Work without Jobs by Ravin Jesuthasan and John W. Boudreau - Summary of some key arguments

Work without Jobs - How to reboot your organisation's work operating system by Ravin Jesuthasan and John W. Boudreau 

The central argument of Work without Jobs is that traditional 'jobs' should be 'deconstructed' into their underlying components, such as tasks and projects; with the complementary result that jobholders are seen in terms of their capabilities and skills.

This shift essentially would see the end to the 'job description'; and C.V.s would focus more on capabilities and skills, rather than experience in the form of educational milestones and previous job titles.

The approach 'requires fundamentally rethinking concepts like work, leadership, culture and organization' (p.ix)

"The new work operating system will require a profound change in the mindset and behaviour of leaders. It requires managers to think in terms of how tasks and projects are accomplished, not how jobs are organized." (p.100)

The authors employ the analogy of computer operating systems:

• The old, traditional Operating System - categorises work into job and jobholders into worker through an employment relationship. It is characterised by job descriptions, job hierarchies and job qualifications.
• The new Operating System - 'deconstructs jobs into their components and allows work to be perpetually reinvented by recombining those granular elements' (p.xi). It embraces a wider view of how work gets done embracing 'the gig economy' and 'alternative work arrangements' such as freelancers, contractors and volunteers (p.xii). 'The new world of work is one "beyond employment".' (p.xv)

Jesuthasan and Boudreau believe that this tradition OS 'is too cumbersome and ill-suited to the future.' (p.xi) and 'work systems (e.g planning, sourcing, choosing, assigning developing, engaging, rewarding) must evolve to reflect this new language of work'.

The authors propose that organisations break down their deparmental silos and develop internal platforms that allow talent to flow to work (such as projects) - effecting creating the opportunity for work to be done by anyone skilled to do it, be they brought in from outside the organisation (external gigs) or within the organisation ("inside gigs").

"The key is optimally and perpetually reinvent work by combining options such as the following: (p.xxx)

1. Talent in fixed roles with regular full-time employees.
2. Talent who flows to tasks and assignments - perhaps because their enabling capabilities are required in short-term specific burst by several different work processes (e.g. a freelancer or project-basd data scientist who moves between projects in marketing, HR and operations as needed.)
3. Talent who are in hybrid roles that are partially fixed because of work volume or skills dedicated to a job, but who can flow to specific challenges as needed (such roles often emerge from internal talent marketplaces where regular jobholders take on additional project work).

Impact of Automation

Jesuthasan and Boudreau acknowledge that automation has a significant part to play in the future of work. Their approach is summarised by the following four principles:

1. Start with the work (i.e. deconstructed current and future tasks) - not with existing jobs;
2. Combine humans and automation (not replacing one with the other);
3. Consider the full array of human work engagements (e.g. employment, gig, freelance, alliances, projects, other alternative work arrangements);
4. Consider allowing talent to flow to work (this might be facilitated by an internal or external platform).

Tasks need to be evaluated according to the skill level that is required - basic repetitive tasks should be autotmated; "below license " tasks that cannot be automated should an unskilled, gig or trainee worker where possible; leaving highly skilled workers to focus on "top of license" tasks. (p.139)

Implications for education (pp.127-33)

Jesuthasan and Boudreau touch briefly on the implications for education, whilst acknowledging that a full discussion of the implications on education is beyond the scope of the book.  The new Work OS "means shifiting from a focus on worker education as degrees to focus on deconstructed learning and capabilities." (p.127)

The authors advocate a much more flexible approach to learning, arguing for "stackable credentials" ("part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time and move an individual along a careerpath or up a career ladder.") See 'More students are stacking credentials en route to a degree' Wired June 2, 2020.

Drawing on the work of Evelyn Glanzglass of the Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success, they highlight that the following challenges need to be overcome for this to happen (p.130-32):

1. Create a common langue for workplace and educational credentials;
2. Develop a common system of the transfer (portability) and value of credentials between institutions;
3. Bridge silos between and within educational institutions;
4. Overcome the disconnect between credit and noncredit course offerings;
5. Provide financial aid for deconstructed credentials, not only degrees;
6. Optimize and integrate the mix of learning in traditional classrooms, online, and experience.