Unpopular Opinion: Compliance Training is Only as Boring as We Make It
Compliance training can be a daunting task for L&D professionals. It can be dry and unengaging, making it difficult for learners to retain important information. We can all probably rattle off a lot of reasons why compliance training doesn’t have a good reputation:
👎A one-size-fits-all approach that fails to consider individual learners' needs and preferences. As a result, learners may not be fully engaged in the learning process, leading to poor retention of information and a lack of motivation to apply what they have learned.
👎 A focus on compliance with laws and regulations rather than on building skills and knowledge that can be applied to the job makes the training feel irrelevant to the learner's job responsibilities, which discards the learning process.
👎 The absence of a clear application or call-to-action causes learners to forget what they have learned as soon as they complete the training and prevents them from connecting the information to their job responsibilities.
However, compliance training is essential for organizations to ensure legal and ethical standards are met. So, how can you make compliance training more engaging and effective? Here are some creative tips:
6 Tips for Making Compliance Training More Engaging & Effective
Lead with value: Convey the genuine benefits of allocating time and energy towards this particular training initiative. Underscore how it addresses a need, solves a problem, or moves the needle so learners can see the bigger picture.
Use storytelling: Instead of solely relying on facts and figures, incorporate storytelling into your compliance training. Stories are a powerful way to engage learners and help them remember important information. Use real-life examples or create scenarios that are relatable to your learners.
Make it interactive: Incorporate interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and games into your compliance training. This will not only make the training more engaging but also help learners retain the information better.
Leverage microlearning videos: Incorporate bite-sized, binge-able video content to make compliance training more visually appealing, engaging, accessible, and convenient. In the age of TikTok, we're far more likely to watch ten 30-second videos than we are to spend 5 minutes reading an email attachment. While short-form videos can't replace all training, they can go a long way to support larger learning initiatives and fill the gaps between modules.
Personalize the training: Create personalized compliance training programs for each learner. This can be achieved by using adaptive learning technologies that tailor the training to each learner's needs and preferences.
Reinforce the training: Reinforce the training by providing ongoing support and resources. This can include follow-up quizzes, checklists, and job aids. This will help learners apply what they have learned to their everyday work.
I’m a firm believer that compliance training doesn’t have to be boring, but it’s going to take some elbow grease to change the narrative and redeem this bottom-tier topic. To overcome these challenges, apply the same learner-centric approach that you do to the flashier, more exciting training topics.
Remember, this approach involves designing training programs that are tailored to the needs and preferences of individual learners, and that focus on building skills and knowledge that can be applied to the job. Doing so can increase engagement and motivation among learners, leading to more effective learning outcomes and greater compliance with laws and regulations.
Need help to turn your compliance training from boring to binge-able? We've developed resources to help you do just that!
Our most popular course, Using TikTok for Talent Development, will give you a roadmap for leveraging microlearning videos to transform your L&D strategy. Learn more about the future of learning here!
The Storytelling in Learning Workshop is an in-depth look at incorporating storytelling into learning (even compliance training!) to increase engagement and retention. Learn more about our 2-step approach to unlocking the power of storytelling.
Our 508 Compliance Workshop is an eLearning Accessibility training course that will help you build or revise courses to meet accessibility standards such as Section 508 and WCAG without sacrificing content quality. Learn more about our workshop here.
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