A shift to widespread remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges, but the good news is that organizations around the world are experimenting with creative solutions to meet workers' needs. Analysis from a recent survey of HR leaders and other employees on the most meaningful actions their organizations have taken to support remote work uncovered five principles that can help leaders more effectively manage a distributed workforce.

While most organizations still rely on traditional methods such as räsumä screenings, job interviews, and psychometric tests to find the right people and match them with the right roles, three new approaches to talent identification are quickly gaining traction. Gamified assessments, digital interviews, and candidate data mining have the potential to make hiring more precise and less biased, as long as they're used responsibly.

The authors argue that three forces are creating a profound shift in the very nature of work: technology, demographics and the power of pull-which has made customers in every industry more powerful than ever before. After discussing each force in detail, they describe how technology will reshape every job and how alternative work arrangements will continue to grow. They then describe the key implications of all of this for individuals (including 'engage in lifelong learning'), organizations (including 'implement new models of culture and rewards') and public policy (including 'transition support for income and healthcare'). Their hope is that their framework will help people proactively navigate the future of work and come together to make the transition as productive and smooth as possible.

A summer intern isn't sure how to respond to a request that she misrepresent herself in collecting competitive intelligence for her company. One of her primary duties is to assist with market research by calling direct competitors and asking for sensitive information. Her manager wants her to tell these contacts that she's a student working on a project. She needs the internship and the money, but she also doesn't want to start her career in this industry by deceiving people. Should she push back on her manager? Or perhaps ask to do the project another way? This fictional case study written by Sandra Sucher and Matthew Preble features expert commentary by Josh Bersin and Ruwan Weerasekera.

A summer intern isn't sure how to respond to a request that she misrepresent herself in collecting competitive intelligence for her company. One of her primary duties is to assist with market research by calling direct competitors and asking for sensitive information. Her manager wants her to tell these contacts that she's a student working on a project. She needs the internship and the money, but she also doesn't want to start her career in this industry by deceiving people. Should she push back on her manager? Or perhaps ask to do the project another way? This fictional case study written by Sandra Sucher and Matthew Preble features expert commentary by Josh Bersin and Ruwan Weerasekera.