WorkLab

We're living out the biggest shift in work in a hundred years. In Season 3 of the WorkLab podcast from Microsoft, we'll explore what all this change means for leaders—and learn how energized, empowered employees can give organizations a competitive edge. Join hosts Elise Hu and Tonya Mosley for big conversations with leading thinkers on the future of work. Season 3 of the WorkLab podcast debuts on...

A few years back, Accenture worked with Microsoft to build a virtual campus called the "Nth Floor." After the pandemic hit, the Nth Floor became a crucial digital tool in helping Accenture onboard new employees—and an early example of the potential of the enterprise metaverse. What works best in this new virtual universe? What kinks still need to be worked out? To answer these questions, the WorkL...

Two founders of mentorship platforms, Janice  Omadeke and Sarah Haggard, discuss why prioritizing mutually beneficial relationships at work is integral to employee success, and share what business leaders can do to facilitate meaningful connections in the age of hybrid work. Omadeke is the sixth guest of Season 2 of the  WorkLab  podcast, in which host Elise Hu has conversations with economists, t...

What motivates people to do their best work? It helps to understand how their contributions fit into their organizations' greater goals or purpose. Vetri Vellore , a Microsoft corporate vice president, explains how objectives and key results, or OKRs, can help forge that sense of connection—especially in hybrid work.     WorkLab Episode link WorkLab Microsoft 365 blog post Microsoft Viva goals

As a high-performance psychologist, Dr. Michael Gervais has worked with NFL players and Olympic athletes, along with musicians, artists, and Fortune 100 CEOs, to help them improve their mindsets. What insights can he share with business leaders on guiding teams through moments of uncertainty? The psychologist, who spent a decade with the Seattle Seahawks, spoke to the WorkLab podcast about the sec...

Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of Modern Work, Jared Spataro , unpacks the key findings from the company's annual Work Trend Index, a survey of more than 30,000 people in 31 countries. In a nutshell: leaders need a new skill set to meet shifting employee expectations. Spataro is the fourth guest of Season 2 of the WorkLab podcast, in which host Elise Hu has conversations with economists, tec...

Frances Frei , professor of technology and operations management at Harvard Business School and an advisor to executives embarking on large-scale change initiatives, discusses how leaders can build trust, speak authentically, and empower workers to do their best. Frei is a guest on the WorkLab podcast, in which host Elise Hu has conversations with economists, technologists, and researchers who exp...

Arianna Huffington , CEO and founder of Thrive , shares her insights with guest host Colette Stallbaumer of Microsoft on how anyone can combat stress at work with intentionality—from taking productive breaks to leveraging technology to creating good sleep hygiene. Huffington is the second guest of Season 2 of the WorkLab podcast, in which host Elise Hu has conversations with economists, technologi...

LinkedIn's chief economist, Karin Kimbrough , has the big-picture view on emerging trends, including what people want from work—and what skills employers will need in the coming years. Kimbrough is the first guest of Season 2 of the WorkLab podcast, in which host Elise Hu has conversations with economists, technologists, and researchers who explore the data and insights into why and how work is ch...

The world has never before had the chance to collectively reinvent the ways we work. Leaders are taking stock of how we've always done things, then imagining a new future. In Season 2 of the WorkLab podcast from Microsoft, we're exploring that opportunity. What can we learn from leaders, thinkers, and researchers that will allow us and our teams to work smarter…and happier? We're in a learning min...

How did work change in 2021, and how will it continue to evolve next year? We know that the Great Reshuffle isn't over: In a Microsoft survey, 41 percent of respondents said that they may leave their employer, and resignations did in fact reach record highs. WorkLab host Elise Hu is joined by correspondents Mary Melton and Desmond Dickerson present highlights from the interviews they conducted wit...

As companies move into hybrid work and embrace more flexibility, they'll need to experiment. They'll have to make space for employee feedback—and truly listen, says Anne Helen Petersen , co-author of the new book Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working from Home. In this episode of the WorkLab podcast, Petersen talks to host Elise Hu about the opportunity to reinvent work in t...

Why should business leaders pay attention to the creator economy? The latest episode of the WorkLab podcast features Daniel Roth , editor in chief at LinkedIn, who's been tracking the power of creators' content on the platform. Roth explains what the creator economy is and why it's growing; CB Insights found that creator-focused companies reaped 188 percent more funding in the first half of 2021 t...

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for the hybrid era. A recent report by Microsoft found that 61% of workers identified "social interaction" as a primary benefit of coming to the office. But the same percentage said that ditching daily commutes was a top reason to work from home. In this episode of the WorkLab podcast, leadership expert Dr. David Rock explains how managers must offer flexibil...

The shift to hybrid work is already transforming the business world. What should forward-thinking leaders watch for? The latest episode of the WorkLab podcast features Nicholas Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University who studies remote and hybrid work. Bloom addresses emerging trends like flexibility; according to a LinkedIn survey, 81 percent of leaders are changing their workplace p...

How can organizations be sure that everyone feels included in hybrid work? In the latest episode of WorkLab's new podcast, consultant, and coach Ritu Bhasin talks to host Elise Hu about how leaders can foster a sense of belonging by allowing everyone to show up as their full, authentic selves. We'll look at the business imperatives of diversity and inclusion—McKinsey research shows that big compan...

Our ability to connect anytime, anywhere, has enabled a remarkable transformation to hybrid work. It's also driving us to distraction. As Microsoft's 2021 Work Trend Index showed, about 39 percent of people worldwide describe themselves as exhausted. In this episode of WorkLab's new podcast, Dr. Clare Purvis , senior director of behavioral neuroscience at Headspace, talks to host Elise Hu about me...

Companies are facing yet another big test: the seismic shift to hybrid work. In the debut episode of  WorkLab 's new podcast, Microsoft 365 leader Jared Spataro talks to host Elise Hu about an emerging paradox. Three quarters of people worldwide—73 percent—say they want flexible remote work options to continue. But nearly the same percentage want more in-person time with colleagues, too. In short:...

Everything we thought we knew about work—where we do it, when we do it, how we do it—has been turned on its head. Where is it all going, and is there a map to get us there? WorkLab is a new podcast from Microsoft that taps into data and research to guide you on the road ahead. Leaders and scientists share the company's findings, and we'll hear stories about how people and organizations are being t...