Google employees fear the worst as the company quietly extends its hiring ban

1. Google Quietly Extends Hiring Vacation In July, the company announced a two-week hiring freeze, but with the search giant showing no signs of change, employees are worried about what it will mean for them.

• The company has yet to officially reverse its suspension, with some employees fearing serious disciplinary action and roles not being filled again.
• Some employees say they’ve seen the company cut back on hiring. “Everybody was talking about the company tightening its belt,” said one employee after CEO Sundar Pichai said the company’s headcount was not matching its productivity.
• In a screenshot seen by Insider, Google Cloud’s sales leadership threatened employees that there would be a “general review of sales productivity and overall productivity” and that if the next quarter’s results “don’t show up, there will be blood in the streets.” .”

In the search for “real vibration change” on Google.

In other news:

2. New data reveals under-the-radar U.S. cities best for tech jobs. Tech workers have long flocked to San Francisco and New York City, but jobs are popping up throughout the Midwest and South, in states like Kansas and Michigan. This map highlights the cities with the largest increases in tech jobs.

3. Facebook and Instagram are experiencing a “mid-life crisis.” A tech analyst told Insider that Facebook and Instagram’s parent meta are increasingly turning to the old playbook when competing against smaller startups: flipping. Here’s what else the analyst had to say.

4. Events Launch Pollen’s CEO blames covid-19 and technology failure for missing payroll and not finding a buyer. Pollen faced weeks of speculation after it cut 200 jobs and missed payrolls in May. The company’s CEO also complained about media leaks in an email sent to hundreds of employees, which was immediately released to the media. More about that here.

5. Elon Musk’s legal team accuses Twitter of hiding key witnesses. According to reports, Musk’s lawyers want to question the workers who calculated the bot numbers, a major sticking point in the $44 billion deal. The latest in Musk and Twitter’s legal drama.

6. Startup founders must master the “warm pitch” to reach potential investors. In the midst of the downturn, when investors are more cautious, many turn to the hot entry — or being introduced by another trusted founder — as an early indicator of success. We asked investors how to nail a warm introduction.

7. Apple’s blue text bubbles make people buy iPhones. Google this week asked Apple to change how Android displays text as green bubbles, but don’t hold your breath until Apple gives in: the blue text will help consumers understand. Why you won’t see Apple changing text messaging anytime soon.

8. LinkedIn is rolling out new features to give creators more ways to share visual content. According to TechCrunch, creators on LinkedIn will soon have new tools within the app to facilitate discovery and engagement. Check out the new features you can take advantage of here.

Odds and Ends:

9. Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Z Flip 4 is free from any Galaxy trade-in on AT&T. In a major pre-order deal, AT&T is offering $1,000 off one of Samsung’s new foldable smartphones if you trade in any Galaxy phone. Here’s how to get the deal.

10. Twitter users should know these hidden features. From disabling read receipts to seeing the details others have added to you, we’ve rounded up the most useful features hidden within the app. See all seven tips here.

Recent People Driven by Tech:

Keep up-to-date with the latest tech news in your day by watching Insider Updates, a dynamic audio news briefing from the insider’s newsroom. Listen here.