Perks Of Interactive Assessments For A Compliance Training Program
There are two notable perks of using interactive assessments in your compliance online training. The first is that your employees are no longer passive test-takers but active participants in the evaluation process. The second is that you gauge not just how much they know but how well they know it. You’re able to lead off with traditional assessment techniques and then transition to deep-dive diagnostics, such as encouraging them to apply their skills to resolve a compliance issue. Then, point out their mistakes so that they don’t make them on the job. Below are 7 tips for incorporating engaging and interactive assessments into your existing compliance program.
1. Clarify Criteria And Compliance Objectives
First things first: You need to determine how you’ll evaluate employee performance or know-how based on measurable criteria. This also involves clarifying compliance objectives and how interactive assessments will gauge their level of understanding or proficiency. In addition, they need to be aware of how you’ll grade them and which topics or challenges an assessment covers. Full transparency will help them prepare for a test and zero in on specific aspects of the compliance training that are being monitored.
2. Mimic Real-World Conditions
Compliance topics tend to involve some degree of pressure or risk, such as handling customer complaints according to company policy so that you don’t compromise integrity. Or dealing with co-worker conflict based on the employee handbook and without violating any rules and regulations. Your interactive assessment must mimic real-world conditions in order to test employee responses "under fire." For example, your assessment doesn’t have to follow the traditional format. Instead, it can use a branching scenario to gauge how quickly they respond and which decision paths they take. If you are taking the traditional testing approach, time each question so that they must make their choices in a realistic timeframe, just as they would do in the workplace.
3. Integrate Video Demos With Follow-Up Reflection
Another unconventional way to incorporate interactive assessments into your compliance online training course is to use video demos. Employees watch a clip that demonstrates a task or behavior. Then, they must determine if the actor (animated or live) made the right decision, as well as explain why they think it was the correct/incorrect choice and how they would change things. This not only tests their ability to tell right from wrong in terms of compliance issues, but they also have the chance to reflect on their own performance and identify problem spots.
4. Follow The Cause And Effect Rule When Crafting Responses
The basis of an interactive assessment is that employees immediately see the repercussions (negative or positive) of their decisions. This cause and effect rule should factor into every response. For example, they misunderstood the HR policies regarding employment termination. The response should tell them where they went wrong, the correct answer/action, and how they can improve. You can also custom tailor responses so that they’re more relatable, rather than making employees feel singled out, such as using a character-based guide to give them pointers and highlight problem areas.
5. Use Simulations To Evaluate Practical Application
Simulations take interactive assessments to the next level by immersing employees in the compliance challenge. They must be able to show that they fully understand the topic and how to apply what they’ve learned to a practical setting. For instance, a simulation features a tricky client meeting where COI breaches may or may not be an issue. Employees must determine whether any rules are being violated or not, why, and how to proceed without losing the client.
6. Develop Question Templates To Streamline Diagnostics
Question templates ensure that your interactive online training assessments follow the same format so that you can standardize evaluations. Employees know what to expect when they access an assessment, such as how to respond to each question and how to submit their answers. These templates also make it easier to revise a test to keep up with changing compliance needs as well as add on to the exam if you need to cover additional topics. Use a rapid authoring tool with built-in assets to simplify the process and stretch your resources. This also comes in handy if you’re developing simulations or other interactive resources to test practical application.
7. Provide Immediate Feedback To Curb Unfavorable Behaviors
The aim of interactive assessments isn’t to simply point out their mistakes and hope they learn something from the experience. Ideally, you want employees to fix what’s wrong on their own, using the available training resources. Provide immediate feedback to deter unfavorable behaviors and put them on the right track. As an example, let them know that there is a more appropriate way to resolve a customer’s issue or handle a work-related emergency. Then, provide them with links to additional resources they can use to self-correct, such as demos that show how to evacuate a facility in the event of a fire or an infographic that outlines which safety gear they must wear in the event of a hazardous spill.
Conclusion
Interactive assessments may be daunting for your development team. VR headsets and videos with complex branching pathways may spring to mind. However, creating these interactive exams can be as simple as embedding links and providing personalized feedback. In fact, keep things basic at first to see how they fit into your overall strategy. You can always fine-tune the design later on to accommodate your evolving business objectives and compliance issues.
Does your current LMS feature a built-in tests engine so that you can evaluate your employees and identify areas for improvement with ease? Use our free online directory to find a learning management system that allows you to monitor individual performance and diagnose training gaps. You can even search based on your key criteria, such as pricing model and use case.