Have you ever met people who seem to have a gift for getting what they want? Do you wish you have that same skill? You can by learning some powerful negotiating tips. The good thing about knowing how and when to negotiate is that you can apply various tactics to produce positive results.

Just imagine, the next time you visit a dealership to purchase a car, you get to drive away spending far less than the sticker price, or you’re able to close a big deal on behalf of your company that everyone thought was impossible. These tips will teach you the right way to negotiate, so you come out on the winning end every time.

Instead of dreading the negotiation process, learn how to use it to your advantage. Especially in the business world, making something happen is an excellent way to prove your value, which could result in a raise, bonus, or promotion. Interestingly, people negotiate on a daily basis, often without even realizing it.

Legitimacy – Virtually everyone wants a good deal, which is one thing that drives the decision whether to negotiate or not. You need to know when to keep negotiating and when to walk away. In other words, only consider legitimate negotiations.

Interests – Your basic wants and needs are another driving factor. When interested in something, people tend to negotiate, sometimes without recognizing it.

Plan B – When negotiating, you need to have a plan B just in case the deal goes south.

Relationship Management – For you to succeed with negotiations, it’s essential you manage the relationship with the other party. Regardless if the individual is a longtime coworker or someone you recently met, the connection you have plays a role in the outcome.

Commitment – There’s also a commitment factor involved, whether an offer, demand, promise, or agreement made by you or the other party. When negotiating, you need to commit fully.

Options – As for negotiations, options include trades, conditions, and contingencies. The goal is to capitalize on your similarities and differences with the other party.

Communication – Regardless of the medium used to negotiate: text message, phone call, email, or an in-person meeting, you need to become an excellent communicator. When negotiating, it’s not about coming across as forceful or threatening, but instead getting answers to questions that give you an advantage over the other party.

In business, preparation is vital. When hosting a meeting, you need to research the topic, create handouts, request a whiteboard or projector, make an invitee list, and so on. The same applies to negotiations.

For this, you need to understand the facts of the situation, making it possible for you to stand your ground when presenting your position. Negotiating blindly will never result in what you want. Preparation not only places you in a stronger position but it also allows you to avoid potential conflict.

In this stage of negotiation, you and the other party state your respective sides of the case. Keep in mind that it is imperative you ask the right questions, listen as much as you speak, and clarify anything you don’t understand.

If you know there isn’t going to be a resolution that benefits your organization and you’ll need to readdress the situation at another time, take notes or even record the discussion. That way, you can refer back to this meeting in preparation for another engagement at a later date.

Both you and the other party have specific interests, opinions, and goals. Make sure you understand everything, followed by placing them in order of priority. The reason clarification is so crucial is that you might learn something new that gives you an advantage.

The purpose of negotiating is to reach an optimum outcome. While you don’t necessarily want the other party to walk away empty-handed, you want the negotiations to come out in your favor. Depending on the situation, you might find it hard to keep an open mind. However, if you want your negotiations to succeed, you may need to compromise to some degree.

Especially if you’re not a natural born negotiator, the following tips will help you succeed.

There’s a level of discipline that goes hand-in-hand with negotiations. Even if you feel strongly about your position, it’s essential you maintain the right attitude. Remind yourself that negotiating is a method used to settle differences. Ultimately, you want to reach an agreement or at a minimum, compromise while avoiding a dispute or argument.

The outcome of your negotiations depends in part on your attitude about the process, the topic, and the other party. Although you feel passionate about your position, negotiating isn’t a platform for a personal agenda. Keep things professional, respect the other party’s viewpoint, and avoid conflict.

The University of California describes the value of maintaining an excellent attitude as part of the negotiating process, broken down into distinct actions and attitude.

“Negotiation skills include being well-prepared, showing patience, maintaining integrity, avoiding the presumption of evil, controlling our emotions, understanding the role of time pressures, breaking down bigger issues into smaller ones, avoiding threats and manipulative tactics, focusing first on the problem rather than on the solution, seeking for interest-based decisions, and rejecting weak solutions.

The more knowledge you possess on the topic of negotiation the better. With knowledge comes power. During the preparation stage, spend adequate time learning everything you can about the situation and the other party’s position. Developing a strong knowledge base will help you identify opportunities within the discussion, thereby creating an advantage for you.

Before you even talk to the other party, consider taking online courses to improve your interpersonal skills. As a result, you’ll become more effective during the negotiating process.

Beyond excellent verbal communication skills, the right training will teach you how to build rapport with the other party, reduce or eliminate misunderstandings, solve any issues that arise, make better decisions, and assert yourself.

Don’t Automatically Accept the First Offer

While you might feel tempted, be cautious about accepting the first offer thrown on the table. An easy yet powerful way to let the other party know you’re not impressed is by reacting verbally or physically. By coming across as surprised that you would even consider it sends a clear message. If the initial offer surpasses your expectations, that’s a clear indicator that you can accomplish more.

While it takes time to learn how to become an excellent negotiator, an excellent tip is to use your words carefully. Regardless of what you’re negotiating, you want your viewpoint to always come across as positive.

As an example, if you sell residential properties and a potential buyer wants the seller to leave behind the Jacuzzi, rather than say they can include it in the price for $2,000, break the cost down into a monthly figure. A better approach is to let the buyers know they can have the Jacuzzi paid off in two years for only $83 a month.

If you let the other party know you need to finalize the negotiation within a specific timeframe, then you’re giving them the upper hand. Instead, use a little more assertiveness and point out the pros of closing the deal with what you want. Without the other party having any clue that you have a tight schedule, you succeed in your quest.

As part of your negotiating strategy, assign to another person the power to make the final decision. With that, you have more time to mull everything over. Especially during a negotiation where you’re sitting “on the fence,” you need the opportunity to ensure your decision to agree is the right one.

At the same time, letting the other party know that someone else has the authority to give the green light applies a little pressure. If there’s one sticking point the other party doesn’t want to budge on, yet that individual knows the deal is a good one, using another person as the scapegoat could prompt them to relinquish the one thing holding them back.

Not asking for what you want is a common negotiating mistake made by a lot of people. Even the best negotiators often start discussions feeling a little on the defensive. For you to succeed in negotiations, remember to assert yourself. In fact, you shouldn’t ever hold back on challenging everything.

You can refuse to take “no” for an answer and still come across as professional and charming. Rely on your newly developed communication and interpersonal skills to accomplish this goal. With a little bit of practice, you’ll soon become a master of negotiation.

Being assertive isn’t the same as showing aggression. By genuinely listening and caring about the other party’s viewpoint, you show respect, whereas having no regard makes you appear aggressive.

As for challenging the various aspects of the deal, the other party expects this just as you anticipate they’ll counter your position. Rather than believing what you hear, learn to think for yourself. Challenging the different aspects of the deal is all part of negotiations.

How many times did you hear that growing up? The same goes for negotiations. It’s worth reemphasizing that listening is sometimes more insightful than talking.

Excellent listening skills actually put you in a position of power. When you listen more than you speak, you learn things that might otherwise remain hidden, including things you can use to benefit your position.

Allowing pride to enter the picture is another mistake some negotiators make. Remember the comment about not making a negotiation a platform for a personal agenda? Yes, you want to come out the winner, but so does the other party. Unless the deal benefits you in the way you need it to, don’t feel nervous about walking away.

Just because you say “no” doesn’t mean at some point you and the other party can put the negotiations back on the table. Of course, you want to pull out all the stops to prevent that from happening, but if it does, it’s not the end of the world.

Even if you have a set deadline, you never want to rush negotiations. Especially when there’s a lot of money involved, you want a controlled process that takes time. While you might think not rushing puts you at a disadvantage, the opposite is true. Often, the other party begins to feel antsy, prompting him or her to sweeten the deal in an effort to get you to make a move.

The more you expect out of negotiations, the more you’ll likely receive. An excellent strategy consists of starting the discussion by putting yourself in an extreme position. Just like buying a car, the seller is going to set the price as high as possible in the hopes of getting it. Based on leading experts in the art of negotiations, aiming high will help you do better.

Focus on the Pressures of the Other Party

Instead of focusing on the pressures you face, turn your attention to those of the other party. Stop working against yourself and work for yourself. How? Learn why the opposing side should give in. If you can identify the pressures of your rival, you can exploit them to help you achieve an optimal outcome.

Along with that, show the other party how meeting your demands benefits them. The best negotiators in the world know success comes from looking at things from the other person’s viewpoint. Rather than trying to win the negotiation, understand the other party, and show them how accepting your offer will help them.

With negotiations, you should never give anything away without receiving something in exchange. While this might seem childish, the fact is if you don’t do this, there’s an excellent chance the other party will push for more and more. Feeling entitled puts that individual in a position of power, which you want to avoid at all costs.

Negotiations sometimes become heated. In the moment, both parties can say things they didn’t mean. Sure, you want to be careful with your words but at the same time, if you hear words that don’t sound nice, don’t take it personally.

At Go1, we serve as a leading Learning Management System with a vast library of podcasts, articles, and videos designed to help you become a successful negotiator. We invite you to visit our site or contact us about membership. Give yourself an advantage, so you win every negotiation, whether big or small.

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Become a master of negotiation with these powerful tips

Would you know what to do in the event of an emergency? How do you think you would respond if there was an accident in your workplace?

Accidents and medical emergencies can happen anytime and anywhere – including the workplace. If an incident occurs at work, having someone with basic first aid knowledge can mean the difference between life and death. 

There are many situations in which immediate first aid will be necessary before the patient is taken to hospital – accidents, seizures, heart attacks, and other medical emergencies. 

Those first few minutes after an accident or emergency are crucial. Immediate first aid assistance can save lives before a more qualified medical person arrives at the scene. And an employee who is trained in first aid can help to manage the situation before it escalates. 

The best way to feel prepared is to enrol in basic first aid training. 

This training will help you to develop the skills – and confidence – you need to know how to respond in an emergency situation. 

First aid training isn’t just for people working in high-risk industries or job roles. 

Whether your workplace is considered high or low risk for first aid incidents, it pays to be prepared. It’s not just constructions sites or factories that present a risk to employees – team members can still experience serious cuts, burns, falls or medical emergencies in an office environment.

As Safe Work Australia reminds us, “incidents can happen without warning and in every type of workplace – it is critical you are prepared for any first aid emergencies that could happen in yours.”

Everyone in the workplace should have basic first aid knowledge, to know how to act and respond in a critical situation. 

What you’ll learn in basic first aid training

Wondering what you’ll learn in your first aid training course?

Basic first aid works on the principle of following specific steps to ensure the patient is treated with optimum care at all times, while not causing any further damage. 

Courses will differ, but in general a basic first aid training course will cover:

You’ll finish your basic first aid training with the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to help save a life. 

You’ll also learn what you cannot do, which is really important. When responding to an emergency situation in the workplace, remember that your job is to help someone who is ill or injured and to keep them safe until professional medical treatment arrives. 

When it comes to first aid, training should be repeated on a regular basis to make sure you keep your knowledge and skills refreshed and up-to-date. 

The responsibility of employers for first aid 

Did you know Australian employers have a responsibility to provide first aid equipment and procedures in the workplace?

If you’re running a business, you’re legally required to provide first aid equipment in the workplace, in locations that all staff can easily access, and close to areas that present higher risk of accident or injury. 

If you’re a large worksite or organisation, spread out across a number of floors or buildings, this means providing multiple first aid kits. If employees travel for work, kits must also be present in all company vehicles.

Your business must also make sure there’s an adequate number of trained first aid providers that employees can go to for assistance. As a rule of thumb, Safe Work Australia advises that there should be one first aider for every:

50 workers in low-risk workplaces (an office)

25 workers in high-risk workplaces (a construction site)

These first aid officers must hold a current first aid certificate that is relevant to their state, and have the skills and knowledge to handle the situation until further medical assistance arrives, if necessary. 

This is all part of being compliant with workplace safety laws and regulations, while providing a safe work environment for employees. 

If you’re interested in becoming a first aid officer for your workplace, talk to your employer about first aid training. The more people with basic first aid knowledge in the workplace, the better.

Why everyone in the workplace needs basic first aid knowledge

At Go1, we are committed to bringing you the highest-quality learning content to meet all your training needs, so we are excited to announce our recent content partnerships with Vivid and UL.

You will now be able to access training from Vivid and UL through your Go1 Premium subscription at no additional cost, or purchase their courses individually through the Go1 Course Marketplace.

Learn more about our new Content Partners below.

Vivid is an online safety training provider specializing in digital training for the high-risk workforce.

Each Vivid course incorporates a unique storyline and interactive activities to engage learners and increase knowledge retention, providing a memorable training experience that can improve workplace safety.

Whether you work in construction and manufacturing or utilities and general industry, Vivid content is a great way to provide engaging safety training for the entire workforce. Choose from a variety of OSHA-related content as well as over 100 courses covering additional safety topics to meet your compliance needs.

We have 324 of Vivid’s online safety courses available in Premium.

UL has joined Go1 as a Premium partner to cover workplace health and safety topics, providing over 300 of their PURE Safety courses.

Serving more than 2,000 companies worldwide, UL is a trusted training provider in over 20 industries, such as manufacturing, construction, and energy. Their PURE Safety content is ideal for anyone in search of training to satisfy compliance safety standards, including OSHA and HAZWOPER requirements.

We have 306 of UL’s PURE Safety courses available in Premium.

Get started with any of the above Content Providers and their courses with Go1 Premium today!

Vivid and UL join Go1 as content partners

For banks, insurance companies, brokerage firms, and other businesses engaged in financial activities, there are many complex requirements when it comes to compliance.

While all businesses need to be compliant with industry regulations, companies involved in financial services must be particularly aware of compliance concerns.

Neglecting compliance issues can put these companies at significant risk, in the way of penalties and fines, legal proceedings, loss of income, as well as damage to their brand and reputation.

Tony Clark, Managing Director at Synechron UK, believes compliance is “not just about recognising the key regulatory pressures facing financial institutions, but also proactively ensuring the company is improving its processes and streamlining its operations.”

Understanding potential compliance and regulatory challenges is your first step in successfully addressing them.

To help you do this, here are three of the biggest compliance concerns in the financial realm and what you can do to avoid them.

Data Breaches – Secure Your Company Data       

Top of the list for compliance concerns for financial services? Data breaches.

Earlier this year,­­­ we saw some very important changes around data breaches enacted into law on 22 February 2018. Since the passing of the Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Bill 2016 in Parliament, companies no longer have the luxury of hiding their breaches.

These changes have been made to increase the level of security for individuals, protecting customer data that companies have access to. Organisations will now have to prove that they are taking this issue seriously. And businesses that fail to show they have the right compliance measures in place – or are at least making efforts to – will face serious fines, with civil penalties of up to $1.8 million.

To minimise this risk, make sure you’re educating staff about data security and compliance. Investing some time and money in compliance training is worth the investment, to make sure your business is safeguarding against the event of a data breach.

Companies must notify both the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and affected individuals of any eligible data breaches. This will give individuals the opportunity to re-secure or change their data, while also putting pressure on organisations to improve their data security practices in the first place.

Cyber Attacks – Protect Against Ransomware

Unfortunately, financial institutions are key targets for cyber attacks, due to the vast amount of sensitive (and valuable) data they possess.

Over the last twelve months, we’ve seen various countries across the world affected by major cyber attacks involving ransomware. Petya, a malicious computer virus, recently wreaked havoc on more than 200,000 organisations in over 150 countries, for example.

It’s imperative that financial service companies implement effective security programs and policies to keep these threats at bay.

Training staff around this issue and increasing your cyber security is your best line of defense. You can learn more about the precautions you can take to protect yourself and your business from malicious ransomware and the risk of cyber attack here.

Workplace Safety – Keeping Employees Safe

Compliance is also critical when it comes to the human side of things – your employees.

Employees are “one of the most important elements of every business and because they bring with them a host of legal obligations.”

Companies face considerable fines and business impacts if they fail to be compliant with current workplace safety laws and regulations. That’s why employers must provide appropriate workplace safety training for all staff and take responsibility for providing them with a safe workplace.

It’s also important to look at the policies you have in place around sexual harassment, bullying and all forms of discrimination. Employees have a legal right to live and work free from harassment and discrimination based on gender, age, race, religion or sexual orientation. Make sure you have strong policies in place around these subjects, and that you’re providing ongoing employee training to remind staff of these key messages.

Using eLearning to Reduce Compliance Risk

If you’re looking to update and improve the compliance processes within your organisation, moving your training online is a great place to start.

Through eLearning platforms, you can use “simulations, quizzes, stories, gamification, role-play, audio, video, and almost any other multimedia you can think of! That’s a whole load of ways to take students through the complicated maze of compliance.”

Using a Learning Management System such as Go1’s online training platform to create and deliver your compliance training gives you access to customisable reporting, engagement tools and analytics.

This allows you to easily track staff progress, see how each team member is going with the content and whether they may need additional direction, assistance or further resources. You can even use your own compliance content with the Go1 platform, creating a fully customised program for your employees.

For companies involved in financial services, investing some time and money into this area is the best way to significantly reduce your compliance risk. There are plenty of compliance training courses available online, if you’d like to learn more about this important issue.

Step up your compliance training with Go1

What are the top compliance concerns for financial services?

In the event of a workplace emergency, would your staff know how to respond?

Natural disasters, fires, evacuations, workplace accidents – these things can and do happen, even in industries that are considered to be low risk.

It’s really important that employers ensure staff know how to respond in the event of an emergency or first aid incident. You can help your employees feel more prepared by providing regular workplace training in these areas.

By complying with national first aid code of practice, and ensuring you have qualified, trained first aiders on hand, you can significantly reduce the impact of incidents at your workplace.  You’ll also be helping individual employees to develop the skills – and confidence – they need to make the right decisions in the event of a workplace emergency.

First Aid Training – Your Responsibility as an Employer

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.

In Australia, employers are responsible for providing their staff with a safe workplace, free from hazards and health risks. Part of this responsibility means having proper first aid procedures, facilities and equipment in place.

Employers are legally responsible for providing first aid equipment in the workplace, in locations that all staff can easily access, and close to areas that present higher risk of accident or injury. If you’re a large worksite or organisation, spread out across a number of floors or buildings, this means providing multiple first aid kits. If employees travel for work, kits must also be present in all company vehicles.

Your business must also make sure there’s an adequate number of trained first aid providers that employees can go to for assistance. These first aid officers must hold a current first aid certificate and have the skills and knowledge to handle the situation until further medical assistance arrives, if necessary.

Emergency Training – Preparing Your Staff

Training must also be provided to employees to ensure they are familiar with your organisation’s emergency procedures, which can make a huge difference on the day if a crisis does emerge.

In the event of a fire, for example, the highest priority is always to get all occupants of the building out of harm’s way. Staff who have been trained in fire and evacuation procedures will know how to respond in an organised, methodical and efficient way, reducing risk to persons and property.

Training modules should be repeated on a regular basis to make sure individuals can refresh their knowledge and skills from time to time. While it’s important for all staff to attend first aid training, your designated first aiders will require more intensive additional training to be qualified to respond to incidents in the workplace.

Online Training for First Aid and Emergencies

So what’s the best way to deliver first aid and emergency training to staff across your organisation?

Through the use of workshops, online courses and eLearning training modules, you can make sure employees are properly engaged in workplace safety, while reducing the risk of accidents, injuries and hazards for your organisation.

If you’re an employer ready to invest in workplace training, Go1 can make this process a whole lot easier for you and your staff.

You can make your training process quick and easy by enrolling your teams in accredited first aid and emergency training courses through the Go1 platform.

By investing in high-quality training for your staff, you’ll be making the safety of your workplace a top priority and showing your commitment to the safety and wellbeing of your employees. You’ll also have peace of mind knowing that your business is compliant with Australian laws and regulations.

Are you providing emergency training for your staff?

Changing and advancing technology has affected multiple industries, especially construction. Instead of relying solely on skills, blueprints, and a few tools to turn raw material into masterpieces, workers have an entirely different resource available.

New technology streamlines processes, making many construction projects quicker, easier, and more accurate. Look at some of the more dramatic changes to technology and how each plays a role in the ever-changing landscape of the construction industry.

Building Information Modeling or BIM is perhaps one of the most notable of all technologies now used in construction. For virtual building models with extreme precision, this collaborative and drafting software is ideal.

BIM serves yet another purpose. Engineers can store information on the design, construction, and maintenance of different structures, including roads, buildings, tunnels, and bridges.

Overall, the BIM technology helps engineering specialists build complete projects digitally. Similar to a prototype part or component, the model gives builders and architects the opportunity to make changes before actually starting a project.

As you can see, there are multiple benefits to BIM.

For instance, instead of using traditional design sketches and blueprints, builders, contractors, architects, and other people involved with a construction project can use the 3D rendering to see virtually every detail, including walls, doors, windows, appliances, plumbing fixtures, and interior and exterior surfaces.

With everything combined, BIM gives people in the construction industry the opportunity to view a project before it’s physically completed. Using the rendering as a guide, this allows changes for changes to ensure a flawless outcome.

However, there’s one challenge to overcome before the construction industry can fully benefit from BIM. In 2017, the one struggle nearly all construction companies faced was not finding the required BIM training.

For surveying construction sites, especially those of significant size, drones prove extremely valuable. These unmanned aerial vehicles give builders, designers, and architects a bird’s eye view of projects without hiring a helicopter or airplane pilot.

The price of a pilot’s service exceeds using a drone. With an initial investment of $500 to $1,000 per drone, most construction companies can afford to add at least one aerial vehicle to its arsenal of tools. Even start-up and smaller operations have no problem taking advantage of drones.

Technology has even changed materials science. As an example, construction workers can now choose self-leveling and self-healing concrete over ordinary material that tends to crack, pit, and flake over time. There’s even permeable concrete, which allows water to drain through it as opposed to pooling.

Although not yet an option, one firm is trying to create engineering living materials. When this concept comes to fruition, it will allow for greener manufacturing processes and biologically sustainable buildings and other structures.

As stated by Justin Gallivan of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), “Imagine that instead of shipping finished materials, we can ship precursors and rapidly grow them on site using local resources.”

Along with creating prosthetics, artwork, musical instruments, and more, 3D printing has become a valuable tool for the construction industry. Some companies claim they can print an entire house in just 24-hours at a cost far below conventional construction.

As 3D printing becomes even more viable, it could have a direct impact on laborers. In their place, companies that adopt this revolutionary technology need skilled designers and software operators.

Without using standard construction materials, 3D printing could cause a significant ripple for companies supplying lumber, brick, rock, gravel, and other building materials.

Accelerated speed, reduced cost, and precision design make 3D printing in the construction industry increasingly attractive, not only to builders but also consumers. Innovators around the globe are trying to change the method of designing and building homes and businesses.

AR, the acronym for Augmented Reality, is beginning to play a more significant role in the construction industry. This technology places images over what is actually in front of the viewer.

Wearing what looks like safety goggles, construction workers in the field can view “blueprints” while on the job, making it easier for them to create perfect structures.

When it comes to labor-intensive jobs, nothing surpasses the construction industry. Working with heavy materials, tools, and equipment, people in this industry rely a lot on muscle. With the robotics technology, laborers would receive assistance in handling certain objects and performing various tasks.

Experts agree it will be quite a while before humans and robots actually work as a team. However, when that time comes, robots can take over some of the more laborious work.

There’s a significant volume of paper associated with the construction industry for things like drawings, invoices, meeting notes, contracts, and more. Thanks to technology in the form of digital collaboration tools, the amount of paperwork is decreasing.

Not only do these tools eliminate unnecessary paper, but they also create an easy-to-follow communication and action trail. Using these tools, any authorized individual can view documents and determine who else has seen or changed them.

There’s also a safety factor to consider. In case of a fire, the digitally stored information has full protection.

As technology continues to disrupt the construction industry, it becomes critical for people to have proper training. At Go1, we offer thousands of articles, podcasts, and videos on multiple topics relating to the construction industry.

You and your team can learn about digital document storage, 3D printing, and much more. Prepare your employees for the technological changes already affecting this industry and those on the horizon.

How can technology disrupt the construction industry?

Bringing world class online training content to HR with an integrated learning solution.

PeopleStreme and Go1.com are pleased to announce our new partnership aimed at combining the companies’ respective expertise in Human Capital Management and Online Training Content.

This partnership will see PeopleStreme and Ascender capitalize on Go1.com’s educational expertise and one-stop shop for all things training, while Go1.com will look to support its clients HCM and Payroll requirements through PeopleStreme’s HCM suite and Ascender’s Payroll. This will allow Go1.com users to achieve an “all-in-one” HCM, Payroll and training solution.

“We are pleased to expand our relationship with Go1. Our customers are looking for diverse content to drive fast, impactful and efficient learning. This requires a deep learning catalog and a system to accommodate all the multiple ways of learning. Go1 is the world’s largest aggregator of online training content bringing all of the world’s top training providers under the same roof making them the right partner for us” — Lyle Potgieter, CEO of PeopleStreme.

“We look forward to working closely with PeopleStreme to help Australian businesses overcome the oft-complex challenges relating to the management, upskilling, engagement, health and safety of employees - all in one tightly integrated solution.” — Andrew Barnes, CEO of Go1.com.

At a time where there is significant disruption taking place throughout workforces across the globe, businesses are having to deal with complexities in upskilling their workforce. This partnership is an acknowledgment of organizations increasingly looking for a holistic solution to their Learning Platform (LDS) and training content requirements to help boost employees’ productivity and business profitability.

PeopleStreme was recently acquired by Ascender, one of Asia Pacific’s leaders in human resources and payroll outsourcing. Together, the two companies specialize in the development of technology to support payroll and human resources initiatives and have over 1.5 million employees being paid using Ascender’s Payroll or using PeopleStreme’s HCM platforms. Their fully integrated technology include multiple payroll technologies, performance management, learning and development, eRecruitment, and onboarding. With over 1,500 global brands and listed companies across a range of different industries, Ascender and PeopleStreme have the ability to advise, consult, train and implement all components of an organization’s human resources project requirements. Their mission is to unlock the full potential of an organization’s workforce by providing intuitive cloud-based HCM and payroll software and deployment services.

Go1 makes it easy for businesses to train their staff, with the world’s largest compliance, professional development and general training marketplace. By providing a single platform that extends from first aid training through to degree-bearing courses, Go1 makes it easy to find and compare the best training options available. The marketplace features more than 500,000 courses and other learning items created by local and international experts. Customers include SEEK, Oxford University, state and local governments and St John Ambulance.

Since launching in 2015, Go1.com has grown to be a world leader in online learning and education. The company’s investors include Y Combinator, Shark Tank’s Steve Baxter, SEEK and Oxford University, enabling the startup to continue expanding its offices across the world.

PeopleStreme and Go1 announce Strategic Partnership

Designing eLearning content and online training courses for your staff or students?

You’ll need to make sure the content you’re creating is SCORM compliant.

eLearning professionals often work in authoring tools such as Captivate or Articulate to design their online courses. They then have the option of exporting the content to a SCORM package.

You might have already carried out this task yourself many times – but have you ever wondered why it’s so important to make your training content SCORM compliant? Many people working in the L&D industry are aware of the term, but not so familiar with the technology itself.

Taking the time to learn a little more about the SCORM model can help content creators gain more of an understanding and appreciation of its impact on the eLearning industry.

Simply put, SCORM helps your Learning Management System and content to work together. Having your content packaged into SCORM files will ensure your learning materials can be read and run on different learning platforms, reaching a wide audience of learners.

If you’re keen to learn more about how SCORM works and why you need to make your learning content SCORM compliant, you’ve come to the right place.

Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about SCORM and why it’s so important for online learning.

First things first – what is this SCORM acronym all about? Well, SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model.

Sharable Content Object (SCO) refers to the units of online learning material the LMS delivers to learners.

In essence, these SCOs can be thought of as building blocks. An online course will be made up of different building blocks: an HTML page, image, audio file, or flash-based quiz, for example. Your LMS will then link all those smaller building blocks into a logical set of SCOs for specific instructions.

The Reference Model indicates that SCORM is a kind of standard or model, to help govern eLearning content and achieve consistency and compliance across the industry.

You might be wondering how long SCORM has been used in the eLearning industry.

SCORM was first released in early 2000 and is considered to be “the most commonly used content standard in eLearning” standardising learning content between the industry’s many different developers and vendors.

Before the release of SCORM in 2000, creating course content that could run on multiple devices and systems was far more difficult – and costly! After all, there was no guarantee that the learning content you’d created would be able to be integrated and used on other Learning Management Systems or platforms.

With SCORM, trainers and content creators are able to successfully collaborate and use eLearning course content across multiple tools and systems.

How has SCORM helped the eLearning industry?

Since the arrival of SCORM, creating online learning courses is so much easier, with the SCORM model simplifying how eLearning content works with different platforms and tools.

When departments work autonomously, developing their own eLearning courses and delivering them via the LMS of their choice, it can lead to problems with content duplication and information all over the place. With SCORM, we have a set of technical standards to improve interoperability between eLearning products.

Let’s say you design eLearning content through a tool like Captivate – with SCORM, you can upload that content into a Learning Management System of your choice.

This powerful plug-and-play functionality means that eLearning content can be simply created once, and then used in many different systems and situations without modification.

So you now know why it’s so important to make your learning content SCORM compliant. Next step is to understand just how SCORM files work.

You’ve no doubt seen many eLearning courses and training tools advertising themselves as ‘SCORM compliant’. Basically, this means that the files have been packaged up in line with SCORM standards, ready to be uploaded into a SCORM compliant system. SCORM files look just like a zip file and will contain all of the files needed to make the eLearning content run.

This means they’ve been developed to fit SCORM’s technical specifications and should work with all compliant technologies and content.

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