Ignoring compliance training isn’t just risky — it’s like walking a financial tightrope with no safety net. If government or regulatory agencies catch your business in the act of non-compliance, you could be facing fines that climb into the millions — especially if you’ve overlooked critical training like HIPAA, harassment prevention, or workplace safety. Or imagine an employee getting injured on the job and suing the company. If your team was never properly trained on safety protocols, the legal fees and potential settlement costs would add up fast. (Spoiler: Not even Judge Judy could save you there.)

Compliance isn’t just about checking a box — protecting your bottom line and keeping your business running smoothly is essential.

But here’s the good news — staying compliant doesn’t have to be a headache. With the right tools and resources (cough, cough… premium courses), you can streamline your compliance efforts, stay on top of regulations, and ensure your team is always up to speed on the latest state laws and changes.

The five options for compliance training

Before you dive into a new strategy, let’s take a step back and look at all your options. There are a bunch of different methods out there, each with its perks and downsides. Figuring out what works best for your team means weighing these choices carefully. So, let’s break down one of the popular methods — the good, the bad, and all the in-between — so you can make the best call for your compliance training needs.

Option #1: Temporary trainers

The first option is to hire a temporary trainer to provide on-site training for a specific time frame. Hiring temporary trainers might seem appealing, but consider the whole picture before diving in.

‍Pros:

• Quick hiring. Bringing in trainers on a short-term basis can address immediate needs.
• Fresh perspectives. While temporary trainers can provide valuable insights, their methods may not perfectly match your practices.

Cons: 

• Learning pains. Trainers need time to grasp your company’s specific compliance needs, which can delay training.
• Low knowledge retention and flexibility. Temporary training can lead to low knowledge retention without a reliable resource to reference. Studies show that employees may forget up to 70% of material after one day — when temporary trainers walk out the door, their material walks out with them! Consider these scenarios if you are on the fence about temporary trainers:
  • What happens if someone is sick during the training? When are their make-up sessions?
  • What if a new hire joins after the training session? How much extra money will it cost your business to train one person?
  • Do you have a plan for referencing the training material later on? Where is the ongoing support?
• Information bottlenecks. Compliance updates can sometimes get lost in the shuffle, leaving your team unaware of changes until it’s too late, resulting in outdated practices.

Option #2: Specialized compliance training platforms

Specialized compliance training platforms offer online training solutions designed specifically to meet compliance requirements across various industries. There are certainly pros to hiring third-party platforms, but it's important to know the whole picture before making a decision.

Pros: 

• Compliance experts. Partnering with any variation of a third-party platform means you get training crafted by compliance specialists, ensuring your programs are accurate and relevant while keeping you in the loop with changing regulations‍
• Online accessibility. With online training modules, all employees can access learning anytime, anywhere. This eliminates scheduling headaches, allowing new hires or those who miss live sessions to get still the essential training they need. It also helps retention, as the option for repeated exposure to training materials leads to more retention. 

Cons: 

• Quite costly. Using specialized compliance training platforms can be really expensive, with some popular options exceeding $60,000 per year for a group of 250 participants.

• Lack of centralization. Most third-party platforms focus only on compliance, forcing your team to juggle multiple systems to find necessary training. In other words, your team can expect their training experience to feel more like playing whack-a-mole — frustrating and chaotic!

Option #3: HRIS platforms

An HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems) is a software solution that helps organizations manage and streamline their HR functions, including employee data, payroll, benefits, and sometimes a bit of compliance training. While an HRIS and a specialized compliance training platform share some similarities, they also have distinct differences. Here's how:

Pros: 

• Cost-effectiveness. Since many HRIS solutions incorporate compliance training, this option can be more cost-effective if your organization already utilizes such a system. However, the costs of an HRIS can already be exceedingly expensive. ‍
• Integration with HR processes. An HRIS potentially offer various tools that integrate compliance training with other HR functions like onboarding, performance management, and record-keeping.

Cons: 

• Limited compliance focus. While an HRIS may offer compliance training, the depth and specialization of the training may not match that of systems with hundreds of compliance trainings.
• Potential lack of flexibility. Some HRIS solutions might not offer the same level of online accessibility and interactive learning as specialized platforms do — especially when it comes to mobile access for on-the-go training.

Option #4: Trying to do it all yourself

Another option is to build an updated compliance training on your own with your training system (such as Trainual), but this approach may not be the best fit. Here’s why: 

You have an entire business to run! Keeping up with constantly changing laws and regulations for your industry, region, and company size can be a full-time job in itself. The stress of saying compliant is like the worst game of operation ever — only the stakes are much higher this time!

The legal repercussions can hit hard without a solid method for compliance training. Unfortunately, not everyone can have Mike Ross or Harvey Spector to save the day. And let’s be real — hiring a lawyer can cost more than your last vacation! Why risk it? 

‍Option #5: Premium courses (Hint: this one is the best)‍

Not to brag... but our premium courses are seriously da bomb! With unlimited access to over 380+ expertly crafted courses tailored to the regulatory landscape, they’re the perfect choice for all your compliance training needs.

Here are a few things your team can do with premium courses:

• 🎯 Tailored training. Get unlimited access to a growing library of 350+ courses — created by experts for your industry, region, and company size.
• 📚 All your training in one place. Ditch costly third-party compliance training platforms and keep all of your training in one searchable place.
• 🪄 Automatic updates. You’re (probably) no lawyer and you don’t have to be. Premium courses update automatically as state rules and regulations evolve.
• 📅 Recurring training cycles. Schedule initial and recurring due dates to meet new hire, annual, and other compliance training deadlines.
• 📊 Records on demand. See completion progress and get proof of compliance at any time with detailed reports and certificates.

Investing in premium courses gives your in-house team the tools to champion continuous learning and development. You won’t have to stress about temporary trainers — your team can access training immediately, boosting their long-term knowledge retention. Rest easy knowing your team has what it takes to succeed!

Protect your business (and your sanity) with Trainual’s premium courses. Stay compliant and save money by dodging those pesky legal fines!

👉 Learn more about premium courses.