring program sponsored by Leadership, all associates are encouraged to participate in informal mentoring engagements.