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New research on competency and skills from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including global talent flows, talent development, and motivation.
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What Does It Take to Close the Opportunity Gap in America’s Labor Market?

Re: V. Kasturi Rangan

In the wake of George Floyd’s killing and widespread protests for social justice in the United States, OneTen was formed by a coalition of 40 large companies to address the disparity in job opportunities for African Americans without four-year college degrees. Their goal was to provide one million jobs in 10 years. But in order to do that, OneTen had to analyze the underlying problems and formulate recommendations for both system-level problems and those that manifest themselves at an organizational level. Professor Kash Rangan and OneTen CEO Maurice Jones discuss OneTen’s approach in the case, “OneTen: One Million Opportunities in Ten Years.”

College Degrees: The Job Requirement Companies Seek, but Don't Really Need

by Jay Fitzgerald

Hiring platforms routinely screen out experienced candidates simply because they aren't college graduates. With millions of openings going unfilled, Boris Groysberg says that companies should look for skills instead of degrees.

Effective Leaders Share the Spotlight with Their Teams

by Pamela Reynolds

Many executives make decisions alone and take credit for every win. Research by Yuan Zou and Ethan Rouen shows how leaders—and their companies—directly benefit when they engage and elevate colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

When Working Harder Doesn’t Work, Time to Reinvent Your Career

by Avery Forman

The second half of your life could be better than the first. Really. In the book From Strength to Strength, Arthur Brooks shows how letting go of past glory can open the possibilities of life's "second curve." Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Want to Build Better Leaders? Focus on Mindset, Skills, Knowledge

by Hise Gibson and Shawnette Rochelle

Too many companies fail to see the potential of their best middle managers—and lose them to other firms. Hise Gibson and Shawnette Rochelle offer a framework for helping these promising leaders grow. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The COVID-19 Mutiny: When Teams Leave and Take Their Clients

by Robin Abrahams, Boris Groysberg, and Steven L. Manchel

Remote work and pandemic turbulence have made it easier to poach star teams. Boris Groysberg and colleagues offer advice for companies trying to retain or recruit high performers, and for professionals considering a move. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Why America Needs a Better Bridge Between School and Career

by Joseph B. Fuller and Rachel Lipson

As the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, America faces a critical opportunity to close gaps that leave many workers behind, say Joseph Fuller and Rachel Lipson. What will it take? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Launching a Career in the COVID Economy? Here Are 5 Tips.

by Carolyn DiPaolo

The pandemic roiled education and the economy, but it doesn't have to derail a new graduate's career. In The Unspoken Rules, Gorick Ng offers advice to help job seekers find the right path. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Reversing Brain Drain: Moving Talent to Middle America

Re: Prithwiraj Choudhury

After decades of brain drain in rural America, Tulsa Remote is working to attract a diverse group of remote workers to live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The program offers a $10,000 grant to remote workers and entrepreneurs living outside Oklahoma, who relocate to the state’s second largest city for one year, with the goal that they stay longer and truly engage in the community. Professor Prithwiraj “Raj” Choudhury discusses how the Tulsa Remote model provides workers the flexibility to move out of congested cities and explores the challenges in scaling this model throughout rural America and beyond, in his case, “Tulsa Remote: Moving Talent to Middle America.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Economic Jitters Push Pandemic Job Seekers to Big Companies, Not Startups

by Rachel Layne

Small companies are receiving fewer applications, particularly from experienced professionals, according to research by Shai Bernstein and colleagues. How can startups overcome pandemic fears and compete for talent? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Why Companies Hunt for Talent on Digital Platforms, Not in Resume Piles

by Michael Blanding

Rather than sit back and wait for applicants to send resumes, companies are proactively targeting prospective employees on digital platforms and social media, often with a recruiter's help, says research by Rembrand Koning. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How Can We Get Companies to Invest More in Low-Wage Workers?

by James Heskett

Does income inequality hold back economic growth? James Heskett ponders what underlying factors keep low-wage workers down. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Who Will Give You the Best Professional Guidance?

by Julia B. Austin

Even the most powerful leaders need support and guidance occasionally. Julia Austin offers advice own how and where to find the right type of mentor. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Immigration Policies Threaten American Competitiveness

by William R. Kerr

At this time of crisis, America risks signaling to global innovators and entrepreneurs that they have no future here, says William R. Kerr. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Where Do Workers Go When the Robots Arrive?

by Rachel Layne

Marco Tabellini and colleagues investigate where workers go after losing their jobs to automation and Chinese imports. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The Gift of Global Talent: Innovation Policy and the Economy

by William R. Kerr

High-skilled workers in today’s knowledge-based economy are arguably the most important resource to the success of businesses, regions, and industries. This chapter pulls from Kerr’s book The Gift of Global Talent to examine the migration dynamics of high-skilled individuals. He argues that improving our knowledge of high-skilled migration can lead to better policy decisions.

Do Experts Listen to Other Experts? Field Experimental Evidence from Scientific Peer Review

by Misha Teplitskiy, Hardeep Ranu, Gary Gray, Michael Menietti, Eva Guinan, and Karim R. Lakhani

Influence is a fundamental aspect of collective decisions. It is thus crucial to consider not only the composition of evaluation panels but also their deliberation process. This study illuminates drivers of influence among an elite population of experts and contributes to our understanding of resource allocation in science and other expert domains.

Learning or Playing? The Effect of Gamified Training on Performance

by Ryan W. Buell, Wei Cai, and Tatiana Sandino

Games-based training is widely used to engage and motivate employees to learn, but research about its effectiveness has been scant. This study at a large professional services firm adopting a gamified training platform showed the training helps performance when employees are already highly engaged, and harms performance when they’re not.

Stuck in Commuter Hell? You Can Still Be Productive

by Dina Gerdeman

Commuters who listen to music or browse social media might be increasing their chance of a stressful workday. Research by Francesca Gino and colleagues offers better ways to cope with a bad commute. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Forget Cash. Here Are Better Ways to Motivate Employees

by Dina Gerdeman

In today's tight job market, employers must focus on how to attract and keep top talent. Giving away stacks of money may not always be the best incentive, warns Ashley Whillans. Open for comment; 0 Comments.