In the US, many companies still struggle to fill essential roles. What if part of the solution involves talent that has traditionally been overlooked?

Take Johanna Carbajal, who spent her adolescence shuttling between juvenile hall, foster care, and the streets before landing in prison at 18. After her release, Johanna made her way to Homeboy Industries, the Los Angeles–based organization founded by Father Greg Boyle to help formerly incarcerated and gang-involved individuals heal, find stability, and build meaningful careers.

For Johanna, finding Homeboy was a watershed moment. On this special holiday episode of McKinsey Talks Talent,  you’ll hear her—as well as Father Greg, in conversation with McKinsey talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, and Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly—talking about what leaders can learn from the Homeboy philosophy, including the impact of thinking differently about hiring, developing skills, and creating a culture where employees feel not just safe but seen.

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AI is ushering in a new era of work, and smart employers are staying ahead of the curve by rethinking how to cultivate the skills their organizations need to thrive. The best leaders realize they won’t be able to do it alone, according to Beth Cobert, president of affiliates and strategic partnerships at Strada Education Foundation. On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Cobert joins McKinsey talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, along with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to discuss the kinds of cross-sector collaborations that help businesses and workers develop skills for the future—and connect education more directly to high-quality jobs.

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On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, McKinsey talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock join Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly for a conversation with Jason Wright, managing partner and head of investments at Project Level and former president of the NFL’s Washington Commanders. Together, they explore how women’s sports is scaling rapidly—and what it takes to build an industry with lasting economic and social impact.

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A smart strategy is vital—but in today’s fast-changing world, it isn’t enough. Our research suggests that even high-performing companies fail to deliver on the potential of their strategy, to the tune of about 30 percent. But the right operating model can change all that. “The opportunity that comes from closing the 30 percent gap between strategy and performance is real,” according to McKinsey Partner Dickie Steele. On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Dickie joins McKinsey Senior Partner Brooke Weddle, Partner Bryan Hancock, and Global Editorial Director and Deputy Publisher Lucia Rahilly to share a new system for reexamining your operating model to create unique competitive advantage.

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AI is fast transforming work as we’ve known it—and the latest data on jobs doesn’t always reflect the changes underway. “One word sums it up best: ‘uncertainty,’” says Svenja Gudell, chief economist of global employment platform Indeed. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Svenja joins McKinsey talent leaders Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, along with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to help leaders make sense of the current collision of labor market trends: generative AI, agentic AI, an aging workforce, shifting priorities, and more.

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Think about your org chart. Now imagine it features both your current colleagues—humans, if you’re like most of us—and AI agents. That’s not science fiction; it’s happening—and it’s happening relatively quickly, according to McKinsey Senior Partner Jorge Amar. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Jorge joins McKinsey talent leaders Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock and Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to talk about what these AI agents are, how they’re being used, and how leaders can prepare now for the workforce of the not-too-distant future.

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Leaders have long recognized the importance of a healthy workforce to driving economic productivity. But they might be surprised at the value at stake—and at the size of the employee population in less-than-fine fettle. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, McKinsey talent leaders and Global Leader of the McKinsey Health Institute Lucy Pérez speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about new research on employee health: what it means, its vital link to value, and the steps leaders can take to create workplaces where employees thrive—and competitive advantage rises.

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Return to office (RTO) is on the rise. But in the words of McKinsey partner and talent expert Bryan Hancock, “It doesn’t matter where you ask someone to be. What matters is what you do with them once they’re there.” On this episode of , Hancock and McKinsey senior partner Brooke Weddle speak with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about surprising soon-to-be-published research on the opportunities and challenges of RTO—and about how leaders can make the most of this transition to drive productivity, collaboration, and innovation successfully.

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Time is finite and leadership pressures are legion, particularly in the throes of change. Nevertheless, the best leaders persist in cultivating generosity with their teams—and they see a range of advantages as a result. On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle, Bryan Hancock, and Dana Maor  speak with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about why—and how—to invest in generosity at work, as well as about the overarching benefits of shifting to a mindset of abundance, versus one of scarcity, for aspiring leaders.

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New research reveals what employees find fair, what motivates them to perform, and where many organizations go wrong when it comes to feedback, compensation, and annual ratings and reviews. On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, talent experts Bryan Hancock and Brooke Weddle speak with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about new research on what drives performance: what motivates employees most, what matters less than you think, and the changes organizations need to make to ensure their feedback, ratings, and review processes are on track.

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Everybody hurts sometimes, R.E.M. once famously sang. And if you’re in human resources, your job is to help. On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock join Wendy Miller, McKinsey’s chief people officer for North America, as well as global editorial director Lucia Rahilly, to discuss the dynamics that are making HR tougher than ever—as well as what leaders can do differently to begin turning morale around.

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