In Anti-Corruption Report, Nitish Upadhyaya Discusses the Importance of Customized Training Programs to Maximize Effectiveness and Reduce Compliance Risks

In an article in Anti-Corruption Report, Director of Behavioral Insights Nitish Upadhyaya discusses how off-the-shelf click-through training often fails to engage employees or empower them to make ethical decisions. He notes that the issue is that “in trying to gain efficiency with their training programs, companies end up sacrificing authenticity and, ultimately, effectiveness.” Instead, customizing training content and focusing efforts on key risk takers can lead to better outcomes and behavior changes.

Nitish highlighted the importance of tailoring training to different roles and risks within a company, noting that broad training fails because it does not meet employees where they are. “Employees at different levels and in different roles have different learning needs, and training should be designed with that in mind,” he said.

Customizing training for specific roles and jurisdictions can make it more relevant and impactful. Nitish advised, “Put time and the money into focusing on a company’s biggest risks. Tailor a training to the Asian market, to the African market, or to a business line that needs lots of licenses and permits to meet whatever high-risk markets or industries an organization is in.”

Measuring the effectiveness of customized training is crucial. Nitish noted that regulators are more concerned with behavior change than mere completion rates: “Regulators … are looking to whether a company is changing behavior and measuring that change.”

Overall, customized click-through training can significantly enhance compliance programs by making content more relevant and engaging for employees, ultimately fostering ethical decision-making and reducing compliance risks.