GP Strategies Earns Five Brandon Hall Excellence Awards for Learning and Talent Management

COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Global performance improvement solutions provider GP Strategies Corporation (NYSE: GPX) today announced that it won four Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards: two Gold awards for Best Custom Content and Best Learning Team; one Silver award for Best Custom Content; and one Bronze award for Best Learning Program Supporting a Change Transformation. GP Strategies also earned one Brandon Hall Excellence in Talent Management Award: Gold for Best Coaching and Mentoring Program.

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

1. Xfinity TV 103. Working together with Comcast, GP Strategies won a Gold award in the Best Custom Content category. This course design emphasizes three dimensions of sales productivity: identifying high-potential prospects on the sales floor, upselling within a service category and cross-selling multiple service categories. The course consists of a branching activity where learners make critical choices during sales scenarios and receive intrinsic feedback in the form of consequences and opportunities presented during an unfolding narrative.
2. Outsourcing Initiative. Working with SunTrust, GP Strategies won a Gold award in the Best Learning Team category. SunTrust made a commitment to train and invest in its team by partnering with GP Strategies to accommodate the increasing demand and volume of training needs. As a result of the program, in 2013, 26,000 SunTrust teammates completed 967,136 hours of training, with a weekly average of 18,248 hours.
3. Financial Foundations. Together with SunTrust, GP Strategies won a Silver award in the Best Custom Content category. As part of its philanthropic commitment, SunTrust made an investment in upgrading existing courseware used by volunteers and teachers. GP Strategies developed five courses, PowerPoint decks, Teacher Guides, Student Guides and Volunteer Guides for this program: Smart Money Habits for Kids (K–2^nd Grade); Smart Money Habits for Kids (3^rd Grade); Setting Your Financial Goals (9^th Grade–12^th Grade); A Place of My Own – Buying (9^th Grade–12^th Grade); and A Place of My Own – Renting (9^th Grade–12^th Grade).
4. Global Business Transformation Program. Together with Columbia Sportswear Co., GP Strategies won a Bronze award in the Best Learning Program Supporting a Change Transformation category. Following a needs analysis, training was developed to address each of the roles undergoing change as a result of the implementation. The training was then delivered using a blended learning approach in two phases: business process training, to address work processes and the new culture of collaboration and cross-functionality between roles, and hands-on systems training to align all enterprise users with the new suite of systems, capabilities and the hands-on everyday use of the systems in their jobs. This approach proved invaluable to the success of the overall project by ensuring employees received the right amount of information at the right time, while being provided multiple opportunities to dialogue with subject matter experts and practice transactions/tasks in the new systems during the multiple phases of training. 
5. Pitch Perfect Coaching. Working with Microsoft, GP Strategies won a Gold award in the Best Coaching and Mentoring Program category. This voluntary program consists of internal Microsoft sales professionals coaching their colleagues to reinforce online and video training and allow sellers to practice their learning. The program equips sellers to have different kinds of conversations with diverse decision makers while addressing competitive issues customers raise. The results are measured regularly through participant surveys where the ratings are used to create the Net Satisfaction (NSAT) and Readiness Impact scores (RIS). The RIS target score is 165, and the current score is 172.5. The NSAT target score is 165. The current score is 184. Because the program was adopted so readily by the field, over four times the expected numbers participated.

"I'm honored to recognize this group of elite organizations with phenomenal programs across Human Capital Management functions. The winners truly exemplified excellence around the critical business dimensions across the award categories, including a high standard of performance in their organization and demonstrated clear, measurable business results through these innovative programs," said Rachel Cooke, COO of Brandon Hall Group. The entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group Sr. Analysts and Executive Leadership based upon the following criteria: fit the need, design of the program, functionality, innovation and overall measureable benefits.

For additional information about GP Strategies' Learning Solutions, visit http://www.gpstrategies.com/managedServices.

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. With more than 10,000 clients globally and 20 years of delivering world-class research and advisory services, Brandon Hall Group is focused on developing research that drives performance in emerging and large organizations, and provides strategic insights for executives and practitioners responsible for growth and business results. (www.brandonhall.com).

About GP Strategies
GP Strategies Corporation (NYSE: GPX) 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.

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