McCarthy Employee Training Honored

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc was honored with a 2011 Training Magazine Top 125 Award. The award was presented during the Training 2011 Conference & Expo in San Diego, CA, recognizing the top companies based on excellence in employer-sponsored training and development programs. A first-time applicant, McCarthy placed 112th on the list.

"While many companies are cutting back on training in the current economic climate, McCarthy continues to expand our focus on employee development," explained McCarthy Chairman and CEO Mike Bolen. "This commitment ensures our builders remain at the forefront of the construction industry. To be included among the Training Top 125 companies in a diverse array of industries is an outstanding honor."

Lorri Freifeld, editor-in-chief of Training magazine added, "The 2011 Training Top 125 application focused on tying training to achievement of strategic corporate goals and showing demonstrable results. As always, it was a difficult task to choose the winners from the many excellent applications we received. Congratulations to the 2011 winners, who continue to blaze new paths in training design, development, delivery, and measurement."

Founded as a family owned business almost 150 years ago, McCarthy is one of the largest 100% employee-owned companies in America today. The firm has long fostered a culture dedicated to continuous improvement, and "Learning" represents one of McCarthy's six company Core Values.

While a formal McCarthy Training Program had been in place for decades, McCarthy formally launched an entirely revamped training program in 2008 under McCarthy Build U. Unusual in the construction industry and among best-in-class training programs outside of the construction industry, McCarthy Build U is a personalized approach to employee development. Core tenets of McCarthy Build U include:

• A shared commitment on the part of each employee to begin their training and development on (or even before) Day 1;
• A belief that in addition to full-time professional trainers on staff, all employee-owners, from Chairman/CEO down, is a trainer who has valuable knowledge to share;
• A focus on blended training vehicles, including instructor-led programs, self-paced online training, hands-on experience simulations and on-the-job training makes the program truly comprehensive;
• A well defined development path with significant flexibility based on personal needs;
• A development philosophy based on the notion of a two-way street. McCarthy will provide every tool and opportunity for learning and the employee must actively take control of their career and development.

"The McCarthy Build U program provides a balance of structure and flexibility to help each employee meet their individual development needs in alignment with company business objectives," McCarthy Vice President of Human Resources Al Berardi said. "This comprehensive approach helps ensure McCarthy builders remain the best in the business."

Now in its 11th year, the Training Top 125 ranking is based on myriad benchmarking statistics such as total training budget; percentage of payroll; number of training hours per employee program; goals, evaluation, measurement, and workplace surveys; hours of training per employee annually; and detailed formal programs. The ranking is determined by assessing a range of qualitative and quantitative factors, including financial investment in employee development, the scope of development programs, and how closely such development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives. More information about the 2011 Training Top 125 Award winners may be obtained online at www.trainingmag.com.

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