Compliance in Practice: Insights on What’s Working, What’s Not, & The Rise of AI

This report examines employee perceptions of corporate compliance programs across the United States, Canada, Germany, and France. Drawing on survey responses from more than 800 employees across multiple industries, it provides a cross-national view of how compliance programs are understood, experienced, and supported in practice, including perspectives on the growing use of AI.

At its core, the study aims to strengthen the effectiveness of compliance programs by centering the perspectives of the employees they are designed to guide and protect. Specifically, it assesses whether employees:

• Are aware that a compliance program exists, understand its purpose, receive meaningful training, and know where to find relevant policies and procedures
• Feel safe reporting misconduct and trust that concerns will be addressed without retaliation
• View compliance teams as educating and empowering them with relevant data and guidance
• Perceive leadership as setting an appropriate tone at the top for ethics and compliance
• Hold constructive or skeptical views toward the use of AI in compliance activities

While individual commitment to ethical behavior remains strong across all markets, the findings point to persistent gaps in leadership engagement, training relevance, reporting comfort, and program transparency. At the same time, the data reveals cautious but notable optimism around AI, highlighting both risks and opportunities for compliance leaders seeking to reinforce ethical culture, build trust, and modernize their programs.

Several areas emerge as clear opportunities for improvement. Employees report limited visibility into how investigations are handled or whether misconduct is meaningfully addressed. Greater transparency, such as sharing aggregated, non-confidential information about investigations and outcomes, could help demonstrate that ethical standards are enforced consistently.

Many respondents also question whether compliance policies and training genuinely support their day-to-day work, often viewing them as obligations rather than enablers. More intuitive tools and role-specific, practical training could significantly improve both adoption and perceived value.

The findings also suggest that employees tend to view themselves as more ethical than others, creating an opportunity for compliance teams to reposition themselves not as a punitive function but as a trusted partner that supports ethical decision-making. Increased transparency and better use of data can reinforce confidence that ethical behavior is the norm rather than the exception.

Finally, while comfort with AI varies by country, the overall level of optimism suggests that AI could be leveraged to deliver more relevant training, clearer guidance, and deeper insight into compliance program effectiveness.

Download the full report to benchmark your program, uncover where the biggest gaps are, and learn how to future-proof your TPRM strategy.