Reinventing Work

Organizations often declare that their biggest asset is their people. As such, business leaders make constant efforts to hire the best talent – and to get the best out of their workers. But a confluence of forces is reshaping all aspects of talent management. A war for talent rages and will be exacerbated in the long-term by demographic aging; the half-life of skills is decreasing as AI powers more parts of business workflows; flexible and hybrid work models are becoming commonplace; and management methods focused on measurement and efficiency are not sufficient for engaging a purpose-seeking generation.

In these turbulent times, CEOs and their entire teams – not just HR – need to rethink how they can create a people advantage, going beyond traditional approaches to organization, performance management, and compensation. This book – a collection of recent essays written by researchers at the BCG Henderson Institute, Boston Consulting Group’s think tank – aims to help leaders to reinvent work by providing a forward-looking perspective on all aspects of talent management.

Across five chapters, the book discusses

• How to attract the talent of the future
• How to shape the workforce in an evolving context
• How to embrace new models of work
• How to build the workplace of the future
• How to establish new models of leadership and culture

By providing a combination of new ideas, real-world examples, and concrete recommendations, Reinventing Work serves as a guide for leaders to effectively navigate the changing nature of work.

Martin Reeves chairs the BCG Henderson Institute, BCG’s think tank dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. Martin is also a member of the BCG Henderson Institute's Innovation Sounding Board, which is dedicated to supporting, inspiring, and guiding upstream innovation at BCG. Martin is a regular contributor to HBR, MIT SMR, Fortune and other management journals on business strategy and management.

Debbie Lovich is Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG and leads the firm's work on people strategy. She also leads BCG’s thinking on the future of work and is a Fellow at the BCG Henderson Institute. Debbie is a regular Forbes contributor as well as a regular contributor to HBR and Fortune.

Each day, we confront the profound influence that technology is exerting on every facet of our employees' work experience. This collection of essays offers a modern guide for navigating the ever-changing terrain of workforce and workplace transformation, all the while ensuring that our people remain at the heart of the discussion. --Robin Leopold, EVP, JPMorgan Chase

Even with AI booming, people remain our greatest asset, upping the competition to attract and retain top talent. Debbie and Martin's collection of essays from the BCG Henderson Institute shakes up the norm, pushing us to rethink the future of work, embrace new models, and establish next generation frameworks for culture and leadership. You’ll feel energized to innovate in ways that deliver better business outcomes and inspire your teams – this book's all about sparking fresh ideas and empowers leaders to find that winning edge. --Kelly Ann Doherty, EVP, Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Cooper Group

A fantastic synthesis of cutting edge research out of the BCG Henderson Institute relevant for every HR leader. Combining the best insights from research alongside practical experience with thousands of businesses on the ground, the BCG team highlights the key lessons around attracting, developing and building talent. Key themes around leadership, diversity, AI, and the future of work are blended into the latest research and data. A must read for current and future HR leaders. --Nicholas Bloom, Professor of Economics, Stanford University

Rapid and disruptive change, acceleration of AI and new emerging trends in the workplace is placing human capital at the center of business and board room agendas like never before. This collection of essays offers insights, challenges us to think creatively, and offers guidance on workforce changes. It's a must read for leaders, executives and professionals who are looking for practical insights in navigating the future. --Michael Fraccaro, Chief People Officer, Mastercard

While technology has shaped the way we execute tasks and solve problems, people are still our most valuable asset.　Reinventing Work challenges us to rethink how we look at talent and operating model strategies during the AI revolution. This collection of real-world lessons from BCG’s Henderson Institute shows that we can attract the best talent and positively impact people’s lives while creating business advantage. --Andi Owen, CEO of MillerKnoll

Harnessing the capabilities of talented people is the key to competitive advantage. But too often, leaders are stuck in outdated management methods even as we undergo technology revolutions and seismic shifts in demographics. Leaders have an opportunity to make work better for people and improve business outcomes -- but only if we reinvent how we work. Debbie and Martin's collection of insightful research and practical guidance is essential reading for those looking to lead the way forward. --Brian Elliott, co-founder of Future Forum