The 10-Point Checklist For Successful Online Compliance Training
For many employees, compliance training feels like a PR exercise. Nobody really enjoys it, and most trainees simply go through the motions, not making any effort at all. However, compliance issues have a different role in upper management.
They can make the difference between clinching a deal and losing a bonus. To the HR and legal departments, compliance can create a bureaucratic nightmare that can literally bury the entire business. Missing a single element of required regulations could cost the company millions. So how can you make sure your team takes compliance training seriously and complies with the rules?
1. Tailor Online Compliance Training To The Audience
Compliance requirements are completely different for executives and administrative staff. These two segments have access to varying levels of company information. They also possess divergent skill sets and face polar challenges at work.
Adjust your online compliance training so that the content and delivery method is suitable for the audience. For example, everyone needs training on race and gender issues. However, execs probably need to dive into parental leave policies while the subordinate staff can stop at sexual harassment.
2. Allow Access From Different Devices
Course execution is another top priority. Allow each department to use the training method that best suits them. For example, your HR team may require interviewing simulations while customer service associates benefit from company policy scenarios that facilitate real-world application.
To facilitate this, ensure your training can be accessed through multiple devices, including phones, tablets, desktops, or even wearable tech.
3. Place The Situation In Context
Let’s face it, reading through compliance documents can be boring. They often contain a lot of legalese and make no sense to the average employee. While these technical terms are essential to protect the company, they can be simplified for training sessions.
Translate compliance issues into comprehensible, everyday situations that employees might actually face. For example, getting a tip after a delivery or a birthday gift from a client in relation to COI compliance.
4. Use Stories To Get The Point Across
In addition to practical scenarios, stretch the trainee’s imagination with some good storytelling. Real-life situations might seem dull and remote. They might also put the trainee on the spot if the examples get too close to home. Stories allow then to imagine it’s happening to someone else.
But if they’re good stories, they will still be memorable enough to get the right point across. Make it even more immersive by adding images and audio narrations that foster an emotional connection.
5. Use A Relatable Character
To tell your stories, you need storytelling devices and believable characters. You have several options. You could pick an “everyman” character that passes for any member of the team, or you could pick someone aspirational that the team will admire and emulate.
You could even base the story on a villain everyone will love to hate. They can project negative traits onto this character and avoid displaying similar characteristics.
6. Include Engaging Video Content
There are lots of different ways to tell a story, and video is one of the most effective. The success of movies and viral videos depends on this. For your online compliance training program, use short clips, two or three minutes at the most. They should be entertaining as well as informative.
Ensure that there’s a relatable morale to the story but avoid “afterschool specials” that seem patronizing or lifetime movie-esque productions that overdramatize the situation. Make them fun and vibrant, with a good musical score, talented actors, and skillful editing.
7. Give Practical Solutions To Non-Compliance
Online compliance training isn’t just about telling you what not to do. It’s all very well to tell your team not to accept bribes but you also need to equip them with the skills to comply.
For example, how does a female employee politely decline when a client asks her on a date? Or what happens when the female boss offers to cook dinner for her subordinate? Ensure that the training covers compliant self-extraction techniques as well.
8. Inject A Bit Of Humor
Failing to comply can lead to loss of money, lawsuits, and even jail time. But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. If your team ends up too scared to cross the line, it will affect how they work.
They are likely to overcompensate as they err on the side of caution, and this could be bad for business. Throw some light touches on your training. This way, your team knows that yes, it’s serious business, but there’s still some room for brevity.
9. Provide Information In Small Doses
Legal compliance documents can cover multiple volumes. However, as the HR or Compliance Department, you can distill the essentials. Don’t overload your trainees with a subject matter they don’t need.
Train them in the areas that apply to them, and do it in ways they can use. Offer escalation channels they can use when they face situations that fall outside their online compliance training.
10. Apply Gamification Techniques
Everybody loves a good game, and competition seems to bring out the best in people. Online compliance training that includes little contests can be quite effective. Reward your team for absorbing and remembering their training essentials. This will improve recall and application of compliance regulations. You could also gamify regulatory implementation.
For many employees, compliance training is something they muddle through. They barely pay attention and rarely retain information. To get them more engaged, customize the class to their needs. Let them study from their device of choice, whether it’s a phone or smartwatch.
Offer context and stories, incorporating videos and feasible responses to non-compliance. Above all else, use this checklist to ensure that you cover each crucial component.
Gamification works wonders for online compliance training, as it adds the entertainment element that is often missing. Read the article 6 Tips To Gamify Compliance Online Training Courses to discover 6 tips on how you can transform your online compliance training courses into amazing gamification experiences.
