Are you looking for leading cyber security training for your staff?

Bob’s Business is a UK provider who offers cyber security courses to help keep workplaces safe and secure for staff, clients and customers. The Cyber Security Training package of three courses available in Go1 Premium is the right content to help you become more cyber aware and compliant with industry standards. These courses are modular training between 5-15 minutes of duration. 

Led by Bob, the courses teach a wide range of topics including how to create the perfect password, the importance of backing up data, and what to do in case of a security breach.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the biggest data protection shakeup in history. With our GDPR training course, Bob will walk you through the new legislation and help you understand how it will affect the way you handle personal data.

Information Security is essential for a large organisation that deals with personal and sensitive information on a daily basis. It can be a confusing topic to learn and can sometimes be a task all on its own to figure out where to start! It is important to us that our employees understand and feel confident that they know how to keep the information we process secure at every level of the business. We have created this introductory awareness course to help make Information Security a little less daunting. 

Go1 makes it easy for businesses to train their staff, with the world’s largest compliance, professional development and general training marketplace. You can now find all of Bob's Business courses available in Go1 Premium.

False

Go1 announces partnership with Bob's Business cyber training

Arriving in April, the New Year rush is over and sometimes your employees can start to lose their steam –  and then their productivity lowers. 

As a Human Resources Manager, you are responsible for many factors which can directly improve employee productivity; managing your recruiting, ensuring your employees bring diversity to your organisation, and encouraging employee engagement. 

You are also able to equip your employees with their own tangible skills and strategies to improve their efficiency with our training. Go1 Global Premium has a range of content topics that can support employees to be more efficient in the work they do. 

Check out this month's Course Category series, to find the courses we think can support your employee's productivity best.

Addressing Low Productivity with the Right Training

Employee productivity is vital to your business’s success, but productivity is complex and often misunderstood. Common misconceptions around productivity are that it is helped by employees spending more hours sitting in a cubicle or that multitasking is the answer. 

Productivity should mean helping your staff work smarter and assisting them to bypass barriers to efficiency. Growing a productive workforce is complex and there are opportunities to improve efficiency just about anywhere in your company. It is worth investing into a highly productive team as you can lower overhead costs and increase revenue, and your organisation can enjoy faster time to market for products and higher customer satisfaction. As you will see, this month's suggested courses span a variety of topics, as no one solution can help staff be more productive. 

Project management: delegate and plan to be your most productive 

New projects take more than just an idea to get off the ground – there are a lot of moving parts for it to be successful; including a strategy, planning and execution. By working smarter, rather than harder, you’ll be able to leverage your existing resources more effectively. With Go1's project management courses, employees can gain a head start in the process and ensure that your projects are completed on time and to exacting specifications. Our Go1 project management training highlighted this month will help employees learn how to manage a project and overcome the challenges to efficiently run the process from start to finish.  

​​Don’t let everyday tasks derail your productivity

Amongst all the data on barriers to productivity, one topic stands out the most: time management. Somewhat the invisible culprit, business as usual tasks can quickly derail productivity. Changing the way we do our work to improve our productivity is hard, as the processes have become habit. However although it may have worked in the past, changing your process today could make you more productive. Go1's training on time management techniques can help your employees work smarter, not harder, by giving you strategies to focus on high priority tasks by better managing your time and eliminating the time wasters in your day. 

Problem solving and productivity work hand-in-hand

One of the most valuable skills you can have in the workplace is the ability to solve problems – clearly, calmly and effectively. Being able to think critically and solve for problems is important, but often in workplace it requires this to happen at lightning-fast speed! Consider sharing problems with your co-workers. The more time you spend trying to solve for a problem the harder it becomes and your mind stalls – why not ask someone how they would solve the problem to spark your creativity. Reframe the challenge or task at hand based on your past experience – this can help your mind draw on previous innovative ideas much more quickly than you would think. With our Premium highlights this month, learn how to improve your problem solving skills and be empowered to make informed decisions faster and solve problems more efficiently.  

 Come back next week to find more Go1 courses available in Global Premium that address this month's topic of productivity. 

Learn about the Go1 content that can help your staff to work smarter not harder!

Course category of the month - April: increasing employee productivity   

The workplace can be overwhelming. Every day we receive a bombardment of emails, phone calls and work piling up on our desks. It can be easy to feel overlooked by your bosses. If you work in a big company or corporation, the struggle might feel twice as real. 


Bosses looking to boost employee satisfaction and engagement have a lot to consider. If employees are working remotely or from the office, there has to be some consistency. Employees desire a safe and caring environment. Below are some ways to improve employee happiness. 

In our tech-driven world, file storage is super important. No one wants to feel frustrated by receiving emails with faulty attachments. Make sure that your company has a brilliant server or cloud where employees can access files. 

Not only will this boost productivity, but it will save employees lots of headaches. A private server or cloud will guarantee secure data, which is always a plus. It will also allow you to centralize your information. This way, your employees can access it from anywhere. It won't matter if they're at home or on holiday.

No, this isn't Orwell's 1984. You won't be in trouble if you're not exactly happy at work. However, reporting and communicating your mood to your boss will allow them to problem solve. It can help reduce employee turnover, as well. When employers are in the dark, they don't realize there's trouble.

That's why apps like Hppy are genuinely helpful. Hppy can show if employees aren't motivated and why that is. The app regularly asks users if they have had a good or bad day. All that information gets compiled and sent to the employer to evaluate. From there, they can make an assessment and plan on how to improve.

A suggestions box doesn't work as well as it used to. Employees might feel uncomfortable sharing feedback, especially when it's not positive. Personalized feedback interfaces allow for anonymity and regularity. They also build the employee's trust, because they know that their opinions are getting attention.

While surveys are helpful, more personalized apps like 15Five, CultureAmp and TinyPulse work wonders. These apps give employees profiles and regularly prompt them for feedback. Employees should feel comfortable speaking up. Employers should also make it clear that their work environment does not tolerate any harassment. When employers do receive negative feedback, it's necessary to take action to uphold the company culture.

Everyone wants to feel appreciated. Rewarding a job well done is a simple way to boost morale. Verbal praise is always appreciated. If you are trying to keep your focus on work, you can consider assigning an employee a ‘fun’ project. Company retreats are fun, business bonding events that help employees blow off some steam, too.

To give more personal rewards, employers can offer physical rewards like gift cards. Even taking employees out to lunch will make them feel great. The popular rewards app YouEarnedIt is taking the workplace by storm. This mobile-based app allows employers to connect with and reward employees in real-time. It also provides colleagues the opportunity to award each other, which notably changes the workplace dynamic.

While email still reigns supreme, it usually a more formal kind of communication. After all, no one wants to read through long email threads they get CC'd on. A quicker and more functional interaction needs to happen somehow. That's why Slack is a great tool.

Slack allows companies to communicate instantaneously and share workspaces where they send images, videos, and other files. It also provides for different channels, which means better project division and productivity. Employees will be less distraction and more on the ball with Slack. Since Slack, Facebook developed Workspace and Microsoft put out Teams. Evaluate all three to see which one fits your company.

Skype isn't just for the family anymore. There’s a business version for companies now. When working with offices across the country or across the globe, Skype saves time.  Conference calls become a breeze with this continually improving program. 

A mobile app is also available for people on the go. Employees who are traveling or commuting don't have to miss out on meetings anymore. This same app also allows for messaging, file sharing and screen sharing. That's precisely why it is a popular tool for multinational corporations. Skype will make employees' work more effective.

If you're a fan of texting, you have probably heard the word WhatsApp uttered before. This app, which is immensely popular around the world, can be used for work, too. WhatsApp allows you to make different chat groups which you can use to your advantage. Designating chat groups for individual departments and projects will improve communication. Employees will thrive with a sense of community.

WhatsApp allows you to send written, and even, voice messages. When deadlines are tight, and employees are very busy, a simple voice message can help a lot. The app also allows users to send images, videos, and links. Communication will become fluid. Employees will be able to link up better and get work done more quickly.

Making programs more streamlined is a straightforward way to improve employee happiness. Instead of using several different programs on different servers and sites, simplify things as much as possible. A large number of employers have pointed to G Suite as an invaluable resource. G Suite gives businesses a variety of different programs all in one space. Google's suite has anything from video chatting to email available.

Google Hangouts are an easy way for employees to stay in touch. Google Drive allows employees to access all the information and use Google's apps like Docs, Sheets, and Presentations. The Gmail and Calendar features sync up to arrange meetings and set reminders. There are also the Keep and Whiteboard features that are useful during meetings. These apps help de-stress the workplace.

Organization is crucial for employees. Knowing what and when they need to accomplish tasks allows them to plan ahead. Any programs that make that easy will be helpful. Post-Its used to be an easy way to stay on top of the workload. Things have changed since then.

“I’m really passionate about Trello. It is fairly straightforward but incredibly helpful at the same time. Trello works by making to-do lists and tracking productivity. It can also track work time. This feature is helpful for employees to know how long a project generally takes them. This app has lots of creative capabilities, which gives employees flexibility.” — Marie Fincher, writer, and editor at Trust My Paper.

The way your employees physically feel will affect how happy they are, too. By promoting health in the workplace, you'll likely see an increase in engagement. Planning health-related events company races or obstacle courses are fun ways to help employees get active. You can also use apps to help monitor your employee's health.

FitBit is a popular app that tracks users’ daily steps. Colleagues can compete with each other and win virtual trophies for being more active. There is also Limeade which uses surveys and videos to educate users. This app can help employees learn and take steps to improve their health. When employees are healthy, their happiness is sure to skyrocket.

We've gone a long way to improve our workers’ lives within the last 20 years. The ever-evolving tech ecosystem will only make our lives even better in the near future. It’s our responsibility to embrace it. Good luck! 

Diana Nadim Adjadj is a writer and editor who has a Masters degree in Marketing. She combines her passion for writing with her interest in research and creates thought-provoking content in various fields. Diana also runs her own 3to5Marketing blog. What inspires her the most in her writing is traveling and meeting new people. 

10 tools and software to improve employee happiness

Go1's Social Impact Manager Cameron Cliff has put together a great wrap up of this year’s SXSW conference. Here, Cam shares his highlights from the event and his thoughts on the need for more inclusive design and aiming for impact.

Truly focusing on people takes time that modern businesses don’t have. 

The solution - ongoing, diverse education for workers combined with inclusive design and aiming for impact. People need to understand an issue, have access to education to upskill themselves to take effective action on a case-by-case basis, involve their customers in the design process and then tie their work to a real world impact. 

South by South West 2019 was all about learning and impact.

SXSW is all about collision; a gaze into a future where music, film, interactive technology and education all come together. It’s a place where flocks of nuns with dogs promote an Amazon series alongside teenage girls stamping out sexual harassment. It’s also a place where change makers in every industry get their start or make major announcements (Twitter, Foursquare, Dropbox, Facebook, Google, Amazon… to name a few).

Go1 was privileged to attend this year’s SXSW as one of Westpac’s Businesses of Tomorrow and showcase itself to the world at Australia House with G’Day USA. As well as a global trend towards life long learning, we noticed a core problem across every business sector.

1. You’re designing for people, so act like it.

The question to every panel, the demand from every judge -“tell me about your impact.”

Putting people at the centre of your business, your product, your marketing… it’s everywhere and it couldn’t come soon enough. Human Centred Design or people centric design has been around for years and it’s starting to catch on in a big way. But, like all big trends, it’s in danger of becoming another tick box rather than a genuine design philosophy. 

Whether it was discussions about the millions that workplaces are losing because of their failure to spark curiosity (the Death of Curiosity and Innovation, Elliott Hedman) or asking if empathy has left us in our quest to appear relevant rather than be relevant (Is the Age of Empathy Dead?, Martha Cotton), empathy has become a thorny problem for nearly every business. To be truly empathetic, people need to take the time to understand issues, to talk to people and understand their problems and this is directly at odds with the fast growth mentality of modern businesses. More than this, true empathy often isn’t rewarded in today’s work cultures, leaving workers stressed out, depressed and anxious as they lose the connection between their work and its impact on the world. 

Throughout SXSW it became apparent that organisations that design without empathy are building enormous houses of cards, ready to fall at any moment. There needs to be a return to education as a way of working and understanding as a way of working and this means taking time… but how do we do this in a smart, scale-able way?

girl-alliance provided a teen showcase that many adults can learn from when designing learning.

Diversity matters (and people are damn tired of saying it). It’s also the natural extension of people centric design. You’re not putting people at the centre of your business unless you embrace and work with the different people who will be using your product. Too often you have businesses who don’t have a diverse workforce designing for diverse communities, and then wondering why their product doesn’t succeed. More than that, there’s a massive education gap, with most workforces being afraid to embrace diverse communities because they don’t have the education to know how to approach those communities or what those communities need. 

girl-alliance was a surprise stand out for us as it echoed this principle to the core. They had teenage girls create a framework for understanding the messy spectrum from flirting to sexual assault (with highly qualified facilitators guiding them). They then turned that into a cheat sheet of what people thought wasn’t ok, how not ok it was and who to talk to about it, creating a solution for teens by teens. This was then echoed by major brands.

Microsoft held an inclusive design masterclass on redesigning their XBox controllers for and with different needs, alongside Google’s inclusivity and diversity focus throughout SXSWedu and UNICEF’s panel on disrupting poverty. At its heart, everything came back to measuring social impact and how this fed into the heart of every business.

HBO & Game of Thrones engineered a booked out blood drive with the Red Cross.

There is a new phrase rocking around that is shorthand for rethinking drivers for success to include inclusive design, community and outcomes - social impact. The startups announcing their product launches at SXSW, the panels by big brands like the Hollywood majors on their new streaming platform Quibi… the question that kept popping up was what is the impact of this? How will you measure its success AND its sustainability?

We’re rethinking ROI to include social impact (thank you Harmony for talking to this so clearly). What this means is asking, how does my product actually help people and how can every process of that product being made have a positive impact? That’s what builds sustainability. This takes a huge amount of education to achieve, it includes life long learning and upskilling, easily available tools and ongoing discussions with communities and customers. But it is vital for any kind of ongoing success today.

You could say I leant towards this because it was a core focus of my PhD and is a core focus of my work here at Go1 managing our Social Impact. But it was the question that has plagued everyone going forward at SXSW this year. These days it’s easy to reach millions of people if you have the cash. What’s difficult is making those millions of people reach out to you and that won’t happen unless you have a meaningful, lasting impact with your work.

We’re actively pursuing this with how we create education offerings here at Go1 and have some exciting new projects to announce on the horizon from our Social Impact team. For a start you can now access training from the incredible Fitzroy Academy on Social Impact on Go1. We spend more than half our adult lives at work and we’re excited to use that time to create safe, mentally healthy and green workplaces that have a positive impact on the world. 

Bonus: Our COO Chris meets a little AI companion

Impact is the future of eLearning (SXSW 2019)

Calling all Learning Designers! Enter Bloom’s Happiness Learning Project eLearning module competition and be in the running to win $1000USD – while using your skills for good!

Bloom is an award-winning learning technology company, passionate about user experience, design and learning outcomes. This month, the Bloom team have decided to use their skills, talents and connections to make a difference to those living with anxiety. 

Anxiety is the most common of all mental disorders, currently affecting about 1 in 13 people – 7.3 % globally. With many employees experiencing anxiety in the workplace, wellbeing training is a crucial component of any corporate training program. 

Workplaces that prioritise mental health have better engagement, reduced absenteeism and higher productivity, while people have improved wellbeing, greater morale and higher job satisfaction.

Enter the Bloom Happiness Learning Project

To help support those who are affected by anxiety at work, Bloom are coordinating a competition for Learning Designers globally to co-create eLearning modules that will improve wellness at work, supporting those learning teams who want to support those affected at work. 

By entering Bloom’s ‘5 ways to wellbeing at work’ eLearning module competition, you’ll be in the running to win $1000USD, with possible ongoing passive income. The winner will provide their module at no cost to any organisation or individual who wants it. 

From April 31st, the winning module will be made available on the Go1 learning platform, free to enrol in as part of the Go1 Social Impact suite. 

Organisations are also encouraged to keep up-to-date with the Bloom Happiness Learning Project. 

If you are responsible for wellbeing training at work, you will know most eLearning suppliers will charge between $15,000 – $30,000 per module. Simply head over to the Bloom website and register the details of your organisation. When the winner of the eLearning module competition is announced you will receive the SCORM file – for free! 

Go1 is delighted to be involved in the Bloom Happiness Learning Project and to provide sponsorship of the winning prize. 

The competition launched this week on 20th March, to coincide with the celebration of International Day of Happiness around the world. 

Go1 sponsors Bloom Happiness Learning Project 

Big news today for Go1 – we’ve raised more than $25 million in our Series B funding round!

M12, Microsoft’s venture fund, led the Series B funding round, with participation from existing investors SEEK, Y Combinator and Our Innovation Fund. 

SEEK chief executive Andrew Bassat said their partnership with Go1.com was mutually beneficial.

“Go1 have a very strong team and do a great job of offering access to content and courses to allow people to up-skill and re-skill themselves for work,” Mr Bassat said. “We look forward to leveraging our experience, technology and relationships with millions of people and organisations across the globe to help Go1 achieve its potential.”

We also welcomed Larsen Ventures, the investment arm of Peter Larsen (co-founder of Navitas, one of Australia’s largest education providers) as a new investor. 

As part of the raise, M12 will also have a seat at the board. 

This is a huge milestone for the Go1 team and signals a new stage of growth for our company. 

Since launching in 2015, we have been working to continually improve Go1 by developing our learning platform, scaling the number of partners contributing learning materials to Go1, and providing world class customer service, all while helping to make learning more accessible to everyone across the world. 

As Go1 grew, so did our team, evolving from a small team in our Brisbane HQ to a team of over 100 employees working across office locations right around the world. 

Our Series A funding round saw us raise $10 million, with support from investors including Shark Tank’s Steve Baxter, Tank Stream Ventures, Black Sheep Capital, Blue Sky Venture Capital and Full Circle Venture Capital. 

We are thrilled to have M12 and Larsen Ventures join this list of investors. 

The results of this Series B funding round will further fuel Go1's growth, allowing us to keep improving our product, scaling our global team, and solidifying our presence in international markets with a focus on continuing our expansion into the United States, and opening up our first office in the United Kingdom. 

Most importantly, this funding allows us to continue working towards our vision of providing the best learning opportunities to improve lives through education and training. 

Larsen Ventures investment director Andrew Larsen said he was pleased to be a part of Go1’s growth journey.

“I’ve seen Go1 grow from strength to strength and have wanted to be involved with the company for a while now. We’re really pleased to be involved in this funding round and are excited with where the company is headed.  They’ve proved their ability to execute every step of the way, and their vision and continued results are a great fit with Larsen Ventures.”

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our customers and partners. We’ve always had incredible support from customers and partners, who are helping us to improve what we do on a daily basis.  

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.

Go1 announces $25 Million Series B round 

Solving organizational challenges with learning and technology isn’t always easy. 

The Learning Solutions Conference & Expo, held March 26 - 28 in Orlando, Florida, will provide you with real solutions to create new strategies, increase engagement, and leverage the power of learning technologies.

Throughout the event, industry leaders will take the stage together to share their viewpoints on key themes within L&D, including:

There’s also a great lineup of keynote speakers who will inspire you with relevant stories of creativity, storytelling, and design.

The Go1 team will be at Booth #326 each day – and offering free Go1rillas! Visit our booth and talk to our learning experts about how Go1 can be the solution for your organization’s L&D challenges. 

If you’re in the Florida area – and into all things learning and technology – you won’t want to miss this conference and expo. The event attracts people from around the world who want to keep up with the evolving needs of their learners. 

Whether you’re an eLearning developer, L&D manager, LMS admin, learning technologist, or instructional designer, you’ll find the tools, technologies, ideas, strategies, and best practices you need for success.

Head over to the Learning Solutions Conference & Expo website to register. We hope to see you there! 

Visit the Go1 team at Florida’s Learning Solutions Conference & Expo

We've released lots of new updates in the past month – let us show you how to use these features to get the most out of Go1!

Join our Go1 Product Managers and Content Experts, as they unveil recently released platform features and highlight brand new Premium Content Providers! 

Share updates on our content recommendations feature which is in Early Access  

Be introduced to our brand new Premium Content courses on your portal 

Deep dive on new capabilities for editing email notifications

Highlight our recently released Events feature and show you some tips and tricks  

We will answer your questions in our session or follow you up after!

* Our webinars are recorded - by registering you will get sent the video recording if you can't attend on the day!

Join us for our monthly webinar to learn about the latest Go1 Platform features and Premium content updates!

Go1’s Caroline Brant, Global Learning Strategist in the United States, will be speaking at an upcoming event in Seattle on Thursday March 28th.

Hosted by Learnapalooza, Caroline will be part of a panel of experts in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, data analytics, HR recruitment and more. 

The Upskilling Yourself: Future Technologies Panel & Resume Hacking Workshop, running from 2.30pm to 5.30pm, is a great opportunity for participants to learn critical skills to navigate and design immersive and adaptive learning environments. 

During the three-hour session, panelists will discuss why it is critical that all professionals involved in people development and related fields become conversant in new learning design, disciplines, and tools so they may meet future workforce needs – for both the people and organizations they serve.

Caroline and her fellow panelists will provide attendees with a clear direction for learning designers and HR managers to integrate new technologies into their skill sets. Following the panel discussion, attendees will be able to ask questions about how these tools and disciplines will impact learning design and jobs in the near future.

There will then be a resume review and job description hacking activity, before a final Q&A session with the experts. You can even bring your resume along to the event for recruiting expert Lindsay Mustain to review!

If you’re near downtown Seattle – and a learning designer, HR manager, or just passionate about L&D – we encourage you to get along to this event. The Learnapalooza team has amassed an amazing group of speakers you won’t want to miss. It’s also a great opportunity to network with passionate and like-minded people in the industry.  

Learn more about the Learnapalooza event and be sure to pre-register on Meetup. 

You can also reach out to Caroline at caroline.brant@go1.com or via LinkedIn to learn more about Go1, hear about exciting available positions, or if you are interested in being a content or LMS partner!

Go1’s Caroline Brant speaking at upcoming Learnapalooza event

Have you noticed a number of your workmates wearing orange to work today? They’re most likely showing their support for Harmony Day, a day for people across Australia to acknowledge and celebrate the country’s cultural diversity.

With 49 per cent of Australians born overseas, or with at least one parent who was, Harmony Day is an opportunity to pay cultural respect to everyone who calls Australia home. Held each year on 21 March, the day is an important reminder of the need to promote a sense of inclusiveness, respect and belonging, in our schools, workplaces and broader community.

While it’s vital that we work to encourage inclusiveness and diversity every day of the year, Harmony Day serves as a strong call-to-action to generate ongoing discussion around this issue. It prompts each of us to think about and reflect on how we approach cultural diversity in our own lives.

Supporting cultural diversity in your workplace

By respectfully acknowledging Harmony Day in your workplace today, you can show your support for the many diverse backgrounds belonging to this nation and making it a better place – from the traditional owners and custodians of this land to those who have come here from various countries across the world.

On this day, employers and CEOs in particular are urged to reflect on their company’s approach to diversity. If you’re an employer or manager, take a realistic look at your organisation: how are you working to promote a positive and diverse work culture? Are you fostering a sense of belonging for staff, across all cultures, religions and backgrounds?

Businesses perform better when individuals feel included. When employers show that they are strongly committed to supporting diversity, it leads to a far more open, respectful and inclusive organisational culture and work environment for all.

Creating strong policies around cultural discrimination

HR managers must also play a significant role in preventing and addressing workplace discrimination. For all HR professionals, it’s vital that you have a clear understanding of your company’s position on cultural discrimination and harassment, so you can support staff on this issue.

Australian employers should have zero tolerance for cultural discrimination in the workplace. Yet even today, too many people in this country continue to experience prejudice and unfair treatment because of how they look or where they come from.

With Harmony Day also coinciding with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, today is a clear, strong reminder to make sure you’ve developed solid policies around these areas and are implementing them across your organisation.

Wearing orange to show your support for Harmony Day

Still wondering why people are wearing orange to work?

According to the Harmony Day website, orange “signifies social communication and meaningful conversations… [and] also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.” Carry these thoughts with you today. And why not choose to wear something orange, to show your respect for cultural diversity and support for an inclusive Australia.

By actively celebrating Harmony Day you’ll be helping to reinforce the day’s key message – which is simply that ‘everyone belongs.’

Celebrating cultural diversity in the workplace

Welcome to the Go1 blog. Helping you to achieve your L&D goals through the latest learning and development insights, trends, and technology.