Member Article

Get GDPR Smart app launched to boost employee compliance

With the weekly countdown to GDPR now in single figures, a new app has been launched to boost knowledge and compliance throughout UK workforces.

Get GDPR Smart is the first app of its kind to be offered by a HR software vendor. Delivered by Cascade HR and powered by game-based training experts E3 Compliance Training, it is designed to provide a more engaging way for employees to learn about this complex legislation.

The digital platform encourages individuals to think about how the law relates to and affects them. App analytics will then enable HR teams to identify the specific topics for which colleagues or departments will require further development.

The launch of the app is seemingly well-timed, following the FSB’s revelation earlier this month that fewer than one in ten British businesses are prepared for GDPR. Market researcher Vanson Bourne has also cited the efforts that IT teams are going to, to acquire the skills and expertise required to secure data and comply.

But of the 96 data breach reprimands issued by the ICO in 2017, 11 reportedly related directly to employees, which emphasises the need for company-wide training.

“A Cascade survey in late 2017 found that HR teams were feeling relatively comfortable with GDPR, with 61% of respondents claiming that their team is somewhat prepared for the upcoming legislative changes,” explains product director Paul Sparkes. “But compliance training throughout businesses is what will undoubtedly prove crucial to organisations staying on the right side of the law over the coming years.

“Accountability therefore needs to be acknowledged by everyone and, in many cases, one-off training will not be enough. That’s the reason for this app collaboration – we want to empower HR to develop the knowledge of the entire workforce and use analytics to home in on employees who need ongoing support.”

Available via multiple devices, the self-paced app uses a combination of quickfire questions, games and role play scenarios to try and address GDPR in the most immersive way possible. High scores and leader boards are incorporated into the tool to try and encourage a sense of competitiveness.

Co-founder of E3 Compliance Training Steve Brett said: “We use approaches from mobile games to make training fun and effective. We see that people learn much more when they play and with our methodology there is no reason to subject staff to boring training.”

“From webinars to user groups, we believe in making learning as fun and interactive for our clients as possible, even if it’s a step away from the norm,” explains Cascade’s associate product manager Claire Morrall. “We hope that this app collaboration will further strengthen the impact of our training – through technology – and add even more value to our software partner offering.”

The app is available on iOS, Android as well as PCs and has been designed to be easy for organisations to deploy.

Cascade’s software suite includes CascadeGo for SME businesses, and the original Cascade solution for larger firms with up to 10,000 staff or more.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Katie Mallinson .