What’s the secret to sales success? Your people!

If a sales manager is not being supported by his/her team then the company is almost guaranteed to experience revenue problems, to say the least.

So how do you motivate your sales staff? Providing incentives and positive reinforcement are two great places to start.

Understanding the Way Motivation Works Within the Workplace

Take a moment to consider what a customer appreciates more: a well-planned business structure or outstanding customer service?

If you’re having trouble hitting the goals that you’ve set for your company, it may be time to reevaluate the ways that you’re approaching your business.

It is too easy to get lost in the numbers and forget about the HUMAN elements that drive sales and result in returning customers.

Determining what customers respond to is more about personality than logistics. Countless studies have proven that clientele good customer relationships drive business growth.

Customers will pay a premium if they’re guaranteed a positive experience.

Ensuring customers are receiving top-quality service lies on the shoulders of a company’s employees. When an employee feels good about their job and the work they are doing it will be evident in their attitude and treatment of others.

Working to motivate your sales staff is a sure fire way to increase their performance about the jobs they’re doing. Consistent motivation will also help promote a greater sense of accomplishment and work ethic.

When developing a motivation strategy for your business, there are several different techniques you can experiment with. Some common approaches are things like:

Goal-driven competitions are a great way to provide incentive and assist the company in reaching targeted sales quotas.

When quarterly bonuses are on the line, sales staff will be more ambitious about their work. It’s that simple.

Offering bonuses that are based on an individual’s work over a longer span of time will encourage them to consistently try harder. Everyone could use a little extra money and many sales staff members will be less willing to risk the total bonus amount because of a poor quarterly performance.

When a business owner makes their team a part of the overall plan, there is a higher chance of success.

Letting your sales staff know what the goals for the company are and how the results can benefit everyone is a great way to provide an incentive for hard work. The big picture does indeed matter.

Not only will your staff feel like they’re part of something bigger, they will have a better understanding of where the business is going and how they can improve their commissions over time.

Sometimes authority figures forget to reward good behavior. This goes for parents, teachers, and yes, bosses.

When an individual is only recognized for poor actions and effort, it lessens their self-esteem and does very little to foster motivation.

Human nature is a fragile thing and people are easily beat down when they are only receiving negative attention. Positive recognition, however, can boost someone’s confidence and provide them with the drive necessary to become a success.

Even if it’s a simple action, sales managers should take the time to thank their team for the hard work they do each day. Showing gratitude really does have a positive effect on your people. .

These types of positive encouragements will benefit the company overall and help you to achieve the goals you’ve set for your team by promoting a culture of positive action.

Reevaluating the working conditions of your sales team and making sure they’re provided with the things they need for a positive environment is vital to your company’s success.

Author Frederick Herzberg discusses a variety of different factors that can promote either satisfaction or dissatisfaction in the workplace in his book, The Motivation to Work. Some of these are:

Taking the time to think about these factors is imperative to a good business environment. If sales teams feel fulfilled by their working conditions they will have more motivation to do their jobs well.

When a boss notices that certain areas of the job or workplace are lacking, they should do something about it asap. This might include investing in better office furniture or even taking the hard-liner approach of eliminating low performing or negative individuals.

Motivation is a Driving Force Behind Company Success

Implementing a greater sense of purpose amongst your team will have a positive effect on your company’s success and reputation.

Whether you’re offering incentives or showcasing gratitude and respect, your sales team will become more focused and determined to succeed—and this will give them the necessary push to start hitting their numbers more consistently.

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How to motivate your sales staff and hit your sales goals

Sexual harassment is a serious crime that is sometimes “brushed under the rug.”

In other cases, individuals don’t realize the effect of their actions and don’t consider their so-called “innocent behavior” as true harassment. Despite their lack of understanding, however, the legal ramifications that can occur are quite real indeed.

In order to truly understand the consequences faced by offenders, it’s important to recognize how sexual harassment is defined in the United States.

By definition, sexual harassment is most commonly identified by one or more specific actions, such as:

Verbal and/or physical actions of a sexual nature

Sexual actions are not the only type of harassment that occurs, however. It can also include derogatory remarks about a person based on their gender. The law focuses on when the act is taking place in an aggressive way that is detrimental in a mental or physical capacity.

Understanding the legal penalties of sexual harassment

Offensive actions against another person can be considered sexual harassment no matter whom they occur between. While the legal consequences can differ based on an individual’s role in the company, it should be understood that the ramifications of proven harassment are severe.

Where businesses are concerned, the employer can be found legally responsible for workplace harassment if they knew it was occurring and did nothing to correct the situation. This concept holds true whether the responsible party was a supervisor or employee.

There are two different types of sexual harassment claims that can be filed:

Quid pro quo sexual harassmentThis type of claim refers primarily to incidents where a supervisor has negatively approached an employee. Often times these cases revolve around the request for sexual favors in exchange for things like promotions, or for an individual to keep their job.

Hostile work environment claims
When harassment has created an environment that feels threatening and offensive, a hostile work environment claim should be filed. These claims are analyzed based on different factors, such as the frequency of occurrence, the type of action taking place, and the person responsible for the harassment.

Once an employee has issued their complaint, the Equal Employment Opportunity Council (EEOC) will open an investigation into the company.

These investigations are performed in order to backup harassment claims and determine how the victim has been affected.

Once the investigation has been completed, the EEOC will usually attempt to work with the employer and employee to reach a settlement. Employers are often requested to offer the employee repayment compensation for things like:

Repayment of any lost wages due to the harassment

If an agreement cannot be reached through mediation, one of two things will usually occur:

The EEOC will file a lawsuit with the Federal court system

The claim will be dropped and the victim may, or may not, receive a “right-to-sue” letter that allows them to hire their own attorneys and bring the case to court.

The victim may also be entitled to ask for this letter before the EEOC has concluded their involvement in the case, depending on the circumstances.

How is sexual harassment typically penalized?

One of the first steps to take following a sexual harassment claim is to conduct a review between the offending party and the victim.

In addition to reviewing their actions, the responsible party may be subjected to repercussions, such as monitoring, counseling, and probation.

As the company is often held responsible for sexual harassment claims, along with the offender, many businesses have zero-tolerance policies in place. Depending on the severity and frequency of the events in question, many employers will mandate automatic termination in order to avoid lawsuits themselves.

Once the EEOC is involved in harassment suits, there is a very good chance the employer will have to pay a variety of different penalties.

If the victim is forced to take time off of work, or even quit, the employer will be required to provide them with back pay and/or rehire them. Given the mental and physical harm that the victim may have experienced, there is also a good chance the employer will need to take care of medical bills and compensatory damages towards the emotional support of the employee.

Most of the penalty fees are distributed in cases where the employer knew what was occurring and did nothing to stop it. That being said, they are often also required to pay punitive damage fees as a means of retribution.

Potential jail time is determined based on whether or not the victim elects to press charges against their harasser. The type of punishment assigned, be it probation or jail time, is chosen based on the gravity of the claims and whether they’ve been classified as a misdemeanor or felony.

The state in which the crime occurred will also govern the potential sentence.

Legal ramifications aren’t the only effects of harassment

While most individuals are primarily concerned with the legal consequences of sexual harassment suits, the negative effects don’t end within the courtroom.

Harassment situations can be detrimental to a company’s reputation and work environment, for one. Fellow employees may lose interest in their jobs and the workplace can become a negative space as well.

Harassment can also cause permanent anxiety for the men and women who are victimized. Despite receiving monetary compensation, their ability to successfully complete their job may be affected, not to mention their overall mental well being.

The EEOC is currently working on various training processes and instruction guidelines that will help to avoid confusion and lower the chances of harassment taking place within the workplace.

Supervisors and employees must work together to prevent harassment, because a safe workplace is essential to any successful business.

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

Sexual harassment is a serious problem in the workplace. Learn about the legal ramifications of sexual misconduct in the workplace.

What are the legal ramifications of sexual harassment in the workplace?

More and more companies are embracing eLearning as a path to improving employee training and boosting customer experience. It makes perfect sense, because these are two critical aspects of business. Here is how online learning impacts your bottom line.

Employee education is directly correlated with lower rates of turnover within companies and ongoing education has been proven to dramatically improve productivity (and profits) over time. The data is in and the message is loud and clear: Businesses that take the time to educate workers through eLearning have a higher percentage of becoming industry leaders than those that don’t. Not convinced yet? Check out these 4 ways in which eLearning impacts your bottom line:

eLearning is one of the fastest and easiest ways to educate your sales reps about your products or services and it’s one of the most effective ways you can help them improve their overall sales skills. It’s no secret that a more informed sales team equals a more effective one. When your sales team is more educated about what it is you are offering then they’ll be better equipped to convey your value to customers and close the deal.

eLearning can lead to improved sales conversions and lower costs per customer acquisition – two key metrics that are vitally important to the overall health of your company. Ultimately, when your customers understand what sets you apart from the competition then they’ll be more likely to choose you over someone else and this is what eLearning can do for your sales force.

In the beginning organizations were skeptical, but over time the statistics became too clear to ignore. Now more and more companies are discovering that eLearning is significantly more cost effective than traditional employee training programs. With traditional training, for example, not only are you forced to cover the cost of the course creation and the implementation of training but you will also be facing periods of reduced productivity while groups of employees are packed into conference rooms to complete the course.

eLearning, on the other hand, provides you with a more manageable and affordable solution. Workers can go at their own pace rather than completing the training in groups and this means productivity will not take such a dramatic hit. Not only will you save money, but your staff will be able to maintain output and keep profits streaming in.

According to this study conducted by the Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, eLearning gives companies a more efficient solution for delivering training when compared to traditional training methods. The primary reason? In-person training is slow and very one-dimensional when it comes to the eLearner’s experience.

eLearning, on the other hand, offers a wide variety of dynamic instruction possibilities that are more engaging and motivating to employees. Popular eLearning training delivery methods can include video demonstrations, interactive quizzes, surveys, Q&As, and webcasts – all of which keep the learner more involved in the process.

Another reason why eLearning is more efficient than traditional methods is due to the accessibility of the material. While live training is a “one time only” experience, eLearning allows you to provide access to the essential material on an ongoing basis. This in turn improves retention and –more importantly– application of the material. When your learners can implement their training faster, than all of your processes run smoother and this directly translates to bigger profits over time.

eLearning Is More Flexible And Convenient

Mobility is a 21st century concept that has revolutionized the modern workforce and this is no more obvious than with eLearning. Now your employees can have access to training material from anywhere in the world – all you need is a laptop and an internet connection and they can participate. This means that employees can undergo training from home or on a remote location – and at a time that works best for their work schedule.

Convenience and flexibility are two factors that employees are looking for when they choose a company these days, and happy employees mean less turnover and more productivity. Plus, employees that are happy with their training options will be more likely to pay attention and retain the information itself, which translates to dramatically improved performance over time. Obviously, your balance sheet will reflect it if your employees are more committed to their performance.

eLearning gives you more and better options for training your employees, hands down. It’s also a surprisingly easy way to increase productivity, improve your sales processes, and invest in the happiness of your team at the same time. If you’re looking for a way to “take things up a notch” at your organization, then an online learning program might be exactly what you’re looking for.

How online learning impacts your bottom line

In a recent survey by Emomulent, employees were asked just one simple question – do you love your job?

The answers revealed that HR professionals enjoy their job substantially more than workers in other industries, with 55% of respondents answering ‘yes’ to the question and placing HR at the very top of the list.

So what makes the Human Resources sector so rewarding? Here are 5 reasons why individuals working in HR are happier in their jobs than other employees.

For HR professionals, each day is a chance to help other staff grow and develop in their careers, which can prove to be a very rewarding experience. The work you do in HR plays a key role in the professional development of other employees – through activities such as performance reviews, exit interviews and professional development programs, HR staff can collate valuable information which can be used to improve staff performance and engagement. 

While other teams may tend to stick more to themselves, HR professionals will work closely with individuals from many different teams across the business, whether it’s IT, Marketing or Finance. With this, HR professionals have the opportunity to not just improve each individual they work with, but the organization as a whole. 

In HR, you need to genuinely care about the wellbeing and professional development of your colleagues, with employee welfare and happiness a matter of professional responsibility. With organizational culture such an important part of any company, HR professionals play a large role in how happy and engaged other staff are.

As a HR professional, you’ll also be championing policies that encourage equality, diversity and the protection of workers’ rights, which can be incredibly rewarding for individuals who value compassion and social justice in their career.

Another attractive aspect of working in HR is the chance to make a direct impact on the organization you work for. As a HR professional, you’ll have the opportunity to make positive change for your company, enabling individuals to reach objectives and company goals.

You’ll have a big picture view of your organization, with a strong understanding of its priorities and challenges. This allows HR professionals to make continuous improvements to company processes and efficiencies. With a direct say in new hires and recruiting talent, you’ll also play a very important role in the future of the company.

HR is different from many other branches of a company in that it doesn’t make direct profits or close sales calls, making it a non-revenue driven environment.

While HR certainly delivers outcomes and adds benefits to organizations, with the happiness of employees having a direct impact on a company’s bottom line, there isn’t the constant pressure to make money or hit production targets. And although all work environments can be stressful, removing that profit-driven stress could be a significant part of the reason why many people who work in HR feel happier in their jobs.

All organizations, no matter what size, need HR staff to manage the recruitment, onboarding and professional development of their employees. And with such extensive knowledge of the organization and working relationships right across the business, it’s quite difficult for companies to dismiss HR staff. 

This makes HR quite a secure career choice, with high job security and strong demand for HR professionals, which could also play a part in overall job satisfaction.

Choosing a career in HR will allow you to work with a broad range of people, personality types, systems and processes, with each workday different from the day before.

You may be working with staff on professional development programs, creating an anti-bullying policy, preparing compliance legislation  or expanding the company into new locations – there are many different facets to Human Resources, just as there are many different facets to human beings.

Being continually challenged and excited in your job keeps the work engaging, which leads to greater fulfilment for employees.

Learn More About a Career in Human Resources

With organizations aware of the need to attract the best people for their workforce, employers are constantly seeking skilled additions to their HR team.

To find out more about whether a career in HR could be rewarding for you, you might like to explore a short online course as an Introduction to Human Resource Management. This 3-5 hour course will give you an overview of various HR tasks, such as recruiting, interviewing, training, appraising, rewarding, and developing employees. 

You can also read more articles about HR policies and professional development on the Go1 blog.

Find out why HR professionals love their jobs

The tech industry is a major driving force in the American economy, accounting for 7.1 percent of overall GDP and 11.6 percent of total private sector payroll.

With more than 6.7 million Americans working in the tech industry, and close to 200,000 tech jobs created in the United States last year, the industry is certainly booming. 

Choosing a career in technology is sure to be exciting, innovative and also very rewarding – particularly financially. Did you know that working in the tech industry can bring you more than double that of the average private sector wage?

So how can you get started in the tech industry, or ensure you stay ahead of the competition? Online courses are a great way to learn the fundamental skills you need to get started in technology, or to expand upon your existing skill set – at your own pace, in your own home.

We’ve found 5 of the best online courses to help you develop some of the most in-demand tech skills, valued by today’s employers. 

If you’re looking at getting started in the IT industry, or have moved into a role that requires you to have a greater understanding of tech solutions, troubleshooting is a good place to start.

As one of the most popular and fundamental tech skills, troubleshooting is required for many customer support and system management roles in the tech industry. Knowing what a tool is, what it looks like, and how to use it properly is critical when systems are not functioning, or down because of some wiring issue.

With the online course Becoming an IT Pro: Network Basics you’ll gain valuable troubleshooting skills, putting you ahead of others just starting in the field.

Coding is an incredibly useful skill to have, even for those working outside of the tech industry, such as in marketing, communication or media roles. Being able to build a website from scratch or enhance an existing site is something that many employers will appreciate!

Through the e-learning course HTML5 & CSS3 Site Design, you’ll learn how to master basic skills in web design, HTML, and CSS, as well as handy tips and tricks to help make sites more attractive and user-friendly.

Many companies are looking for employees who are skilled and proficient in Java, an extremely popular language for web development.

Through e-learning course Java Programming: Principles of Software Design you will learn how to write programs in Java and design programs to solve problems that require solutions. This 4-week online course focuses on showing that programming is more than just coding, involving strategic thinking and design as well.

Proficiency in SQL is one of the highest tech skills in demand, with the knowledge of database management and development valued and sought by many employers.

With the online course Mastering Oracle Database 12c SQL by Example, you’ll learn how to use SQL's best practices to query and manipulate data. Unlike other SQL courses, the course provides a media-rich learning experience, with a virtual class module that plugs you into a class environment where you can learn by example.

If you’re new to SQL, this course will be a fast and effective way for you to learn this language and become a skilled SQL developer. For those already familiar with SQL, the advanced parts of this course will provide you with new implementation approaches to improve your skills, including the newest SQL 12c features.

You might be surprised to see this included in our list, but taking the time to improve your leadership skills is very worthwhile. In fact, in a study of the most frequently desired skills for IT roles, approximately 30 percent of positions listed management as a necessary expertise. Showing strong leadership skills is clearly a highly valued skill for potential staff, regardless of industry.

Get a head start on your next supervisor or team leader role with Leadership Fundamentals – an online course that will help you improve your leadership style, successfully manage change and conflict, inspire your team and better serve the needs of your organization. 

There are many more e-learning resources available on the Go1 platform, including hundreds of courses for free! You can simply enrol and complete training modules online, improving your tech skills at your own convenience.

5 online courses to improve your tech skills

Most of us have come across our fair share of bullies throughout our lives. Whether we see it happening in the school yard, in political campaigns on TV, or experienced it in our own personal relationships, bullying is always a form of abuse – a way of intimidating and dominating others, through physical, emotional or psychological control.

Unfortunately, many of us run into bullying behaviour in our place of work, as adults. Have you ever been made to feel uncomfortable while trying to carry out your everyday work tasks? It’s very hard to keep performing well in your job when a manager or colleague sets out to make life difficult for you.

Workplace bullying can be particularly difficult to deal with, as many bullies tend to know how to operate within social boundaries, often using nonverbal tactics or subtle humiliation to make a targeted individual feel continually excluded, uncomfortable and anxious. In this way, they aren’t seen to be crossing any organisational lines, or throwing any actual punches, while still managing to wear down their victim’s sense of self-worth and resilience. 

In many cases, the person being bullied will eventually resign from their jobs. Sadly, even at this point, there are managers who are aware of what’s happening in their teams yet choose to ignore it, allowing the bully to simply move onto their next target. 

This is why it’s so important for employers to take a strong stance on workplace bullying.

As an employer, it’s important to show your commitment to providing a safe and positive work environment for your employees, through strong anti-bullying and harassment policies.

 If you’ve read our previous article on the importance of having a good bullying and harassment policy, you’ll know that when bullying becomes a problem in the workplace, it doesn’t just affect the person or people being harassed and targeted – it can very quickly become a problem for the whole organisation.

Workplace bullying has significant negative impacts for both individuals and the companies they work for.

In an organisation where bullying is not being managed – or worse, is tolerated – you can expect to see:

high levels of absenteeism and sick leave

For employers, this leads to a loss in reputation and brand name for their business, as well as financial losses from lower profits and the cost of hiring and training new staff. Bullying can also result in significant fines for your company, as in the recent case of an Australian employer.

Employee Awarded $1 Million After Workplace Bullying

This recent case has seen a NSW worker awarded more than $1 million in damages after suffering intense workplace bullying by her bosses.

Lucinda Gunning, of Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers, said her client’s $1 million payout was the largest amount she had witnessed for workplace bullying. The payout is made up of a payment for total and permanent disablement, as well as worker’s compensation.

The former NSW government employee, a middle-level manager herself, experienced constant bullying from two of her managers, to the point where she was “doubled over sobbing” and would sit in the bathroom for six hours without anyone noticing. 

Make Sure You Have an Anti-Bullying Policy in Place 

Want to avoid this situation from occurring in your workplace? Make sure your business has a strong policy in place around bullying and harassment.

As an employer, you’re responsible for preventing bullying in the workplace, and a strong policy in this area will ensure your organisation is compliant and reflecting its legal obligations. While bullies will continue to exist in every workplace, school and social circle, you can make a difference by promoting a safe and positive work environment for the people in your own organisation.

For more advice on how to handle bullying, you may like to look at this free online course – Bullying in the Workplace. It covers useful information about the most common forms of bullying in the workplace and the costs this has for both victims and organisations. You’ll also learn practical strategies for dealing with workplace bullies.

If you’re a manager or team leader, remember to review our previous post on Why You Need a Good Bullying and Harassment Policy, with links to e-learning resources such as Bullying: The Manager’s Role and Workplace Harassment for Managers. And please don’t turn a blind eye to any bullying or harassment that’s occurring in your team.

As 2016 comes to and end, many businesses are beginning to think about what 2017 will look like in terms of rules and regulations.

While there are many compliance issues to be considered for a wide-range of areas, four of the top sectors include:

These categories contain a variety of requirements and suggestions that American businesses need to be aware of in order to avoid legal ramifications and monetary penalties. Through the observation of these areas, employers will also be providing safe, fair working environments for their employees.

In order to prepare you for the year to come, the following contains a breakdown of need-to-know information.

The healthcare plan transition relief is expiring

Following the signing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, many businesses were allowed a relief from its employment for a variety of different reasons.

Beginning on January 1, 2017, these reliefs will expire for large employers. The government has been mandated that these businesses begin providing compliant coverage by the end of 2016. Grandfathered plans and flex-contribution relief are also included within this group.

There is, however, some discrepancy amongst the qualification of “large employers.”

Following the passing of the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employers Act (PACE) in Fall of 2015, the categorization of business type is now done at a state level. While some states will allow business under 100 employees to be labeled as a small company exempt from the relief expiration, other states follow the more common guidelines stating that employers with more than 50 full-time employees are to be considered “large.”

It is imperative that businesses follow the guidelines for their state and determine what type of insurance coverage they are required to offer.

How United States vs. Texas is affecting immigration policies

Due to the Supreme Court’s recent decision to vote against the protection of unlawful immigrants in the United States vs. Texas lawsuit, many businesses will now be facing a series of challenges concerning immigration policies within their companies.

While the standard I-9 forms used in the past to determine the legal status of potential new employees have expired, businesses are still required to issue them as a part of their employment screening process.

Businesses that ignore this policy and knowingly hire men and women who aren’t entitled to work in the United States could be facing sizable financial penalties. These fines will range in cost between $375 and $16,000 per discovered violation.

In addition to guidelines against the hiring of illegal immigrants, business owners may also be forced to terminate certain employees who are no longer allowed to work.

While up to 50,000 people affected by the Supreme Court’s decision have been granted temporary deportation deferments, certain mandates will be released to employers announcing that they are no longer able to work in the US.

The equal employment opportunity council is passing a new enforcement plan

2017 will see an overhaul of policies and procedures regarding the treatment of employees thanks to a new strategic enforcement plan put into place by the Equal Employment Opportunity Council (EEOC).

This plan will introduce a series of regulations put in place to guard employees from discrimination and attempt to remove it from the workplace.

Some of the strategies discussed within the plan’s guidelines will work to assist in the following goals:

Preventing discrimination during the hiring and screening process

Ensuring an employee’s right to legal access

Discrimination throughout hiring procedures

Guaranteeing equal pay amongst employees & safeguarding an employee’s ability to exercise their legal rights

The EEOC will specifically work to prevent issues like employer retaliation following legal claims and vague contracts that can inhibit an employee’s right to fair working conditions.

Increased attention to harassment prevention

Going hand in hand with their efforts to abolish discrimination in the workplace, the EEOC is also working to protect employees from harassment.

In the present day, up to 60% of employees are still facing harassment at work. This is most commonly seen within the realm of race and ethnicity, but sexual orientation and gender-identity based cases have also drawn notable attention.

In a report issued by EEOC commissioners Chai Feldblum and Victoria Lipnic, they are requesting that businesses employ the use of prevention programs and on-site training to deter employees from engaging in distressing behavior against fellow workers.

Feldblum and Lipnic are quoted as saying:

“We cannot be complacent bystanders and expect our workplace cultures to change themselves.”

It is imperative that men and women be protected from harassment and derogatory behavior. The suggestions made in the aforementioned report will provide the tools necessary to end these sorts of negative actions and provide safer working environments for employees.

By working against these compliance issues, employers will be taking the steps needed to protect themselves from large financial penalties and legal action. A vital part of operating any business in 2017 will be keeping up with the ever-changing rules and regulations that are put in place to ensure fair business operations.

What will be the top workplace compliance issues in 2017?

One of the most significant benefits to our ever-increasing access to technology is the ability to enhance our productivity exponentially. Think about it: the average student or employee now has access to better and more efficient tools and technology than multibillion dollar corporations had 15 years ago!

Whether you're learning a new language or working to improve your performance on the job there are tons of affordable applications that can help you get more done in less time. The end result of better productivity for students can translate into better jobs when they reach the workforce. For the employee, these tools can help you achieve higher wages and better job security.

Here are a few of our favorites productivity apps that you can start using today:

Productivity-Boosting App #1: RescueRescueTime

RescueTime is a powerful tool that gives you the ability to track and analyze how you spend your time when you sit down at your computer. It’s easy to install and runs in the background while you’re working and tracks how much time you spend using applications and spending time online. Once you've gathered a few days’ worth of information you take a close look at where you are spending too much time and take action to fix it.

The results can be quite eye-opening. For example, you might be shocked to discover how much time you are actually spending on social media or reading news sites every day. Even if it’s a ridiculously conservative 2 hours per work day, that adds up to 40 hours per month! Even if you slashed that number by 50%, imagine what you could get done with 20 more hours in a month. RescueTime has a simple free version as well as a paid premium version that allows you to block websites and track several additional data points like the time you spend away from the computer.

Productivity-Boosting App #2: FocusBooster

FocusBooster is an application that uses the Pomodoro technique in order to maximize your productivity when performing mentally demanding tasks. It's fairly simple to implement: you simply start the timer in the application for 25 minute increments and focus on the work at hand until the timer goes off.  Then you take a short break for 5 to 10 minutes and allow your mind to relax and start the timer again after the break. Studies have shown that this method helps prevent mental fatigue, improve recall, and reduce errors when performing information related tasks. FocusBooster is one of the easiest Pomodoro technique-based applications to get up and running and is absolutely free.

Productivity-Boosting App #3: Google Drive

For the information worker on the go there might not be a better application suite and than Google Drive. This is one of the most popular secure cloud-based storage applications available, allowing you to backup your photos, videos, and documents in a snap. You get a whopping 15 GB of space for free and as long as you have access to the Internet you can collaborate with other workers and update your documents anywhere in the world that you are. All it takes is a tablet, computer or smart phone and you’re off and running!

Access to Google Drive also allows you to use Google's office-based applications and export them in the appropriate format. So even if you don't have access to Microsoft Excel, you can create a spreadsheet in Google Drive and export it to XLS format and send it on to your boss or coworker.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Global Leadership Summit in London, 34% of business leaders claim that half of their company's full-time workforce will be working remotely by 2020. Clearly, applications like Google Drive will help drive productivity in a huge way for workers who will not be tied to a single workstation in the future.

Evernote is an outstanding application for productivity that allows you access to your notes across multiple devices. You can take snapshots of websites, clip important passages and create bookmarks on the go…and then access them from anywhere in the world. You can also create reminders and even hand write to-do lists and upload them to your Evernote account for later access.

The days of taking notes on a yellow legal pad and hauling it around with you are over. One of the biggest benefits to Evernote is the fact that you can organize your notes and ideas and search through them based on keyword tags. This is an essential time-saving app for students and workers alike. Evernote has both a robust free version and an even more advanced paid version at a very reasonable $10 per month.

This is a flash card style program that helps you improve memorization. Many students love to use Anki for language learning because it's fast and effective for repetition based memory techniques. Medical students, engineering students, and other populations that need to memorize a wide variety of formulas and concepts have all touted the benefits of Anki for years. You can create your own “decks” of cards to learn specific concepts or choose from a wide variety of shared ones that have already been created by other users. Anki is a free application that can help you boost productivity in a big way.

Productivity tools empower the student and employee of today in more ways than at any time in history. The applications listed above can help you learn languages faster, get more work done in less time, prevent mental fatigue and organize your information more efficiently. Imagine what you could do with just 20% more time in a day? What could you accomplish? If you start using applications like these then you will soon find out!

5 apps that can help boost your productivity

No matter what industry you work in, Australian employers are responsible for providing staff with a safe workplace, free from hazards and health risks. If you run a company or organisation, it’s important that your business is compliant with current workplace safety laws and regulations, to promote a safer workplace and ensure the safety and wellbeing of your employees.

Failing to comply with health and safety regulations can not only put your staff at risk, but can also result in severe financial implications, as well as damage to your company’s reputation.

An example of this can be seen in a recent case where Essential Energy was convicted and fined $300,000 following the death of an electrical worker at Bulahdelah, NSW.

Essential Energy receive fines for employee’s death

Earlier this year, SafeWork NSW, the state’s workplace health and safety regulator, charged Essential Energy with a breach of section 32 (1) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), for failing to comply with its duty under section 19(1) to ensure the health and safety of workers.

A company employee, aged 47, was fatally electrocuted while carrying out his work, in an incident which “could easily have been prevented” according to Executive Director of SafeWork NSW, Peter Dunphy. 