HBS Managing the Future of Work

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.

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 co-chair Joe Fuller and Burning Glass Institute president, Matt Sigelman, discuss the new employer scorecard.

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 management’s difficulty with knowledge work.

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; the sociological and real estate implications of remote work; the 4-day work week; and what we can learn from...

The ag tech firm’s founder talks about large-scale indoor farming’s potential for food security, climate change adaptation, and economic renewal.   

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 students for the most competitive entry-level positions.

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, hybrid and flexible work models, diversity and inclusion, ESG goals, and training the next wave of leadership. 

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 skills, and ESG commitments.

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.   

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 embracing diversity and prioritizing mental health.

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 Staehelin, co-CEOs of nonprofit Merit America, explain how targeted, affordable and flexible training, buttressed by one-on-one coaching and o...

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

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 of doing business in the cloud and how automation could help advance environmental, social, and governance (ESG)...

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 for Moms, shares her formula for structural change.  

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 the firm’s virtual-first strategy and his vision for an AI-powered, uncluttered digital workplace.

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 basic skills through post-secondary credentials. Joe Fuller welcomes Lorraine Stomski, Walmart's Senior Vice President of Enterprise Leadersh...

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 work via familiar interfaces and new, virtual experiences. Christine Trodella joins Bill Kerr.

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 Garrett Lord explains how taking the campus out of the equation levels the playing field.  

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, discusses the agency’s post-Covid strategy and its initiatives on diversity, accessibility, pay equity, and collective bargaining.

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 are finding new opportunities, and what policies can help support this model.

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.

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.

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. 

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 bolster opportunity for underserved individuals, and how it’s keeping physical and virtual doors open throu...

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.