Step-by-Step: Producing a Staff Training Book for Phishing Awareness Workshops

Nowadays, with the development of technology, more teams are operating remotely. Companies have realized that it’s important that these teams also get some kind of cybersecurity training. Data breaches happen often and no company wants its private data leaking and being out in the world. 

Seeing your team recognize and report a phishing email with confidence is what every IT security department aims for. When your training materials are finally ready and employees are actively using them, you realize that you’ve created something that strengthens your organization’s awareness and preparedness. 

The feeling is especially rewarding if this is your first internal training guide. Let’s face it, not a lot of employees tend to read those. That’s why it’s important you make a good and useful training book that will inform your employees on the importance of online safety and recognizing phishing emails. These types of training books can also be used in interactive workshops. 

There are now many ways to produce a professional training book, and the process can be confusing if you’re doing it for the first time. Creating a staff manual means making decisions about structure, layout, tone, and format. Plus, it needs to be informative and understandable. 

Some companies rely on agencies to do the work for them, while others prepare everything on their own. Either way, with the right approach, it’s entirely possible to create a useful, clear, and well-designed phishing awareness guide.

Why producing a staff training book can be challenging

There’s a reason learning teams and publishers use editors, designers, and reviewers. Producing a training book that’s both accurate and engaging requires careful coordination. 

When you’re creating a training resource on your own, every detail matters. The content is just as important as the layout and covers you use. Everything needs to fit well together. 

Still, more organizations are choosing to produce their own materials because custom training books are more effective than generic templates. They use the company’s real examples, reporting channels, and tone of communication. The result is a guide that feels relevant and practical, rather than abstract.

So, if you’re creating a training book on phishing awareness, it needs to be customized to your company’s operations and everyday business. For instance, an organization whose employees don’t work or store data online won’t really benefit from such a training book.

But a large corporation that stores confidential data online would definitely benefit from such a handbook that could be used in workshops or as a foundation for online courses. 

Here’s how you can create one, step by step.

Creating your training book 

As mentioned, the process is more complicated than it seems at first. Let us guide you through the process. 

Step 1: Finalize your content

It goes without saying that you first need a completed training book with a clear content agenda. Start with clear goals. What do you want employees to learn from this book? It might be how to identify phishing emails, what steps to take when something looks suspicious, or how to report incidents correctly. Once your objectives are set, finalize your content.

Afterwards, review every section carefully. Make sure explanations are concise and easy to understand, especially for employees without a technical background. Ask colleagues from different departments to read it and share feedback. Their perspective will help you refine the tone and identify parts that might need clarification.

Often, companies fall into the trap of making these training books way too complicated and it ends up benefiting no one. 

Step 2: Format your training book

Formatting determines how readable and professional your training book will look. Focus on consistency and clarity. Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and simple language. Leave enough space between sections so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Huge chunks of text will only discourage your employees from reading the book. Plus, when you’re using it for a workshop, you want the paragraphs to be short so that the trainer can easily find the information they need at a glance.

If you’re creating a printed book, think about how people will use it during workshops. Is there enough space to take notes? Are examples easy to find? 

Also, feel free to add some exercise or real-life examples they can relate to and learn from, 

Step 3: Choose how you’ll produce it

Next, decide whether you’ll distribute printed copies, digital versions, or both. Many organizations prefer a combination: a printed version for training sessions and workshops and a digital one for ongoing reference.

If you’re printing, choose a format that suits your purpose. You’ll need to decide on the font and layout but you’ll also have to choose the right type on binding. 

The best way to go is perfect-bound book printing as it gives a polished look to your training manual. It’s more durable, meaning your employees will able to use it for a long time. Often, other types of binding don’t hold the pages quite well and due to extensive use, pages can easily fall out. With a perfect-bound book printing method, you’ll be able to interactively use the book in many workshop sessions. 

Step 4: Design a professional cover

A clear and simple cover gives your training book a professional appearance. The title should immediately communicate what the book is about. For example, Phishing Awareness: A Practical Guide for Employees would be a good fit here. 

 Include your organization’s logo and keep the color palette aligned with your brand guidelines.

Inside, visuals can play an important role. Screenshots of real phishing attempts, diagrams that show how to report suspicious messages, and short “Do and Don’t” examples make the content easier to follow.

Step 5: Distribute and integrate the book

Once your training book is finalized, integrate it into your phishing awareness workshops and share it across your internal communication channels. Upload the digital version to your intranet or learning platform so employees can easily access it. 

You can reuse the training book in onboarding sessions for new employees as well. When marketing the book internally, don’t make it seem as yet another task for your employees. Let them know the benefits of these workshops and training materials and try to make them interactive. 

Get them to communicate and don’t be afraid to let them lead the conversation as well. Phishing awareness is an important topic and probably the majority of your employees have had some kind of experience with cybersecurity risks. 

The final word: Making a training book your employees will be excited about

Producing a staff training book for phishing awareness workshops takes planning and attention to detail. And you need to find a way to make all of this information entertaining in some way. 

The best way to do that is through workshops where you’ll be able to give your employees a bit more background and provide them with real-life examples.

Apart from collecting all the info, you also have to decide on the layout, the binding and the cover. 

The most important thing is to have your employees and staff in mind each step of the way. Remember, you’re designing the book for them and it needs to be beneficial for them.