Connecting the world through skill transformation
The Challenge
Thanks to its long-standing history of connecting people, BT has a strong reputation in the UK and in countries around the world. But like all of the most successful companies, it’s not immune to the course-altering effects of modernization.
Technological acceleration is moving at a record pace, requiring BT to expedite its existing modernization strategy and enhance its IT estate and practices in order to continue satisfying its customers.
To be able to deliver, BT needed to ensure its teams’ skills were up-to-date in ever-evolving technologies like AWS, Google Cloud and the latest software development practices. That meant supporting thousands of developers through 24/7 learning opportunities—while adopting agile development methodologies and increasing agile know-how across the organization.
To deliver the skills transformation modernization would require, BT leaders decided to significantly increase their investment in skill development, which included taking better advantage of our Professional Services.
They knew what skills they needed to be building, but they didn’t know where they were starting from. In order to move the needle in crucial areas, they had to understand what skills already existed in the organization.
Who we are
BT Group plc (trading as BT and formerly British Telecom) is a British multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has operations in around 180 countries and is the largest provider of fixed-line, broadband and mobile services in the UK. BT also provides subscription television and IT services.
BT by the numbers
Founded in 1846
Headquartered in London, England
Customers in 180 countries
5762+ Pluralsight Skills licenses
Learning that's tailored to the people doing it
“The moment people see that a training session is an hour, they switch off. We wanted a learning solution that could be used in a 10-minute break.”
Deepak Chinnam, Director for QA and Test at BT
The Solution
BT is enabling its teams to stay ahead of the technology curve by taking advantage of Role IQ and Skill IQ.
With Role IQ, leaders and team members are able to identify the skills they can work on to become stronger in their roles. With Skill IQ, they’re able to assess their current proficiency in a given technology, see how they stack up to other technologists in the industry and understand where their knowledge gaps lie—making the path to skill mastery (and therefore increased efficiency and innovation) a lot easier. The company is also able to use Skill and Role IQ data to help with workforce planning decisions.
“We’re building that view of the skills that we have today in the organization. We can actually see the progress that we're making in building those skills.” - Sarah Waters, Workforce Strategy and People Transformation Lead, BT Digital
BT ran an internal campaign to motivate team members to level up their skills and to encourage Pluralsight Skills adoption. By focusing on specific things each month, like Skill IQ, site reliability engineering and scaling agile, they were able to create a culture of learning that got people excited about the possibilities of skill development.
“It's a win for them and their career. It's a win for us as a business.” - Sarah Waters, Workforce Strategy and People Transformation Lead, BT Digital
BT also leverages blended content channels called BT Channels that incorporate content from Pluralsight Skills and LinkedIn Learning, as well as content created internally. With this hyper-customized learning, everyone can move toward company objectives together. These channels have been hugely successful, with learners appreciating the ability to test-drive new skills through labs.
Learners also utilize individual learning goals to work on their personal career advancement, helping them to feel more supported by BT. And with upskilling accessible to BT learners 24/7, growth opportunities are always available. Just as BT has positioned itself to thrive in an increasingly innovative future, they have also empowered their employees to take control of their own future.
"I'm most proud of the way the team has taken this on...and I can also tell you, the team that I have now is a world-class team." - Deepak Chinnam, Director for QA and Test
The key benefits of Pluralsight for BT
Happier employees
88% of employees report increased work satisfaction thanks to the holistic L&D approach at BT
Increased Productivity
72% report skills learned with Pluralsight save at least an hour a week in productivity
Increased quality of work
92% of people report Pluralsight having a positive impact on the quality of their work
Huge savings
The total ROI of Pluralsight for BT is £12.5m in 2021.
Investing in people pays off
"It's so, so incredibly important that we are continually upskilling and reskilling our people. It's a win for us as a business—growing the skills that we are going to need for less than the cost of new hires—and it’s a win for them and their careers.”
Sarah Waters, Workforce Strategy and People Transformation Lead, BT Digital
The future
BT is continuing to create a strong learning culture across the organization, and was named a runner-up in the 2020 Campaign for Learning Awards for doing so.
Though BT has a really strong brand, its leaders aren’t resting on their laurels. They want to continue creating a workplace where people can work on cutting-edge technology while building their skills and advancing their careers. With the help of Pluralsight and other partners, they’re able to continue attracting and retaining top talent and looking at the future through an innovative lens.
Staying focused on what matters
"With Pluralsight, we've been able to respond more quickly to the learning needs of our colleagues. Learning and development has become agile, and the content available on the Pluralsight platform has exposed our colleagues to new thinking—which is critically important for driving innovation.”
Howard Watson, Chief Technology Officer, BT