Compliance Training Localization

One of the key priorities of all organizations, regardless of industry or company size, is initiating and delivering effective compliance training programs. Everyone is in agreeance that this is a focus now more than ever. However, there is much debate on how to make the training effective and engaging with a worldwide audience and how to ensure that your compliance training localization efforts are ultimately successful.

When you read articles about compliance training, they all mention the same general concepts: knowing your audience, using relevant material, eLearning modules, etc. These same basic concepts have been around for years, yet companies are still struggling to understand how to spread an effective message worldwide.

Why Is That?

The truth is that all the articles, documents, magazines, and websites that offer tips on how to create effective compliance training aren’t wrong…many are really great reads and offer valuable insights. However, it seems to me many seem to lack the depth of why some of these tips are important. For example: “know your audience.” It is very important but numerous companies only scratch the surface. To them, know your audience is knowing job roles and duties, education backgrounds, and what they find engaging. While I am not debating the importance of these items, I am questioning why cultural differences never seem to make the cut? What is engaging in the US might not resonate with someone in France or Japan. You get the idea.

Problem 1: Cultural Research – Truly Know Your Audience and Localizing Content

Compliance departments work tirelessly to try and create content that will resonate with their desired audience. However, the target audience is usually native to where the source content is being created (i.e. content created in the US is generally directed toward a US audience). After the completion of this content, the only step left is to have it translated, the hard work is done, right?
Wrong. The short answer is they have only just begun with the process of compliance training localization. Now comes the difficult part of making the content relevant worldwide. Taking the engaging material and recreating the same overall message but in a manner that will resonate from country to country. There are no cookie-cutter approaches here, every country will have its own cultural nuances that will need to be addressed. Colors, numbers and common phrases can have completely different meanings around the world and should be examined in depth for each country.

Problem 2: Relevant versus Irrelevant Material

When designing an eLearning course or creating training material in general, though the same over-all message might want to be implied globally, the content that will enable understanding and effectiveness may need to be vastly different from country to country. Be aware of what you are embedding in your modules, in particular, the items that are not editable. These primarily are images but could also be a number of other items, such as text, background themes, etc. This is a common pitfall that could otherwise take a piece of relevant training and make it quickly irrelevant. Believe it or not, a wolf is dressed in sheep’s clothing might not be relevant everywhere!

In today’s world, technology has made learning more automated and has offered global organizations an opportunity to deliver a consistent message across the globe regardless of language. However, the reality is that more planning and thought need to go into the creation of global e-Learning content and resources or your training might fall short. That is where Global eLearning comes into play!

At Global eLearning, we have assembled a team of linguists, engineers, and instructional designers that specialize in supporting global brands to create a message that resonates around the world. It takes skill to develop a message the will be effective in local markets and we have been doing this successfully for years. Contact us today and we’ll work with you to ensure your compliance training localization initiatives are effective!

Matt Patterson