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
Aug 3, 2022 • 35min
Working poor to upwardly mobile: Merit America’s formula for change
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 other supports, can boost incomes and career prospects.
Jul 20, 2022 • 33min
MOOC to graduate degree: What the 2U, edX merger means for higher ed and skills building
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
Jul 6, 2022 • 34min
Can we automate our way to better decision making?
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) initiatives.
Jun 22, 2022 • 35min
Reshma Saujani on recoding work for gender equity
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.
Jun 8, 2022 • 30min
Dropbox founder Drew Houston on streamlining the digital workspace
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.
May 26, 2022 • 32min
Wholesale upskilling: Walmart’s workforce value proposition
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 Leadership and Learning.
May 11, 2022 • 27min
Virtually present: Meta’s vision for the hybrid workplace
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.
May 4, 2022 • 35min
Can Handshake’s endless college job fair democratize employment?
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.
Apr 27, 2022 • 34min
Building back a better supported federal workforce
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.
6 snips
Apr 13, 2022 • 35min
Micha Kaufman on the new terms of the talent bargain
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.
