Top trends on LinkedIn: Hiring surge; #WorldGratitudeDay; Pfizer for kids. Plus: What I learned at Infused

The other day I was interviewing a candidate who asked me what I loved about my job. My immediate answer was that, in this position, I am constantly learning: Learning how insightful people see the world; learning what the data is telling us about what’s coming next; learning from people I follow about the ins-and-outs of their professional lives and aspirations.

Last Friday was a perfect example of that when the LinkedIn team hosted Infused, bringing together Black creators to connect, talk about what’s working, what they’re focused on, and who they’re working to uplift.

There were amazing conversations with Black creators like Indie Creator Society founder Robin Johnson, Mogul Millennial founder Brittani Hunter and Loop Co-CEO John Henry who shared their thoughts on amplifying your voice and that of others on LinkedIn and beyond.?

These sessions were filled with gems, and I’m pulling some out below, but I encourage you to catch the replay here.

On posting authentically

Greatness Media Marketing Lead Quentin Michael Allums “Start with an understanding of you. If you don’t understand why people are going to follow you, no one is going to hit the follow button.”??

Loop Co-CEO John Henry : “People don’t buy what you sell, they buy who you are. They buy why you sell it.”?

John also said that he had some people who initially doubted his commitment to running a startup when they saw how strong his content was. He quickly proved that one benefits the other: “I think it’s very important to over index for content from yourself as a person.”

Indie Creator Society founder Robin Johnson: “Many of us grew up learning about producers, writers, directors, artists... But in these times especially, when you have to be multifaceted. There is a space to actually amplify the fact that you are cross disciplinary. There is so much more that we can do than the traditional paths that we were taught.”??

On content creation, topics, and formats?

Classroom Without Walls founder and CEO Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang: “Video is the best way to humanize our content."

YAP Media founder and CEO Hala Taha: “We need to talk about what’s right. Not just when it’s popular, but all the time.”

Quentin Michael Allums had this tip, which was so simple and so genius: “Post once, but create twice.” He always shoots two videos at a time and banks one: “That way you always have a back catalog.”

I also want to make sure I call out Quentin and Mike Yates, two leading creators on the platform who helped us make this happen. A year ago, Mike set off a reaction by posting a simple question: “Does anyone know Jeff Weiner or someone at LinkedIn that I can talk to about amplifying Black creators?” A few of us got to work it on it, more joined, and Infused started coming to life.?

One of the cool things about learning: Once you do something for the first time, the timelines start shrinking for being able to pull it off again. The hardest part is just doing. To paraphrase Quentin, the more you create, the more you can create. You learn with each launch. So expect to see more Infused-like creator gatherings coming soon.?

2 other reminders:?

? Learn from our community management team: You won’t want to miss Friday’s live show Top 5 Things Creators Need to Know with creator managers Miranda Head and Zander Van Gogh. They'll talk about what they've been seeing and hearing from their creators and offer ideas about how to grow a community. Click attend here and you’ll get a notification when the show goes live. (Don’t worry, it’ll be available for replay at that link, too!)

? Ask me your questions! For a future edition of Creator Weekly, I’m going to answer your top questions about creating on LinkedIn. Add yours here!

Here are the topics generating attention over the last 7 days. Leverage these to spot audience demand and to start identifying trends. Then write your own post about one of these subjects; share an interesting video that riffs off the topic; or add commentary to a conversation. Anything with a ?? is likely to continue to trend for another 2 weeks. Bookmark our content calendar to plan ahead.

?? ?CVS plans massive hiring surge: Following long lines and frustrated shoppers, CVS will hire 25,000 new workers this week in a large-scale hiring spree.

?? Long live the office: Google has purchased a Manhattan office building for $2.1 billion, marking it the most expensive sale of a single U.S. office building in the pandemic era.

?? Pfizer for kids: Pfizer-BioNTech announced that its COVID-19 vaccination is safe and highly effective in children aged 5 to 11 years old.

?? #WorldGratitudeDay: Members across the world expressed appreciation for employees, friends and more.

?? You’re probably working more now: The average worker in the U.S. is toiling for about 10% longer in the COVID era, according to Microsoft research. Why? Distractions in the household are leading to longer evenings.?

Each week, I’ll highlight creators who are initiating meaningful conversations on LinkedIn. These members use a variety of tools — from live video to polls — to nurture their audience. See if any of their actions work for you or engage with them directly by leaving a comment and sharing your insights.

1. Sales coach Niraj Kapur explains the importance of taking care of your customers. In his latest video, he highlights how important it is to go the extra distance and overdeliver.
2. College professor Elizabeth Leiba shares her story of how a high school class on African history opened up her up to learning about herself, her ancestry, and her potential. Her powerful post garnered over 400 comments from inspired members.?
3. Trndsttrs Media Founder Jake Bjorseth shares all things Gen Z, but in his latest post, he highlights the importance of today’s leaders and Gen Z working together to build a better future.?
4. Investment Professional Oghenerukevwe Odjugo launched her newsletter, “The Beginner Investor.” Her latest piece focuses on Bitcoin and whether cryptocurrency is ultimately doomed to fail.?
5. Technical recruiter Jolene Ho’s recent video showcases her two favorite activities: writing poetry and recruiting. Her rap highlights the key factors companies should implement when closing candidates.?