The Hackett Group, Inc, bp and Thought Industries have been jointly recognized by the Brandon Hall Group – the human capital management research firm – for the development and execution of bp’s employee learning certification program. The award honors certification programs designed to support competency and/or skill development within an organization, and improve employee retention and promotion rates.

“We are delighted to be able to celebrate this award alongside bp and our technology partner, Thought Industries,” said Ben Hartfield, senior director at The Hackett Institute^®. “The award-winning learning program was launched after bp’s global business services (GBS) strategy announcement to develop the skills required to achieve its ambitious goals. We are proud to be a key learning partner of bp and look forward to continuing to support it with its GBS learning journey.”

The energy giant’s GBS division introduced the learning program in 2022. Executives envisioned the certification program – developed by The Hackett Group^® and delivered via the Thought Industries’ learning platform – would help bp’s GBS unit retain critical employees, provide a career path for the team, and differentiate its GBS employer offer in a competitive and shifting market due to a generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) global market.

The winning program combines bp’s “Learn, Do, Connect and Reflect” methodology with The Hackett Institute^® Certified GBS Professionals^® (CGBSP) programs. Over 5,000 employees work in bp’s GBS organization based in hubs across Hungary, India, and Malaysia and multiple other connected cities across the globe. Their GBS organization handles a variety of critical business processes across the entire company.

The program is designed to equip employees across the organization with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to excel in various aspects of bp’s global business operations. The team used The Hackett Group’s CGBSP certification curriculum to fit seamlessly into bp’s learning methodology.

The bp GBS certification program includes:

• Modular chapters that give participants control in scheduling and organizing their learning.
• An online learning platform and live training sessions accessible to employees worldwide.
• Virtual instructors prepared to facilitate discussions and provide advice in real time.
• Live calls and interactive sessions that enable engagement and collaboration among participants.

The Net Promoter Score^® (NPS) for this learning program is 62% compared to 47% – already a high benchmark for other programs used across bp’s GBS organization. Enthusiasm is stronger than most certification programs: most attendees (93%) complete the course within four months compared to an industry average of six to nine months, according to The Hackett Group^®.

Graduates of the program are 30% more likely to be promoted than co-workers who have not been certified. At bp, those who have completed the program are also seeing lower attrition rates.

“The experience bp has had with the GBS Certification Program – working with The Hackett Group as a key partner – has provided the momentum to drive skills even further across the bp GBS organization,” said Frances Howat, bp’s senior manager of Future Skills and Learning. “The company has seen the impact this program has had on career development and employee engagement, and the whole team is excited to see it grow throughout the organization to continue to drive more career growth for bp employees, and ultimately meet the ambitious strategy of bp.”

Finding talent development to be a good investment is not unique to bp. Digital World Class^® companies invest more in talent development and see a higher return on investment for their efforts compared to the peer group, according to The Hackett Group’s research. Typically, these companies have 49% lower recruitment and staffing costs, and 29% lower overall general and administrative costs as a percentage of revenue than peers.

“We are immensely proud to see bp’s GBS certification program – powered by Thought Industries – honored with the esteemed Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Award,” said Robin Wadsworth, CEO of Thought Industries. “This accolade is a testament to our collaborative effort to deliver a learning experience that not only meets but exceeds the professional development needs of today’s workforce. We are dedicated to building immersive, easy-to-use platforms tailored for our customer’s unique needs.” A panel of independent industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts and senior executives evaluated submissions. Each entry was judged on its fitness to the organization’s needs, design, delivery, measurable results and overall impact.

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