Certainly not most academics, and probably not the business students they teach. The common perception around HR is that its focus is getting everyone their benefits and making sure sexual harassment trainings are completed. But there is so much more to this field. 

Dr. John Boudreau is a professor emeritus of management and organization and a senior research scientist with the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. With his research on the bridge between work human capital development, leadership, and sustainable competitive advantage, Dr. Boudreau’s interests are in the future of work and organization. 

His latest books on HR include “Work without Jobs: How to Reboot Your Organization’s Work Operating System (Management on the Cutting Edge)” and Reinventing Jobs: a 4 step Approach for Applying Automation to Work.

He joins Greg to talk about how “work” is not synonymous with a “job,” trust when it comes to change, dealing with inevitable automation, and iphone upgrades as a metaphor for the changing workplace.

The evolution of tasks & jobs

Can I give you a bonus for being a bus boy and coming over here and helping out with the wait staff? You know, and how long is it that you do that before you say, you know what? I'm getting paid at the bus boy, but 30% of my time I'm over here helping out highly paid waiters and waitresses. You know, if you're not, don’t I get to get paid in the tips? and so - oh, wait a minute. Do we have a system that can pay you that way? Can we give you credit for the skills that you're using over there?

So what is the evolution? So, basically that is kind of, this is not a dig on HR. These systems exist for everybody and they exist for a reason, but they require rethinking. 

Trust in changing workplaces

If we're going to be in a relationship like a worker and their leaders, or a worker in their company, there needs to be some trust that the other party isn't out to get you. Or that the other party hasn't left aside your considerations in the interest of their own.

Building community in new work environments

I think COVID has helped us to understand that there are new ways to build community. That said, it's also helped us understand that that traditional system was so embedded, that those alternative ways of being remote or being fluid are difficult. Much more difficult than just taking a job.

• Professional Profile at University of Southern California
• Professional Profile at USC Annenberg Center for Third Space Thinking
• Speaker Profile at Big Speak
• John Bourdreau’s Website
• John Boudreau on LinkedIn
• John Boudreau on Twitter

• Beyond HR: The New Science of Human Capital
• Retooling HR: Using Proven Business Tools to Make Better Decisions About Talent
• Lead the Work: Navigating a World Beyond Employment
• Reinventing Jobs: A 4-Step Approach for Applying Automation to Work
• Work without Jobs: How to Reboot Your Organization’s Work Operating System