As the world of work continues to change, so do the requirements for Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) training. Liz Hornby, Principal Consultant at LEO GRC (formerly Eukleia), looks at the ways microlearning principles can be used to improve information retention, engagement, and completion of GRC training in the “new normal”.
The phrase “new normal” has now become part of our everyday language, but, as the situation continues to evolve, it can be hard to pin down what the "new normal" actually is. From mass remote working through to the considerable changes to customer relationship management, one thing is for sure: in L&D, we have to be quicker than ever to adapt to the changes in working life—and everything that means for GRC training programs.
Why Microlearning for GRC Training?
We’re more than half a year into this “new normal”, so we’ve all had plenty of time to pivot our learning strategies, embark on digital transformation, and learn how to manage GRC training at a distance. Now is the perfect time to review your GRC training program to ensure that it is on message, sustainable, adaptable, and scalable in the long term.
This is where microlearning principles come in.
From information retention to increasing completion rates, microlearning in any area of learning and development has a huge range of benefits. When it comes to GRC training specifically, here are four key benefits.
1. Microlearning Improves Information Retention
As the world of work continues to change, it’s vital that any new training is impactful, understandable, and digestible. One of the best things about microlearning is the breakdown of complex topics into accessible nuggets of information.
Typically running at 2-10 minutes long, microlearning condenses training down to its purest form. This means that the brain no longer needs to filter out extraneous information. This, in turn, leads to greater retention of the key messages and the ability to deliver specific action points.
Related reading to download today: ‘5 Approaches to Creating Engaging Compliance Training’
2. Microlearning Requires Less Bandwidth
Up until recently, most GRC training has taken place within the workplace, using the strong Wi-Fi provided. But with more of us working from home, and in many homes multiple people needing greater access to the same internet supply, it’s important to consider connectivity and bandwidth issues, especially when delivering mandatory GRC content. Nothing annoys a learner more than a course that fails to record their completion or test score properly.
Due to its shortened form, microlearning requires a lot less bandwidth than longer, media-rich forms of training content. While animation, for example, is kinder to internet bandwidth than video, the shorter bites of eLearning content allow for easier access while using weaker internet connections.
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3. Microlearning Is Easier to Adapt at Scale
The "new normal" is still changing and developing. Microlearning offers both increased flexibility and a more rapid, responsive delivery option.
For example, if your information security policies change in response to new risks, a targeted microlearning solution can be developed and rolled out at scale and at speed. This is a much shorter lead time than a full-length module.
Microlearning can also be used to address interim training needs, such as refreshers and updates.
4. Microlearning Is Flexible for the Time-Poor Workforce
Whatever the new working environment brings for your workforce, there are many demands on their time. Some are spending too long in front of a screen and are 'Zoomed out'. Others are busy working with customers or are in front-line professions away from screens for long periods of time.
The shorter seat times offered by microlearning addresses this problem and provides bite-size learning interventions that fit more easily into the working day.
You might also like: ‘Measuring Compliance Training: A Behavior-Changed Focused Approach’
Need help with delivering bite-sized GRC training at a distance? Talk to us about your training needs.
Liz Hornby, Compliance Expert
Liz joined LEO GRC in 2010 and works as an in-house Subject Matter Expert. Since joining LEO GRC, Liz has completed a Masters Degree in International Business Ethics and Corporate Governance from the University of London and recently completed a PhD on whistleblowing in the UK banking industry.
After studying at Nottingham and Cambridge Universities, Liz qualified as a barrister and went on to work for both the London Stock Exchange and The Securities Association (a predecessor of the Financial Conduct Authority). She then moved into compliance, working for Nomura International plc and Goldman Sachs, before becoming a compliance consultant in 1994. As a consultant, she advised and worked with a broad range of financial services firms.
Liz was Deputy Chairman of the Compliance Forum Committee of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (CISI) for many years and is a part-time lecturer in Corporate Governance and Ethics at the University of London.