Ilana Ettinger

Like “future of work” companies, workforce development companies are focused on addressing challenges in the labor markets. But unlike “future of work” companies, which are ambiguously defined to include a wide array of companies, the workforce development category is precisely focused on solutions that improve the quantity and quality of labor.

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For instance: in our society, there seems a general rule that, the more obviously one’s work benefits other people, the less one is likely to be paid for it. Again, an objective measure is hard to find, but one easy way to get a sense is to ask: what would happen were this entire class of people to simply disappear? Say what you like about nurses,... See more

Knowledge work is less structured, more spontaneous, and harder to teach. “Our knowledge,” says Glaeser, “builds on things that we learn from people around us.“ Being close to other knowledge workers makes it easier for us to learn new things and develop new ideas. As such, knowledge work is best done in cities.

To win tomorrow’s war for talent, companies will need to construct new types of employee experiences. The best ones will blend the freedom and opportunity of working for the internet with the scale and community of traditional employment.