Below are summary bullets of this post.

• Repetitive content: Employees often find security awareness training boring due to the repetition of topics, leading to disengagement.
• Time-consuming: Lengthy training sessions disrupt employees' productivity, resulting in resentment and disinterest.
• Lack of relevance: Employees may struggle to see the connection between the training material and their specific roles, diminishing engagement.
• Passive learning environment: Traditional passive learning methods, such as videos and articles, can be monotonous and less effective.
• Ineffective incentives: Incentives that don't align with employees' values or interests may fail to motivate them to complete the training.
• Suggestions: Update training materials, create shorter modules, tailor content to specific roles, incorporate interactive elements, and use intrinsic motivators to improve engagement and effectiveness of security awareness training.

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, businesses face an increasing number of cybersecurity threats. To mitigate these risks, many organizations require employees to undergo mandatory security awareness training. However, it's not uncommon for employees to view these training sessions with disdain. In this blog post, we will explore the primary reasons why employees dislike required security awareness training and offer suggestions to make the process more engaging and effective.

Repetitive Content

One of the main reasons employees express disinterest in security awareness training is the repetitive nature of the content. The majority of training sessions cover the same topics year after year, such as password management, phishing prevention, and secure browsing habits. This lack of variety often leads to boredom and disengagement, as employees feel they are not learning anything new.

Suggestion: To combat this issue, consider updating your training materials regularly and incorporating new topics relevant to the latest cybersecurity trends and threats.

Haekka delivers fresh content on a weekly basis with Streams. We also constantly update our training content.

Time-consuming

In today's fast-paced work environment, employees are already juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities. Required security awareness training can feel like an unwelcome addition to their workload, particularly if it's lengthy and time-consuming. Many employees may perceive these sessions as a hindrance to their productivity, leading to resentment and disinterest.

Suggestion: Create shorter, more focused training modules that can be completed in manageable time increments. This will allow employees to work on the training without significantly disrupting their daily tasks.

Lack of Relevance

Employees may struggle to see the relevance of certain security awareness training topics to their specific roles or responsibilities. This perceived lack of relevance can lead to a disconnect between the training and the employee's day-to-day work, resulting in diminished engagement and retention of the material.

Suggestion: Tailor your training content to address the specific needs and concerns of different departments or job functions within your organization. This will help ensure that employees understand the direct impact of cybersecurity on their roles and responsibilities.

Haekka training is built for modern work and is relevant to SaaS apps and workflows.

Passive Learning Environment

Traditional security awareness training methods often involve passive learning techniques, such as watching videos or reading articles. While these methods can effectively convey information, they can also be monotonous and may not engage employees in a meaningful way.

Suggestion: Incorporate interactive elements into your training sessions, such as quizzes, group discussions, and real-life simulations. These activities can help create a more engaging and memorable learning experience for employees.

Haekka incorporates ad-hoc and recurring surveys and polls to drive awareness while collecting bottoms-up security data.

Ineffective Incentives

In some cases, organizations may offer incentives to encourage employees to complete their security awareness training. However, these incentives are often ineffective or counterproductive, as they may not align with employees' values or interests.

Suggestion: Instead of relying solely on extrinsic motivators like gift cards or monetary rewards, consider incorporating intrinsic motivators like professional development opportunities, public recognition, or opportunities for career advancement.

Haekka gamifies training with user levels and performance metrics to keep learners motivated and engaged.

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While mandatory security awareness training may not be the most popular task among employees, it remains a crucial component of any organization's cybersecurity strategy. By addressing the issues of repetitive content, time-consuming sessions, lack of relevance, passive learning environments, and ineffective incentives, you can create a more engaging and effective training program that employees will be more inclined to embrace.

Security awareness does not have to feel like going to the dentist. Give Haekka a try today and see how pleasant required training can be for managers and employees.

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