Established in fiscal year 2023, the Senior Manager and Director Bootcamp programs from business services firm FORVIS LLP’s Leadership Institute aim to retain employees and help the organization achieve organic growth. Invitees were selected agnostic of service lines, industry practices, or market, and represented a diverse pool of newly promoted talent. All business units were represented at the bootcamp programs.
Program Details
Each bootcamp consists of a two-day learning event designed to provide new leaders with tools and resources to successfully begin their new role. The Leadership Institute’s approach for all bootcamps is to engage, stimulate, accelerate, and allow for discovery and reflection. Throughout each bootcamp, problem-centered learning allows leaders to explore topics and see the links to their own role or performance. Both pre- and post-class workshops and community events allow new leaders to stay connected and interactive with other firm managers and leaders, driving FORVIS’ culture of community forward.
Each bootcamp cohort runs a parallel program through HIVE Learning, a digital peer learning platform that delivers bite-size content around inclusion, leadership, and wellness. One of the tools HIVE uses is the Buzz Bot, a chatbot that interacts with learners, providing them with personalized learning experiences. The Buzz Bot uses generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create unique learning experiences for each individual learner. It can adapt to the learner’s level of knowledge and provide them with appropriate resources and activities. This means learners can receive tailored learning experiences that are relevant to their needs and interests. The Buzz Bot also can provide real-time feedback to learners, helping them track their progress and identify areas where they need to improve. This feedback is based on the learner’s responses to the activities and assessments provided by the Buzz Bot.
Program reinforcement through HIVE occurs via e-mail reminders sent from Hive Learning that encourage learners to revisit content and continue participating in ongoing conversations within the platform. These notifications continue as long as the user is subscribed.
The framework of the Leadership Institute combines three key programs to create a pathway of career success at FORVIS. After completion of a bootcamp program, continuation through the Leadership Institute framework leads to Leadership Development Journeys. These journeys continue to take team members through a one- to two-year experience immersing participants into specific skills and behaviors required to be successful in their current role while preparing for their next milestone promotion.
Results
Some 98.5 percent of evaluation respondents indicated that the Senior Manager and Director Bootcamp programs are relevant to their job and responsibilities. HIVE data also shows that 82 precent of participants can put their learnings into practice by saying they plan to take action to be an active ally for inclusion, as opposed to 17 percent in a pre-program survey.
FORVIS also has seen a 20-plus percent firm-wide decrease in turnover from 2022 to 2023. Additionally, this training program contributed largely to a firm-wide organic growth rate that was more than 1 percent over FORVIS’ target goal in fiscal year 2023.
