Our guide to developing effective code of conduct training

GoodBlog | read time: 6 min

Published: 30 April 2025

Person using a laptop with educational icons.

In today’s business environment, a strong code of conduct is more than just a set of rules – it acts as a reflection of your organisation’s values and as the central pillar of a functioning workplace. While a code may provide clear guidelines for expected behaviour, the real challenge lies in embedding these values across an organisation. A well-written code, no matter how comprehensive, risks becoming just another document unless it is actively brought to life. Effective training is therefore critical to embedding the code across an organisation.

Good code of conduct training can shape corporate culture, ensuring employees not only understand what’s expected of them, but also feel empowered to act in line with the company’s ethical commitments during their day-to-day work. It goes beyond mere compliance, building a work environment where expectations are fully understood. This helps prevent unethical behaviour, mitigates risks, and safeguards your business from potential legal and reputational damage.

For many businesses, the mistake is assuming that drafting the code is the final step. Without consistent, engaging, and comprehensive training, the code may never be truly integrated into the company’s day-to-day operations. For businesses looking to ensure their code is fully integrated, our team of experts has put together a comprehensive guide to developing an effective code of conduct training programme that moves your ethical guidelines from words on a page into operational practice.

Key components of code of conduct training?

Code of conduct training introduces employees and other stakeholders to the company’s core values, ethical standards, and expected behaviours. It goes beyond simply reading a policy document – this training aims to instil the company’s ethics into everyday decision-making, ensuring employees are fully aware of what will and will not be tolerated.

Key aspects of code of conduct training include:

Familiarisation with company policies: employees are introduced to the company’s ethical guidelines and policies.
Empowering ethical decision–making: employees are shown how to use decision-making models in their daily activities, ensuring they are empowered to take responsibility for their decisions
Understanding legal and ethical responsibilities: the training outlines not only the company’s expectations but also the legal framework within which the business operates.
Reinforcing positive behaviours: the training helps employees understand how ethical behaviour contributes to a healthy, respectful, and safe workplace for everyone.

Who needs code of conduct training?

All employees: From entry-level staff to senior leadership, everyone in the organisation should undergo code of conduct training. This ensures a consistent understanding of the organisation’s values and ethical standards across all levels.
Leadership and management: It is particularly important that directors and senior leaders participate and know how to lead code of conduct training to set the right example. Setting the tone from the top is critical for embedding ethical behaviour throughout an organisation. Senior management should lead by example, any breaches of the code from the top can have serious and lasting effects across the organisation.
Contractors and third parties: Depending on your industry and relationships, external contractors, suppliers, and other business partners may also need to be trained on your code of conduct, especially if they’re expected to uphold the same standards of behaviour as employees. For businesses with complex supply chains, it may be worth going one step further and developing a supplier code of conduct. This allows for a more tailored approach to the management of supply chain risks and the extension of a company’s ethical principles.
Customised training: Tailor the training based on the roles within the organisation. Different job functions expose employees to different ethical challenges and responsibilities, so effective training should reflect those variances.
- A senior leadership team and management should embrace the organisation’s code in their day-to day conduct. They should also make themselves available as a point of contact for any employee with who may be uncertain about how the code might apply to their work.
- Employees who report to senior levels within the organisation should understand what aspects of the code are specifically relevant to their work and know who they can speak to should they require any clarification.

The benefits of code of conduct training

Not only does code of conduct training help ensure that expectations of behaviour are properly understood throughout the organisation, establishing clear rules to guide conduct can have wider business benefits.

Increased engagement: Training transforms the code from a static document into a dynamic learning tool. It fosters engagement by making the values and behaviours outlined in the code tangible and applicable to everyday scenarios.
Embedding company culture: Training helps integrate the code into company culture. By discussing real-world examples and practical applications, employees are more likely to understand and embrace the company’s ethical commitments.
Clarity on consequences: While the code of conduct outlines expectations, training provides a clear understanding of the consequences of non-compliance. This helps employees realise that the ethical guidelines are not just theoretical but have real-world implications.
Legal compliance: In highly regulated industries such as healthcare, finance or manufacturing, failing to provide effective code of conduct training can lead to serious legal repercussions. Beyond regulatory compliance, effective training also reduces the risk of reputational damage by ensuring all employees understand and respect the company’s ethical standards, lessening the chances of public scandal in the cases of unethical behaviour.

What should be included in code of conduct training?

While each company’s code of conduct training will differ depending on the industry in which it operates and its own specific values, and risks, here are consistent components that should be included in any training programme.

Key values: Reinforce the core ethical values that drive the company’s vision and operations.
Expected behaviours: Specify what types of behaviour are encouraged and what is considered unacceptable, focusing on real-world examples.
Workplace standards: Address issues related to expected behaviour in the workplace, specifically in relation to harassment and discrimination, ensuring employees understand their role in fostering a respectful and welcoming workplace culture.
Potential risks: Highlight common risks specific to your industry or company, such as conflicts of interest, data privacy concerns, or bribery.
Whistleblowing and reporting mechanisms: Ensure employees know how to report ethical concerns or violations and encourage a culture of speaking up without fear of retaliation.
Environmental responsibilities: If your company has environmental commitments, include them in the training to highlight the importance of sustainability and ethical responsibility in environmental practices.
Feedback mechanisms: Encourage feedback on the training itself to continuously improve its effectiveness.

How to Create Effective Code of Conduct Training

To ensure that your code of conduct training is engaging and effective, follow these best practices:

Explain the “Why”: Clearly communicate the purpose of the code and the benefits it brings, such as promoting a safer, healthier work environment and ensuring fair treatment across the organisation. When employees understand the reasons behind the code, they are more likely to take it seriously and implement it in their daily tasks.
Tailor content to your audience: Consider the different roles and responsibilities within your organisation. For example, managers might require more detailed training on handling conflicts of interest or how to speak about code topics with those they manage, while frontline staff might need examples focused on customer interactions. Leadership may require additional guidance on how to deliver training to various employee groups.
Interactive scenarios: Use realistic, industry-specific scenarios to bring the code to life. These should reflect the actual challenges employees might face, making the training both relevant and memorable. For example, customer service employees may navigate issues around customer privacy, while managers encounter more strategic ethical dilemmas. To ensure effectiveness, GoodCorporation’s training is developed by subject matter experts with deep knowledge of industry risks and challenges. They create engaging, tailored scenarios that help employees apply the code to their daily working lives.
Simple, accessible language: Avoid jargon and keep the language clear and concise. This ensures that employees from all backgrounds, regardless of their role or education level, can understand and engage with the content.
Keep it concise: Focus on the key behaviours and values that are essential to your business. Provide clear links and directions to relevant sections in the full code of conduct for employees who need more detailed information.
Focus on positive outcomes: Instead of merely warning about the consequences of unethical behaviour, highlight the positive impact of following the code—on the company, the employees, and broader society. This approach fosters a culture where employees are inspired to do the right thing, rather than fearful of making mistakes.
Ongoing monitoring and evaluation: Ensure your code of conduct training isn’t a one-time event. Regularly assess its effectiveness by measuring employee engagement, analysing feedback, and tracking KPIs such as ethical violations or whistleblowing reports. This can help identify areas for improvement and ensure the training remains relevant as the company and its environment evolve.

Conclusion

Developing and implementing effective code of conduct training is key to embedding your ethical values into your organisation’s culture. By making the training engaging, interactive, and relevant, you can ensure that your employees understand and uphold the company’s code of conduct, leading to a healthier, more compliant, and ultimately more successful organisation.

GoodCorporation offers a range of code of conduct training services to help clients effectively implement and embed their code of conduct. From face-to-face training, ‘train-the-trainer’ workshops and seminars to e-learning courses, gamified training materials and webinars, all available internationally and in multiple languages, our expert team is equipped to aid companies develop training that is best suited to their business needs. To find out more about our code of conduct training services, visit our webpage or contact us directly.

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