How to Balance Compliance and Usability

HR professionals dread taking their Compliance training, too. Even I — an HR professional who works for a company that creates quite literally the best compliance training out there — get that tiny moment of 😩 when training season comes around. Why? Because I already know this stuff. I’m literally the person responsible for enforcing many of these policies, including Harassment Prevention, Anti-Retaliation, etc. Because it’s going to eat up a couple hours of my already very busy work schedule. Because sitting at my desk clicking through an admittedly super important training that I care deeply about still feels like time spent not working. But you know what? Our latest feature updates made this the best, most seamless and low lift experience experience I’ve ever had taking Compliance Training. All — I took my Ethena Harassment Prevention this month while making dinner. On my phone. Which auto logged me into the training via the email alert I received — no username and password necessary. Am I ashamed that I was multi tasking while taking my Compliance training? Not at all. Here’s why it worked: Ethena’s training doesn’t force employees to manually click through a million different buttons to get to the next section of the training. It auto loads and transitions to the next section once you’ve finished watching the video. (Think: Netflix auto loading the next episode of your latest tv show binge.) Ethena’s training has narration for all text within the training so you can just listen to the training like a podcast while you’re frying up those onions or throwing another load into the washer. (Don’t worry; we value customization, so if you’re not an auditory processsor, you can also turn these off.) Ethena’s training allows you to watch all our videos at 2x speed so you can get the same information in less time. Ethena’s training auto assigns the shortest training legally mandated based on your location and job type so you’re getting the right information in the least amount of time. And if you’re worried all this means employees will just put their training on auto play without actually ingesting any of the information, fear not. Because we pepper in thoughtful Checks on Learning throughout to make sure employees are paying attention and retaining critical details. And guess what? They’re all customizable. We’re also rolling out a new feature that will let admins allow employees to “test out” of trainings where there aren’t legal training requirements so employees who already know their stuff can prove it and save time while anyone who misses the mark gets the annual refresher they need. No harm, no foul. Check out a couple of screenshots of some of my favorite features and modules from our Harassment Prevention training below. Want to learn more? DM me or reach out to one of our training experts here for more details: https://hubs.la/Q03797RK0

Most compliance training deserves its bad reputation. The real problem isn't the content—it's our fundamental approach. Traditional training focuses on legal requirements: "Don't harass." "Don't discriminate." This creates disengagement (nobody believes they're the "bad person") and misses the opportunity to transform culture. Skills-based compliance training flips the script. Instead of rules to memorize, we teach practical human skills that benefit all relationships: • Communication techniques for difficult conversations • Empathy skills that strengthen connections • Conflict resolution methods that prevent escalation These universal skills make training relevant to everyone. Employees see it as valuable personal development, not a tedious legal obligation. At Emtrain, we approach ethics, respect, and inclusion from this skills-based focus. When people develop these practical relationship skills, they create healthier workplaces and improve their personal lives. L&D professionals: How would shifting from rule-based to skills-based compliance training transform your organization?

Nobody wants to take your training. I learned this harsh truth early in my L&D career, and it changed everything. Your compliance course? They're clicking through as fast as possible. Your onboarding modules? They're multitasking through every slide. Your leadership development program? They're there because they have to be. It's not that people are mean or don't want to grow. They're just busy. They've got real work to do. This realization stings, but it leads to the most important breakthrough any L&D professional can have: Empathy. When you accept that learners don't automatically want what you've created, you start asking different questions: → What do they actually need to solve their real problems? → How can I make this feel relevant to their daily challenges? → What would make them choose to engage, not just comply? This shift in thinking led me to the SURE principles that transformed my approach: SIMPLE: Cut the jargon. Write like you're explaining to a colleague over coffee, not lecturing to a graduate seminar. USEFUL: Instead of "Introduction to Customer Service," try "How to Handle Angry Customers Without Losing Your Mind." Which one would you click on? RESONANT: Connect emotionally. That safety training hits different when it starts with "Imagine explaining to your family why you didn't make it home tonight." EASY TO SKIM: Busy learners scan for key information. Visual hierarchy isn't just pretty design—it's learning efficiency. The moment you realize nobody wants to take your training is the moment you start creating training people actually want to take. Because when you design with empathy, something magical happens: learners stop being compliance statistics and start being humans who genuinely want to grow. What's one way you've made your training more learner-centered? #TrainLikeAMarketer #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingDesign #LearnerExperience