The Professional Conversations That Defined 2017

The 17 hashtags that captured the year on LinkedIn.

#2017 was a banner year for the news — there was, it seems, never a dull moment.

Over the last 12 months, we’ve seen some incredibly stirring and thoughtful conversations from our members on LinkedIn about hot topics like the opioid crisis, immigration reform, the U.S. tax bill, healthcare coverage and harassment cases. Our members also obsessed over driverless cars, tech goliaths like Amazon and Google, digital currencies, open offices, streaming devices and new tech IPOs (including a few high-profile flops; cough, cough... #BlueApron).

These events sparked hundreds of thousands of insightful comments from professionals on LinkedIn around the world — and will certainly have lasting consequences for years to come.

Here's a look at the hashtags and conversations that engaged professionals in 2017.

#Amazon

Amazon has become a kind of corporate obsession in 2017. Companies big and small are watching the retailer: A review of last quarter’s earnings calls shows that Amazon’s name came up almost four times as often as President Trump’s, and six times as often as wages. Amazon’s moves this year proved that it’s corporate tentacles are expanding, from purchasing Whole Foods to searching for its HQ2, a $5 billion project that promises to bring 50,000 high-paying jobs to the winning locale.

Some experts argued that Amazon’s HQ2 isn’t economically worthwhile for most cities. What do you think? Join the conversation.

#9to5Work

While folks in Silicon Valley might brag that they don’t ever clock out, workers in all industries are feeling burnt out and stressed. Many blame the very thing that was intended to make us more efficient: tech, and the many distractions it enables. “People are working longer hours not because there’s more work to do. It’s because they’re not getting work done at work anymore,” Basecamp CEO Jason Fried recently told LinkedIn’s #WorkInProgress podcast.

“I agree with having 6 hour days. There just isn't enough time in the day to get other things done at home with 8-10 hour days, and because of this, we feel more stressed even after we go home.” — Courtenay Powell

Is it time to rethink the work week? Join the conversation.

#RetailApocalypse

It's hard to ignore the dramatic rise in store closings, job losses, bankruptcies and complete liquidations — the declining foot traffic and intense pricing pressure from tech giants like Amazon have gutted retail in 2017. By March, general merchandise stores had already shed 34,700 jobs. The retail industry blames the media for the so-called "Retail Apocalypse," pointing out the fact that even with the troubles of a few well-known chains, more than 3,000 stores have opened in the U.S. this year. But there's more worrying data: Even amid soaring consumer confidence, historically low unemployment and a growing economy, more chains filed for bankruptcy in 2017 than during the financial crisis.

2018 may not be much better: The industry may see up to $7 billion in defaults, according to ratings agency Fitch. What do you think? Join the conversation.

#FidgetSpinner

The only real winner during the great retail meltdown of 2017 was an unlikely little toy: the ubiquitous fidget spinner. The mania was unlike many other toy crazes, since it wasn't made by a major company, timed for the holiday season or promoted in TV commercials. This is a splendid example of the Bass Diffusion Model — because the fidget spinners are a toy that children discovered and shared on social media the demand came solely from word of mouth.

Did your office catch onto the fidget spinner craze? Join the conversation.

#RemoteWork

Yahoo led the way. Bank of America, Wordpress.com, Aetna and IBM followed, giving employees an ultimatum this year: find an office or leave. IBM, which embraced remote working policies decades ago, said the shift would “improve collaboration and accelerate the pace of work” — the company has previously said that over 40 percent of its staff work remotely. The move has thrown into question whether telecommuting is more or less productive than being at one's desk. Some say working shoulder-to-shoulder makes employees more innovative; others suggest remote workers earn more and quit less.

Which camp is right? Join the conversation.

#Automation

Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio says we live in a world of two economies: While the wealthy grow more comfortable, the less affluent face declining wages and deteriorating health. Part of this can be explained by automation, which has culled jobs from sectors that once supported the middle class. Those involved in the U.S. manufacturing sector, for instance, have faced particular challenges, with 30 percent of jobs lost since 1997. Automation will only shake things up even more in the coming years. Within the next 15 years, nearly 15 percent of the global workforce may need to switch jobs — and many workers may not have the necessary skills to make the jump.

Is automation affecting your job? Join the conversation.

#OpioidCrisis

The opioid epidemic is not only a public health crisis: It’s also having a devastating effect on companies — large and small — and their ability to compete. Twenty percent of the decline in male workforce participation can be attributed to opioid use. The issue has exacerbated shortages in industries like trucking, which has had difficulty for the last six years finding qualified workers, reports Linkedin’s Chip Cutter. It’s also pushing employers to broaden their job searches, recruiting people from greater distances when roles can’t be filled with local workers. At stake is not only safety and productivity, but the need for humans altogether, with some manufacturers claiming opioids force them to automate work faster.

Has the opioid crisis changed how you hire or manage? Join the conversation.

#Bitcoin

The “cryptocurrency” has been one of 2017’s most-talked-about business stories. Its stratospheric rise has piqued the interest of investors and, in turn, regulators looking to protect the economy from potential financial bubbles. And yet, its value has soared to dizzying heights, making millionaires of many and billionaires of some. Bitcoin began the year at around $1,000, and touched $19,000 in early December, with some speculating it could hit $1 million. There are of course, detractors. The biggest is JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon, who called Bitcoin a “fraud” but praised its underlying blockchain technology. Others have compared it to the tulip bubble that struck the Netherlands in the 1600s. Bubble or not, Bitcoin will dominate the headlines in 2018.

What will Bitcoin be worth at the end of 2018 — and why? Join the conversation.

#TechIPOs

This was supposed to be the year of the blockbuster tech IPO, a time when promising companies — Snap, Airbnb, Palantir, Spotify and possibly even Uber — made their debuts. Yet, only a handful of hopefuls went public, and those that did had mixed results:

• Snap shares remain down by about 35 percent since its March IPO; some say it’s struggling to compete as Facebook’s Instagram has appropriated its most useful features. Blue Apron has been equally underwhelming, as investors fear Amazon’s entry into the meal-kit market, and Angry Birds maker Rovio has also failed to take off.

• On the positive end, software company Appian and data analytics company Alteryx and web-based real estate service Redfin have all performed decently. But the real winner has been Roku, the streaming device maker that has seen its shares surge since it went public in September. Its initial public offering of $14 has since swelled over $40.

Next year, watch for Saudi Aramco to possibly go public with part of its oil business, in what could be the largest IPO in history. Ride-sharing services Lyft and Didi may also make debuts.

Do you think IPOs should be the goal of most startups? Join the conversation.

#SiliconValley

It's been a wild year for Silicon Valley. From accusations of social media giants aiding and abetting fake news to the fight over net neutrality, tech companies have entered a volatile new age. Here's your 2017 Silicon Valley brief:

• Donald Trump created a technology council; months later, it dissolved.
• Tech’s favorite visa to acquire foreign talent, the H-1B, is on tenterhooks as the Trump administration tightens restrictions.
• Uber employee Susan Fowler wrote a 3,000-word essay about her experiences with the company’s “toxic” culture, an internal investigation was launched that would eventually lead to the resignation of Uber founder Travis Kalanick. Fowler’s calling out of the Valley’s ‘bro culture’ also led to a number of other high-profile scandals as media scrutiny and public awareness increased.
• YouTube has recently seen a swath of advertisers flee the platform after their brands showed up near some particularly ugly content. Facebook saw an outcry after it was found to allow advertisers to target racist users.

Tech’s foibles and failings didn’t hold back their stock prices, and shouldn’t take away from some of the achievements we’ve seen over the year, including advancements in A.I., robotics, aerospace and more. Oh, then there was Juicero and Bodega— well, maybe we can forget those two.

Tell us: What story do you think had the biggest impact on tech? Join the discussion.

#ObamacareRepeal and #Tax Reform

Despite gaining control of both Congress and the presidency, Republican legislative efforts got off to a tepid start. Obamacare repeal dominated conversations earlier this year, despite not being able to muster enough votes to pass — even as a “skinny repeal.” Then came the massive tax-reform bill in November that sought to drastically overhaul the U.S. tax system (while also gutting the healthcare program). The $1.4 trillion tax-cut plan, which is currently being reconciled after passing both houses of Congress, includes cuts for corporations and smaller, temporary ones for individuals. Republicans hope to have the bill signed by President Trump before Christmas.

Reactions to the tax bill have been mixed. Where do you stand? Join the conversation.

#MeToo

Women and men everywhere came forward on social media to tell their stories of sexual assault and harassment following allegations of sexual misconduct by several high-profile men across tech, entertainment, media and politics. Many of those who came forward cited the fear of professional retribution for initially keeping quiet; the connection between sex and fairness in the workplace took on dramatically new dimensions, even launching the new hashtag #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse.

How has the #MeToo campaign affected you or your workplace? Join the conversation.

#Uber

The ride-sharing company’s new CEO must hope and pray that each fresh apology for past illegal practices at the company — from spying on competitors and clients and covering up data hacks — will be his last. Dara Khosrowshahi took the reins this summer following a bumpy search. He outlined new cultural norms for the company and tried to make amends with foreign governments who’ve booted the service from their roads. Still the most valuable privately held tech startup, it also won a multibillion dollar investment by Softbank, albeit at a lower valuation.

Could the days of #DeleteUber be gone for good? Join the conversation.

#Brexit

In March, the UK invoked Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union, putting the country on track to leave the EU by April 2019. Financial firms predicted that as many 10,000 finance jobs could exit the UK economy over the next few years. Key EU regulators are already jumping ship: The European Banking Agency will be located in Paris, and the European Medicines Agency is moving to Amsterdam. In June, formal negotiations on the terms of the UK/EU divorce kicked off in Brussels and tense negotiations continued throughout the Fall. In early December, British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced that a preliminary deal had been reached.

What will Brexit mean for business? Join the conversation.

#SelfDrivingJobs

More companies entered the race for autonomous vehicles this year, new alliances formed — and old rivalries simmered. Samsung obtained a permit to test driverless cars, and GM expanded its Cruise Automation team. Ride-sharing company Lyft and Google's self-driving unit, Waymo, inked a deal to team up on driverless cars, while Mercedes parent Daimler and auto tech company Bosch also paired up. Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that all Tesla vehicles will have self-driving technology, and the $1.8 billion legal drama between Waymo and Uber intensified when an ex-Uber worker testified that the company sanctioned a corporate espionage spy unit. (Whew! And that’s only a fraction of the self-driving drama of 2017.)

Will self-driving technology lead to more jobs — or fewer? Join the conversation.

#StreamingWars

Streaming platforms and legacy stations went head to head in 2017, while tech giants also joined the fray. Google launched an internet streaming service, YouTube TV, in April; Disney caused a stir when it announced it would be pulling its content — including its Marvel and Star Wars franchises — from Netflix in favor of launching its own streaming service in late 2019. For now, Netflix proved that it’s still king, maintaining its dominance over Amazon and YouTube with binge-worthy shows like “Stranger Things,” “Narcos” and “House of Cards.”

Which cord-cutting companies do you think will ultimately triumph? Join the conversation.

What stories are you following? Weigh in on what you will be watching closely in 2018.

Written by Alex Besant, Rodrigo Brancatelli, Cate Chapman, Poppie Mphuthing, and Scott Olster.