2017 Training Top 125 Organizations

2017 Training Top 125 winners demonstrated a strong focus on effective training and employee development tied to corporate strategic goals and business impact.

Training is at the core of everything Keller Williams Realty, Inc., does. That philosophy helped increase agents’ production by 20 percent and led to 99 percent of franchise offices being profitable in 2016. It also helped the company earn the No. 1 spot on the 2017 Training Top 125 and has paved the way for its induction into the 2018 Training Top 10 Hall of Fame. The other Top 125 winners likewise demonstrated a strong focus on effective training and employee development tied to corporate strategic goals and business impact. Some 23 newcomers earned a spot on the list this year, the 17th in a row Training has ranked the top companies of employer-sponsored workforce training and development.

Each Top 125 company was measured on quantitative (70 percent of total score) and qualitative (30 percent of total score) data. Factors influencing the rankings include: Training tied to business objectives • Kirkpatrick Level 3 and 4 results • Number of trainers • Employee turnover and retention • Leadership development • Tuition assistance • Training technology and infrastructure • Certification • Training budget and percentage of payroll. And much, much more. An outside research and statistical data company, under the guidance of Training magazine, scored companies on this data supplied by applicants. Then, Training’s editor-in-chief and the Training Top 10 Hall of Famers qualitatively reviewed the applications.

Top 125 Best Practices and Outstanding Training Initiatives also are recognized in this issue. Learn about BB&T Corporation’s Leadership Excellence Program; Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company’s Cohort Learning; Best Buy’s Gravity app-based tool; and more. Congratulations to this year’s Training Top 125!

Please click HERE to download a listing of the Training Top 125, along with information about some of their employee training and development programs. 

Lorri Freifeld
Lorri Freifeld is the editor/publisher of Training magazine. She writes on a number of topics, including talent management, training technology, and leadership development. She spearheads two awards programs: the Training APEX Awards and Emerging Training Leaders. A writer/editor for the last 30 years, she has held editing positions at a variety of publications and holds a Master’s degree in journalism from New York University.