Top Business Technologies for Today’s Job Market

Business technologies help organizations save time and money, serve their customers better, and provide their employees the tools they need to maximize their talents. Virtually every type of business professional interacts with technology in the workplace.

Among findings in the McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2025 report, McKinsey notes that fast-moving technological innovations are “capturing the attention of management teams and the public.” As business executives consider how changing technology affects the success of their organizations, they are likely to encourage their employees to be tech-savvy, too.

Further reading: How an MBA led this exec to his dream job at MGM.

Whether you’re a recent business school grad or a seasoned pro, below are essential business technologies you should know—and be able to master over the course of your career.

Artificial Intelligence Tools 

AI has quickly moved from an emerging trend to a standard part of everyday business workflows. According to McKinsey’s November 2025 report on the state of AI, 88% of organizations now report regularly using AI in at least one business function, up from 78% just a year earlier. Many workplaces are also beginning to experiment with AI agents that can plan and carry out multistep tasks on their own.

In practice, this often looks like employees using AI assistants and chatbots built directly into the software that they already use to draft emails, summarize documents and meetings, answer questions in conversational language, and help teams find information faster. Business intelligence tools also use AI to automate reporting and turn raw data into actionable insights in real time, which can help professionals optimize everything from marketing campaigns to supply chain planning. These tools are showing up across industries—including healthcare, retail, and finance—wherever organizations want to work faster and make better-informed decisions. 

For today’s business graduates, it’s no longer enough to merely be comfortable with traditional office software. Employers increasingly expect employees to be AI literate, understanding how to use AI assistants and automation tools responsibly and effectively as part of their day-to-day work.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is ubiquitous: Businesses and organizations around the world rely on the suite of office-focused applications. The software package includes Word for writing reports, memos, and other documents; Excel for creating spreadsheets; PowerPoint for presentations; Outlook for email and scheduling; Access for database management; and Visio for creating diagrams, flowcharts, and floor plans. Many Microsoft 365 plans now include Copilot, an AI tool built directly into these apps that can help draft documents, summarize spreadsheets, and create presentations.

In today’s job market, basic proficiency at drafting documents, entering data into spreadsheets, and building a simple PowerPoint presentation is table stakes. Certain business specialties demand a lot more. A financial analyst, for example, needs to go well beyond basic data entry and be able to build pivot tables, run forecasting models, and turn raw numbers into a polished report or presentation for leadership. If you’re eyeing a business role that calls for specialized tool knowledge, consider brushing up or deepening your skills on your own or through a relevant degree program.

Collaboration Software

Collaboration software refers to programs and platforms that help teams communicate, share files, and stay organized while working together—on-site or remotely. Tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams are common examples, and most collaboration programs offer team messaging that supports both open conversations and private discussions, along with features like video calls, file storage, and file sharing. 

These platforms give business professionals a more efficient way of communicating about their daily work than relying on email, phone calls, or in-person conversation. That’s a particular boon for remote and hybrid workers, who can conveniently coordinate with colleagues in real time from nearly anywhere. 

Today’s employers expect workers to understand the basics of exchanging messages and sharing files through these types of platforms. The good news is that if you’ve ever used group chats or shared updates on social media, you’re already familiar with the general concept of collaboration software.

Web Conferencing Tools

As businesses expand, they come to rely more on web conferencing technology—like Zoom, Webex, and Google Meet—to connect teams, train employees, and hold live meetings with colleagues and clients over the internet. Web conferencing is a specific type of collaboration tool, often providing features such as screen sharing, file transfers, and application-sharing capabilities that let business professionals present to groups in distant locations.

Any business graduate seeking a job in today’s market should know how to join a web conference and participate in an online meeting or event.

Project Management Platforms

While collaboration software helps team members communicate and work together, project management platforms help teams organize and track projects from start to finish. These projects might include a marketing campaign, product launch, or implementation of a new service for a client.

With platforms such as Trello, Asana, and Jira, teams can assign and schedule tasks, manage budgets and resources, share information, and keep projects on schedule. They give users a high-level view of everything a team is working on while also providing detailed information about individual projects, tasks, deadlines, and responsibilities.

Entry-level proficiency with a project management platform might include knowing how to review assigned tasks, check deadlines, share updates, and track your progress. Managers and team leaders may use these platforms more extensively to monitor project progress, coordinate employees and resources, manage budgets, and make adjustments when necessary to keep work on schedule.

Customer Relationship Management Systems

Customer relationship management (CRM) systems help sales teams and other customer-facing professionals organize and manage interactions with current and prospective customers. Businesses use CRM platforms to keep track of customer information, schedule appointments and sales calls, follow up on leads, and maintain relationships throughout the customer journey.

CRM platforms, such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho, can also support customer service and marketing activities by keeping important customer information organized in one place. Many modern CRM platforms are cloud based, making these tools accessible to organizations of different sizes and allowing employees to access customer information from different locations and devices. 

Because CRM systems are widely used across sales, marketing, customer service, and other business functions, developing at least a basic understanding of how these platforms work can be valuable for business professionals. Even if you don’t use a CRM tool every day, understanding its purpose can help you see how different teams manage customer relationships and use information to support business goals. 

Learning the Tools

Technology skills have become an important part of working in business, but you don’t necessarily need to master every platform before starting your career. Understanding what common business technologies do—and being comfortable learning new systems—can help you adapt as tools and workplace needs continue to change.

A degree in business from WGU can help you build the knowledge and practical skills needed for today’s workforce while giving you opportunities to become familiar with technologies you may encounter throughout your career. 

As you prepare to enter the job market or pursue your next career opportunity, consider which technologies are commonly used in your field. Identifying and addressing gaps in your technology skills now will help you become more confident using new tools once you’re on the job.

Frequently Asked Questions About Modern Business Technologies

Why are technology skills important in business careers?

Technology skills are important because many business roles rely on digital tools for communication, productivity, project tracking, data organization, and customer management. Employees who understand workplace technology can often work more efficiently and adapt more easily to changing business needs. 

How can students build business technology skills? 

Students can build business technology skills by taking business courses, practicing with common workplace software, completing projects that use digital tools, earning relevant certifications, and looking for internships or entry-level roles that provide hands-on experience.

Do business professionals need to know how to use AI tools?

Increasingly, yes. As more workplaces build AI assistants and automation into everyday software, employers are looking for candidates who can use AI tools responsibly to support their work, whether that means drafting content, summarizing information, or turning data into actionable insights more efficiently.