Gen Z grads are getting the axe — 6 in 10 employers have already let them go. Plus, a massive security breach exposed the private info of millions. Find out how one guy spent $1K on Facebook Ads to find love and about a new law that could change your car radio.
Haven't logged into LinkedIn lately? 5 reasons you really should be using it
How much do you know about LinkedIn? Sure, you probably understand it’s a social network for professionals, but it’s so much more.
Unlike most social networks that are used to share the latest vacation pictures, LinkedIn was designed for more important reasons. It can help you make connections, share work experience and find or post jobs.
Your LinkedIn profile can be set up to look like a resume, complete with accomplishments and referrals from colleagues. If you’ve never experienced the power of LinkedIn, we can help. Here are five smart ways to use LinkedIn to network, poach employees, boast and more.
Visit LinkedIn.com/Kim and post a job for free.
1. Sales prospecting
If you’re wondering what sales prospecting is, it’s exactly what it sounds like — sorting through tons of companies and individuals to find prospects who will most likely turn into paying customers.
This can take a lot of time and effort and relies on knowing where to look. In the past, sales prospecting mainly consisted of cold calling and following up with every potential lead.
Now that we live in a digital world, those days are gone. Most buyers make decisions online. That’s where LinkedIn comes into play.
With about 1 billion members, LinkedIn is a leader in connecting buyers and sellers. One of the most important sales techniques is understanding how buyers behave, making prospecting easier with greater success.
An IDC social buying study revealed:
- 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make buying decisions.
- 50% of B2B buyers use LinkedIn to make purchasing decisions.
- 76% of B2B buyers prefer to work with recommendations from their professional network.
Those numbers prove how important LinkedIn is when it comes to sales prospecting. Information is power and LinkedIn is packed with information buyers are looking for.
Six in 10 companies are firing Gen Z workers — often, just months after hiring them fresh out of college. They claim Gen Zers are struggling with communication, professionalism and motivation. Their ex-bosses also say they constantly need direction and have trouble showing up to work.
Three-quarters of “knowledge” workers say they’re using AI tools at work. But what percentage of those workers use it with their company’s knowledge? Is it … A.) 22%, B.) 32%, C.) 52% or D.) 72%?
1 in 5 remote workers
Naps during the workday. A new survey revealed 33% of remote workers take calls in the bathroom and 17% watch TV or play video games. Working hard or hardly working?
100,000 seasonal workers
Coming onboard at Targets across the U.S. Good to know, if you want to pick up extra Christmas money! Here’s where to apply online. Ugh, I accidentally wore a red shirt to Target, and now I’m covering for Frank in produce this weekend.
What could go wrong? A lot: Soon, Nevada will use Google AI to rule on unemployment benefit cases. The tech will analyze appeal hearing transcripts to clear the backlog of claims human workers can’t keep up with. A human will make the final decision. Here’s hoping AI doesn’t “hallucinate” facts.
Another reason to RTO: Remote workers are turning to apps like The Breakfast to make new friends IRL, get a bite to eat and leave the house (paywall link). Turns out, WFH is pretty lonely. Share this with someone who does.
90% of workers
Use their company-issued laptops for non-work surfing. That includes (brace yourself) viewing adult content, gambling, accessing the Dark Web and streaming sports illegally. Beyond the fact your IT gal or guy sees everything you do on a work machine, it’s a major security risk. Don’t be that person.
40,000 steps
Reported by Target workers on a single day. That was during an especially busy time: Target Circle Week. The typical store is about 125,000 square feet, and workers took to Reddit to share how far they walked each day.
🔥 You are so bot: On OnlyFans, the subscription service where folks interact with their favorite sex workers, creators are using AI chatbots to handle replies and form connections before asking for that oh-so-special tip. OnlyFans doesn’t seem to care if this is against their terms of service. They take a 20% cut of their creators’ incomes, and they made $1.1 billion in revenue in 2022. Yeah, that number seems old to me, too, but it’s the last number I could find.
The rise of the restaurant robots
We’ve all heard the predictions that robots would take our jobs. Well, for fast food workers, that day has arrived.
87% variation
In Chipotle bowl portions, depending on location. Finally, proof cranky Chipotle workers might be shorting you on barbacoa! Analysts weighed 75 identical bowls from eight Chipotle locations in NYC. The heaviest weighed almost twice as much as the lightest one. Oh, and all burritos are burrito-ful!
50% of employees
“Quiet vacation” over the Fourth of July weekend. It’s not just you; no one’s getting work done the week of Independence Day. Instead, nearly half of workers are playing hooky without telling their managers, aka “quiet vacationing.”
Wells Fargo fires employees for faking work
Over a dozen workers were caught faking keyboard activity and using mouse jigglers to look busy. Plus, CVS recalls 133 medications, the controversial Windows Recall faces a delay, and a must-know site for those wary of flying Boeing planes.
Employees are suing over going back to work
With the COVID emergency long gone, can employers fire workers who refuse to come back into the office? Plus, Apple Watch gets the FDA green light, why you should power down, and watch for this TSA scam.
30 years without losing a bag
Japan’s Kansai International Airport (KIX) has gone that long without a single lost bag. Yup, officials there say they haven’t lost a customer’s bag since 1994. The workers confirm it but say it’s NBD; they’re just doing their jobs! I wish U.S. baggage handlers had the same idea — then, we wouldn’t need an AirTag in every bag!
29% of remote workers are logging in from a vacation destination
And doing it without telling their bosses. If there’s no explicit rule against it at your company, it’s fair game to work from wherever you want. But calling in from Margaritaville? You may not be telling, but your new tan and conveniently blurred background are dead giveaways.
Tesla's in trouble, big trouble
Tesla sales are plummeting, and 14,000 workers have been laid off. Plus, Google unveils a ChatGPT rival, FTC scams skyrocket, and Instagram blurs unsolicited nudes. Struggling with sleep? I’ve got a pro phone tip that will help.
The FTC just banned noncompete clauses, which companies use to keep workers from going to competitors. With the ban, does the FTC expect a decrease in A.) Wages earned, B.) Startups founded, C.) Patents filed, or D.) Health care costs?