Generational differences in retail workplace safety
Workplace safety
Code of Conduct training is one of the most important ways your organization can communicate to employees that ethical behavior in the workplace is a priority, with serious consequences for violations.
An effective Code of Conduct and training program sets the tone for how employees, leaders and stakeholders interact and ensures that everyone understands the organization’s expectations and values.
So, what about your business? Have you recently revisited your current Code of Conduct to determine if it sets the ethical standards and culture you desire? When considering this, take the following steps:
- Look closely at your current Code of Conduct. Is it clear, comprehensive, and up to date? If not, it might be time for an update.
- Review how violations are handled. Are there solid mechanisms in place to enforce the Code?
- Make sure the Code is communicated effectively. Everyone — employees, customers, and stakeholders — should know it exists and understand what it means. Transparency and accountability are key.
- Invest in training that helps everyone understand and apply the Code, building trust and consistency across your organization.
Is your Code of Conduct training effective?
Having an up-to-date Code of Conduct is an essential first step. To truly be impactful, it needs to be supported by effective training. Here are five questions to ask as you consider whether your Code of Conduct training needs a reset.
- Is the training relevant for my business and workforce? Your Code of Conduct training should be tailored to your organization and emphasize what’s most important to your business and industry, and be relatable to employees, partners and third parties.
- Is the training up to date? In today’s complex business environment, keeping your Code of Conduct training up to date is essential for managing new risks and educating employees on how new or revised laws and regulations may impact their work. To ensure employees are aware of the changes, schedule regular, periodic training for everyone.
- Does the training help my employees develop decision-making skills? Interactive training that involves employees in the decision-making process can be a motivator for changing behaviors and attitudes. One powerful technique is to immerse learners in interactive scenarios that challenge them to choose how characters should respond to specific situations. Integrating these kinds of learn-by-doing exercises into your training promotes knowledge retention, while demonstrating in a dramatic way that actions and decisions have consequences.
- Does the training provide clear guidance on how to report misconduct? Code of Conduct training should provide clear guidance to your workforce on how to recognize Code violations – for example, what constitutes a bribe or a conflict of interest – and how to report suspected illegal or unethical behavior. The training should include information on how to access your ethics hotline and other ways that employees in all locations can report issues, either directly or anonymously.
- Does the training survey end users? You won’t have to wonder how employees feel about your Code of Conduct training if you ask them. Training courses that conclude with a brief survey provide you with real-time feedback on how employees rate their training experiences.
