Large-scale healthcare provider: Using harassment prevention training to help rebuild a culture of trust

How a thoughtful approach to harassment prevention training becomes part of mending culture

What do you do when a member of top leadership is accused of harassment, leading to a public scandal of epic proportions? This is the story of a large-scale healthcare provider looking for revitalization after a high-profile incident of harassment spiraling the organization into a state of culture shock that needed careful mending. With 3,000 employees and health services spanning a wide area, part of that effort included finding a harassment prevention solution with quality learning that would be sensitive to the needs of their employees, while at the same time offering flexibility, easy tracking and prompt implementation. 

An opportunity for reflection 

Above all else, they needed a solution that was in keeping with the organization’s overall efforts to provide the kind of learning that would nurture its culture and offer an opportunity for follow-up discussions and pre-emptive problem-solving. That meant that employees needed time for reflection to consider new concepts, ideas and soak in learning at a comfortable pace. Another critical factor: the company didn’t want to wind up with training that would be off-putting to employees, which could possibly make a difficult situation even worse.

“We’ve all seen those cringy harassment prevention videos that can be quite painful. We selected Kantola because they offered a much higher-level learning experience.“

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HR MANAGER

Rebuilding a healthy culture 

Because they were looking to cultivate a healthy culture with a long-term view in mind, the organization wanted to offer learning that extended beyond situations of blatant harassment, exploring more nuanced behavior that could become a precursor to harassment. Kantola was able to exceed expectations. The HR team said that the real-life interviews and relatable scenarios in the courses offered a learning experience that resonated with their employees. The HR manager reflected that the “interactive aspects of the course are quite powerful” in that people are able to see the impact of their decisions. He went on to say, “I appreciate that there are a variety of situations that go beyond prototypical harassment. The inclusion of ‘micro-interventions’ in particular, offers guidance for people to understand their own behavior and help others to do the same.  

“Managers have a higher level of accountability. The manager-specific course offers tools and strategies to enable them to act on their stewardship to intervene.“

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HR MANAGER

Accommodating a distributed workforce 

Because the organization has a widely distributed workforce, with employees in different locations and many of them out in the field, they needed a training solution that could accommodate education “in a 24-hour, multi-location setting” that would not require people to be in one place at the same time. Kantola’s online courses provided the means for their employees to use different devices and take the course at a time that would be convenient for them. The HR manager commented that “We have busy doctors and nurses and we want to make every effort to make it easy for them to take the training.” 

Swift implementation was key 

Since the need for healing from past events was paramount, there was no time to waste. The organization needed the training to be implemented in a way that would enable administrators to easily monitor course completions. That meant there could be no lengthy delays or complications with setup and execution. Kantola was able to deliver on all fronts. “These implementations can take time, and we couldn’t wait on anything overly complex. Kantola walked us through the system and we received excellent support,” said a member of the HR team. 

Learning that lives on 

As the organization continues on the path of revitalizing its culture, it will regularly repeat the training for employees and managers, going far beyond what is considered basic compliance. “Perhaps because of everything we’ve been through, our employees have been very receptive to getting this kind of support. In the end, culture is made up of every person’s actions or inactions. We’re in this to change perceptions and nurture our culture to make sure that everyone feels safe, comfortable and included.”