HBS Managing the Future of Work
Harvard Business School
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 30, 2022 • 39min
Mapping the flow of knowledge, goods, and jobs
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.
Nov 23, 2022 • 48min
The American Opportunity Index: Rating Employers on Upward Mobility
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.
Nov 16, 2022 • 30min
Cal Newport on knowledge work, Part 2: “Slow productivity”
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.
Nov 9, 2022 • 39min
Cal Newport on knowledge work, Part 1: The concentration deficit
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 software developers.
Oct 26, 2022 • 35min
Sprawling ambition: Jonathan Webb on AppHarvest’s bid to transform agriculture
The ag tech firm’s founder talks about large-scale indoor farming’s potential for food security, climate change adaptation, and economic renewal.
Oct 12, 2022 • 37min
CodePath’s Michael Ellison: How reverse engineering can diversify the tech talent pipeline
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.
Sep 28, 2022 • 32min
SAP's Sabine Bendiek on workforce strategy
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.
Sep 14, 2022 • 30min
Packaging skills: FedEx Services’ flexible work strategy
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.
Aug 31, 2022 • 42min
Credly's Jonathan Finkelstein on the evolving language of skills
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.
Aug 17, 2022 • 33min
Rolls-Royce: Re-engineering work while retaining institutional knowledge
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.
