As compliance professionals, it’s not our job to simply check boxes and expect results. Long-term success is achieved by creating constant reminders and setting benchmarks.
Raising awareness among your employees starts with showing them that your compliance team cares about fixing things.
ComplianceLine’s 2020 benchmark report found that an average of 29% of employees found out about reporting through the internet. That’s not to say that the internet needs to be your only source for awareness.
There are a lot of measures to include in your communication program to make employees aware of compliance procedures. The biggest mistake organizations make is in thinking that awareness is a set it and forget it proposition.
It’s not.
Communication = Better Awareness
It’s not just about the reporting, it’s about building a culture. Gone are the days where organizations could throw up motivational posters and pretend they did their part.
Modern-day compliance protocols require a dedication to continual learning.
Build awareness through easily accessible training modules and follow-up with your team to gauge their understanding of reporting procedures.
Look at Reporting Rates
Numbers that are way off base correspond to lower reporting rates. If you’re getting a massive percentage of awareness from one channel (ie the internet) then that usually means you are collecting fewer reports overall.
The internet is a common source of information, so it’s quite possible that your employees are finding it from a publicly accessible location online. That said, you should make this knowledge amply available to them internally as well.
Change The Way You Present Information
Do big advertisers ever keep the same commercials running indefinitely? Of course not.
Apply the same philosophy to compliance awareness. Organizations must rework the way they present information in order to keep their employees (like a tv audience) receptive.
Try a few different styles of training and add new information when appropriate. Invoke the notion of team building by holding group activities and learning sessions that are designed to bring employees together and help educate them in a friendly setting.
These efforts will demonstrate a macro level commitment to awareness that team members can appreciate.
Show That Your Compliance Team Cares
Employees need to feel connected to your organization’s mission and goals. When you instill that sense of belonging and common values, the results will speak for themselves.
Awareness will improve behaviors, more employees will report violations of varying severity, and you’ll reach resolutions faster.
Organizations can see significant boosts to their compliance ROI by focusing on awareness campaigns. It’s a win-win for company leaders and employees alike.
For more information on hotline reporter awareness and much more, see ComplianceLine’s comprehensive 2020 benchmark report here.
