If you feel that you are constantly being asked to do more with less, you’re not alone. Ethics and compliance (E&C) professionals are tasked with building a strong ethical culture and helping to mitigate risks, all while navigating limited resources and budgets. So, how can you be sure that your training program is not only effective, but also efficient?
This is where benchmarking becomes invaluable: it helps you compare your organization to others and allows you to make a data-backed case for change. By understanding current trends, you can identify key opportunities and strategically focus your efforts for the greatest impact.
We recently explored this topic in our 2025 Training and Communications Benchmarking webinar. With insights from over 220 compliance professionals, our report provides a look into what effective E&C training and communications programs look like today.
Here are five takeaways to help you focus your own strategy:
The Top 5 Takeaways from Rethink’s 2025 Training & Communications Benchmarking Study
- Embrace a hybrid training approach.
Our survey results show that organizations with effective training programs strike a balance between online and live training. A hybrid approach offers the scalability, consistency, and efficiency of online learning, while reserving live training sessions for moments where they can have the most targeted impact.
- Leverage data to improve your training program.
E&C teams are finding more value in analytics. Organizations with the most effective programs (referred to by us as “Achievers”) are moving beyond completion data to also capture employee feedback data. Embedding survey questions directly into training modules provides actionable information to gauge effectiveness and demonstrate the program’s value — all without creating survey fatigue.
- Make your content resonate.
To truly engage your learners, content must be relevant to them. Our benchmarking study revealed a growing trend of incorporating real-life scenarios into E&C training programs, using examples based on actual misconduct that has occurred internally or at other companies to help learners connect with the material. Not only does this approach help training resonate with employees, but it’s also a practice emphasized by regulators.
- Focus on concise, targeted training.
Longer training doesn’t necessarily mean better training; shorter, more focused training can be more effective at retaining employee attention and minimizing disruption. Our findings indicate that Achievers have adopted microlearning (one-four minutes) at higher rates. Microlearning uses quick reminders to help improve retention of material.
- Prioritize accessibility with device-agnostic design.
Ease of access is crucial for a program to be effective in our digital world, yet it remains a potential blind spot. A significant number of respondents did not know if their training is designed to be device-agnostic (i.e., mobile-compatible). This is a key area of opportunity, as practitioners should understand and test how users access information to make sure that their program is easily accessible to everyone, everywhere, at any time.
Curious where your team stands?
While benchmarking reveals what others are doing, it's crucial to acknowledge its limitations; the how and priority of implementation will depend on your organization's specific context and needs.
Effectiveness takes time and a shared vision, especially when resources are tight. This reality means sharpening your strategy, aligning with partners, using existing tools to their maximum efficiency, and advocating for resources to help you deliver meaningful results.
Read the full 2025 Training and Communications Benchmarking Study for more information.
