Question: I have already deployed an annual compliance training, but how can I be sure that the message still resonates throughout the year?

Answer:

Compliance is an important part of ensuring your organization follows global standards for ethical business practices. However, it is sometimes difficult to convey just how important that message can be without reinforcement.

Many annual trainings can be seen by employees as just a “check the box” effort that is no more than a required practice. But if compliance becomes a part of your work culture, it will take on a whole new meaning to your colleagues, it will be something to strive for, rather than an obligation.

The most important part of ensuring that this happens is the “tone from the middle.” You need your colleagues and managers performing the general day-to-day business to showcase their understanding that ethical business not only keeps the organization out of legal trouble—avoiding large fines, disbarment, and even monitorships—but also shares that your company wants to help make a difference in the world. The companies who become an “example” for not complying with the efforts to keep their employees safe, not complying with the effort to keep environmental standards in mind, and not complying with social and societal best practices, often end up in just as much trouble as those who end up under investigation by compliance enforcement agencies. Employees and stakeholders drive business practices more and more these days and employees wish to work for an organization aligned with their morals and beliefs. And consumers wish to support a company that is known for ethical practices.

From a compliance standpoint, you can take this trend and use it to your advantage.

TRACE offers multiple ways in which compliance can become creative and fun for your colleagues outside of the mandatory annual training, and share that compliance is a commitment to ethical goals. You can create a means to share that you and the whole compliance department cares about the community and world around you, and make the rest of the company want to do so as well.

A few tips to keep compliance top of mind all year long:

• Use infographics and posters on the walls in a physical office location, like TRACE’s compliance memes and posters to create memorable messaging
• For those working in a hybrid or remote environment, share our TRACE Compliance Life Cycle Menu materials, which include template email messages and interactive compliance games that you can share with your colleagues online
• Create a Compliance Week or Compliance Day event, using our TRACE Event Tool Kit and keep this an annual event including inter-department competitions on training scores and even creating a compliance culture contest through virtual compliance slogan contests, with the winners posted on your website
• Share lessons learned in newsletters or quarterly emails so that both remote and in-person individuals can be a part of the compliance culture.

After an event is finished, share images and videos from the event regularly throughout the rest of the year, alongside case studies, important compliance messaging, even red flags to look out for during the workday.

You can use your company culture to create a compliance-forward atmosphere by engaging your company in your messaging. Rather than “talking at” your group, involving them in the why compliance is important will keep them interested, and keep them proud of their workplace and their accomplishments in the compliance sphere.