Beyond compliance: how to mobilise employees to do the right thing

The stakes have never been higher for your people and business

As uncertainty and budget pressures intensify, and the employment market shifts in favour of employers, investment in employee communications has been under pressure. Yet in an era of heightened stakeholder scrutiny, organisations simply cannot afford complacency around conduct, compliance, safety and quality. The risks to people, reputation and revenue are too great.

But it’s not only about mitigating risk. Getting this right brings significant reward too. As employees navigate new ways of working, rising expectations and constant change, they are asking for greater clarity, stronger support, and clear evidence that their organisation genuinely cares about wellbeing and doing the right thing.

Research consistently shows that workplace satisfaction, morale, performance and retention improve when employees understand and take ownership of conduct and compliance. The challenge is that traditional policies are often perceived as dull, leading employees to disengage. As a result, engagement tends to be inconsistent or superficial. Organisations need to work harder and smarter to make a lasting impact.

So how can employers mobilise their people to do the right thing?

Drawing on our experience across sectors including FMCG, retail, mining, financial services and global logistics, several key lessons stand out:

Equip leaders to set the tone

Employees take cues from leaders – what they say, do and reward. Visible, engaged leaders who advocate for compliance, model ethical decision-making, and openly discuss challenges are critical. Senior leadership must set expectations early and clearly, ensuring leaders at all levels understand their role in fostering an environment where people feel safe to speak up.

When leaders consistently reinforce expectations and recognise good judgement, employees follow. When they don’t, no amount of policy reinforcement can compensate.

Think ‘outside the books’

To capture attention, organisations must go beyond traditional policy documents. Creativity matters. We worked with a major financial services organisation to turn their mandatory conduct training into a podcast series. Taking this approach and transforming mandatory training into engaging formats or interactive experiences can bring abstract concepts to life, significantly boost engagement and help sustain interest over time.

Think ‘inside the books’ too

Updating policies is only half the battle. Getting people to read and act on them is the real challenge. Dense, legalistic content often drives disengagement. So leading organisations are redesigning core materials to feel more human and relevant. 

We’ve worked with a retail client to make their code of ethics feel more personal by clearly aligning it to values, purpose and real-world outcomes. And we’ve used storytelling, relatable examples and real voices help break down barriers and make guidance more meaningful.

Statistics don’t change behaviour, stories do

Emotional connection is key to influencing behaviour. Stories help employees see how compliance connects to what they care about: going home to their family, protecting colleagues, safeguarding livelihoods. When policies feel personal rather than procedural, they become more compelling and move up the priority list. Stories also create empathy and social proof, two powerful drivers of behaviour.

Create psychological safety

We know that people don’t make decisions based on rules alone. Behaviour is shaped by context, habits, social norms and incentives. To encourage the right actions, organisations must create psychologically safe environments where speaking up is expected and supported. 

Behavioural science shows us that environment often outweighs intention. Even well-meaning employees can make poor decisions under pressure or ambiguity. When employees see peers doing the right thing, those behaviours become the norm. Conversely, even small barriers can discourage positive action.

Lean in to the power of purpose

We’ve seen how connecting compliance to a broader purpose can transform engagement. Positioning a code of conduct as a way to protect colleagues, customers and communities, rather than simply a set of rules, takes engagement to the next level, enhancing intrinsic motivation and making expectations more meaningful.

Connect across generations

We know that different generations vary in communication preferences, risk perception and experience. But we also see that core motivations are similar. Framing compliance and safety as shared responsibilities helps unify diverse workforces. It’s important to establish clear nonnegotiables (such as safety over speed, or reporting without fear of retaliation) and then emphasise collective care: “we look out for each other.”

And finally … there is no ‘and finally’  

Behaviour change requires repetition. A single message is never enough. Ongoing reminders, accessible guidance, micro-learning, recognition and continuous dialogue all help embed new habits and social norms. Employees need support in real time, especially when facing uncertainty.

Ultimately mobilising employees to do the right thing is not just about avoiding risk or meeting compliance requirements. It’s about building trust, strengthening understanding, and enabling people to live shared values in everyday decisions – even when no one is watching. By applying these lessons, organisations can move beyond compliance to meaningfully shape behaviour and culture.