Podcast: Does the Future of Work Mean Work Without Jobs? | Digital HR Leaders

In this 55-minute podcast episode, David Green interviews Ravin Jesuthasan and John Boudreau, who are releasing a new book—Work Without Jobs: How to Reboot Your Organization’s Work Operating System (due out on March 29, 2022). John and Ravin discuss how they see the future of work and jobs evolving, including the core principles behind their new work operating system: work without jobs. The thinking behind this system is that jobs have traditionally been the unit of analysis for organizing work. But as work becomes less predictable, more fluid, and affected by rapid disruption, firms can benefit from deconstructing work into various tasks rather than fixed and static jobs. Deconstructing work from the job level to the task level allows organizations to accomplish those tasks through an optimal mix of work delivery options (e.g., technology, consultants, part-time work, etc.) instead of bundling tasks into a job. As I mentioned in previous posts, this approach will require firms to rethink how they drive various talent practices anchored in jobs/roles, such as workforce planning and recruiting. John and Ravin share examples of firms like Unilever, Genentech, and DHL, which have already started to move towards this future system. Other ideas are discussed, and the heart of the discussion begins at the 6:30 minute mark.