Why Skills-Based HR Is Still Stuck | Harvard Prof. Joseph Fuller on Cracking the People-Productivity Code
Episode Summary
In this episode of the TechWolf Podcast, Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School and co-lead of the school’s Managing the Future of Work project, explores how AI and skills are reshaping the workforce. Drawing on decades of research and consulting, Joe explains why HR must shed its risk-averse stance, embrace experimentation, and position itself as a true strategic partner at the top table. From redefining job architecture to unlocking skills data, this is a conversation about transformation, urgency, and competitive advantage.
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Key Takeaways from Joe Fuller on HR, AI & Skills
⚡ AI is a fundamental shift — not incremental — and HR leaders must adapt faster than competitors.
📊 Skills-based organizations are still an aspiration, but momentum is growing as tools mature.
🔁 Processes, not just tools, must be reinvented — skills can’t be bolted onto legacy systems.
🚦 Risk aversion is dangerous — in AI, waiting to act means falling behind.
💡 Retention and re-skilling matter more than ever — organizational knowledge is now a critical asset.
📈 ROI comes from aligning skills with business outcomes — not just employee satisfaction.
🤝 CHROs finally have the invitation to the strategy table — if they can command skills data.
About the Speaker: Joseph Fuller
Joseph Fuller is Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School, where he co-leads the Managing the Future of Work project. A former CEO and co-founder of Monitor Group (now Monitor Deloitte), Joe has researched the skills gap, degree inflation, caregiving and work, the gig economy, and the impact of AI on talent. He is a leading voice on how organizations must reimagine HR strategy in an era of technological disruption.
Best Practices & Actionable Insights
✔️ Don’t bolt skills onto existing HR processes — redesign from the ground up.
✔️ Pilot and experiment — failure is part of learning, and caution is now riskier than speed.
✔️ Make skills ROI concrete — tie initiatives to turnover, productivity, and business goals.
✔️ Upskilling and retention protect critical organizational knowledge.
✔️ CHROs should use skills data to partner with the C-suite and shape strategy.
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