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New research on retention from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including how to use employee orientation to improve retention, the importance of investing in employees, and what it means that a company's best workers are more likely to show loyalty to their careers than the company.
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Are Management Consulting Firms Failing to Manage Themselves?

by David Fubini

In response to unprecedented client demand a few years ago, consulting firms went on a growth-driven hiring spree, but now many of these firms are cutting back staff. David Fubini questions whether strategy firms, which are considered experts at solving a variety of problems for clients, are struggling to apply their own management principles internally to address their current challenges.

Do People Want to Work Anymore?

by James Heskett

Surveys indicate that US employee engagement and job satisfaction are down. To what degree are attitudes toward work to blame? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

10 Trends to Watch in 2024

by Rachel Layne

Employees may seek new approaches to balance, even as leaders consider whether to bring more teams back to offices or make hybrid work even more flexible. These are just a few trends that Harvard Business School faculty members will be following during a year when staffing, climate, and inclusion will likely remain top of mind.

Working Moms Are Mostly Thriving Again. Can We Finally Achieve Gender Parity?

by Kara Baskin

The pandemic didn't destroy the workplace advancements moms had achieved. However, not all of the positive changes forced by the crisis and remote work have stuck, says research by Kathleen McGinn and Alexandra Feldberg.

Employee Feedback: The Key to Retention During the Great Resignation

by Michael Beer

Employees need to feel that they're on the same team as managers—not adversaries in a zero-sum game. Michael Beer offers six guiding principles for senior leaders who are ready to listen to and act on employee feedback.

From Truck Driver to Manager: US Foods’ Novel Approach to Staff Shortages

by Pamela Reynolds

Restaurant closures, supply disruptions, and now, worker shortages. The pandemic has been hard on food suppliers. A case study by David Bell looks at the innovative thinking that helped one of the industry's biggest companies stabilize staffing—and grow.

In a Work-from-Anywhere World, How Remote Will Workers Go?

by Kara Baskin

Will professionals still choose cities if they have the option to work from the beach? Research by Prithwiraj Choudhury considers the radical ripple effects of remote work.

Desperate for Talent? Consider Advancing Your Own Employees First

by Rachel Layne

What would it take to build the skills your company needs in your current workforce? Joseph Fuller and Manjari Raman offer a new playbook for a historic talent crunch with no end in sight.

Is Concierge Management an Answer to the “Big Quit”?

by James Heskett

Are employees more likely to be forgotten in remote settings, leaving without so much as a goodbye? Should companies do more to give them a voice? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How Eliminating Non-Competes Could Reshape Tech

by Kristen Senz

President Biden says non-compete agreements threaten innovation, but the tech industry leans on them to protect trade secrets. Andy Wu discusses what a potential ban on these legal pacts could mean for business. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Don't Ignore Your Employees' Misery—TAKE Control

by Hise O. Gibson and MaShon Wilson

Many workers are unhappy with their companies' return-to-work policies. Rather than risk losing productive people, managers should confront employee dissatisfaction head on, says Hise O. Gibson. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Walmart's Workforce of the Future

by Julia Hanna

A case study by William Kerr explores Walmart's plans for future workforce makeup and training, and its search for opportunities from digital infrastructure and automation. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

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.

Why Business Should Support Employees Who Are Caregivers

by Danielle Kost

Shifting demographics are causing an increasing number of people to act as caregivers for family and friends—but employers seem hardly to notice the trend. Joseph Fuller discusses why companies should support them. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Kids of Working Moms Grow into Happy Adults

by Dina Gerdeman

In earlier research, Kathleen McGinn and colleagues discovered that adult kids of working moms are high achievers at work. Now it turns out they are happy, too. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

First Minutes are Critical in New-Employee Orientation

by Carmen Nobel

Employee orientation programs ought to be less about the company and more about the employee, according to new research by Daniel M. Cable, Francesca Gino, and Bradley R. Staats. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

The New Challenge of Leading Financial Firms

by Carmen Nobel

Running a financial organization, never easy to begin with, has quickly become one of the most difficult leadership challenges that an executive can undertake, requiring mastery of talent management, change management, and ethics. An interview with Professor Boris Groysberg, who teaches a new HBS Executive Education program on the subject with Professor Paul M. Healy. Key concepts include: Leading a financial firm is very different from leading any other kind of institution, requiring deep skills in a multitude of areas. Financial firms make expensive bets on top talent, but often make hiring decisions without enough deliberation. Risk management, strategy for growth, and competing in emerging markets are especially critical for financial firms to get right. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Non-competes Push Talent Away

by Carmen Nobel

California is among several states where non-compete agreements are essentially illegal. Is it a coincidence that so many inventors flock to Silicon Valley? New research by Lee Fleming, Matt Marx, and Jasjit Singh investigates whether there is a "brain drain" of talented engineers and scientists who leave states that allow non-competes and move to states that don't. Key concepts include: The research shows that inventors are leaving states that allow non-competes and moving to states that don't. The results are most pronounced among those inventors with the most patent citations—that is, those who are most productive, collaborative, and valuable to their firms. The researchers hope that their study will induce state legislators to consider regional rules regarding non-compete agreements. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

QuikTrip’s Investment in Retail Employees Pays Off

by Julia Hanna

Instead of treating low-paid staffers as commodities, a new breed of retailers such as QuikTrip assigns them more responsibility and invests in their development, says professor Zeynep Ton. The result? Happy customers and even happier employees. Key concepts include: Unusual for a retailer, QuikTrip offers its operational employees above-average wages, job security, and significant benefits. By using operational efficiencies and standardization, QuikTrip reduces complexity to create higher employee productivity and fewer errors. By investing in employees and giving them more responsibility, QuikTrip enjoys a competitive advantage in service and benefits from continuous process improvement. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Rethinking Company Loyalty

by Lauren Keller Johnson

These days, your best workers are likely to show more loyalty to their careers than the company. What's needed, says this Harvard Management Update article, is a new view of loyalty and its meaning to employers and employees. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.