Compliance Training: Going from compulsory to compelling

Compliance Training: Going from compulsory to compelling

Compliance training differs from other learning modules in very specific ways –

1. Most of these trainings are mandated by regulatory bodies.
2. It covers a large amount of very specific information that needs to be memorized by the learner.
3. The fallout of mishandling compliance training can prove to be very expensive for organizations.

Until about five years ago, organizations approached compliance training as a mandatory assessment they would rather just tick off their list. There was very little focus on the learner and how they might perceive the training.

But that notion slowly changed. Partly because of the penalties imposed on organizations, should employees fail to comply; compliance training came to be seen as a means to legally protect the organization. But a large part of the shift in mindsets came from the poor ROI. When organizations revisited the returns from the compliance training they were rolling out, they found that content retention was low and application of the training was even lower. And that made these Training Modules a wasted investment.

Turning compliance training into engaging learning experiences

Given the critical nature of the subject, many organizations are insisting on “enjoyable” compliance training experiences. Experiences that not only get people to take the training, but also deliver proven results. The more serious the risks and penalties of non-compliance, the higher the inclination to enhance the engagement and ensure results.

The approach to developing compliance training also depends on how mission-critical the topic is. Subjects like workplace harassment, aim at bettering work cultures and must be covered in depth in order to make the training meaningful. Then, there are emerging trends in compliance training:

1. Respectful workplaces – where companies address workplace bullying, violence, and working well with each other.
2. Training for diversity and inclusion – aimed at removing biases and discriminations in order to build more cohesive teams and helping leaders manage diverse teams.
3. Anticipatory Quality Systems Training – training that is given before the employee even uses the system.
4. Audit Committee compliance and checklists – oversights, risks, and governance pertaining to COVID-19.

Designing compliance training Programs

Injecting engagement into these compliance Training Modules can prove to be challenging. The legal verbiage leaves very little room for change. However, good storytelling can help employees understand what’s in it for them and what the implications of non-compliance might be at an individual and organizational level.

When designing compliance training, it must be structured in a way that aids the memorization of processes or rules. Many times, the number of clauses present in a compliance module can overwhelm learners. Instructional designers must choose which clauses to prioritize in order to drive more value from the training. Charting a Learning Journey Map can help personalize the learning experience to each learner’s strengths and areas of improvement. ​ This type of training can also be reinforced through simulations where the actual work environment is replicated and the learners are given situations and outcomes to interact with. Each learner’s journey is mapped by their choices, allowing them to reevaluate their decisions and reinforce learning.

Tracking the results of your training programs

Ultimately, it is the behavioral change brought about by compliance training, that is the end result every organization seeks. As awareness and concerns around safety are paramount, it becomes imperative that learning and development professionals are able to track and measure behavioral change as an outcome of the learning program. Here are our learning expert’s top picks:

1. Deepen the involvement of supervisors or managers. Their insight and commitment is vital to understanding the impact of compliance training programs.
2. Design performance assessments with graduated steps to prove competency, knowledge, and analysis.
3. Track the number and types of instances of violation and watch the trend. Calculate the gains or losses resulting from this.
4. In high-risk environments, first, measure the performance in a simulated environment and then measure the performance in a supervised environment.
5. Develop an app around micro behaviors that capture the core essence of compliance criteria. All employees would have this app on their phones and every time they demonstrated that behavior, they would add that input into the app. The organization can turn this into a collaborative exercise and incentivize the process through giveaways or building leaderboards.

Developing training and deploying it should not mark the end of the project, there needs to be a continuous cycle of evaluation and periodic revisions that are determined by the learning outcomes of the training and updates released by regulatory bodies.

MPS Interactive is a leading developer of unique and impactful learning programs. Our work in compliance training has gained us several accolades, including a Brandon Hall for Best Advance in Compliance Training, in 2020. Write to us at marketing@mpsinteractive.com to request a case study or to learn more about our compliance programs.

– Contributors:
Dr. Shwetaleena Bidyadhar, SVP & Global Lead – Customer Solutions at MPS Interactive Systems
Anna Kuehl, Senior Vice President – Customer Solutions at MPS Interactive Systems
Debabrata Paul, Vice President – Learning Design at MPS Interactive Systems
Anisha Chauhan, VP – Learning Design at MPS Interactive Systems
Antara Harve, Director – Learning Design at MPS Interactive Systems