GSI Puts Learning and Development in the Hands of its Team Members

Since its founding in 2002, GeoStabilization International (GSI) has developed and installed innovative solutions that protect people and infrastructure from the dangers of geohazards.

A company as specialized as GSI must ensure that its in-field team members are experts at repairing any slope stability or foundation problem in any geologic setting. GSI knew that they had to streamline and improve their L&D program. Cornerstone equipped GSI with a central hub strategy to effectively manage certifications, training, compliance, performance management & development.

Increased automation. “We were managing thousands of professional certifications with spreadsheets,” said Patrick Sorensen, Senior Leader of L&D at GSI. “Now, it’s as simple as running a report, sorting it by certification type, and identifying qualified team members for specific jobs. We now have the ability to build crews and client solutions around those certified to do specialized tasks.”

Rapid organization-wide adoption. GSI has an ambitious goal for 100% of its team members to have a development plan. “Only six months after implementing Cornerstone, over 350 employees have deployed a development plan–that’s 70% of the workforce,” commented Sorensen. “Plus, 100% of all new hires are launching their GSI experience through GSI Learn.”

Reduced time-to-proficiency. GSI added a lot more transparency to the process by creating development plan templates to help team members attain specific skills required for jobs. Learning content at GSI is supplemented by the CyberU content bundle. “The faster our people can acquire skills, the more opportunities and higher pay they’ll receive. We have improved time to proficiency by 50% with continued improvements ongoing,” stated Sorensen.

Standardized measurement. With Cornerstone, front-line managers now have access to a consistent metrics dashboard. “By standardizing measurement reporting, we can now easily see where improvements are happening and focus our energies to overcome the challenges that arise,” commented Sorensen.

Fostered stronger team relationships. “Cornerstone has helped GSI create a whole new level of conversation between team members and managers,” said Sorensen. “This is a direct result of both their increased engagement with technology and greater awareness around potential skill gaps.” With Cornerstone Performance and Learning, managers can help their team members to develop faster and in ways that were not possible in the past.