Smoothing graduates’ transitions into corporate life

Client need

A leading global mining organization has embarked on a cultural transformation since its founding. Its leaders remain committed to offsetting negative effects caused by past operations, and — in light of recent costly accidents — to building a culture of safety, reliability, and sustainability.The organization’s leaders identified two needs: firstly, to boost its skilled talent pipeline by recruiting from a generation generally disinclined to work for organizations with heavy social and environmental footprints; and secondly, to identify and invest in its existing high potential talent, preparing such individuals to take on strategic roles in the future.To sustain its reputation as a talent-driven organization, the company partnered with BTS to design an effective horizontal and vertical development program for new graduates.

Solution

The resulting development journey was created by over 80 HR, learning, and talent professionals and 10 subject matter experts. Over the course of 18 months, it reached 172 individuals across the globe.The development journey included two “itineraries”: one for 55 global trainees, that focused on unearthing the organization’s business and administration functions, strategic initiatives, and HR processes; and another for specialist trainees, all about leveraging technical mining-related and logistical knowledge. Each itinerary featured three major pillars: soft skill development, hard skill development, and practical learning.

Soft skill development

Throughout this portion of the development program, which applied to both global and specialist trainees, BTS facilitators:

• Defined “Great” behaviors through robust data collection and interviews
• Created “Great Profiles,” or competency models that differentiate between “Great” and “Not yet great” behaviors throughout eight to ten critical moments that people experience on the job (for example, “When you do not have enough knowledge,” or “When presenting to other stakeholders”)
• Assessed participants using digitally-deployed “Moments Based Assessments” wherein participants made critical decisions in a simulated environment
• Focused on developing emotional intelligence through self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

Hard skill development

This portion of the development program, which applied only to global trainees, was a virtual workshop that involved:

• An asynchronous financial course called Know the Business, which covered financial reporting, income statement and balance sheet interpretation, cash flow statements, financial relationships, and key ratio analysis.
• A fully customized business simulation designed to develop deep understanding of the mining industry. Participants experimented with four business units: corporate, iron ore, base metals, and coal.

Practical learning

This portion of the learning program applied to both specialist and global trainees.

Specialist trainees completed of a six month-long technical project:

• Specialists received support from senior leaders in their topic of choice. Their research culminated in a one-hour presentation for a board of managers and peers to which the CEO and VPs were invited.
• Presenting specialists learned how to use storytelling techniques, illustration, and imagery to amplify their findings.

Global trainees completed a seven month-long innovation project that leveraged Agile methodologies:

• Trainees began by consulting with senior stakeholders to identify opportunities for innovation within the organization’s strategy.
• After breaking into cross-functional groups, trainees refined their ideas through a series of learning modules and coaching sessions designed to help them overcome barriers to innovation and project management.
• Trainees also communicated their work through a polished executive presentation.

Results

• Both itineraries were evaluated using the Kirkpatrick Model to gauge effectiveness.
• Participating trainees expressed both a NPS of 71.5 and a satisfaction score of 9.16/10.
• When asked to rate their knowledge before and after the session, participants reported a “knowledge change” of 92.7%.
• Average attendance was 83.99%, reaching up to 94.44%.

The new graduates’ development program fostered trainees’ emotional intelligence, acumen, sense of innovation, and project management capability, all of which left a tangible impact on the organization’s reputation, talent pipeline, and succession plan. Due to its resounding success, the program is running for the second year, and the third one is currently being planned.

Client need

A $6 billion federal contracting company in the U.S. needed to build a future-focused leadership bench capable of executing its strategy to deliver on growth and extend their position of industry leadership. While the company has a successful history, they recognized an opportunity to invest in critical capabilities that would ensure their continued success in a rapidly changing environment. The CEO and the leadership team were looking for an innovative approach to accelerate their leaders’ ability to lead and influence others, while simultaneously strengthen their capabilities to make data-driven decisions in critical moments.

The development journey they took with BTS began by grounding these high potential leaders in the capabilities and behaviors that create executive presence and influence as measured by the Bates ExPI^TM leadership model, while connecting it to the business-critical themes of strategic thinking, entrepreneurial thinking, and innovation. The Leader Lab integrated experience enabled their leaders to develop and practice strategy execution, while flexing key elements of executive presence. As the leaders worked through the journey together, they were able to practice collective leadership based on collaboration and trust, a key goal for the enterprise.

The solution

The development journey was spread over two dynamic and fast-paced development sessions.  The audience was 50+ high-potential and cross-functional leaders, who manage some of the company’s largest, multi-million-dollar client relationships.

Building the capabilities of executive presence

Participants started by going through the ExPI^TM assessment, combined with virtual coaching calls and debriefs, to understand their strengths and opportunities to lead effectively. They then attended a 3-day classroom-based program. The first two days focused on strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation, taught by a local university’s business program. On day three, BTS facilitators highlighted behavioral elements of leadership presence and influence. Post-program the leaders took the practical, tangible learnings back to practice in the business and build their skills.

Leader Lab: tapping the power of business acumen

In the next phase of the learning journey, participants attended a live, classroom-based Leader Lab. This customized experience included a three-day business simulation. Together in teams, leaders assumed different positions from their day-to-day roles, grappling with tradeoffs similar to those they would encounter in real life and practicing making decisions in a safe learning environment. This experience was designed to inspire leaders to adopt enterprise-wide thinking and strengthen their decision-making capabilities. The Leader Lab experience included:

• Two rounds of simulation dedicated to executing their team’s strategy by running their ‘business’ in a dynamic market where unexpected moments force the team to make quick decisions.
• Observation-based assessment of individuals on each team, based on behaviors core to executive presence and communication
• Introduction to an intuitive yet powerful approach for applying data-driven decision making
• Practice delivering persuasive presentations in small groups with peer and expert feedback

To reinforce behavioral change resulting from the sessions, participating executives committed to simple actions that would facilitate accountability and help leaders carry learnings back to their teams. Facilitators continuously provided feedback, encouraging leaders to collaborate across the enterprise and invest more time in getting to know one another.

Results

The collaborative spirit generated in the session was highly visible and contagious – just the kind of mindset and energy the company needed to move its culture forward to achieve new growth. Both sessions were ranked highly by participants, garnering a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 82 and 93, respectively.

Following these development efforts, the company’s high potential leaders advanced their ability to work together more collaboratively, and problem solve at a peer level, reducing the need to escalate issues and increasing the speed of execution. This is reducing risk and increasing work efficiency. It has also improved their ability to lead and manage their multi-million dollar-client portfolios as they apply their new leadership skills with their teams and their client partners, reinforcing the longer-term sustainability of that revenue.

Client Need

An American multinational food manufacturing company was struggling to retain its female employees. Attrition was high, primarily due to lack of development opportunities, underrepresentation of women in the workforce, and unconscious bias around talent designation. Thus, managers and executives needed to create an environment that better supported and championed their female talent.

The organization partnered with BTS to devise a learning journey aimed at strengthening the presence of female leaders and improving their career advancement opportunities.

Solution

The resulting learning journey spanned three months and consisted of multiple week-long small group coaching sessions and workshops. BTS helped facilitate three separate groups during the program, including 30 to 35 high-performing female employees, line managers, and executives. Participants used a platform called Momenta, a proprietary BTS tool, to access tasks specific to their development group.

‍High-performing employees participated in four discussion groups, which focused on:

1) 12 crucial habits that hold women back from getting to the next stage in their career.

2) Fundamental ways to approach different situations and relationships.

3) The organization’s outlook and how to connect with stakeholders.

4) A unique, winning formula for gathering support from their network.

‍Line managers participated in two discussions where they explored:

1) Factors that hold women back in the workplace and challenges specific to women at the company.

2) How to support other women in the workplace and step into another employee’s shoes.

Lastly, executives participated in five sessions and learned:

1) The pivotal steps to becoming a role model and how others perceive them in the workplace.

2) The importance of their personal leadership brand and how it contributes to their success as leaders.

3) About personal purpose and how to establish the legacy they wish to leave behind.

4) How to prepare a powerful story, solve problems, and overcome moments of crisis tailored to the issues and challenges women face in the workplace.

5) How to bring all elements of the journey together to create a successful action plan.

Results

The program yielded the following results, which were overall very favorable and demonstrate the success of the journey:

Managers:

High-performing employees:

• 7/11 participants agree that the facilitator delivered the content effectively.
• 2/10 participants said they would recommend the session to a colleague.

General Results:

• Half of participants strongly agree that the facilitator delivered the content effectively.
• 8/10 participants said they would recommend the session to a colleague.

Testimonials

-“The facilitators were great at pulling out the insightful information by asking open ended questions and picking up on key statements made by the participants.”

“[I] appreciate how well [BTS] read the group and the individuals to make people comfortable and engaged.”

“The 12 behaviors [made me reflect on] how they can be a benefit in one area of my career, but a hindrance in the next. It will help me to where I can make behavioral changes.”

Client need

Safety in the transportation industry has often been treated as a set of rules to follow and boxes to check. But one Spanish railway organization saw an opportunity to redefine safety as something far greater, a core value embedded into the culture of their company at every level.

This bold vision demanded more than compliance. It required a cultural transformation to challenge outdated behaviors, inspire teams, and empower leaders to embrace and model a safety-first mindset. For years, the organization had been working to foster a culture that prioritized protection over profit, setting new behavioral standards across the industry.

To accelerate this shift, the organization partnered with BTS to design a leadership development program that dismantled old practices and equipped leaders with the tools, insights, and behaviors needed to bring their vision to life.

• Deconstruct existing mindsets to enable cohesive change.
• Identify barriers preventing progress.
• Equip leaders with practical behavioral knowledge and tools.

Solution

BTS partnered with the organization to design a leadership journey that would reshape not just processes but perspectives, fostering a workplace where physical and psychological safety were paramount. Over eight months, the project team conducted interviews with leaders and focus groups to uncover critical behavioral insights and tailor the program to the organization’s unique needs.

Participants explored essential themes, including:

• Embedding safety into daily decision-making.
• Cultivating greater awareness of safety risks.
• Understanding the influence of their leadership on safety outcomes.
• Leading by example to set a cultural standard.
• Building trust, commitment, and open communication within their teams.

The program unfolded in three distinct phases to drive lasting behavioral change:

1. Workshop preparation
   Participants began with a self-assessment to uncover personal “safety blind spots” and mind traps. This phase, delivered through a custom online platform, helped leaders reflect on their current practices and prepare for the transformational journey ahead.

3. Safety workshop
   The one-day, immersive workshop was designed to spark deep conversations about safety culture, challenge ingrained mindsets, and equip participants with actionable strategies for change. Leaders engaged in real-world scenarios to explore the implications of their decisions and practice new behaviors. The day concluded with collaborative debrief sessions, leaving participants with practical tools to implement their insights immediately.
4. Implementation in action
   To sustain momentum, the post-workshop phase extended over six months, offering six targeted activities. These activities reinforced key lessons, encouraged team collaboration, and provided ongoing support for integrating safety-first behaviors into daily routines.

The leadership program was delivered to 1500 participants over 66 workshops in seven locations across Spain.

Results

To measure results, the project team created a resource map evaluating progress.  

Average completion rate of Activities One–Three: 57 percent. (One: 78.21%; Two: 53. 01%; Three: 40.57%)

A post-workshop survey was sent to participants, reporting on the following metrics:

• Average satisfaction — 4.7/5.
• Trainer’s evaluation — 4.9/5.
• NPS — 82 percent.
• “Saw improvement in safety alignment” — 93 percent.
• “Integrated safety tools in daily roles” — 82 percent.
• “Identified new initiatives for improving safety” — 77 percent.
• “Mitigated team/peer mind traps” — 93 percent.
• “More aware of risk in daily roles” — 98 percent.
• “Identified a normalized risk to work on” — 92 percent.

Testimonials

• “Many of the methodologies and tools not only help to improve safety but can also be used to improve operational or organizational processes.”

• “It has put us in front of the mirror of how we are today in terms of safety culture, opening our eyes to our development areas. Very participative and practical.”

‍

Over the years, BTS has expanded its global footprint through thoughtful acquisitions and collaborations, bringing new creative capabilities and local expertise into the fold. From digital design studios to leadership consultancies across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, we’ve built a community that blends shared values with local perspective. That diversity has become one of our greatest strengths, shaping how we design and deliver learning that feels deeply personal everywhere we work.

Whether someone is in a leadership journey in Singapore, a coaching program in São Paulo, or a strategy workshop in Stockholm, the goal is always the same: to make the experience feel like it was made just for them.

Many of those experiences live on Momenta, BTS’s digital experience platform, powering journeys like Coaching, Multipliers, and other core programs.

As those experiences grew, so did the need for nuance. Every journey had to feel local, not just sound translated. Tone, humor, and cultural context have always been central to the BTS approach, and as demand expanded across formats and regions, our translation model was ready for its next evolution.

In early 2024, the team began exploring how AI could help. Rather than treating technology as the destination, we saw it as a catalyst, a way to rethink translation and deliver richer, more customized client experiences at scale. That curiosity sparked one of BTS’s most ambitious AI-first experiments, led by our Global Product Enablement Function team in partnership with our global network of linguists and translators.

Shifting to AI-first

The next step was finding the right place to experiment. Enter Phrase, a cloud-based translation management platform that quickly became our test lab. Phrase brings every part of the translation process into one place, from machine translation engines to human review, terminology management, and workflow tracking. It gives our linguists, designers, and project teams a shared space to collaborate, test ideas, and learn.

Over the next few months, two key discoveries reshaped how we think about translation, and ultimately, how we work.

Key discovery 1: Making AI a teammate

We began with a clear goal: make translation faster and more consistent. Using Phrase, AI handled the first drafts while our linguists refined them. Quickly, we realized there was potential for AI-value that went far beyond speed.  

With AI completing the first 80% of the work in a fraction of the time, our linguists could focus on what matters most: nuance, tone, and cultural resonance. The relationship evolved from oversight to collaboration, AI structured and scaled, humans shaped and elevated.

The result was more than efficiency. It was better work, created by people and technology learning to amplify each other.

Key discovery 2: Turning a roadblock into a redesign

Next came a design challenge. Phrase, like most translation tools, struggled with text embedded in graphics, a hallmark of many BTS learning experiences. Instead of forcing the tool to adapt, we changed how we created.

We began designing with translation in mind: simplifying visuals, reducing text, and using modular components that could flex across languages. The constraint sparked better design, easier to scale, more consistent, and more inclusive for every audience.

Key discovery 3: Integrating systems for scale

With people, AI, and design in sync, the last barrier was process. Managing translations between Phrase and Momenta still required manual effort.

To fix that, we built an API integration linking the two platforms. Now, files move automatically, progress is tracked in real time, and everything stays connected.

That integration turned our workflow into a unified ecosystem, fast, transparent, and ready to scale globally.

Business impact

Just 18 months ago, our translation reviews lived in double-column Word docs. Today, we work in a fully connected, AI-first ecosystem. Each project feeds the next, refining prompts, tone profiles, and design patterns, so our translation process keeps getting faster, smarter, and more aligned with BTS’s voice.

Speed and quality. Translation cycles that once took months now wrap up in weeks, cutting turnaround times by over 40%. Phrase’s tools and AI-powered workflows accelerate production while maintaining quality through expert-approved reuse, glossaries, and automated quality checks. Even complex formats like videos and animations are localized faster, with AI supporting linguists at every step.

Smarter workflows. The integration between Momenta and Phrase automates project transfers and tracking, saving an estimated 2.5 hours per project. Teams across language, digital, and project management now collaborate in one streamlined environment.

Human focus. Our linguists remain the engine of quality and innovation. With AI managing repetitive tasks, they focus on nuance and meaning, and go further by creating specialized GPTs, training databases, and testing translation engines to continually raise the bar.

‍

A BTS next gen innovation story

When BTS invented business simulations in the 1980s, leadership development was mostly theoretical – case studies, lectures, and frameworks about what good decisions looked like. Simulations changed that. They let leaders learn by doing, stepping into a realistic version of their business to test strategy, make decisions, and see the impact before the stakes were real.

Since then, simulations have evolved from spreadsheets to digital platforms to immersive virtual experiences that capture the complexity of leading in today’s world. Now, large language models and agentic AI are opening a new frontier, one where simulations evolve as fast as the world they reflect and experiential learning scales with the pace of change.

Creating space for exploration

‍

Test quickly, abandon what doesn’t work, and share what you learn.
– Jessica Skon, CEO, BTS

‍

A handful of simulation experts were pulled out of their day-to-day work and given the freedom to set their own direction. They had the authority to shape the roadmap and the protection to explore bold ideas without fear of critique. The brief was simple: go figure out what’s possible.

They had cover to fail fast, freedom to explore, and permission to get a little messy. Early wins were interesting but small. AI could draft faster, automate a few things – helpful, sure. Transformative? Not yet.

The breakthrough came when we stopped trying to bolt AI on to what we already did. We rebuilt our simulation platforms, our processes, and tools from the ground up around AI. Suddenly it wasn’t just about micro-gains & efficiencies, the canvas of possibility was much larger.

From experimentation to acceleration

So, we tested. Some tools showed promise, others, not so much. Every experiment taught us something. Each “failure” made us sharper about where AI could actually help, and where it would just get in the way.

What began as small experiments turned into a new way of working, a process and platform working as one.

AI now accelerates the first 80% of the work, the structure, synthesis, and early drafts, freeing BTS consultants to focus on the high-impact moments that drive behavior change: dilemmas, trade-offs, and conversations that build conviction.

Our new AI simulation platform and AI-First development process operationalizes that process:

• Enabling live co-creation and branching edits with clients
• Applying light guardrails for quality and security
• Integrating with enterprise systems for compliance and control

AI accelerates, people transform. That combination is what makes BTS… BTS.

Clients feel the impact in four ways

1. Fast spin-ups for focused needs
   For targeted challenges like coaching a customer conversation, debriefing a safety incident, aligning a sales team, we can now stand up bespoke simulations in days, not weeks. Teams co-create live; scenarios adjust in the room; relevance is immediate.
2. Enterprise simulations for strategy alignment
   For multi-round, high-fidelity simulations, AI accelerates the structure without compromising quality. BTS experts still craft the dilemmas and trade-offs that drive conviction.
3. A broader platform portfolio
   Beyond enterprise simulations, we now support conversational practice, skill drills, workflow redesign, and company or market modeling, helping clients choose the right tool for each need.
4. On-demand, without the risk
   Clients can use our AI platform for self-authored micro-sims, where speed and iteration matter most. Our toolchain scaffolds the flow, enforces guardrails, and keeps quality high.

The best model is flexible: enable where DIY shines, co-build for complex challenges, and experts lead end-to-end when outcomes matter most.

What clients are already seeing

• Weeks to hours: Work that once took six weeks was delivered as a high-fidelity experience in just 13 hours, specific enough to engage a CEO on first pass.
• Lean, agile teams: Projects that required seven consultants now take two, with no loss in quality or impact.
• Live collaboration: Simulations are built with clients, not for them, adjusted in real time during design and delivery.

The result: faster delivery, deeper relevance, and experiences that scale across an enterprise without losing the human touch.

The bigger picture

BTS simulations have always given leaders a safe place to wrestle with real dilemmas. AI hasn’t changed that, it’s expanded the canvas. By rebuilding how we design and deliver simulations, we’ve removed the trade-off between speed and substance.

Focused needs can now be met in days. Complex transformations can move at the pace of business. Clients can engage however they choose, DIY, co-create, or end-to-end, with BTS expertise guiding every step.

We’re still early in this chapter, just like our clients. But the direction is clear: faster, smarter, more scalable experiential learning, anchored in human judgment, strategic alignment, and the craft that defines BTS.

‍