Privacy Culture Development

Privacy culture is about protecting personal information and maintaining consumer trust. In an era defined by data, we are introducing a library of highly interactive short training courses to help ensure executives, specialist teams, and frontline employees possess the skills and knowledge to adhere to an increasingly complex data regulatory landscape while maintaining the confidence of service users and key audiences.

WHY INVEST IN BUILDING A STRONG PRIVACY CULTURE?

When consumers trust an organisation, it benefits from faster purchases, customer loyalty, brand advocacy, and higher levels of engagement. What's more, in today's connected "always-on" society, where the slightest misstep is shared and amplified at the click of a button, trust is more important than ever. To earn consumer trust, organisations must stand for more than well-crafted products and reliable services. Essential as these are, meeting such levels of expectations is only the beginning. Several other factors play a crucial role in building a trustworthy reputation. Increasingly, consumers want to know that the companies they buy from and the providers of services they use align with their core values.

One such area where there is growing evidence that consumers are seeking reassurance from the organisations they engage with concerns how they prioritise and respect privacy rights. In 2024, the PWC Voice of the Consumer Survey identified that 83% of consumers said protecting their personal information is one of the most critical factors in an organisation's ability to earn their trust. Meanwhile, a separate 2023 study revealed cultural development is the most powerful way for an organisation to earn trust. The Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report found that changes to an organisation's culture can increase consumer trust by 38% compared to those that only focus on product functionality.

The benefits of a privacy-conscious workforce extend beyond an increase in trust. Ensuring staff understand the importance of privacy in their roles and its broader implications for individuals elicits a positive response from employees. Such an understanding encourages employees to proactively consider data protection at every stage of a project or processing activity and adhere to organisational policies for handling personal data. Over time, this can lead to operational efficiencies through streamlined data management processes and reduced duplication. 

A culture of privacy can also stimulate innovation and creativity through the exploration of ethical solutions to solve problems and create value. Furthermore, organisations that successfully create these workplace environments and cultural values are more likely to benefit from competitive differentiation, which helps attract new customers and talent. There are compliance benefits, too. These include increasing employee confidence to report suspected privacy and security incidents. As such, a more diligent workforce reduces the risk of personal data breaches, cyberattacks, and the threat of regulatory enforcement. In general, privacy culture makes regulatory compliance less burdensome and easier to maintain.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT A DEEPER CULTURE OF PRIVACY  

In certain situations, individual teams and departments often require instructor-led training that explores specific topics in greater detail. Whether it's a high-level brief for the executive board who are ultimately accountable for risk management, including cybersecurity and privacy risks, or an interactive workshop for frontline employees who process personal data as part of their daily roles, learning initiatives designed to improve privacy culture are more effective when they are aligned to the audience's unique circumstances.

At Freevacy, we aim to fundamentally transform employee behaviour and attitudes towards privacy, security, and other data-related regulatory requirements. The goals should be to foster internal policy adherence, increase participation in compliance activities, achieve strategic data objectives, adopt ethical data practices, and promote core values. To support these aims, we're launching a series of short privacy culture training courses that can be taken individually or as part of a broader skills-based learning and development initiative.

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