Reducing Managerial Burdens at an Engineering Firm With Tailored Writing Training Solutions

Outcomes

  • Reduced time spent by management training new engineers.
  • Standardized writing processes through templates and guidance documents.
  • Faster onboarding of new engineers.
  • Enhanced collaboration between new and experienced engineers.

“Hurley Write changed the structure of our organization for the better. While we are still evolving, the new guidance and templates Hurley Write helped us develop have definitely reduced the burden on management to train our new hires. Highly recommend Hurley Write!”

– Ted Bisson,
EVP

Introduction

A fast-growing consulting engineering firm specializing in environmental monitoring and construction management was facing challenges as it rapidly expanded. With a surge in new hires—primarily recent college graduates—the company anticipated that these engineers would seamlessly adapt to writing professional, client-facing documents.

However, management quickly discovered that many of its new hires lacked the writing proficiency to meet company standards. Despite being provided with a “model report” as a reference, the engineers often resorted to cut-and-paste methods. This approach resulted in inconsistent, error-filled documents that failed to meet client needs and company expectations.

Background

As the engineering firm grew rapidly, it faced several communication and training challenges:

  1. Lack of Standardized Training: New engineers were expected to write high-quality, professional documents, but the company had no formal training process to help these new engineers understand and meet expectations for clear documentation. Management assumed that providing a “model report” would be sufficient, but this led to inefficient practices such as copying and pasting.
  2. Disparity in Writing Skills: The writing proficiency of new hires varied significantly due to differences in their academic backgrounds. Some had extensive writing experience, while others had little exposure.
  3. Time Constraints for Managers: With a growing team, managers struggled to find time to provide hands-on training or review every document produced by new hires.

The firm urgently needed a solution that could:

  • Standardize the writing training process.
  • Quickly onboard new hires without increasing the workload for management.
  • Ensure that all engineers could produce client-ready, professional documents efficiently.

Solutions Implemented by Hurley Write

To address the firm’s challenges, Hurley Write implemented a comprehensive and tailored approach to improve the company’s writing processes and training methods:

  1. In-Depth Analysis:

Hurley Write began by

  • Analyzing the “model reports” provided to new engineers and identified their shortcomings.
  • Interviewing management to understand their expectations and the methods used to onboard new hires.
  • Reviewing strategies being used to train and integrate new engineers to pinpoint inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
  1. Development of a Customized Training Program:
    • Hurley Write designed a series of customized writing workshops focused on teaching engineers how to write effectively for modern readers.

These workshops

  • Addressed common issues such as  clarity, structure, and relevance;
  • Emphasized real-world scenarios, ensuring engineers could immediately apply the concepts to their daily work.

In addition, Hurley Write helped the firm ensure that onboarding new engineers would be successful and effective by

  • Establishing mentorship programs that paired new engineers with experienced staff to provide ongoing guidance and feedback.
  • Developing comprehensive guidance documents and templates to serve as consistent resources for writing client-ready documents, making it easier for new engineers to meet company standards with minimal oversight.

Results

The engineering firm experienced significant improvements after implementing Hurley Write’s tailored solutions:

  1. Reduced Management Oversight:
    • Managers reported spending far less time training new hires, as the guidance documents, templates, and workshops provided a structured framework for onboarding.
  2. Faster Onboarding Process:
    • New engineers produced client-ready documents more quickly.
  3. Improved Collaboration:
    • Experienced engineers began mentoring new hires, creating a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.
    • New engineers, equipped with strategies that focused on problem-solving, started sharing their knowledge with more experienced team members, fostering a two-way exchange of ideas.
  4. Standardized Writing Processes:
    • The creation of templates and guidance documents ensured consistency across all written communications, reducing errors and improving client satisfaction.
  5. Increased Efficiency:
    • By streamlining the writing process, the firm reduced the time it spent reviewing and was able to produce clearer, more effective, and accurate documents more quickly, saving time and resources.

At the three-month follow-up, the company reported a measurable reduction in the time and effort required to onboard new hires and noticeable improvements in the quality and consistency of their written communications. Hurley Write’s training programs addressed immediate challenges, while laying the foundation for continued writing excellence.

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