
HBS Managing the Future of Work
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.
Latest episodes

Jan 26, 2022 • 33min
Josh Bersin on why CHROs are at the center of the action
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.

Jan 12, 2022 • 32min
Contingent to career: Kelly Services’ Peter Quigley on reinventing work and creating good jobs
In its 75 years, Kelly Services has gone from temp agency to skills broker, outsourcing firm, workforce development provider, and source of labor market research. CEO Peter Quigley discusses how employers and workers are approaching contingent work, Covid-19’s role in driving innovation and flexibility, “hidden workers” and what’s behind the Great Resignation.

Dec 15, 2021 • 34min
SHRM’s Johnny C. Taylor Jr. on updating the HR playbook
How well is HR heeding its own advice to workers and reinventing itself to remain relevant and productive? Society for Human Resource Management president and CEO, Johnny C. Taylor Jr., on the importance of workplace culture, reskilling, and expanding the talent pool.

Dec 1, 2021 • 30min
Hubert Joly on humanizing the profit motive
Can businesses afford to see employees in terms other than unit labor cost? How do you factor the Golden Rule into a profit and loss statement? Former Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly explains how unlearning business orthodoxies helped him prove that a human-centered approach can boost the bottom line.

Nov 17, 2021 • 31min
Lisa Cook on why inclusion benefits the economy and economics
Economist Lisa Cook discusses her pioneering work on the cost of exclusion—the economic consequences of innovation lost due to racism and sexism. The versatile scholar and policy expert also reflects on her career path and her role in promoting diversity in the field of economics.

Nov 3, 2021 • 28min
Workforce continuity as competitive advantage
Barak Eilam, CEO of customer-service AI vendor NICE, explains how fostering careers and promoting diversity helps attract tech talent.

Oct 20, 2021 • 39min
Bringing hidden workers into focus
If workers are in short supply, why do employers continue to use digital gatekeepers that screen out millions of capable individuals? Joe Fuller joins his Managing the Future of Work co-chair and podcast co-host, Bill Kerr, to share insights from the project’s research collaboration with Accenture on the “hidden worker” problem.

Oct 6, 2021 • 31min
Slack’s Brian Elliott: Digital-first elevates output and diversity
Slack is a mainstay of remote work. But when Covid-19 hit the company behind the software had to pivot from an in-person orientation to digital-first. VP Brian Elliott, leader of the firm’s Future Forum consortium, explains how remapping work means reimagining the organization.

Sep 22, 2021 • 21min
Guest appearance: Joe Fuller on Enrollment Growth University
Managing the Future of Work project co-chair and podcast co-host, Joe Fuller joins Eric Olsen on Helix Education's Enrollment Growth University. How can colleges address the middle skills gap while readying students for the job market? Work-based learning and better career services are key.

Sep 8, 2021 • 30min
Cultivating an organizational growth mindset
“Tiger” Tyagarajan, CEO of professional services firm Genpact, on post-Covid workforce challenges, how to foster a culture of adaptability, and the imperative and benefits of diversity.