Welcome to the latest WorkSpace Connect News Wrap, our periodic recap of the news related to the modern workplace, the professionals that make it happen, and the products and services that enable it. In this edition, Otter.ai offers improved information capturing tools to help users get the most out of meetings. Also, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases new numbers showing the Great Resignation is still in full force.
Otter.ai Expands Meeting-Focused Features
The AI-powered, cloud-based transcription service
unveiled new features designed to boost its utility in meetings. Among the innovations:
A "Meeting Gems" panel intended to log action items, decisions, and key moments from meetings. Users can assign items, add comments or ask questions from the panel; they can generate those assigned items or tag questions based on highlighting snippets from directly within the meeting transcription and notes.
An "Automatic Outline" feature automatically creates a meeting summary based on the contents of the meeting transcript. The outline will display in the Outline panel on the Otter platform.
A one-click feature adds a meeting slide or any other image presented in a virtual meeting directly to the Otter notes.
"We all spend too much time in meetings, and I am excited about the power of AI to make meetings more productive," Sam Liang, co-founder & CEO of Otter.ai, said. "The new Otter makes meeting collaboration easier and faster—making it an essential tool for business teams looking to improve their communication in today's hybrid, in-person, and virtual meetings."
Also: The Great Resignation continues. According to the most recent
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.4 million workers left their jobs in February 2022, while employers listed 11.3 million available jobs and hired 6.7 million workers. The unemployment rate is currently 3.8%, making for a very tight labor market.
Americans who switched jobs saw a typical raise of 6.6 percent in the past year, while those who stayed saw their pay go up 5.4 percent, according to a widely watched measure of wage growth from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Both numbers, reported as three-month averages, are at or near the highest rates since the late 1990s.
The Post also reported that the ability to work remotely has helped boost Americans' ability to quit jobs and negotiate for better pay and benefits at new positions.