Showing Value is Critical to Grant Thornton Learning Strategy
Company Overview: Grant Thornton is the world's leading accounting, tax and business advisory organization dedicated to mid-size companies. Grant Thornton has 48 offices and over 3,000 partners and employees throughout the United States.
Description of Learning Strategy:Grant Thornton’s learning vision and strategy has five unique themes. First, Grant Thornton University (GTU) leverages multiple-delivery channels to train the workforce in a real-time, convenient and cost-effective manner. Secondly, the design and development team strives to create compelling content that educates in a memorable way. Thirdly, Grant Thornton is focused on creating a continuous learning culture that embeds knowledge sharing and learning into the Firm’s core fabric. Fourthly, GTU’s strategy calls for proactively showing the value of learning to its stakeholders, focusing on effectiveness, impact and ROI. Finally, GTU focuses on strategic impact ensuring that learning and measurement are linked to business strategy.
Business Objectives of the strategy: The Grant Thornton learning vision and strategy aims to create a strong and cohesive link to the lines of business that support and fund the training. A keen understanding of stakeholders and their business needs drives GTU processes day to day. The strategy reaches broadly across multiple stakeholders from senior management to staff accountants to recruiters. Having a well-articulated learning strategy helps differentiate Grant Thornton and enables it to attract world-class talent and assure professional excellence in client services.
Measurement Approach: GTU began using Metrics that Matter (MTM) as a pilot. It was used to measure several types of training such as virtual classrooms, face-to-face conferences, and on-demand web-based learning. Using a balanced scorecard of key performance indicators, GTU collected data at the end of training that evaluated reactions and forecasted effectiveness, impact, results and ROI. In one case, Grant Thornton used MTM to evaluate the ROI on a New Managers Development Conference. The quantified results tabulated using the MTM system clearly showed a positive return on investment, reinforcing the program’s contribution to business results.
Measurement Obstacles: Prior to full integration of MTM with the learning management system, the evaluation process involved a large amount of administration. With the integration, administration has been reduced dramatically. MTM saves time by automatically collecting, storing, processing and reporting the data that previously was done manually.
Measurement Successes: In the first year since implementation, MTM has been used to process evaluations from over 2600 participants in live webcasts and over 600 participants in GTU conferences and classroom programs. Over 70 programs from tax, assurance, industry and Firmwide segments have been evaluated. GTU uses the system to monitor the performance of learning programs on a regular basis. The measurements have helped showcase the value of learning programs to stakeholders. MTM also helps ensure GTU continues to stay on the leading-edge of delivering high quality, innovative and impactful learning solutions to its workforce. The next evolution for GTU will involve measuring the effectiveness of a new Leadership program and working with the finance group to continue to develop financial metrics tied to learning.