RTI International
About us
RTI International is an independent nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. We are committed to applying principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging across every function of our organization and in our research process.
Beyond Tolerance: Seeking and Embracing the Differing Worldviews Created by Diverse Backgrounds
From our research, to community involvement, to outreach, we apply our principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging globally at every level and across every function of our organization. Our commitment to honoring these principles continues to help us create a diverse team that uses an inclusive environment as the foundation for improving the human condition. We have also turned a lens on ourselves, reaching out to our employees to ask for their views on equity, diversity, and inclusion at RTI and how they would like to see their organization grow and change to increase everyone’s sense of belonging.
Our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Pillars
More than a decade ago, we began our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) journey, with an initial survey of staff to determine interest in this area and the development of an initial diversity and inclusion plan. Five years ago, we entered a more mature phase, with the development of a comprehensive strategy that focuses on these areas:
- Our People
- Our Culture
- The Communities In Which We Operate
- The Clients We Serve
- The Diverse Business Partners and Suppliers We Engage With
Racial Justice & Equity
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and in partnership with our Black Employee Resource Group, our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) publicly announced a series of commitments to racial justice and equity at the institute. This resulted in the creation of our Racial Justice & Equity program. The work of the program and the RTI Racial Justice & Equity Leadership Council, along with feedback from our staff, inform the path we are taking as an organization toward racial equity for all our employees.
Our People
At RTI, we believe that our continued success depends on the diverse skills, experiences, and backgrounds that our employees bring to the organization. Five years ago, our employees began forming a rich community of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that provide opportunities to leverage shared knowledge and collective experiences to enhance professional growth, promote multicultural understanding, and positively affect the RTI mission. Today we have 13 groups that comprise more than 1,900 individuals (out of roughly 5,000 total employees) as members. These groups represent the following populations:
These numbers were collected in 2021 and sourced from RTI’s Environmental, Social and Governance report.
Our Culture
At RTI, we consider everyone a leader, at every level. It’s a key part of our culture. And we expect every employee to take that role seriously by demonstrating our leadership behaviors as part of their efforts to achieve RTI’s strategy:
- Innovate
- Develop Talent
- Collaborate
- Communicate
- Act Strategically
- Think Globally
Three years ago, a seventh behavior was added to focus on EDIB: Engage Inclusively. As part of this behavior, RTI employees are expected to value the unique background, personal qualities, and characteristics of every colleague and fully engage diverse individuals and groups for smarter ideation and decision-making.
Our Community
With 5,000+ employees sprinkled across 80 countries, we have the potential for significant impact in the communities in which we live and work and our commitment to improving the human condition would not be complete without commitments to the communities we serve. Through both institute-level efforts and the volunteer passions of staff members, we take action to make the world we live in a better place. During the past two years, our communities have been forced to take on the unprecedented, combined challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustice. At RTI, we worked hard throughout the pandemic to help meet the urgent needs of our communities. We did this with a multi-pronged approach that expanded our numerous community partnerships and focused our corporate giving on pandemic relief and racial justice and equity.