HBS Managing the Future of Work

The Royal Bank of Canada CHRO explains how the bank's early AI investments are reshaping talent, leadership, and work. Also: RBC's strategic approach to integrating HSBC Bank Canada, redesigning entry-level roles, expanding college recruiting, balancing automation with relationship banking, and why human judgment remains a lasting competitive advantage.

The Conference Board's president and CEO sees AI as less a technological challenge than a managerial one, exacerbated by increasing global volatility. Drawing parallels to the introduction of the personal computer, he argues that governance, workflow redesign, and organizational trust matter more than the technology itself.

We present a recent episode of the HBS SkyDeck alumni podcast featuring Aarti Dhupelia (MBA 2005), CEO of One Million Degrees. The nonprofit supports community college students through career development, paid internships, and financial incentives tied to academic progress. Dhupelia discusses why community colleges are too often viewed as a fallback option despite offering an affordable, career-focused post-secondary path, and why employers should take a closer look at the talent and resilience community college graduates bring to the workforce.

Demand for skilled-trades workers remains high, yet many graduates of vocational programs struggle to land jobs. The founder and CEO of Thurgood Industries discusses how making skills visible through portfolios of real work can improve matching and expand access to opportunity. He also reflects on his own path—from incarceration to Yale Law School and founding a workforce platform—and how it informs his approach to building more inclusive career pathways.

The Khan Academy founder and HBS grad returns to discuss AI disruption—preparing for The Great Reskilling and challenging the status quo in instruction, assessment, and credentials.