As the founder of TeachPrivacy, I’ve seen firsthand how critical privacy training is for employees. Here are some key points:
Why Privacy Training Matters
Privacy training for employees isn’t just some box to check. It’s essential for protecting your company and customers. Here are some examples of problematic privacy practices:
- Making poor privacy design choices
- Failing to minimize data collection and use to what is necessary to achieve one’s purposes
- Accidentally providing confidential info to the wrong person
- Improperly accessing personal data that isn’t relevant for one’s job
- Failing to keep track of the personal data that is collected, stored, or used
- Failing to recognize and protect sensitive data
Without proper training, these mistakes happen all the time and can be costly.
The Real Costs of Poor Privacy Practices
I’ve seen companies get wrecked by preventable privacy incidents.
And it’s not just about regulatory fines. Privacy incidents destroy customer trust, and rebuilding it is an uphill battle.
What Effective Privacy Training Looks Like
How do you train employees on privacy? Here are the key components:
1. Make it relevant
Generic training puts people to sleep. Tailor it to your specific industry and the roles in your company.
Show employees exactly how privacy applies to their day-to-day work. Use real examples they can relate to.
2. Keep it practical
Skip the legal jargon. Focus on concrete steps employees can take to identify personal data and comply with privacy and data protection laws.
3. Make it engaging
Most privacy training is boring. But it doesn’t have to be. Keep people’s attention and help the lessons stick. Avoid long-winded background. Focus on things to do and why. Use interesting and engaging visuals. Use humor. Merely throwing information at people is a waste of time; people won’t remember it. It is essential to make the material come alive and relevant for trainees.
4. Reinforce regularly
One-and-done training doesn’t cut it. Companies need ongoing education to keep privacy a top priority.
Send out quick tips and reminders. Run periodic refresher courses. Make it part of your culture.
Privacy Training Benefits
When done right, privacy training delivers significant benefits:
- Fewer privacy incidents
- Stronger regulatory compliance
- Increased customer trust and loyalty
- Improved decision-making around data usage
- A culture of privacy awareness
Privacy training is an investment that pays off significantly in risk reduction and reputation protection. Whenever an incident occurs, regulators will often view poor or mediocre privacy training as a sign that a company isn’t taking privacy seriously. The result is bigger penalties.
Common Privacy Training Pitfalls
Here are some mistakes I see companies make with privacy training:
- Making it too long and boring
- Focusing only on policies instead of practical skills
- Not tailoring it to different roles
- Treating it as a one-time thing
Avoid these pitfalls, and you’ll stay ahead of the curve.
Key Takeaways
- Privacy training is essential for preventing costly privacy incidents that reduce customer trust
- Effective training is tailored, practical, and engaging
- Regular reinforcement is crucial for lasting impact
- Benefits include reduced risk, better compliance, and increased trust
- Avoid common pitfalls like long and boring training
Employee Privacy Training FAQs
How often should we conduct privacy training?
At a minimum, comprehensive training should be done annually. Supplement with role-based and specialty courses and resources.
Who needs privacy training in our company?
Everyone. From the CEO to the interns. Anyone who handles personal data needs to know how to protect it.
What if employees find privacy training boring?
Then you’re doing it wrong! Make it relevant and interactive. Use real-world scenarios and even humor to keep people engaged.
Since its founding by Professor Daniel J. Solove in 2010, TeachPrivacy has provided training for hundreds of organizations, boutique to Fortune 500, both nationwide and globally. A leading international expert in privacy law, Solove is a law professor at George Washington University Law School, has authored more than 10 books and more than 50 articles, as well as given lectures around the world. His LinkedIn blog has more than 1 million followers. Click here for more information about Professor Solove.