Workplace training is often measured by completion rates. If everyone has completed the module and the records have been updated accordingly, then the compliance requirement has been met.
But is that really what training is supposed to achieve?
When it comes to workplace behaviour, simply knowing the rules isn’t necessarily enough. Employees might complete an online module about discrimination, harassment or bullying, but would they recognise inappropriate behaviour if they saw it? Would they feel confident speaking up or know what to do if a colleague raised a concern?
These are the questions worth asking when we think about the purpose of workplace training.
Knowing the rules is only part of the picture
Online training definitely has its place. It can be an efficient way to share information, explain policies and ensure employees have access to consistent messages.
But some topics need more than information delivery. They require people to think about how the information applies to real situations, consider different perspectives and explore what appropriate behaviour looks like in practice.
Respectful workplace behaviour is one of those topics.
Not every situation is straightforward. In fact, recognising inappropriate behaviour isn’t always as clear-cut as people might expect. While some behaviours are obvious and overtly unacceptable, others can be much more subtle or nuanced. It might be a comment that seems harmless on the surface, a joke that makes someone uncomfortable, repeated behaviours that gradually undermine a colleague, or interactions where the context and impact aren’t immediately obvious.
People can also have different perceptions of what is acceptable, particularly when it comes to behaviours they’ve become accustomed to or that has been normalised within a workplace.
When does a joke cross the line? What’s the difference between reasonable management action and workplace bullying? How might behaviour that one person considers harmless affect someone else? What should someone do if they witness behaviour that makes a colleague uncomfortable? And how should a manager respond when an employee raises a concern?
Having worked in HR across a range of organisations and workplaces, I’ve seen how challenging these issues can be in practice. It’s not always a case of someone deliberately setting out to behave inappropriately or knowingly crossing a line. Sometimes it comes down to a lack of awareness, different expectations, behaviours that have become accepted or normalised over time, or simply a lack of understanding about how our words and actions can affect others.
I’ve also seen how difficult it can be for people to recognise when a situation has crossed the line, know whether something is appropriate to raise, or feel confident about how to respond. This can be just as challenging for managers, who are often expected to navigate these situations while balancing different perspectives and responsibilities.
These experiences reinforce for me that building respectful workplaces requires more than communicating policies and defining what is and isn’t acceptable. People need opportunities to explore these issues, challenge assumptions, hear different perspectives and develop a shared understanding of what respectful behaviour looks like in practice.
And importantly, they also need to feel confident applying that understanding in the everyday situations they encounter at work.
The value of bringing people together
This is where in-person training can make a real difference.
Bringing people together creates an opportunity for discussion, questions and practical exploration that can be difficult to replicate through a self-paced online module.
Participants can work through realistic workplace scenarios, including situations where the behaviour isn’t necessarily obvious or where there may be different interpretations of what has occurred. They can consider how different behaviours might affect others, hear different perspectives, test their understanding and discuss the options available when something doesn’t seem right.
This creates an opportunity to explore the grey areas. Rather than simply being told what constitutes inappropriate behaviour, participants can work through examples, discuss why certain behaviours may be problematic and consider how they might respond in a variety of circumstances.
The focus shifts from simply learning what the rules say to understanding what they mean in everyday workplace interactions.
It also creates an opportunity to build a shared understanding of expectations. People may come to a session with different experiences and assumptions about what constitutes acceptable behaviour. Open, respectful discussion can help bring those differences to the surface and clarify what is expected.
Of course, attending an in-person session doesn’t automatically guarantee that behaviour will change. Training needs to be supported by clear policies, consistent leadership, appropriate responses to concerns and a workplace culture that reinforces respectful behaviour.
But it can provide a valuable starting point by helping people build the awareness, understanding and confidence needed to put those expectations into practice.
Introducing our Respectful Relationships in the Workplace training
With this in mind, we’ve developed a new Respectful Relationships in the Workplace training package, designed to move beyond simply communicating workplace rules and requirements.
The three-hour session is delivered in person and takes a practical, interactive approach to building understanding and confidence.
Through realistic workplace scenarios, group discussions and activities, participants explore:
- What contributes to a respectful, safe and inclusive workplace.
- How to recognise discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and workplace bullying, including behaviours that may be less obvious or more nuanced.
- The difference between inappropriate behaviour and reasonable management action.
- Practical ways to respond to and report inappropriate behaviour.
- The role of bystanders and how people can respond when they witness concerning behaviour.
Rather than simply working through a list of definitions, the session encourages participants to think about how these issues might arise in their own workplace, consider the impact of different behaviours and explore appropriate ways to respond.
A key part of the session is working through practical examples together, particularly those situations where recognising inappropriate behaviour isn’t always straightforward. This helps participants consider different perspectives, develop a better understanding of workplace expectations and build confidence in recognising and responding to concerns.
The aim is to help employees feel better equipped to recognise when something isn’t right and understand what they can do next.
Supporting managers and leaders
Employees aren’t the only ones who need practical guidance.
When a workplace complaint or concern is raised, managers and leaders can find themselves in challenging territory. They may want to help, but be unsure how to respond, what their responsibilities are or how to ensure the matter is handled appropriately and fairly.
Good intentions are important, but managers also need a clear understanding of the practical considerations involved in responding to concerns and managing a complaint process.
Organisations can therefore add an optional one-hour session specifically for managers and leaders. This builds on the employee training by focusing on management responsibilities when concerns arise, including appropriate responses, procedural fairness and key considerations in managing the process.
Together, the sessions provide a complementary approach: building awareness and understanding across the workforce while giving managers additional guidance for their role.
Beyond compliance
A positive workplace culture doesn’t happen simply because an organisation has the right policies or everyone has completed their training.
It’s shaped by everyday interactions, how people communicate, whether differences are handled respectfully, whether employees feel safe to speak up, and how concerns are responded to when they arise.
Training alone can’t create that culture. But when it’s practical, relevant and supported by the way an organisation operates, it can play an important part in building it.
Ultimately, the question isn’t just whether employees have completed their training. It’s whether they’ve gained something useful from it.
Do they have a better understanding of respectful behaviour? Can they recognise when something isn’t right, even when the situation isn’t clear-cut? Do they know where to turn or how to respond?
Because completing training and learning something useful aren’t necessarily the same thing.
If you’re looking for a more practical approach to respectful workplace training, get in touch with us at [email protected] or 03 5331 1734 to discuss our Respectful Relationships in the Workplace package and how it could support your organisation.
