Global Workers Are Ready for Retraining

Global Workers Are Ready for Retraining

Author: Harvard Business Review May 7, 2019 Duration: 26:53
Joseph Fuller, professor at Harvard Business School, says that the story we hear about workers being afraid for the future of their jobs might not be right. In surveying 11,000 people in lower-income and middle-skills jobs and 6,500 managers across 11 countries, Fuller discovered that, contrary to what bosses believe, many employees are excited about new technologies and willing to be trained in new skills. But they don't always know what they need to learn or how to access and pay for it. Organizations can do a better job of identifying the skills gaps they have or will soon face and using their existing workforces to fill them. Fuller's project is a joint venture between the HBS Project on Managing the Future of Work and the Boston Consulting Group’s Henderson Institute. He's a co-author of the HBR article “Your Workforce is More Adaptable Than You Think."

Each week, the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review sits down with experts whose ideas are shaping the world of work. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a conversation focused on practical insights for leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs navigating real challenges. You'll hear from scholars, CEOs, and innovators dissecting topics across management, marketing, and organizational strategy, translating complex research into actionable advice. The discussions get into the nuances of building effective teams, driving growth, making strategic decisions, and understanding the forces transforming industries. By tuning into this podcast, you gain access to the forefront of business thinking, a resource for anyone looking to sharpen their skills and lead more effectively. The consistent, in-depth dialogue provides a valuable perspective that goes beyond headlines, offering a deeper understanding of how to succeed in a competitive landscape. It's a direct line to the ideas that matter, presented through thoughtful conversation designed to provoke reflection and inspire change in your own professional approach.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

HBR IdeaCast
Podcast Episodes
Defining and Adapting Your Leadership Style [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:11
Suzanne Peterson, associate professor at Thunderbird School of Global Management, says many talented professionals get held back from leadership roles because of relatively intangible reasons. She argues aspiring manager…
How Those With Power and Privilege Can Help Others Advance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:24
Tsedale Melaku, sociologist at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, and David Smith, professor at the U.S. Naval War College, have been looking at the ways people with the most power in society and organizat…
Why Work-From-Anywhere Is Here to Stay [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:32
Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury, associate professor at Harvard Business School, was studying the growing work-from-anywhere movement long before the Covid-19 pandemic forced many more of us into virtual work. He says that mo…
The Fundamental Human Relationship with Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:55
James Suzman, an anthropologist and former executive, says one way to better understand the future of work is to learn from the history of it. He has studied an ancient hunter-gatherer society in Namibia and says our mod…
How to Build Workplaces That Protect Employee Health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:49
John Macomber, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and a veteran of the real estate industry, was studying ways to make workplaces safer for employees long before the Covid-19 crisis hit. Now that issues like air…
When Efficiency Goes Too Far [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:59
Roger Martin, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, says that for decades the U.S. corporate system has been obsessed with eliminating inefficiencies. There's a point, his researc…
The Subtle Art of Saying No [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:33
Bruce Tulgan, founder of the management training firm RainmakerThinking, says that the key to career success isn't only embracing opportunities; it's also declining projects, tasks, and requests for help so you create ti…
Cultivate a Trans-Inclusive Workplace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:42
Katina Sawyer, assistant professor at the George Washington University, says transgender workers continue to be overlooked even as organizational diversity initiatives become more widespread. Her research shows that many…
Creating More Resilient Supply Chains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:54
Willy Shih, professor at Harvard Business School, says that the complex, global, and just-in-time manufacturing processes we've developed in recent decades are highly susceptible to breakdowns, especially during a global…
To Build Grit, Go Back to Basics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:59
Shannon Huffman Polson, a consultant and former military pilot, experienced early on how to build grit. At 19, she was the youngest woman to summit Denali, North America’s highest peak. Then she overcame many obstacles t…