Hulu’s the key workforce groups include content creation, global sales and acquisition,
and marketing. Thus, as a company seeking to establish dominance in a highly competitive field,
Hulu needs not only recruit the best employees but also to ensure that they stay in the company,
but even more importantly, that their contributions augment the company’s prospects and
performance. Therefore, it is imperative that Hulu adopts appropriate career development
strategies for its key workforce groups. But, what exactly are appropriate career development
strategies, especially for high ranking professionals in the tech-based companies? According to
Keswin (2018), the traditional approach amongst most employers in tech business is to invest in
continuous professional learning and development that focuses on increasing the knowledge of
their workers, intending to realize immediate results in the form of ROI on the training and
conferences. This approach does not work (Keswin, 2018). Beer, Finnstrom, and Schrader
(2016) corroborated these sentiments by observing, “Overwhelming evidence and experience
shows, however, that most companies are unable to transfer employee learning into changes in
individual and organization behavior or improved financial performance” (p. 1). Therefore, Hulu
needs a career development strategy that does not focus primarily on increasing the knowledge
of its key workforce groups.
Instead, Hulu needs a dynamic, holistic career development strategy that addresses the
short-term and long-term needs of the company. According to Brassey, Christensen, and van
Dam (2018), human beings want “meaning, creativity, and novelty from their jobs” (p. 4). These
elements contribute to job satisfaction, which is among the most instrumental factors in retaining
employees. Therefore, the career development strategy that Hulu adopts ought to have at its core,
the advancement of job satisfaction by promoting meaning, creativity, and novelty. One way
CAREER DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR HULU 3
through which this can be achieved is by training the employees on soft-skills (Frey & Osborne,
2013). Soft skills include emotional intelligence, critical thinking, communication skills,
motivational skills, and the ability to take criticism and learn from failure, among other things
(Frey & Osborne, 2013). These skills benefit both the employee and the employer. According to
Frey and Osborne (2013), many employers say they want their employees to possess soft-skills,
as they are essential in promoting interpersonal relationships and interdependence at the
workplace, which, in turn, result in higher productivity. Thus, Hulu has sufficient incentives to
train its key workforce group on soft skills.
Moreover, Hulu should dedicate a substantial portion of its professional learning and
development to globalization. Globalization is an essential element in Hulu's corporate-level
strategies since the company aims at reaching a broader scope of global viewership. Thus, the
global sales/acquisition and the marketing/subscriber growth teams would need training on how
to deal with various demographic shifts in the global marketplace that include gender, racial, and
ethnic diversity, different age groups, and cultural differences, among other issues (Frey &
Osborne, 2013). Such lessons would ensure Hulu does not miss key market segments due to
cultural, racial, or other differences amongst its key workers and the target markets.
In addition, Hulu needs to improve the skill sets and capabilities amongst its key
workforce groups, especially in response to global emerging trends and the future of work. For
instance, according to the World Bank Group (2019), 57% of all jobs could be automated in the
next two decades. Also, Frey and Osborne (2013) claim that automation will replace a significant
portion of work currently being done by human beings. These assessments can be verified by the
fact that the field of robotics and artificial intelligence is increasing rapidly; therefore, one may
logically conclude that the observations by the World Bank, Frey, and Osborne are valid. In this
CAREER DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR HULU 4
regard, Hulu needs to position its corporate and business level strategies appropriately to
incorporate the changing trends in technology, and this can be done by training its key workforce
groups on how to deal with the changes and how to harness them for the benefit of the company.
Also, Hulu needs to train its key workforce groups on the evolving structures within which jobs
are done. These include the gig market, outsourcing, moffice, and virtual collaboration, which
are critical elements, especially when dealing with the millennials (Frey & Osborne, 2013).
The career development strategies for Hulu’s key workforce groups should entail a
holistic, dynamic, continuing recalibration of skills and competencies to navigate the changing
environments of the contemporary business world. It would not be enough to increase the
knowledge of the employees, as evidence suggests that such strategies do not work. Instead,
Hulu should aim at improving its employees’ soft skills as well as offering professional learning
and development that enhances job satisfaction. This is not to say that improving employee
knowledge is any less important; the global business trends require employees who are abreast
with the developments in technology and the social elements of business, which implies,
therefore, that the career development strategies should also address the acquisition of relevant
knowledge.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR HULU 5
References
Beer, M., Finnstrom, M., & Schrader, D. (2016). The great training robbery. Harvard Business
Review. Retrieved from https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/16-
121_bc0f03ce-27de-4479-a90e-9d78b8da7b67.pdf
Brassey, J., Christensen, L., & van Dam, N. (2018). Elevating learning & development – Insights
and practical guidance from the field. New York: McKinsey & Company.
Frey, C., & Osborne, M. (2013). The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to
computerization? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 114, 254-280. doi:
10.1016/j.techfore.2016.08.019
Keswin, E. (2018). Taking Professional Development Personally: 3 Strategies for a Better ROI.
Retrieved from https://trainingindustry.com/articles/strategy-alignment-and-
planning/taking-professional-development-personally-3-strategies-for-a-better-roi/
World Bank Group. (2019). The changing nature of work. Washington: International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development/ World Bank. Retrieved from
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/816281518818814423/2019-WDR-Report.pdf