Despite its often daunting reputation, compliance training remains one of the key elements of a successful compliance program.

According to recent guidance from the USDOJ, a “hallmark of a well-designed compliance program is appropriately tailored training and communications.” (Dept. of Justice Criminal Division, Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs)

Nevertheless and although we all appreciate that this guidance is exists, how can you truly ensure your compliance program training is “appropriately tailored” to meet the needs of your business, in practice?

Consider the following when developing your next set of compliance trainings:

1. Incorporate real-world scenarios that relate to your business/industry (whether from global enforcement actions, or from actions that may have arisen internally).
2. Keep in mind the knowledge base of your audience, meet your student where they are.
3. Be sure to convey the cause/effect impact of non-compliance on the business, its stakeholders, and individuals involved in any wrongdoing.
4. Leave nothing to the imagination, give guidance on do’s and don’ts, and share relevant policies along with their location to review on one’s own time.

By sharing compliance “in action,” a training becomes less abstract and much more relevant for those who do not work within the compliance function on a daily basis. The question of “why this matters to me?” is then answered, helping to drive home the possibility of these issues arising in day-to-day business, and more importantly, how to handle any such issues should they arise.

By keeping training “real” and relevant, you can keep compliance top-of-mind.