Five Compliance Best Practices for … International Compliance Training

As an accompaniment to our biweekly series on “What Every Multinational Company Should Know About” various international trade, enforcement, and compliance topics, below find an update to our series on compliance checks that every multinational company should consider. Give us two minutes and we’ll give you five suggested compliance best practices that will benefit your international regulatory compliance program.

Effective international compliance training is crucial for ensuring that employees across different regions and cultures understand and adhere to the organization’s compliance standards. Here are some best practices for conducting international compliance training:

1. Tailor Training Content: Customize training content to address the specific compliance risks, regulations, and cultural considerations relevant to each country or region where the organization operates. Ensure that training materials are relevant, relatable, and applicable to the local context.
2. Translate Materials and Use Multilingual Instructors: Translate training materials, including presentations, manuals, and videos, into the local languages spoken by employees in each region. Ensure that language barriers do not hinder understanding or participation in the training program. Use multilingual instructors or trainers who can deliver training sessions in the local languages spoken by employees to help ensure training content is effectively communicated and understood by participants.
3. Offer Multiple Training Formats: At multinational companies, it is particularly important to provide training in various formats to accommodate different learning styles, preferences, and languages. Consider offering in-person workshops, webinars, e-learning modules, videos, and written materials to cater to diverse audiences and to accommodate different languages spoken by employees.
4. Highlight Cultural Differences: Raise awareness of cultural differences and norms that may impact compliance practices in different regions. Address cultural sensitivities, communication styles, business etiquette, and ethical expectations to promote cultural competence among participants.
5. Promote Leadership Support: Secure support and endorsement from senior leadership for international compliance training initiatives. Communicate the importance of compliance training and encourage leaders to actively participate and reinforce training messages.

If you have questions or concerns about this article, please feel free to reach out to the author or your Foley & Lardner attorney. Would you like more practical compliance tips like these? Click Here to Register for our email list to receive future biweekly emails and practical international regulatory compliance tips.

To view all articles in our “What Every Multinational Company Needs to Know” series, click here.