Perspectives
Best Place to Learn Awarded
by Cleann Cameron
In the beginning of the
"Best Place to Learn" nomination period, three important questions
were asked:
Where is the best place
to learn in the Metroplex?
Who values learning as an
integral part of their business success?
Whose business success is
a result of training and performance practices?
The team of people at
Freese and Nichols, Inc. has proven to be the answer to these three questions.
Who are they?
Freese and Nichols provides engineering, architectural, and environmental
services to clients on a local, state, and federal level. They are
consistently listed in the nation's Top 500 Engineering firms. When
walking onto the premises of Freese and Nichols, their commitment to
technical excellence, professionalism and outstanding service are immediately
apparent. Numerous awards in technical excellence and community service
catch one’s eye. So, why did they
stand out in workplace learning?
Some distinguishing
characteristics stand out about Freese and Nichols that clearly show they value
learning as an integral part of business success:
Patti Phillips and Carol Glynn recognize Freese and Nichols
Employees are encouraged
and assisted in developing career development goals using an Individual
Development Plan.
Executives at all levels
are involved in facilitation of training, including the CEO and CFO.
Employees have the
ability to enroll and track training with online access to the Learning
Management System.
Employees are engaged in
360-degree feedback.
Workplace learning and
development goals are specifically tied back to the company's strategic
objectives and vision annually.
One question remains:
Is the FNI business success a result of training and performance practices?
A representative of Freese and Nichols speaks after winning the award
One such training
practice included the development of Freese and Nichols University offering
employees the opportunity to earn Professional Development Hours as required for
engineers by the State of Texas. For their line of engineering business,
this practice has directly contributed to their business success.
FNI even team
s up with
their external clients as a "trusted advisor" to provide client
training throughout projects, ensuring quality is maintained throughout
their projects.
Congratulations, to Freese and Nichols who consistently succeeds as a result of strategic emphasis on workplace learning and development, and for being recognized as the Dallas area’s "Best Place to Learn" by the Dallas ASTD chapter. How appropriate for a company whose founder firmly believed in the development of each employee. His vision continues to resonate today as FNI employees take advantage of workplace learning through the Freese and Nichols University.
Carol Glynn recognizes runner-up Mattress Giant
About the Author: Cleann Cameron is a Training Specialist for Zales Corporation. She has been involved in corporate training for more than 3 years, and is an active member of Dallas ASTD.