(This article originally appeared in Forbes)
Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
1 -Twitter debuts new ad features and a revamped its algorithm ahead of an ecommerce push.
Twitter announced this past week that it has overhauled the algorithm that impacts the advertisements that people see and updated its ad features. The changes come as the social media giant work to set the foundation to create new ecommerce functions in the future. Twitter also shared that it is in the process of developing tools to help businesses use ads to locate customers who are predicted to make more purchases directly in the app. (Source: Reuters)
Why this is important for your business:
Is Twitter the right place for your business? Maybe so. The company is taking big steps to outreach to small businesses by making advertising easier and more competitive as well as doing its best to tone down some of the toxicity. Like Facebook, Twitter is also expected to compete against Amazon to attract ecommerce buyers looking to purchase products from its platform. All of this means good opportunities for small businesses active on Twitter.
2 — BrightHire scores $20.5M Series B for its Zoom-based job interview app.
BrightHire recently raised $20.5M in funding. The startup is looking to change the way that individuals are hired within businesses by using information from an interview conducted on Zoom and taking the data to help make hiring decisions. The goal behind the new funding and further developing the software is to change the manner in which businesses are created by helping organizations develop more consistent ways to hire through data. (Source: TechCrunch)
Why this is important for your business:
According to the TechCrunch report “the company records and transcribes each interview, which is conducted over Zoom, enabling the interviewer to concentrate solely on the candidate, and not on taking notes or other tasks. In addition, throughout the interview, the software will surface critical questions to ask the candidate, which helps ensure every interview is conducted in a consistent way. After every interview, the software surfaces highlights and insights that help companies as they hire new employees and ultimately to continually improve hiring overall.”
AI is becoming an increasingly important took for helping employers conduct interviews. As more employees trickle back to the workplace I’m expecting more small businesses to leverage these tools in the coming years.
3 -These are the best Windows laptops this year, according to ZDNET.
Tech website ZDNET recently shared its top picks for the best Windows laptops for 2021. Some of the picks include the Dell XPS 13 which was rated as the best for knowledge workers, the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 which was picked as the best for mobile professionals, the Dell XPS 15 was chosen as the best for power users and creators, and the Lenovo ThinkPad P1Gen 3 as the best for workstation users. You can see the full list here. (Source: ZDNet)
Why this is important for your business:
Looking to purchase laptops this year for yourself and your employees? I found this ZDNet guide to be very helpful.
4 — Google is bringing AppSheet automations to Gmail and Jira support to Chat and Spaces.
This past week, Google introduced its new feature for AppSheet automation. The addition will let developers make custom automations and apps on its no-code platform that will be able to directly interact with Gmail. Google also will be launching its integration with Atlassian, bringing its Jira integration to Spaces and Chat. With the new launch, users will have the ability to submit Jira tickets directly from both. (Source: TechCrunch)
Why this is important for your business:
When Google says “developers” it doesn’t necessarily mean six figure projects. AppSheet is a pretty easy to learn tool that can significantly automate parts of your business without having to purchase full-blown software applications. It’s like Google Sheets on steroids. As a business owner your best bet is to get a developer involved but you can rest assured that because for the ease and power of these tools you’ll spend significantly less on development expenses. Check out some of the examples of how AppSheet can be used and you’ll see what I mean.
5-The mental health startup BetterUp raised funds at near a $5 billion valuation.
Mental health startup BetterUp recently shared that it raised $300 million in funding, bringing the startup’s valuation to almost $5 billion. The startup-which is based in San Francisco-assists in coaching employees and providing mental health support through its app. The startup has more than 3,000 coaches and gives insights and analytics in real-time to help organizations track how employees are progressing. (Source: Reuters)
Why this is important for your business:
Want to attract good talent in these tight labor times? Then you need to be offering — and talking about — your mental health benefits for your employees. This is why mental health companies like BetterUp are so popular. Mental health is no longer the stigma that it once was and your employees (and prospective employees) will ask about the benefits you’re providing. Using a service like BetterUp will help you answer that question.
