With the COVID-19 crisis across the globe, many people have been working from home whenever possible. The world’s focus at the moment is to flatten the coronavirus spread curve. While this is the case, it is essential for people to continue engaging with each other for social or professional reasons, hence the need for a virtual work environment. LinkedIn acknowledges the significance of offering a platform that creates an environment that enhances quality engagements. This is why it has announced several updates including the launch of a new Polls feature for users to canvass ideas and get feedback. It is also launching LinkedIn Virtual Events tool for users to create, post or broadcast their video events on the platform.
Even though LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, its Virtual Events doesn’t yet match that of Skype and Teams, also owned by Microsoft. The two have been handy in pushing for video streaming professional, in education and play. LinkedIn’s Poll feature can take 30 seconds and it offers respondents more options or voice than just the normal ‘like’ or other similar reactions.
The poll’s feature has also been enhanced to allow users more time to offer their opinions. Poll feature was first identified by an app digger and developer Jane Manchun Wong, a few weeks ago even though Facebook and Twitter have had the same feature on the platforms for years. “I’d say it has taken LinkedIn years to catch up but actually, it had polls in place years ago, yet chose to sunset the feature in 2014,” says Wong.
With the new features, you could say LinkedIn miscalled the concept that social go virtual or probably, it has just picked up at the right time when virtual engagements are a necessity. This is the time when more people are turning to online platforms to work, deliver medical services, and communicate with associates, friends or family more than ever before.