Welcome to Gore
W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) is a technology-driven global company built on entrepreneurial innovation, integrity, and teamwork.
Bill and Vieve Gore founded the company in the basement of their home in 1958. Their vision was an organization offering employees, whom they called associates, the opportunity for individual growth, creative accomplishment, and compensation proportionate to contribution; a place where people could do work they are passionate about and feel ownership for the results.
Today, Gore makes thousands of products using leading-edge technologies for a wide variety of industries. Through our product leadership, we've been changing lives and changing industries including fabrics, medical devices, electronics, and manufacturing for more than 50 years.
With more than 9,500 associates in more than 50 locations worldwide, Gore is an Affirmative Action Employer that welcomes people of all backgrounds and values diversity of all kinds.
What We Believe
Bill Gore built the company on a set of beliefs and principles that guide us in the decisions we make, in the work we do, and in our behavior toward others. What we believe is the basis for our strong culture, which connects Gore associates worldwide.
Fundamental Beliefs:
- Belief in the Individual: If you trust individuals and believe in them, they will be motivated to do what's right for the company.
- Power of Small Teams: Our lattice organization harnesses the fast decision-making, diverse perspectives, and collaboration of small teams.
- All in the Same Boat: All Gore associates are part owners of the company through the associate stock plan. Not only does this allow us to share in the risks and rewards of the company; it gives us an added incentive to stay committed to its long-term success. As a result, we feel we are all in this effort together, and believe we should always consider what's best for the company as a whole when making decisions.
- Long-Term View: Our investment decisions are based on long-term payoff, and our fundamental beliefs are not sacrificed for short-term gain.
Guiding Principles:
- Freedom: The company was designed to be an organization in which associates can achieve their own goals best by directing their efforts toward the success of the corporation; action is prized; ideas are encouraged; and making mistakes is viewed as part of the creative process. We define freedom as being empowered to encourage each other to grow in knowledge, skill, scope of responsibility, and range of activities. We believe that associates will exceed expectations when given the freedom to do so.
- Fairness: Everyone at Gore sincerely tries to be fair with each other, our suppliers, our customers, and anyone else with whom we do business.
- Commitment: We are not assigned tasks; rather, we each make our own commitments and keep them.
- Waterline: Everyone at Gore consults with other associates before taking actions that might be "below the waterline"--causing serious damage to the company.
Working in Our Unique Culture
Our founder Bill Gore once said, "The objective of the Enterprise is to make money and have fun doing so." And we still believe that, more than 50 years later.
Because we are all part owners of the company through the associate stock plan, Gore associates expect a lot from each other. Innovation and creativity; high ethics and integrity; making commitments and standing behind them. We work hard at living up to these expectations as we strive for business success. But we also trust and respect each other and believe it's important to celebrate success.
Gore is much less formal than most workplaces. Our relationships with other associates are open and informal, and we strive to treat everyone respectfully and fairly. This type of environment naturally promotes social interaction, and many associates have made lifelong friends with those they met working at Gore.
Our Reputation
Gore has established a solid reputation as a product, industry, and technology leader worldwide for more than 50 years. Our success is a result of our unique culture, which inspires associates to explore, discover, and invent.
Gore sets high standards for its products and operations alike. The company has earned a reputation for integrity and ethical practices in its interactions with customers, suppliers, and the communities in which it operates. Gore's tradition of product reliability and integrity stems from the same fundamental commitment to fairness, a principle ingrained in Gore's corporate culture.
Diversity at Gore
The focus of diversity at Gore is on understanding when, why, if, and how differences affect relationships, because the quality of relationships has a lot to do with how well our business performs. By harnessing diversity within our teams, we can better drive innovation.
Our culture welcomes different viewpoints and people from a variety of environments and backgrounds. Our unique lattice organization and core principles are catalysts to participation, communication, and creativity. Our associates are what differentiate Gore as an enterprise and fuel our growth. Knowledge, expertise, talents, creativity, and hard work are what lead to unique, valuable, and profitable products.
Diversity and inclusion are critical ingredients for sustaining the Gore culture. Our diversity work seeks to ensure that all associates experience the inclusion that is promised in our fundamental beliefs and basic principles.
Is Gore a Good Fit For You?
It's not easy to know whether a company will be a good fit for you and your work style. The questions listed here outline our expectations of Gore associates. Before you apply for an opportunity with Gore, use these questions to honestly evaluate if the qualities we're looking for apply to you.
Do you:
- Experiment with different approaches or solutions to improve the way things are done?
- Challenge traditional thinking and identify creative approaches or solutions?
- Maintain a high standard of performance in uncertain or unstructured situations?
- Work effectively with others who have different perspectives, talents, backgrounds, and/or styles?
- Assess your personal strengths and development needs and take responsibility for creating your own development plan to address them?
- Voice differences of opinion openly and directly?
- Actively promote collaboration, cooperation, and teamwork to ensure the best business results?
- Encourage and help others to grow in knowledge, skill, and scope of responsibility?
Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity and a Respectful Workplace
We strive to make Gore an exciting and rewarding place to work for all associates. One of our fundamental beliefs is that individuals have the opportunity to reach their full potential and that we create an inclusive environment in which all associates are valued for their unique contributions, skills, differences, and talents.