GP Strategies Earns 11 Brandon Hall Group Excellence in Learning Awards

COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global performance improvement solutions provider GP Strategies Corporation (NYSE: GPX) today announced that it won 11 Brandon Hall Group Human Capital Management (HCM) Excellence Awards in the Learning and Development, Talent Management, and Sales Performance categories.

GP Strategies, in collaboration with its customers, received awards for the following projects:

1.  Gold | Best Learning Team

Center of Learning Team – In an effort to create a high-performance learning organization within the company, a major automotive manufacturer wanted one true partner that could provide consistent, quality learning and performance improvement solutions—they selected GP Strategies. GP Strategies provides services at every level, from onboarding and course design and delivery to driving innovation and establishing higher standards of measurement. In the first two years of the partnership, the client has realized the following: a significant savings in training design and delivery costs with greater consistency and more innovation across initiatives; a double-digit reduction in help desk calls; a reduction in the seat time of web-based training sessions; a robust measurement and evaluation system; and external validation as one of the Top 125 companies as rated by Training magazine.

2.  Gold | Best Advance in High Potential Development

Developing Leaders Program – A large advertising agency, in partnership with BlessingWhite, a division of GP Strategies, established the Developing Leaders Program—a high-potential leadership development program aimed at supporting its up-and-coming executives. Program goals included enhancing skills, establishing supportive relationships and connections, and creating a "pay it forward" culture. When surveyed on the effectiveness of the program, 87.5% of respondents agree that their leadership skills improved as a result of participating in the program, and 100% agree that their confidence as leaders improved.

3.   Gold | Best Advancement in Employee Engagement (Ulta Beauty)

Ulta Beauty Culture Survey – Ulta Beauty realized that in order to continue to move the company forward and support rapid growth, a focused integration of talent and culture and a long-term operational strategy were needed. Led by the new CEO and leadership's deeply aligned beliefs of the importance of placing associates and guests at the center of their strategy, Ulta Beauty embarked on understanding employee engagement within the company. In order to develop a new baseline assessment of engagement, Ulta Beauty turned to BlessingWhite, a division of GP Strategies, as their partner. In addition to the baseline assessment, the goals of the engagement effort for Ulta Beauty included improving engagement year over year, understanding the impact of engagement on company culture, identifying necessary changes, and encouraging ownership at all levels. Understanding employee engagement levels and taking deliberate steps to integrate feedback into action efforts have led to improvement in engagement scores across all three groups of corporate, distribution centers, and stores. These scores fall within the top quartile of engagement scores measured by BlessingWhite.

4.  Silver | Best Advance in Establishing Governance to Guide Learning Decisions

Global Learning Network – Seeking a standardized, global approach to training, a major automotive client engaged GP Strategies to help establish a governance structure to move from a regional training model to a global one. The multi-year, multi-phase approach began with discovery across all regions. In phase one, they established the governance foundation and agreed on processes and workstreams, leveraging each region's strengths. In phase two, now in progress, they are transforming the global learning network. In phase three, also in progress, they are focusing on gaining efficiencies and improving learning. In addition, the company is implementing a global learning management system to facilitate asset sharing and reduce redundancies. Since the effort is still in progress, many of the outcomes lie ahead. But in just one case—establishing global vehicle launch templates—the client is realizing significant cost savings per launch.

5.  Silver | Best Advance in Learning Measurement

Measurement Strategy – A major automotive manufacturer was challenged to quantify the effectiveness and business value of their retail and wholesale workforce training. They turned to GP Strategies to develop a robust measurement strategy to both prove and improve the quality of their learning. The team started with well-known measurement models, then expanded them to include a business-alignment level beginning at project intake and an optimization level to inform improved efforts. The program improved processes at every level of measurement, taking different audiences into account—from executives to dealers to administrators—when reporting metrics. Today, the client is able to align initiatives to business outcomes in meaningful ways—a customer service program helped increase the company's net promoter score by 8 points, a new-hire initiative helped retain 1,000 salespeople, and a district manager training program reduced time to proficiency by 60%. 

6.  Silver | Best Use of Games and Simulations for Learning

2017 Product Launch Curriculum – Each year, a major automotive OEM introduces 10 to 12 new vehicles, requiring training on each model across 35,000 salespeople. The company was looking for a fresh approach to training sales consultants to ensure engagement and enhance educational value. They partnered with GP Strategies to create a more compelling experience. GP Strategies took one new vehicle model and applied game theory and game elements to three courses. One of the web-based training courses used customer scenarios and storytelling to help sales consultants match features to diverse customer needs. Another used an engaging interface and different status levels based on how well product knowledge questions were answered. The instructor-led training featured four gamified elements related to product knowledge and customer targeting. Overall, learners rated the experience very high (4.55 on a 1–5 scale). In addition, sales after launch increased by 20%, versus 6% in previous years.

7.  Bronze | Best Use of Video

Data Center Videos – GP Strategies created 10 compelling training videos, all of which play in the client's lobby to inform visitors prior to entering the data center.

8.  Bronze | Best Sales Onboarding Program (Lowe's Companies, Inc.)

Red Vest Ready – As Lowe's evolved from a single-channel home improvement retailer to an omni-channel home improvement company, they needed to ensure store employees could deliver a unique experience for every customer. Lowe's engaged GP Strategies to redesign its onboarding program, Red Vest Ready. Goals of the program included improving sales execution and customer service for Lowe's store employees and driving Lowe's purpose to "help people love where they live." As an output from this initiative, Lowe's store employees obtained a documented curriculum path that provided a clear understanding of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for their job roles, helping further employee engagement and producing business results.

9.  Bronze | Best Unique or Innovative Learning & Development Program

Onboarding Program – An onboarding program was developed for a large financial institution client to provide new hires an introduction to the company and its business, culture, principles, and possibilities. The resource delivers baseline knowledge about the company, what they do, and the value they bring. The goal for the broader onboarding experience is to accelerate employees' time to contribution, while creating a sense of organizational connectedness and belonging. GP Strategies worked with our client to design an interactive and engaging program that sparked curiosity while aiding in retention. Providing the foundational knowledge in the onboarding program has proven to be a benefit in helping employees feel that they are equipped for success, can add value in their new role, and fully understand the possibilities of their future with the company.

10.  Bronze | Best Learning Program Supporting a Change Transformation Business Strategy (Mondelēz International)

Transforming Human Resources Ways of Working from the Bottom-Up - Changes in the global marketplace prompted Mondelez International, a global snack powerhouse, to take bold action to improve operations, drive standardization, and create a great place to work. In 2015, the Human Resources (HR) function decided to move to a new HR operating model, which included moving many of its repeatable, standardized operations to shared service delivery centers.  With this change in the operating model and lift and shift of work, it was unclear who would be doing what. As part of that effort, MDLZ hired GP Strategies to help create "one version of the truth" in regard to roles, responsibilities, and decision rights in a program called HR Ways of Working, or HR WOW. GP Strategies' trusted advisor role was valuable for insight, brainstorming, perspective, and clarity when creating internal processes. First, GP Strategies helped subject matter experts define employee roles and rights. Then GP Strategies designed, developed, and supported deployment of virtual instructor-led training to aid the transformation.  The result was a fresh, integrated view on new HR ways of working across critical HR processes across the globe. The change management process that was used to define and teach the global HR function on their new ways of working as a result of an operating model change has been embraced as a best-practice model within the company – furthering the reputation of HR as a valued business partner.

11.  Bronze | Best Unique or Innovative Learning and Development Program (Propane Education and Research Council - PERC)

Marketer Technology and Sales Training (MTST), Digital - PERC offers a popular classroom-based MTST program. Recently, participants in the program have requested digital learning to supplement their experience and to expand learning beyond the classroom. PERC surveyed propane industry representatives and a digital learning expert and identified the top MTST-related training needs of the propane industry, defined digital course requirements, and brainstormed ways of promoting digital sales training to the propane industry. Using the findings from several workshops they conducted, PERC selected two vendors to support their digital mission. The first, GP Strategies, brought to the table expertise in content development, learning design, and performance support strategy. GP Strategies worked with the other vendor to design and implement a learner-driven content platform that brings together existing PERC marketer resources along with new, custom-designed eLearning courses, webinars, videos, and other materials to create structured, highly interactive learner journeys. 

To view the full list of winners, visit: http://www.brandonhall.com/excellenceawards/excellence-learning.php?year=2017.

About Brandon Hall Group

Brandon Hall Group is an HCM research and advisory services firm that provides insights around key performance areas, including Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition, and Workforce Management.

About GP Strategies

GP Strategies Corporation is a global performance improvement solutions provider of training, eLearning solutions, management consulting, and engineering services. GP Strategies' solutions improve the effectiveness of organizations by delivering innovative and superior training, consulting, and business improvement services customized to meet the specific needs of its clients. Clients include Fortune 500 companies, manufacturing, process and energy industries, and other commercial and government customers. Additional information may be found at www.gpstrategies.com.

© 2017 GP Strategies Corporation. All rights reserved. GP Strategies and the GP Strategies logo design are registered trademarks of GP Strategies Corporation.

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