Haskell Rises to No. 1 in Training Magazine APEX Awards Rankings

For the first time, Haskell has earned the No. 1 spot in Training Magazine’s APEX Awards rankings, an exclusive list of the leading training organizations worldwide.

Haskell has appeared in the rankings for 11 consecutive years, climbing steadily. Reaching the pinnacle in the 2023 list marks the company’s fifth straight appearance in the top 20, the fourth straight in the Top 10 and the third consecutive year in the Top 5.

“It is really exciting,” said Jim O’Leary, Haskell Chairman, CEO and President. “I view the ranking as an outcome, and it is very meaningful recognition. But our long-term commitment is not to being ranked No. 1 by Training Magazine. Our long-term commitment is to our people and to their development and to finding relevant, practical solutions to help them develop professionally and personally.”

In October 2018, Haskell set the vision for its road to 2025 and aligned six pillars to support that vision:

• Providing Team Members with the BEST Job of Their Lives
• Drive Operational Excellence
• Grow Program Management, Consulting, & Design Services
• Optimize Intellectual Capital, Technology, and Innovation
• Expand Diversity & Inclusion
• Achieve Meaningful and Profitable Growth

Subsequently, Haskell’s leadership committed significant investment in its Learning, Development & Engagement (LD&E) program to support those pillars.

“The LD&E team and Haskell’s training programs have found success because we align ourselves to Haskell’s business goals, making sure our approach to training is firmly rooted in Haskell 2025 and ensuring everything we do is supporting those six strategic pillars,” said LD&E Director Brooke Jones-Chinetti. “We’ve looked at what the company expects of its performance and of its team members, and we’ve tailored training to support that. “

The APEX Awards this year comprised 105 companies representing all areas of business, many of which are household names operating in multinational arenas, such as Paychex, Inc. (#5), Visa (#15), Edward Jones (#14), AAA (#13), Pilot Company #27), Bell and Howell (#28), VyStar Credit Union (#29), Union Pacific Railroad (No. 30) Gilbane Building Company (#43) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (#75), O’Shea Builders (#88) and Kraft Heinz (#93).

The magazine reports that most APEX recipients are in the finance/banking and health/medical services industries, that the mean revenue was $7.7 billion U.S. and $5 billion worldwide and that the mean workforce was 21,041. Haskell has nearly 2,200 team members and posted $1.8 billion in revenue in 2022.

In addition to its APEX top spot, Haskell also received one of five annual Best Practice Awards, presented to recognize innovative and successful learning and development programs and practices. It was the fourth Best Practice Award in five years.

This year’s honor was bestowed on Haskell’s Field Focused Safety-Based Training, which covers jobsite hazard identification, risk mitigation processes, and principles and techniques designed for maximum jobsite safety. Learners are designers, architects, engineers, project field teams and support personnel. Aligning with Haskell’s Code of Safe Practices (COSP), this internally developed training often exceeds OSHA standards.

The multi-format curriculum includes: 60-90-minute live in-person and virtual ILTs, prerecorded sessions, annual conferences, and 3- to 15-minute chunked, self-paced, mobile-friendly online learning available worldwide (typically delivered to jobs ites via QR code). Testing follows all sessions.

Whether it’s through innovation, investment or an intentional developmental focus, EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer David Thaeler said Haskell’s commitment to its team and its mission would continue to drive the Learning, Development & Engagement team to meet the highest standards.

“In talent management, the foundation consists of attracting, developing, and retaining talent,” Thaeler said. “At Haskell, we think of development and engagement as the groundwork upon which we set our foundation. If we place our foundation on silty and shaky soil, our foundation is going to be compromised. Training and engagement are the bedrock of our culture because we are in the people business, and development, growth, and the personal and professional success of our team members allows for Haskell’s success.”

Haskell is hiring! Explore the many options available to join a growing company committed to its team members’ personal and professional growth.