What’s new in Slack: A look back at 2022

We’re starting the year with gratitude for our customers and partners. We know that these are challenging times, and we’re committed to delivering innovative features that make your work life more productive and pleasant.

Last year we built 92 new features to help users work more efficiently, and perhaps even find some joy in the process. Take a look at some of our favourites below, and head over to our releases page to see the full list.

Video statistics:
49% more productive teams (Salesforce: Slack Customer Success Metrics, 2022)
29% more efficient with automation (Based on 2,707 global survey responses from weekly Slack users, 2021)

Optimise teamwork using new video or audio-based huddles

A lot can be accomplished in ten minutes. That’s the average length of a huddle, a digital-first way to hold those impromptu, yet highly productive, conversations you have at the office. Thanks to its simplicity and ease of use, huddles has become the fastest-adopted feature in Slack’s history.

Last year we expanded on the co-working functionality of huddles by adding several features, including:

• Lightweight video
• Screen sharing
• Dedicated message threads
• Emoji reactions

Our new video and screen sharing for collaborative working sessions make huddles a great way for distributed teams to brainstorm, discuss ideas and move projects forward in real time. Conversations during a huddle are conveniently saved in a thread, so any shared links and discussion items can be referenced later.

Fixing a customer issue at their office? Taking the dog for a walk during a team standup? No problem. You can start a huddle from your phone and instantly connect with your team. Join the customers using our new huddles capabilities to power spontaneous discussions and live working sessions without missing a beat.

Learn more about your colleagues with rich user profiles

At the height of the pandemic, we learned that a key challenge for newly hybrid and remote workers is finding camaraderie and connection in a distributed workplace. Last year we enhanced user profiles so you can get a greater sense of who’s on the other end of your Slack message, and work better with them.

Our updated user profiles include a richer set of information. In the new profile, you’ll find three new modules: Contact information, People and About Me. You can also hover over a profile to see the person’s title and time zone, so you can start conversations with more context.

Pronouncing your colleague’s name correctly is an important way to make them feel respected, valued and seen, which can help foster inclusion and belonging. Our new tools allow you to record an audio clip or write the phonetic spelling of your name – so that your team members get it right the first time.

Need someone who understands French to help with a high-priority support request? Slack Atlas is a directory that provides valuable context about your colleagues through enhanced profiles, dynamic org charts, etc. Last year we added Smart Tags to Slack Atlas, or fields that convert into searchable tags. Smart Tags instantly help you find colleagues with a specific expertise, focus area or language.

Focus on what matters to you with a streamlined sidebar

We’re always striving to make Slack a more pleasant and productive digital HQ for all types of work, which includes the ability to easily find the information you need. That’s why we simplified our sidebar so you can find the person, channel or workspace that you need right away.

For example, we changed the colour of notifications from red to white to help you tune out notifications that inherently drive urgency. We also added more contextual awareness cues to help you identify when information is being shared externally and with whom, and we reorganised context menus to be cleaner and guide you through actions, helping you be more productive.

Link real-time Salesforce data with Slack and exceed customer expectations

Closing deals and supporting customers are a tremendous team effort. Last year we added a new solution that brings all of your customer data from Sales Cloud straight into Slack. This powerful integration allows you to access information about your customers and prospects, share with the right people at the right time and work more efficiently with your team. For example, sales reps can collaborate and close deals faster with automated, real-time CRM data from Salesforce.

This solution is showing up in improved performance across every line of business:

• Up to 28% increase in sales productivity
• 15.1% average reduction in cost per service ticket
• 16% faster execution of marketing campaigns

This solution helps you build stronger relationships with your customers and colleagues at a time when relationships are being put to the test.

Do you have ideas for how we can improve your efficiency and productivity? Drop us a note or tweet us at @SlackHQ. Who knows, maybe this year you’ll get your wish.