HBS Managing the Future of Work

By Harvard Business School

Business

What's HBS Managing the Future of Work about?

Artificial intelligence. Robotics. The Gig Economy. Globalization. The world is changing at a dizzying pace in ways that will have a profound effect on the economy, jobs and the flow of talent. How will firms cope with the changes ahead and what steps do they need to take today? Each episode features faculty from the world’s leading business school interviewing CEOs, technologists and experts on the bleeding edge discussing how to survive and thrive by managing the future of work.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

Assessing AI-boosted backgr...

05.31.2023

Background checks are getting easier and faster to carry out, even as a continuous process. Is that a good thing? Checkr CEO & co-founder Daniel Yanisse on constructive, responsible screening and the case for second-chance employment.

HBS Managing the Future of Work episodes:

05.31.2023 Assessing AI-boosted background checks; fair-chance hiring Background checks are getting easier and faster to carry out, even as a continuous process. Is that a good thing? Checkr CEO & co-founder Daniel Yanisse on constructive, responsible screening and the case for second-chance employment.
05.17.2023 How LinkedIn parses talent, skills, and diversity Professional work has hit multiple inflection points—from generative AI to remote work and shifting skills requirements. There are few better vantage points for observing the labor market than LinkedIn. SVP and Chief People Officer Teuila Hanson joins Bill Kerr to ...
05.03.2023 Workforce coverage: How Zurich Insurance protects its skills base The insurance industry is playing catch-up on the digitalization front while at the same time looking to maintain and replenish the expertise of its aging workforce. Can an internal talent marketplace help Zurich Insurance secure the necessary skills? Sally Henderson, ...
04.19.2023 Turning tacit knowledge and weak ties into real opportunity “It’s who you know as much as what you know” has an unpromising ring amid rising inequality and social fragmentation. Nonprofit Climb Hire aims to help low-income workers advance through a combination of “hard” and social skills training and a ...
04.12.2023 Point-of-work transactions: How Mastercard connects its employees with opportunities Mastercard kick-started its internal talent marketplace in response to the pandemic, ramping up from a manual system to a digital platform from start-up Gloat. Lessons learned, ROI, and best-practices from the perspectives of customer and supplier.
04.05.2023 Richard Reeves on gender equity, Part 2: Work-life, learning Has Covid prompted working fathers to reassess? In the continuation of their conversation on issues confronting boys and men, Joe Fuller and Richard Reeves consider work-life balance, distance learning and remote work. Also: defining productivity; and how higher education needs ...
03.29.2023 Richard Reeves on gender equity, Part 1: Addressing male struggles Brookings scholar Richard V. Reeves makes the case for tailoring school and employment opportunities to the realities of boys and men.
03.22.2023 Delta Dental’s Sarah Chavarria on the value of communication It’s a simple formula but hard to get right. By tuning in to what’s happening throughout the organization, asking the right questions, and listening carefully, leaders can foster innovation, build consensus and increase engagement.
03.15.2023 How to upgrade the community college talent supply chain What will it take to get two-year institutions and employers on the same page? Joe Fuller joins his Managing the Future of Work co-chair and podcast co-host Bill Kerr to discuss the project’s research on this critical workforce partnership.
03.08.2023 Bankable skills: Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti on the emerging tech-business talent model How is the convergence of banking and technology redefining roles and business models? Marco Argenti went from directing cloud services at Amazon Web Services to the C-Suite of a Wall Street giant. He explains how Goldman taps business-savvy technologists to ...
03.01.2023 Guest Appearance: Joseph Fuller on the Q Factor podcast Managing the Future of Work co-chair and podcast co-host Joseph Fuller on AI's impact on work and hiring, the emerging gig marketplace for high-skills professionals, remote and flexible work, the importance of social skills, and more.
02.22.2023 Mark Peters: How altruistic employee assistance pays off Beyond a paycheck, how much do employers owe their workers? A business alliance focused on employee assistance has had success in helping employees manage their lives and improve their prospects. Mark Peters, CEO of his family business, Butterball Farms, and ...
02.15.2023 Gregory Washington on the relevance of George Mason The crisis in higher education argues for a more expansive approach to academics, workforce, and business development, according to the head of Virginia’s largest public university. The school’s first African American president talks about leading through Covid, promoting opportunity, and ...
02.08.2023 Skills engine: An update on Google’s role as training provider What’s the strategy behind the tech giant’s expanding portfolio of certificate programs and partnerships? Lisa Gevelber, founder of Grow with Google, on boosting prospects for workers with and without college degrees, coordinating with employers to address the skills gap, and ...
02.01.2023 Good jobs as good cause: The philanthropy of upward mobility Rachel Korberg, Executive Director of the Families and Workers Fund, on the collaborative philanthropy model, public-private partnerships, defining good jobs, and the business case for creating more of them
01.25.2023 Extra credit: Reach University’s apprenticeship-to-degree model In combining upskilling through on-the-job training with tailored online courses, Reach helps school districts develop faculty internally. Founder and chancellor Mallory Dwinal-Palisch breaks down the approach, which offers flexible degree programs to existing employees. Could this be a template for ...
01.18.2023 AI: The good, the bad, and the transformative Is it too late to secure the guardrails? More and more businesses are turning to AI for its efficiencies and revolutionary potential, but its proliferation has sparked widespread skepticism and questions about equity, privacy, liability, transparency, and security. AI expert ...
01.11.2023 How federal stimulus can break new ground on economic development and good jobs American Rescue Plan program director Todd Fisher on the complex business of steering billions in investments to build up talent pipelines along with local and regional economies.
12.21.2022 Amplifying frontline worker voice to boost productivity When workers can vote with their feet polling their views can reduce turnover and increase engagement. WorkStep co-founder and CEO, Dan Johnston on making frontline work a better proposition for both employees and businesses.
12.14.2022 Abby Falik on Global Citizen Year and finding purpose HBS grad Abby Falik founded Global Citizen Year to cultivate young leaders through a gap year of cultural immersion and community projects in developing countries. She's looking to promote HR practices and credentials that recognize the value of such experiences ...
12.07.2022 The digital "help wanted" sign. Can AI improve hourly staffing? Instawork Co-Founder and CEO Sumir Meghani on the company's shift work platform. The intermediary touts better, data-driven matches and a more efficient market. How do the algorithmic decisions boost outcomes for workers and businesses?
11.30.2022 Mapping the flow of knowledge, goods, and jobs Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih provides an update on post-pandemic global trade, supply chain snags, workforce development, and the challenges of getting industrial policy right.
11.23.2022 The American Opportunity Index: Rating Employers on Upward Mobility High on the list of what makes a good job is the opportunity to advance. How well do Fortune 250 firms deliver on this, particularly for non-college graduates? Co-creators of the American Opportunity Index, HBS Managing the Future of Work ...
11.16.2022 Cal Newport on knowledge work, Part 2: “Slow productivity” The rest of Joe Fuller’s conversation with computer scientist, author, and New Yorker magazine contributing writer Cal Newport. Just what is productive knowledge work and how do you measure it? Also: social skills, leadership, virtual reality, quiet quitting, and scientific ...
11.09.2022 Cal Newport on knowledge work, Part 1: The concentration deficit Computer scientist, author, and New Yorker writer Cal Newport argues that the way we organize cognitive work ignores basic neuroscience. Also: how the pandemic deepened the digital communications morass; how autonomy without structure is bad for knowledge workers; native-remote businesses; ...
10.26.2022 Sprawling ambition: Jonathan Webb on AppHarvest’s bid to transform agriculture The ag tech firm’s founder talks about large-scale indoor farming’s potential for food security, climate change adaptation, and economic renewal.
10.12.2022 CodePath’s Michael Ellison: How reverse engineering can diversify the tech talent pipeline There are no quick fixes when it comes to opening the tech workforce to underrepresented groups, according to CodePath’s co-founder and CEO. The solution, he argues, is a carefully calibrated end-to-end program combining academic and industry expertise to prepare college ...
09.28.2022 SAP's Sabine Bendiek on workforce strategy As businesses struggle with post-Covid workplace models, supply chain snags, and the increasing demand for digital skills, workforce strategy is more crucial than ever. SAP Chief People and Operating Officer and Labor Relations Director, Sabine Bendiek, on talent acquisition, reskilling, ...
09.14.2022 Packaging skills: FedEx Services’ flexible work strategy The pandemic and supply chain crisis are reshaping the package delivery business. What are the staffing implications and what does it mean for the logistics of work? Mike Lauderdale, VP of Human Resources at FedEx Services, on hybrid work, emerging ...
08.31.2022 Credly's Jonathan Finkelstein on the evolving language of skills As work is recast in terms of skills and credentials, is the labor market awash in too much information? Credly's founder and CEO argues that more detail--verified and expressed in a standard taxonomy--can benefit both workers and employers.
08.17.2022 Rolls-Royce: Re-engineering work while retaining institutional knowledge As it adapts to a changing talent landscape, Rolls-Royce is experimenting with new modes of hiring, training, and managing while working to safeguard a century of accumulated wisdom. HR leader Summer Smith explains the strategy, from reimagining the office to ...
08.03.2022 Working poor to upwardly mobile: Merit America’s formula for change What does it take to move the needle on inequality and promote economic mobility? To help workers stuck in low-wage jobs, build career programs around their economic and social realities and focus on in-demand skills. Connor Diemand-Yauman and Rebecca Taber ...
07.20.2022 MOOC to graduate degree: What the 2U, edX merger means for higher ed and skills building Edtech firm 2U's acquisition of edX, the Harvard-MIT nonprofit education venture, has the potential to advance online higher-ed and broaden access. But there are many moving parts and interested parties. 2U co-founder and CEO, Chip Paucek, makes the case for ...
07.06.2022 Can we automate our way to better decision making? The pandemic has forced organizational change and spurred the development of new business models. It’s also prompted workers and the public to reexamine their relationships with businesses. Juergen Lindner, Oracle SVP of Global Marketing, discusses the workforce and skills implications ...
06.22.2022 Reshma Saujani on recoding work for gender equity If it’s cool for girls to code, why aren’t more women working in technology? And why are working mothers in all sectors finding it difficult to establish and maintain careers? Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and Marshall Plan ...
06.08.2022 Dropbox founder Drew Houston on streamlining the digital workspace Is work-life balance possible when you’re always connected? The pandemic has forced advances in the digital underpinnings of remote and hybrid work. Dropbox has added apps and organizational advice to its ubiquitous cloud storage. Founder and CEO Drew Houston on ...
05.26.2022 Wholesale upskilling: Walmart’s workforce value proposition Businesses are getting strategic about skills building, focusing on what they and their employees need to reach their respective goals. As the largest private employer in the U.S., Walmart is looking to influence the direction of education and training, from ...
05.11.2022 Virtually present: Meta’s vision for the hybrid workplace The pandemic has forced businesses to reassess how, where, and when work gets done. The competition to provision this transformation is intense. Facebook parent Meta is looking to bridge the community experience of social media and the collaborative aspects of ...
05.04.2022 Can Handshake’s endless college job fair democratize employment? The pandemic has underscored the value of distance learning and remote work and bolstered the case for virtualizing the college-to-career connection. Over the past decade, Handshake has established itself as the dominant jobs network and recruiting platform. Co-founder and CEO ...
04.27.2022 Building back a better supported federal workforce Government work has gotten a bad rap of late, even as it’s arguably more essential than ever. Can a labor-friendly administration jump-start the modernization and rejuvenation of the federal workforce? Kiran Ahuja, Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, ...
04.13.2022 Micha Kaufman on the new terms of the talent bargain The pandemic took remote work mainstream. This gave a boost to online platforms for freelance professionals and highly skilled workers. Micha Kaufman, founder and CEO of Fiverr, explains how businesses have gotten better at leveraging this talent, how freelancers have ...
03.30.2022 Working with software robots How far up the white-collar value chain is automation pushing and what's the optimal mix of human and machine intelligence? Bill Kerr interviews Daniel Dines, co-founder and CEO of robotic process automation (RPA) giant UiPath.
03.09.2022 Iron Mountain's hybrid workforce transformation How do you manage a digital transformation while steering a heavily frontline business through a pandemic? Iron Mountain CHRO Edward Greene explains how the 70-year-old records management company is developing talent internally and staffing up to enter new markets.
02.23.2022 MFW research: Rethinking low-wage work What's the business case for upgrading low-wage, high-turnover jobs? Joe Fuller joins his Managing the Future of Work co-chair and podcast co-host, Bill Kerr, to unpack the project's recent report, Building From the Bottom Up.
02.09.2022 Goodwill’s Steve Preston on how to upcycle career prospects Goodwill Industries International may be synonymous with thrifting but the 120-year-old nonprofit is a major provider of workforce development and skills training. President and CEO, Steve Preston, explains the international organization’s mission, how it works with employers and partners to ...
01.26.2022 Josh Bersin on why CHROs are at the center of the action HR is reinventing itself on the fly and under increasing pressure. HR expert Josh Bersin explains how the field is adapting to play a more varied and strategic role amid economic, technological, demographic, and cultural change.
01.12.2022 Contingent to career: Kelly Services’ Peter Quigley on reinventing work and creating good jobs In its 75 years, Kelly Services has gone from temp agency to skills broker, outsourcing firm, workforce development provider, and source of labor market research. CEO Peter Quigley discusses how employers and workers are approaching contingent work, Covid-19’s role in ...
12.15.2021 SHRM’s Johnny C. Taylor Jr. on updating the HR playbook How well is HR heeding its own advice to workers and reinventing itself to remain relevant and productive? Society for Human Resource Management president and CEO, Johnny C. Taylor Jr., on the importance of workplace culture, reskilling, and expanding the ...
12.01.2021 Hubert Joly on humanizing the profit motive Can businesses afford to see employees in terms other than unit labor cost? How do you factor the Golden Rule into a profit and loss statement? Former Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly explains how unlearning business orthodoxies helped him prove ...
11.17.2021 Lisa Cook on why inclusion benefits the economy and economics Economist Lisa Cook discusses her pioneering work on the cost of exclusion—the economic consequences of innovation lost due to racism and sexism. The versatile scholar and policy expert also reflects on her career path and her role in promoting diversity ...

Older episodes