Company communications are only getting more complex with remote and hybrid workers and the growing popularity of video calls, messaging apps, and social networks. Those heading up compliance efforts often don’t know where to begin. 

The first characteristic to consider is if the communication protection solution is proactive or reactive.

Proactive vs. Reactive

Reactive

When harmful communication leaks, reactive solutions spring into action. Many of these tools take what I call the “spy approach”—they record video, audio, or screenshots of an employee’s communications and try to catch them in the act. Reactive solutions don’t stop destructive communication from occurring, they merely document the act.

Unfortunately, with this type of communications protection, there are many cons. Employees feel violated, there is a mountain of communication to review, people get hurt, and the business is left susceptible to lawsuits. With a reactive solution, businesses find themselves left with a culture of distrust—there’s constant dysfunction, confusion, and high turnover. 

Proactive

Proactive solutions help compliance leaders stop harmful communication before it happens, sparing victims and keeping the business within their ethical and legal requirements. Instead of spying on employees, a proactive solution incorporates in-the-moment training so employees can learn to recognize possible violations and avoid them. 

This type of communications protection doesn’t come with any of the cons that reactive solutions do. Instead, they produce fewer compliance risks, a better and more transparent culture, and far less victimization. Plus, by providing training as employees type and working to stop the harmful communication before it starts, the amount of communication to review for compliance teams is significantly reduced, saving valuable time and resources.

The Consequence of Reactive Communication Solutions

If NFL teams had implemented a proactive system in their communications, perhaps they wouldn’t be facing fines and a huge public backlash. 

The Washington Football Team was fined $10 million due to an improper workplace that included bullying, intimidation, and multiple allegations of sexual harassment. Jon Gruden, the Raiders coach and well-known personality in the league recently stepped down after a pattern of insensitive and derogatory emails were exposed. This only happened after 15 former female employees claimed sexual harassment and an expensive investigation was launched. 

This scenario doesn’t just happen in football. Regulated entities, like financial firms, have struggled to keep up with a proliferation of different modes of communication that increased during the pandemic while regulators ramped up. 

Wall Street banks are currently in the spotlight for how they are keeping track of staff communication in the work-from-home pandemic era. Recently, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement team did a sweep of several banks to see whether they have been properly documenting work-related communications. Their focus was on personal devices and communications such as text messages and emails. 

A proactive approach would empower a solution that detects unapproved communication channels and associated risks before they become a major problem. Banks can then improve their internal training and controls for any apps that fall outside of their compliance policy. By being reactive, and letting communication continue on unapproved channels, organizations are opening themselves up to potentially enormous risks.

Getting a Head Start By Using Proactive Tools

When you start with proactive technology that gives employees anonymous training and teaching, it’s a triple win:

• The employee learns something in the moment
• They change their behavior/message
• No one is victimized and the organization minimizes risk

While some may think that annual training is a proactive approach, it’s more than often insufficient because employees race through it and quickly forget it. Fairwords is the first AI-powered communications protection software that trains you as you type. Think spellcheck, but for inclusive, compliant, and fair communications.

By implementing a proactive solution, like Fairwords, organizations can not only reduce harmful communication but also keep track of trends over time with analytics. Fairwords users can see the percentage of messages revised and see the number of flags decrease as employees stop using harmful language. Plus, with less communication in violation, the amount of labor it takes to review communication will greatly decrease. 

If you’re interested in starting out on the right foot and experiencing a proactive solution, sign up to try Fairwords.