Overview
Taylor Morrison partnered with Hone to launch “Mountaineers,” a flagship leadership development program for the mid-level managers responsible for leading the majority of the company’s workforce.
The program equips managers with mission-critical skills like relationship-building, delegation, and giving feedback. The experience is highly interactive and engages managers through Hone’s live, online classes led by expert facilitators.
Since its launch, the program has driven measurable impact across the organization, including:
- Stronger collaboration and deeper relationships fostered through cohort-based learning.
- Higher retention, with 74% of participants reporting an increase in intention to stay with the company.
- Empowered managers who feel valued and supported, with 91% reporting better work performance and 85% saying their happiness at work increased.
The company
Taylor Morrison is a national homebuilder with over 3,000 employees.
The company’s Learning and Development strategy is led by Kristen Switzer, National Director of Learning and Development. In her role, Kristen leads the charge on creating development programs that equip employees at every level with the skills that drive their individual and team’s performance.
The challenge
While Taylor Morrison had development programs in place for new managers and high-potential employees, they found a major missing piece: mid-level leaders who manage the bulk of their employees.
“We identified a huge gap in our organization. Our mid-level managers are responsible for developing themselves and others, but they didn’t have anything designed specifically to support their development needs.”
– Kristen Switzer, National Director of L&D
As Kristen and her team set out to create a program for mid-level managers, they knew it would require the right partner to bring their vision to life.
The solution
Taylor Morrison chose Hone’s live, online learning to create a development program for their mid-level managers. “Hone really collaborated with us,” Kristen said. “They took the time to understand what we needed and our company goals.”
“Hone didn’t just hand me a catalog, they curated a curriculum based on what we were trying to accomplish as a company and L&D team. That partnership and trust made all the difference.”
– Kristen Switzer, National Director of L&D
Building on the existing programs Taylor Morrison had in place – Trailblazers (for new managers) and Groundbreakers (for high-potential employees) – Kristen and her team partnered with Hone to create Mountaineers.
Mountaineers is a four-month learning journey designed for mid-level managers, helping them upskill through:
Live, Interactive Classes
At the core of Taylor Morrison’s manager training is Hone’s live, online classes held every two weeks. Each class focuses on a high-impact leadership skill like:
- Building trust
- Giving feedback that lands
- Asking powerful questions
- Delegating effectively
- Managing to a team’s strengths
Hone classes engage managers with interactive conversations, feedback, and breakout sessions, where they can practice skills alongside other Taylor Morrison managers.
Collaborative Learning
Designed to foster cross-functional connections, the Mountaineers program brings together managers across 21 divisions for cohort-based learning. Every manager is hand-selected by Taylor Morrison’s Leadership Team, and has an executive sponsor who brings them on board to the program.
The program unites leaders from different geographies and teams to exchange ideas, build relationships, and learn from one another, reinforcing the company’s collaborative culture and strengthening alignment across the organization.
World-Class Facilitators
Every class in the Mountaineers program is led by one of Hone’s Coaches, who bring the expertise and support needed to help managers develop skills effectively and drive real behavior change.
One Taylor Morrison Area Field Manager shared, “Our Hone instructor was outstanding. He was involved, engaged and made the session fun.”
Conclusion
After rolling out the Mountaineers program to managers, Taylor Morrison saw measurable impact across the organization, including:
- 91% of participants said their work performance increased
- 74% reported an increase in intention to stay with the company
- 85% said their happiness at work improved
Even more, they saw retention increase as employees felt more valued, supported and empowered.
“The foundation of Taylor Morrison’s culture starts with love, and the program we’ve built with Hone shares that love with our employees. I believe our retention has increased tremendously because people feel a lot more valued after participating in these programs.”
– Kristen Switzer, National Director of L&D
