A staple of any organization's
Compliance training platform Traliant surveyed employees to find out how they have handled
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Due to their age, many Gen Zers face a lack of professional experience, and the gap in comfortable decision making underlines a need for more modern, relevant training within the workplace, says Elissa Rossi, Traliant's VP of compliance services. Over half of respondents said ethical decision-making would be easier if training included clearer examples and scenarios that reflect real workplace situations.
"We face those issues all the time," Rossi says. "A good way to show people that they are tied up with straight business issues is for managers to have that be in your town halls, in your all hands meetings, tying things back to the company's ethics and values. [You should also] make sure in whatever manager training or development you're doing, you're saying this is really important."
To help leaders meet the modern standards of a digital workplace, Traliant's customizable code of conduct training program, "The Code," is formatted like a TV show, with episodes that address dilemmas such as accepting gifts, facing conflicts of interest, protecting confidential information and reporting misconduct. A corresponding podcast breaks down each episode, explaining why decisions were or were not correct, and the consequences.
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Rossi points out that part of the training is devoted to teaching employees how to make good judgement calls even if they're facing a new scenario. Organizations can support this by encouraging anyone who is questioning a choice to reach out to a trusted leader for advice, and make sure that ethics is included in any mentorship or coaching programs. Employees should also know that they will not be retaliated against for reporting anything they think or know is inappropriate.
"It's worthwhile to talk about fears of retaliation and expressly communicate that there won't be any, but also make sure that is what employees see," Rossi says. "If an employee makes a complaint, they themselves don't experience retaliation, of course. The employer talked to them about it, and if there was a change that needed to be made, the employer made the change. Those kinds of things really matter, because employees talk to each other."
Having an open-door approach to these discussions will make it easier to go beyond formal training and incorporate these discussions into team meetings and employees one-on-ones, adds Rossi. Leaders can also share personal stories, or use examples they've heard as teachable moments. For example, if an employee is offered a bribe by a customer, but then lets their manager know and receives proper guidance, it can be something others in the company may also face and should know how to handle.
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When there is a universal standard of behavior within an organization, employees feel safer, more confident and more included, and businesses benefit. Ninety-three percent of respondents said receiving code of conduct training prepared them, at least somewhat, to better handle ethical dilemmas.
"It definitely protects the organization, and it makes it one that employees are more likely to stay at, because it's less likely to be disturbing or toxic," Rossi says. "It is an unsettled time, and different groups of employees may feel targeted, or they may feel empowered in ways that they didn't feel before. Code of conduct training that [addresses] reasonable and appropriate behavior in the workplace and says, 'Here are the standards we want you heed.'"
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