Gresham, Smith and Partners
Bentley Training Enables GS&P's Culture of Excellence
"Our largest overall goal is the continuous improvement of the talent we have
in the firm … and that includes everybody."
Gresham, Smith and Partners (GS&P) provides engineering, architecture, interior design, and planning services to national and international clients from 17 offices across the United States and one in China. For more than 40 years, GS&P has provided comprehensive, multi-disciplined services in multiple markets.
Challenges
- GS&P strives to cultivate a culture of excellence and attract, train, retain, and mentor the best professionals the industry has to offer.
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- There is an industry-wide problem of employee turnover due to a lack of professional development opportunities.
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- To help achieve its strategic business goals, GS&P hires smart, capable professionals whenever they are available, as well as a large number of college interns each spring. The logistics of providing training to these new employees are costly and time-consuming.
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Solution
- GS&P challenges, recognizes, and rewards its employees through a number of professional development initiatives, including its award-winning EXCEL training program. The EXCEL program, which includes in-depth Bentley product training, ensures that its staffers get the training they need to succeed in their various roles. For new interns, there is a CADD Intern Training Program.
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- GS&P works with the Bentley Institute to offer account-specific distance learning to address the training need brought on by the annual influx of hiring. The firm also makes this custom training available to other employees who want to improve their productivity and efficiency.
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- Employees are encouraged to participate in training at any time they may need it, but especially as new products or new versions of products are released.
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- More than 175 employees participate in more than 500 online Bentley courses at a fraction of the cost of traditional classroom training.
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Results
- The combination of GS&P’s EXCEL program and its Bentley training subscription encourages a culture of continuous learning and development. Each employee has multiple avenues to acquire all necessary training, and all employees are uniformly trained to meet stringent client needs. The firm has reduced turnover by enabling employees to develop their skills and can promote itself as a consultant of choice.
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- Bentley OnDemand eLearning and distance learning allow GS&P to maximize the return on its training investment by making training part of its employees’ projects and everyday work habits. As a result, the firm can:
- Be more responsive to clients
- Reduce training overhead and eliminate training-related travel costs
- Lower the costs of new hire training
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- Unlimited access to OnDemand eLearning ensures all employees have the freedom to get the training they need, when they need it, as often as they need it. They can learn and reinforce new skills at any time from anywhere, including their homes or offices.
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- With OnDemand eLearning, new employees and interns are able to train on their own and become productive within one week. It had previously taken a month to reach productivity. In addition, existing staffers’ productivity rose when they were freed from teaching the new hires.
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- As a result of its outstanding workforce, GS&P consistently ranks among the top architectural, engineering, and interior design firms in the United States. Recognition from the industry’s top publications and organizations is a direct result of GS&P’s commitment to developing its employees, understanding its clients’ businesses, and improving the communities in which it lives and works.
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Fast Facts
Employees: 850+
Services:
| Aviation |
Industrial |
| Corporate and Urban Design |
Land Planning |
| Environmental Compliance |
Transportation |
| Healthcare |
Water Services |