Welcome to the latest edition of the LinkedLetter, your go-to source for all the latest updates and insights on the world’s leading professional social media platform, LinkedIn. In today’s feature, we will be discussing some new exciting developments, including the introduction of LinkedIn Games, the integration of LinkedIn with HubSpot’s Smart CRM, and a Report on AI at Work, coined together with Microsoft. 

LinkedIn Games Are Launched

LinkedIn has launched three new games – Queens, Crossclimb, and Pinpoint – aimed at testing users’ logic, trivia, and word association skills. Similar to Wordle, each game can be played once a day and shared with first-degree connections. These games aim to foster closer connections among LinkedIn users and provide a more casual way to engage with the platform. While LinkedIn sees the games as a means to enhance networking ties, they also represent a strategic move to increase user engagement and potentially broaden advertising opportunities.

Source: LinkedIn

Queens resembles Sudoku, requiring players to arrange crowns without overlap within a time limit. Crossclimb is a trivia game where players solve clues to form words on a changing grid. Pinpoint challenges players to find connections between given words with minimal reveals. While LinkedIn isn’t the first social network to incorporate gaming, the developers behind the platform hope these games will encourage users to spend more time on the site in a less transactional manner, ultimately enhancing the overall user experience.

HubSpot’s Smart CRM Integrations With LinkedIn

LinkedIn has introduced new integrations with HubSpot’s Smart CRM to aid customers in comprehending their buyers’ purchasing journey, facilitating lead identification, deal tracking, and revenue analysis for sales and marketing professionals. HubSpot’s Chief Sales Officer, Christian Kinnear, expressed excitement about the partnership’s potential, noting enthusiastic reactions from the sales team and highlighting the integration’s usability and benefits for customers. Donna Brown, on the other hand, mentioned “Integrating Sales Navigator with HubSpot will not only help you be more productive, but also help you move more deals through your pipeline positioning them for a higher close rate.”

Source: Mobile Marketing

Microsoft and LinkedIn About the Future of AI at Work

The 2024 Work Trend Index by Microsoft and LinkedIn explores the impact of AI in the workplace, based on a survey of 31,000 people across 31 countries and various data sources. It reveals significant AI adoption in workplaces, with generative AI use nearly doubling in six months. Some of the key insights from the report include:

  • Employees want AI at work: Seventy-five percent of knowledge workers use AI, finding it saves time and enhances creativity. However, the majority of leaders –  60% – lack a clear AI implementation plan, prompting employees to bring their own AI tools to work.
  • For employees, AI raises the bar and breaks the career ceiling: AI concerns often include job loss, but data shows a talent shortage and a high interest in career changes. While 66% of leaders won’t hire without AI skills, only 39% provide training, leading professionals to independently upskill in AI. 
  • The rise of the AI power user: Four types of AI users were identified, from skeptics to power users who save over 30 minutes daily using AI. Power users report reduced workload stress and more enjoyable work, often supported by leadership’s emphasis on generative AI and tailored training.

Source: LinkedIn and Microsoft

Both Microsoft and LinkedIn provide a number of AI-connected or AI-powered tools. For example, LinkedIn currently offers more than 600 courses on AI, its Premium users can enjoy insights relevant to their career development gathered through AI, and it can also directly assist them with their job hunt. 

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