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.
Episodes
July 30, 2025 • 37 mins
Admin and logistics can be weak links in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical firms. This can limit growth and squander skilled technical labor, to the detriment of employers and workers alike. The BuildOps co-founder and CEO unpacks the benefits of integrated operations apps and the potential of AI-boosted platforms to improve prospects for skilled workers.
Mark as Played
July 16, 2025 • 36 mins
The benefits of cross-function collaboration, with Francine
Katsoudas, executive vice president and chief people, policy, and purpose
officer, and Jeetu Patel, president and chief product officer. How better integration within the corporate stack improves flexibility.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 43 mins
The Harvard Kennedy School's Iris Bohnet and Siri Chilazi on the logic behind a systems-level approach to workplace fairness. How A-B testing and targeted interventions—incorporated in day-to-day workflow—can help organizations tap more of the talent pool.
Mark as Played
June 18, 2025 • 37 mins
The flagship firm is pushing the boundaries of testing, from K-12 through career. What are the implications for the workforce and society? And how does AI change the future of benchmarking?
Mark as Played
June 4, 2025 • 30 mins
Can the shareholder-owned discount brokerage giant parlay its investments in enterprise and cloud infrastructure into an AI-enabled expansion into new markets while improving productivity and service delivery? CIO Nitin Tandon explains the global workforce strategy underpinning the effort.
Mark as Played
May 21, 2025 • 39 mins
Shake Shack Chief Growth Officer Steph So and HBS professor Chris Stanton join Bill Kerr to discuss the fast-casual chain’s digital strategy and how technology is changing the dining experience and restaurant work, from frontline to back office.
Mark as Played
May 8, 2025 • 29 mins
"Freelance by choice" can sound like a rationalization—or putting on a brave face—but has the contract labor market improved for white-collar workers, as more, particularly younger professionals, opt in? A look at the benefits for both sides of the bargain and how AI changes the calculus.
Mark as Played
April 23, 2025 • 47 mins
The staffing giant’s chairman and CEO lays out the opportunities and risks in the fast-changing and fragmented labor market. Riding the genAI wave, addressing workers’ career development needs, RTO and flex-work, international talent flows, and the up-skilling imperative in the face growing polarization.
Mark as Played
April 9, 2025 • 34 mins
After decades preparing workers from underserved communities for well-paid tech jobs, the workforce nonprofit is expanding its training, footprint, and funding strategy for its tuition-free programs. As AI redefines positions across the org chart, can bootcamps plus training top-ups, and a mix of hard and soft skills future-proof the Per Scholas formula?
Mark as Played
March 26, 2025 • 36 mins
The Stanford economist unpacks AI’s impact on work and productivity, its limitations, and wider implications. He also lays out what organizations can do to get more out of the technology as they invest in the transformation. And he updates his longstanding research into augmenting traditional GDP metrics to capture the value of digital goods and services.
Mark as Played
March 12, 2025 • 40 mins
Joe Fuller welcomes back the Georgetown computer scientist and leading observer of knowledge work, who reprises his argument against busyness as the default mode. Also, cracking the productivity code, parsing AI's potential, and better work-life balance.
Mark as Played
February 26, 2025 • 38 mins
AI's early impact on the labor market: Are claims of revolutionary change overblown? The Harvard economist presents the long view on technological disruption and updates the post-secondary picture.
Mark as Played
February 12, 2025 • 34 mins
The Harvard urban economist assesses the post-Covid health of cities, rural development, zoning and the stagnation of the U.S. housing industry, the impact of AI, and more.
Mark as Played
January 29, 2025 • 36 mins
Will the technology democratize access to world-class education or increase inequality? Khan's journey from highly informed skeptic to champion of ethical AI. The HBS graduate and Khan Academy founder explains his nonprofit's pioneering strategy. Also, workforce development, competency-based learning, and skills-based hiring.
Mark as Played
January 15, 2025 • 32 mins
In taking aim at degree inflation, the corporate-led good jobs coalition looks to boost economic opportunity, address skills gaps, and create a more equitable and inclusive workforce. OneTen helps employers navigate the uncertain new normal of hiring and advancement while expanding their talent pipelines.
Mark as Played
December 18, 2024 • 37 mins
The Stanford economist explains the momentum behind the work-from-home trend, how to manage a hybrid staff, and the new workforce geography. Also, the tech-driven evolution of remote work and the rise of the CHRO.
Mark as Played
December 4, 2024 • 37 mins
How do you foster inclusion, economic mobility, and a sense of purpose across a global organization with both franchise and direct employees? Laura Fuentes, Hilton CHRO, on supporting frontline workers and promoting from within in a traditionally high-turnover business; meeting the needs of a diverse clientele with a diverse workforce; skills development; automation; and leveraging employee feedback.
Mark as Played
November 20, 2024 • 36 mins
Thinking of employees as 'hiring' their jobs opens the way to a detailed analysis of worker motivations, frustrations, and long-term goals, which can reduce costly turnover and make career development a collaborative process. Harvard Business School professor Ethan Bernstein and Michael Horn, cofounder of the Clayton Christensen Institute, explain how.
Mark as Played
November 6, 2024 • 51 mins
Managing the Future of Work co-chair Joseph Fuller delves into what’s driving and limiting the practice of skills-based hiring. The discussion ranges from degree inflation and HR automation to workforce demographics, skills-based promotion and employee retention. Also, how technology can accelerate the adoption.
Mark as Played
October 23, 2024 • 38 mins
Employers can benefit by remapping their talent strategies to match the realities of workers with caregiving responsibilities. Bill Kerr is joined by his Managing the Future of Work co-chair and podcast co-host, Joe Fuller, lead author of the project’s latest report, Hidden Workers: The Case for Caregivers.
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.