In the previous piece, I mentioned the frustration of a client who had doubts about the lasting value of ethics training. Measuring the exact benefit of an intervention might be difficult. But here are a few questions you could use to assess the value of ethics training before and after the training by asking your employees to answer the following questions as honestly as possible:

1. Consider a recent ethical dilemma in your workplace and how you resolved it. Compare it to your approach to similar dilemmas before the training. Have you noticed any changes in how you
approach ethical decisions after the training?

2. How confident do you feel since completing the training that you are applying the organisational values in your daily work? Have you noticed any changes in your adherence to ethical principles?

3. Before the training, how often did you consider the ethical implications and downstream consequences of your actions? How has this changed since completing the training?

4. If you think of a situation where you were (or still are) tempted to compromise ethical standards, are you handling it better compared to similar situations before the training?

5. How would you describe the ethical climate among your colleagues who attended the training before and after the training? Have you noticed any changes in how ethical issues are discussed
and addressed?

6. Rate your ethical behaviour before and after training. (This can provide insights into their perception of their ethical behaviour and any changes in mindset after the training.)

Another alternative is to use a simple questionnaire to test participants’ knowledge before and after training to determine if there’s been an increase in understanding of the concepts explained. A five-point questionnaire should suffice.

And lastly, use the opportunity to ask employees if there are any specific topics on which they would like to have training e.g., conflicts of interest or receiving gifts. Don’t forget to give them transparent feedback.