In compliance, training, and communications are not simply program components; they are the lifeblood of an effective ethics and compliance (E&C) function. They inform, reinforce, and ultimately drive the behaviors we want to see across the enterprise. When done right, they help employees identify, prevent, and report misconduct. When done poorly, they are a wasted opportunity, ticking a box without changing behavior.
Rethink Compliance’s 2025 Training & Communications Benchmarking Survey provides a rich snapshot of where corporate compliance programs stand today and where they can improve. With over 220 respondents spanning industries from healthcare to technology, manufacturing to financial services, and more than 30% of them based outside North America, the findings offer a broad, representative view of the E&C landscape.
The study shows both encouraging progress and persistent gaps. Most organizations (83%) train all employees on core E&C responsibilities, but only 46.6% deliver risk-specific training tailored to job roles or exposure. Board training is becoming more common, with non-participation dropping from 35% in 2021 to 20% in 2025. Third-party training is also on the rise, from 37% in 2021 to 56% in 2025, especially in highly regulated sectors.
The format and length of training are shifting, too. Courses between 5 and 40 minutes remain most popular, but microlearning, generally defined as quick, 1–4 minute bursts of content, is gaining traction among the highest-performing programs. Engagement tools like real-life scenarios, quizzes, and humor are more widely used, and there is a growing emphasis on mobile compatibility and responsive design.
Analytics are also maturing. While completion rates remain the most-tracked metric (87%), more organizations are analyzing knowledge retention, cultural indicators, and employee feedback. The percentage of respondents finding training analytics “extremely valuable” has jumped from 16.8% in 2021 to 23% in 2025. However, resource constraints remain a significant governance challenge, with 60% of respondents citing limited budget as their biggest obstacle.
From this data, five key takeaways emerge for compliance professionals seeking to strengthen their training and communication strategies.
1. Targeting is the New Baseline
Broad training coverage is good; targeted training is better. The survey confirms that Achievers, who rate their programs as most effective, invest in risk-specific, role-based training. They tailor content to the realities of senior leaders, people managers, high-risk employees, and boards. This approach aligns with regulatory guidance, which emphasizes relevance as a key measure of program quality. If your compliance training treats everyone the same, you are missing an opportunity to drive behavior where the risk is greatest. Targeting also improves retention, as employees are more engaged when the content speaks directly to their work challenges. For example, anti-bribery training for a field sales team should look very different from privacy training for IT administrators. By segmenting your audience and designing accordingly, you not only meet enforcement expectations but also increase the likelihood that training will lead to action when it matters.
2. Onboarding is Prime Real Estate for Compliance Culture
The survey shows that 67% of organizations provide E&C training during onboarding, with another 28% doing so within the first six months. These early days are when the cultural tone is set, expectations are established, and new hires decide whether compliance is truly valued or just lip service. The same applies to third parties, whose actions can create as much liability as your employees’. With third-party training rising sharply to 56% adoption, the momentum is clear. By embedding compliance messaging and expectations into the onboarding journey for both employees and high-risk partners, you lay a foundation that can be reinforced over time. This early investment pays dividends: employees start their tenure with clarity on what is expected, and third parties understand from the outset that compliance is part of doing business with you. Miss this window, and you risk leaving both groups to learn norms through observation, a risky proposition if informal culture undermines formal policy.
3. Shorter, More Engaging Content Delivers More Impact
One of the strongest trends in the survey is the move toward concise, high-impact content. While 5–40 minute courses are still the norm, microlearning, short, focused modules lasting 1–4 minutes, is increasingly popular among high-performing programs. Achievers are also more likely to integrate real-life scenarios into training, which is not surprising given that regulators encourage the use of relatable examples. The reason is simple: employees have limited attention, and training competes with their daily responsibilities. Shorter formats, paired with interactive elements like quizzes or opinion polls, can be reinforced year-round through compliance communications. Instead of one long annual course, consider a blended approach: core concepts delivered upfront, with microlearning refreshers pushed throughout the year. This keeps compliance top of mind and allows you to respond to emerging risks quickly with targeted, bite-sized updates.
4. Data Analytics is a Strategic Advantage—If You Use It Well
Data is abundant in compliance training; insight is not. The survey shows progress, with more organizations finding analytics “extremely valuable” and using them to inform program improvements. Yet too many still stop at completion rates. The most effective programs go deeper into tracking knowledge retention, cultural indicators, engagement metrics, and device usage. Embedding survey questions into training can yield valuable cultural data without adding to survey fatigue. This is more than an administrative exercise; analytics can justify budget requests, demonstrate ROI to leadership, and identify which parts of your program need strengthening. For example, if analytics show that completion is high but post-training assessments reveal weak understanding in a critical risk area, you have the evidence required to redesign the content. Regulators increasingly expect to see not just that training occurred, but that it was effective. Using analytics strategically can turn your training program from a cost center into a business asset.
5. Governance, Resources, and Vendor Partnerships Define Success
Training quality and sustainability depend on governance. The survey found that 60% of organizations have a dedicated E&C training role or team, with Achievers far more likely to have such resources than Strivers. Without clear ownership, training competes with other priorities and suffers in quality. Budget constraints remain the top challenge, cited by 60% of respondents, making it critical to leverage every available efficiency from interdepartmental collaboration to smart vendor partnerships. On the vendor side, most organizations use a blend of in-house and external content, with customization playing an important role in effectiveness. Achievers report higher satisfaction with vendors, likely because they select partners who understand their industry risks and culture. The lesson here is that governance is not just about oversight; it’s about making strategic decisions on staffing, budgeting, and partnerships that elevate your training from adequate to excellent.
The 2025 Rethink Compliance Benchmarking Survey makes it clear: training and communications are evolving toward precision, efficiency, and measurable impact. The challenge for compliance leaders is to align governance, content, delivery, and analytics into a program that not only checks regulatory boxes but also changes behavior. Those who embrace targeting, onboarding, engagement, data, and strong governance will be best positioned to turn training into a true driver of ethical culture.
