Work Week
Welcome to Work Week, where we dig into the latest and greatest questions about the world of work — backed by equal parts hard data and fresh perspective. Tune in each week(ish) to find out what the latest emerging research tells us about how to make work, work better.
Hosted by Kelly Monahan, Gabby Burlacu and Ted Liu from the Upwork Research Institute (and their AI proxies.)
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 11 minutes
- Episodes
- 27
- Years Active
- 2025
How Do Top-Performing Companies Perceive AI Differently?
What differentiates top-performing companies from their peers when it comes to how they think about and implement AI? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan explores how high-performing orga…
What’s Driving the Shift Toward Fractional C-Suite Roles?
Organizations are rethinking how executive roles affect business agility — and fractional C-suite positions are on the rise. In this episode of Work Week, host Dr. Gabby Burlacu explores what’s drivi…
Does Your Team Really Want the AI Tools You're Rolling Out?
Is your organization focused on automating the right tasks with AI — or just the ones that seem to drive the most productivity? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan, Managing Director at T…
Why Is Demand for Non-Technical Roles Increasing Alongside AI?
Why is demand for non-technical roles growing — even in an AI-powered world of work? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu from The Upwork Research Institute explores how trust is shaping d…
What Is an AI Generalist — and Why Does Your Business Need One?
Are you taking AI generalist skills into consideration as you hire new workers and develop your existing team? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan of The Upwork Research Institute discuss…
How Can Entry-Level Workers Compete in an AI-Driven Job Market?
Is AI closing the door on entry-level job seekers—or reshaping the path into the workforce? During this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan explores how recent college grads can compete in a hiri…
How Do Weather Disruptions Impact Workforce Productivity?
As climate events increase in frequency and intensity, they become more than environmental concerns—they become workforce issues. In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu of The Upwork Researc…
How Can AI Help Workers and Organizations Thrive?
What happens when AI takes the tedious, routine work off our plates? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan explores how AI is enabling worker potential—not by replacing jobs, but by removin…
What Role Do Middle Managers Play in an AI-Driven Workplace?
How can organizations rethink middle manager roles in an AI-driven workplace? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu of The Upwork Research Institute examines the changing role of middle man…
How Is AI Changing Workplace Connection?
Is AI eroding human connection? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu of The Upwork Research Institute explores a surprising paradox in the modern workplace: AI is driving huge gains in wor…
What’s the Difference Between AI Agents and Agentic AI?
What’s the difference between AI agents and agentic AI—and how do those differences affect you? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan, Managing Director of The Upwork Research Institute, br…
How Effective Is Remote Work?
Is remote work a sustainable option for organizations and employees? In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan, Managing Director of The Upwork Research Institute, discusses what recent researc…
How Much AI is Enough in Your Hiring Process?
AI is transforming hiring tasks including writing job descriptions, scheduling interviews, and evaluating candidates. But where is the line separating productivity gains from the loss of human insigh…
Is Your Workforce Prepared To Manage AI Agents?
AI agents are autonomous software programs that can perceive their environment and make decisions, and they are reshaping the work landscape. In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan explores …
Are Degrees Still Valuable for Today’s Workforce?
Is a four-year college degree still the best predictor of workplace success? In this episode of Work Week, host Dr. Gabby Burlacu explores why companies are rethinking traditional hiring practices in…
What Are Mini-Retirements and Can They Help Employee Burnout?
In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan explores the rise of mini-retirements—intentional pauses early- and mid-career—and what this trend signals about growing burnout in the workforce. Draw…
How Can Organizations Address Retirement-Driven Skills Gaps?
The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2030, one in five Americans will be of retirement age. Organizations are facing an urgent challenge: how to navigate massive talent shifts and skills gaps brou…
Which Skills Are the Most Valuable in an AI-Powered World of Work?
As AI continues to automate simple, more tedious tasks, human skills are becoming foundational to success. In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Gabby Burlacu, Senior Manager of The Upwork Research Insti…
How Can Your Workforce Learn How To Learn Amid AI Disruption?
Amid the ongoing impact of AI and other disruptors on the workplace, one thing is clear: workers need more than new skills—they also need guidance. In this episode of Work Week, Dr. Kelly Monahan, Ma…
What's Driving the Rise of Independent Skilled Workers?
In a continuation of our review of The Upwork Research Institute’s new Future Workforce Index, Dr. Gabby Burlacu reveals how and why independent skilled professionals are redefining the modern workp…