HBS Managing the Future of Work

Joe Fuller talks to his Harvard Business School faculty colleague Rick Ruback about Rick and HBS professor Royce Yudkoff’s podcast Think Big, Buy Small. The show is based on Rick and Royce’s popular HBS course “Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition”. The show combines personal stories from entrepreneurs and other key players with expert perspective and advice.

The consulting giant’s global talent lead explains how the firm is bringing mass customization and accountability to skills building and integrating human and ‘synthetic’ skills. Also, the bottom-line benefit of promoting employee health and wellness. 

The future-of-work trendwatcher parses leadership strategies, the tradeoffs of hybrid work, AI adoption, skills-based hiring, and the foundations of a good job.   

Melissa Werneck, EVP and global chief people officer for the multinational food and beverage firm, on reskilling for web marketing and personalization, AI, hybrid work, and collaboration across time zones and cultures. Also, why diversity is good business for consumer packaged goods firms.

The ed-tech executive on shifting the discussion to emphasize the economic benefits of education, harnessing AI, skills-based hiring, employer-educator collaboration, and the public policy landscape.

The president & CEO of Strada Education Foundation on aligning post-secondary education, economic mobility, and labor market demand. How does inclusive workforce development drive economic growth and opportunity? Highlights include research on the effectiveness of state systems, policy options, and the structural challenge of underemployment among graduates.

Propel America CEO Chad Rountree on rethinking the high school-to-career transition to meet the needs of low-income students, colleges, and employers.

What are the consequences of treating employees as an expense rather than an asset? Cappelli argues that this “penny wise and pound foolish” practice hurts the bottom line by discouraging investments in a skilled workforce and prioritizing downsizing, irrespective of efficiency. How changes in management and reporting can realign incentives. Also, C-suite demographics and the impact of AI.

WGU President Scott Pulsipher returns to the podcast for an update on the online institution’s mission to extend the reach of skill-oriented instruction. The HBS grad argues that the focus on competency rather than credit hours democratizes college access and economic opportunity. 

Managing the Future of Work co-chair Joe Fuller joins Colorado State University's Jocelyn Hittle to discuss his work on the Managing the Future of Work project and the Harvard Project on Workforce and to consider broader workforce trends.