Top 5 compliance training challenges and solutions

Expensive but necessary, complicated but crucial, compliance training is an important duty and a key determinant of the success of every organization. But what is compliance training? Why is it so important? What are its setbacks? How do you solve those issues? Read this article to find out!

What is compliance training? 

Compliance training refers to the mandatory training given to the employees that educates them about the rules and regulations that are necessary for their job role and industry. It is usually mandated by the legislation or the regulation. Some of the common types of compliance training for employees are OSHA compliance training, data privacy and protection training, cyber security training, HR compliance training, ethics training, anti-harassment training, diversity and inclusion training, and so on.

Why is it necessary?  

Compliance training is a mandatory procedure for most organizations. But it shouldn't be just another item to cross off the list because its benefits greatly surpass its costs.

Compliance training minimizes a company's legal risks and lowers its costs as the employees become fully aware of the rules. This, in turn, improves the company's reputation and maintains a good brand image in the market. It fosters a healthy dynamic between the employees and the organizations because they feel involved and important in maintaining the company's quality standards.

It's important to note that 49% of the employees said that they didn't fully grasp the material in their compliance training programs. The challenges to compliance training are paramount, which we'll talk about in the next section.

What are the top 5 challenges in compliance training? 

While there are many challenges to compliance training, here are five that are particularly important.

Lack of employee engagement 

One of the most common challenges with compliance training is the lack of employee engagement. Employees often look at compliance training as a mundane activity or a roadblock to get to their actual work. Low engagement rates lead to less retention of information, causing major issues for all parties involved.

Lack of relevance to the job 

Employees in an organization tend to look at compliance training as irrelevant and unnecessary to their job. The attitude around compliance training and its low impact on their daily tasks shapes the way they feel about compliance training.

Complexity of content 

There are many topics to cover under compliance training, and some of them are technical in nature. This makes the employees feel that the content is too complex and the technical/legal jargon is hard to understand. They feel overwhelmed and put off learning as much as possible.

Constantly changing regulations 

Compliance training programs can become outdated quickly. This makes the job tedious for both the employees and the organization. If the employees aren't updated in real time, compliance training programs lose their credibility while creating confusion for the employees.

Effectiveness of assessments 

Organizations have shifted from the era of evaluation-less lecturing to feedback-based content improvement. But, true retention and understanding still aren't assessed in the most effective manner. Employees often have a partial or distorted understanding of the policies and procedures, which goes unnoticed in the typical feedback system.

What are the 5 best ways to overcome these challenges? 

Setbacks in compliance training directly affect the intensity of issues in an organization. But there are ways to overcome these challenges; we discuss the top 5 below.

Diverse lessons and gamification of courses 

Engaging the employees is the main determinant of their capacity to grasp information. To improve employee engagement, add different types of lessons using all of the available features. Gamify the courses to make them engaging and exciting.

Practical application of the learning material 

To emphasize the relevance of compliance training, include case studies and real-world incidents as a part of the course material. Scenario-based questions are also a great way to show the real-life application of compliance courses. Tailoring the courses to specific job roles will drive the point home even more.

Micro-learning modules 

The amount of information and the complexity of content are both high in compliance training courses. Dividing the information into micro-learning modules with chapter-wise overviews and quizzes will solve half the problem. Simplifying complex terms and explaining broad concepts with examples lead to better understanding for the employees.

Updated courses  

Keeping up with the ever-changing regulatory scenario can be combated by updating course content frequently. On the other hand, compliance training courses can be renewed annually to ensure that the employees, the organization, and the regulatory world stay on the same page.

Distinctive assessment tools 

Built-in assessment tools in a good LMS software is a great way to evaluate compliance training courses. Module-level assessments with different kinds of quizzes and assignments help the course instructor get a clear idea of how employees are grasping the information. A one-month or three-month retention assessment can be conducted to make the information more concrete in the minds of the employees.

Wrapping Up 

In an ever-changing corporate world, the need for good compliance training is imperative. Research shows that 90% of companies plan to achieve continuous compliance in the next five years. Understanding the challenges that come with compliance training and its solutions helps organizations stay ahead of the curve and lay out a sure path for success.