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.

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Why employers need to tune ...

11.29.2023

Sander van’t Noordende, CEO of HR services giant Randstad, on navigating the new normal of talent scarcity, an aging workforce, and AI.

HBS Managing the Future of Work episodes:

11.29.2023 Why employers need to tune into worker preferences Sander van’t Noordende, CEO of HR services giant Randstad, on navigating the new normal of talent scarcity, an aging workforce, and AI.
11.15.2023 Euan Blair on workforce development: College is broken. Apprenticeships deliver. Episode 200: The founder and CEO of UK-based unicorn Multiverse makes the case for the earn-and-learn model. Arguing that the college advantage is oversold and overpriced, Blair touts targeted training as a more practical alternative for workers and employers. Can ...
11.01.2023 Deloitte's Dan Helfrich on consulting in the post-Covid, AI-inflected new normal How do a culture of open debate and prioritizing work-life balance help the firm navigate change while advising others on how to do the same?
10.18.2023 Defining experience: How micro internships build skills and boost productivity Can short knowledge-work gigs improve the college-to-career transition? Jeffrey Moss, Founder and CEO of intermediary Parker Dewey explains.
10.04.2023 Workplace transformation: Gallup plumbs the new normal If there’s no going back to pre-Covid, 9-to-5 workplace routines, what’s the new management playbook? Gallup’s Jim Harter on work-life balance, managing a hybrid organization, and the social and psychological markers of a healthy and productive organization.
09.20.2023 The EEOC’s Keith Sonderling on job fairness in the age of AI The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has a broad mandate, policing discrimination in all aspects of employment. How does artificial intelligence (AI) change the equation? Commissioner Keith Sonderling discusses the role AI is already playing in employment and what’s ...
09.06.2023 Chike Aguh on government innovation in workforce development How can government boost competitiveness and spur the creation of good jobs while protecting worker rights and promoting equity? The former Chief Innovation Officer in the U.S. Department of Labor discusses the talent implications of U.S. industrial policy, cross-sector collaboration, ...
08.23.2023 The case for investing in the apprenticeship model Achieve Partners' Ryan Craig on expanding the earn-as-you-learn ecosystem to boost workforce skills while increasing upward mobility and equity. He argues that college’s high cost and limited job preparation call for a greater commitment of resources to apprenticeship programs.
08.09.2023 Complex systems: From supply chains to artificial intelligence Can the U.S. reshore its way to stability and security? How will AI reshape the workforce and higher education? Yossi Sheffi, Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, on supply chains, AI, and manufacturing.
07.26.2023 Resilient Coders' formula for a diverse tech workforce How durable are tech sector diversity commitments in a down cycle? Solid skills, supportive networks, and employer engagement can make the difference for workers from traditionally excluded groups. Resilient Coders Executive Director Ayanna Lott-Pollard on how it takes a multifaceted ...
07.12.2023 How SkillUp signposts pathways to good jobs Connecting non-college graduates from underserved communities to job and career opportunities is an inexact science. SkillUp Coalition CEO Steve Lee on identifying effective training programs and presenting them direct-to-worker.
06.28.2023 Volvo Cars retools its talent strategy for an EV future The shift to electric vehicle production means revamping jobs throughout the organization. Chief People Officer Hanna Fager explains the process, from lining up skills to maintaining an inclusive corporate culture.
06.14.2023 Harvard’s Project on Workforce: Charting college’s employment pathways Professor David Deming of the Harvard Kennedy School, co-director of the Harvard Project on Workforce, breaks down the project's College-to-Jobs playbook and interactive map.
06.07.2023 Changing the skills narrative: Opportunity@Work’s Byron Auguste Many public- and private sector employers are becoming more selective about which positions require college degrees, opening more good jobs to non-degree holders. What will it take to broaden the adoption of skills-based hiring? And will the trend survive economic ...
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 ...

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