The Josh Bersin Company

In this podcast I explain the four-stages of AI transformation and detail why and how “AI Pacesetters” will far outperform others in their AI business transformations. The Rise of the Superworker research explains this in more detail.

The Rise of the Superworker predictions report is available to all users of Galileo, The Josh Bersin Academy, or Corporate Members. (A Galileo Pro membership is only $39 per month, and JBA membership is $49 per month.)

If you want to learn more and follow our ongoing case studies, briefs, and AI tools, download the Rise of the Superworker Overview today. You will be registered for regular updates. And please register for our launch webinar where I will detail this entire story.

Chapters

00:00 The Super Worker Effect and AI Transformation 06:54 Re-engineering Work with AI 13:14 Change Management and Training for AI Adoption 17:14 The Future of Work in an AI-Driven World

Additional Information

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR

How do you deliver on the promise of AI in your team, your company, and your career? Welcome to The Rise of the Superworker, our new research on the organizational adoption of AI. This research explains how organizations and leaders can redesign work, jobs, and customer experiences to deliver on the promise of AI.

And as you’ll hear, job opportunities will expand for everyone. AI is not a technology to eliminate jobs, rather its a platform to empower every role. And the result will be orders of magnitude improvements in revenue, productivity, service, and creativity.

Download the Infographic overview here.

You can get the detailed report by subscribing to our AI platform Galileo, joining The Josh Bersin Academy, or our joining our Corporate Membership.

Additional Information

The Rise of the Superworker: In-Depth Article

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Galileo Professional, The AI Assistant for Everything HR

How do you build precision leadership skills at scale? Kendra Goldbas, Global Head of Learning & Development at PayPal, describes the world-class new manager development program at PayPal, MAPS (Managing at PayPal Successfully).

During the pandemic PayPal grew rapidly and needed a world-class leadership development program for remote leaders. The MAPS program, which is based on “learn | practice | teach,” builds managerial skills quickly.

The program starts with a 6-week cohort based learning experience covering technical and leadership topics, and then encourages leaders to focus on a six-month precision development journey. By encouraging leaders to focus on “one major skill,” the company creates a high level of accountability and continuous growth.

The company uses Growthspace’s precision development platform to personalize leadership skills across the entire company.

Additional Information

The Surprising Facts About Leadership Development, Human-Centered Leadership,

Why Are Some Companies More Dynamic Than Others?

Leading with impact: How PayPal is shaping its new managers with Growthspace

Welcome to 2025, where I discuss the five big challenges ahead. These include (1) economic uncertainties, bifurcated labor market, (2) the impact of AI on the workforce and the Rise of Superworkers, (3) the new “soup” of issues in employee experience, which lands in HR’s lap, (4) the changing nature of leadership and leadership development, and (5) the urgent need to HR transformation from the inside out.

Every CEO, CHRO, and individual HR professional is going to deal with these five challenges, and I hope this roadmap helps you prioritize your time in the year ahead. Remember that Galileo, The Josh Bersin Academy, and our corporate membership services are here to help!

Additional Resources

A Tumultuous Year Behind: A Challenging, Important 2025 (the 2025 article in detail)

Introducing The AI Trailblazers! HR Technology Outlook 2025.

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Introducing Systemic HR®

The Road to AI-Powered Productivity: Four Stages of Transformation

Galileo Professional, The AI Assistant for Everything HR

Systemic HR and Galileo are registered trademarks of The Josh Bersin Company.

Welcome to 2025. Today I give you a sneak preview of Galileo as a voice assistant, powered by our upcoming mobile app. And I give you a preview of your enormous 2025 role in embracing, adopting, and optimizing the use of AI in your company.

I highlight three major themes for the year. First, the use of intelligent agents in your own work throughout HR; second, the new world of “productivity-based job design,” which will create enormous changes in job titles, roles, structures, and skills; third, the exciting new dynamic cultural shifts required in organizations to facilitate this transformation.

Throughout this conversation I discuss many of the “100 Use Cases for Galileo in HR” which details many of the exciting innovations you can bring to your company this year.

And at the end I share a brief conversation I had with Galileo, the AI-Powered Assistant for Everything HR.

Additional Resources

How AI Will Revolutionize The HR Department, In Detail. E205 (Podcast)

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

Introducing The AI Trailblazers! HR Technology Outlook 2025.

Can AI Do Performance Reviews? Rippling Says Yes.

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR

In this discussion I reflect on the significant events and trends of 2024, highlighting the impact of global conflicts, economic change, labor market dynamics, and the transformative role of AI in organizations.

What has changed? I discuss the evolving nature of DEI, the new model of leadership which emerged, and the transformation of HR into a more integrated and essential function within businesses.

I also describe the two-edged labor market, with severe labor shortages in hourly and blue collar work yet a lack of opportunities in white collar jobs. In fact I argue that our employment situation is not as happy as one may believe: the hyper low unemployment at the low end is masking unemployment fears among white collar workers.  And as I discuss, 77% of employees are now fearful that AI could negatively impact their jobs and careers.

I also point out the enormous opportunity for AI-driven change in 2025, which will not be easy or simple for companies to adopt. And I celebrate the central role of HR, moving to the Systemic HR© model ahead.

To all our listeners: stay tuned for our major report on “The Rise of the Superworker” coming in January, an in-depth discussion about the 15 imperatives for change and AI transformation in 2025.

This groundbreaking report and related tools will be available to Galileo users and our corporate members. Sign up for Galileo today.

Key Points

• 2024 was marked by global conflicts affecting employees around the world
• Economic growth has been uneven, despite inflation’s impact
• Labor shortages continue, particularly in hourly jobs, while white-collar jobs are hard to find
• The low unemployment rate is misleading: many workers cannot find jobs
• AI is barely beginning to revolutionize work processes and organizational structures.
• DEI initiatives are being reframed as business priorities rather than social agendas.
• Leadership has become a responsibility for every employee, not just management.
• HR is evolving from a support function to a strategic partner in business.
• Organizations must focus on data management and governance as AI grows.
• Well-being in the workplace has plummeted, yet it remains essential for business success.
• HR is now taking on a very different role in our companies.

Chapters

00:00  Reflections on 2024: A Year of Conflict and Change 03:32  Economic Landscape: Growth Amidst Challenges 07:32  Labor Market Dynamics: Shortages and Opportunities 12:05  AI Revolution: Transforming Work and Organizations 16:14  DEI and HR Tech: Evolving Strategies for Inclusion 20:35  Well-being and Leadership: Cultivating Healthy Organizations 24:52  The Future of HR: Strategic Integration and Transformation

Additional Resources

100 Amazing Use-Cases for Galileo, The AI-Powered Assistant For Everything HR

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

The Road to AI-Powered Productivity: Four Stages of Transformation

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

Adecco: Adapting to an AI-Driven World of Work

Note: Systemic HR© is now a registered trademark of The Josh Bersin Company.

How has Deel grown from zero to 4,500 employees in 100 countries in less than five years? It’s an amazing story of hyperscale growth and passionate customer focus. In today’s podcast Alex Bouaziz, CEO of Deel, talks with Kathi Enderes about his own journey from environmental engineer to founder of an HR tech company.

Alex explains how he started Deel as an EOR (Employer of Record) company, and how the company has expanded into HCM and payroll around the world. He explains the EOR market and what global employment providers do, and also discusses their AI assistant, Deel AI, which can help answer any question by pulling from Deel’s knowledge base.

Additional Information

EOR Provider Deel Expands into HCM

HR Tech Workshop Certificate Program | Josh Bersin Academy

AI HR Tech Trailblazers, 2025 HR Tech Outlook

 

In this conversation I share insights from my recent trip to Europe, focusing on the Workday Rising event, the current state of talent acquisition, and the evolving role of CHROs in strategic workforce planning.

I discuss the importance of systemic talent acquisition, the emergence of “Precision Talent Acquisition” and the entire redefinition of this function. And I also explain why the term “Hiring Manager” is such a terrible concept.

Finally I share my amazing conversation with one of the most high-powered, inspiring CHROs I’ve ever met.

Takeaways

• Workday is integrating its products into a cohesive solution.
• The hiring cycle is slowing down due to economic factors.
• AI is increasing the value of existing workers, creating ‘super workers’
• Talent acquisition should be viewed as a growth function.
• Precision in hiring is essential in a tight labor market.
• Cultural fit is as important as technical skills in hiring.
• Strategic workforce planning should align with business goals.
• The role of CHRO is evolving to include strategic planning, not “workforce planning” alone.

Additional Information

Klarna CEO Explains How AI-Driven Headcount Reduction Fuels Superworkers and Growth

How To Make Productivity Soar: Four Stages of AI Transformation

How AI Will Revolutionize The HR Department, In Detail.

Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR

AI in HR Certificate Program: The Josh Bersin Academy

Irresistible 2025: Sign Up Early

I know most of you have used ChatGPT, Galileo, or other AI tools in your job, but you haven’t seen anything yet.

In this podcast I walk through a complete end-to-end scenario to show you precisely how AI agents will automate, scale, integrate, and vastly improve the process of hiring, onboarding, performance management, internal mobility, and more.

As you’ll hear in this scenario, AI agents are going to revolutionize the talent process. Recruiters, HR Business Partners, and CHROs watch out.

And this is just the beginning.

Our upcoming “100 Use-Cases for Galileo in HR” will explain this in greater detail (Galileo is designed for all these use-cases and more.)

Every HR professional should listen to this podcast to see the future of HR. Join our certificate program to learn more!

Additional Information

Become an AI Expert: AI in HR Certificate in The Josh Bersin Academy

How To Make Productivity Soar: Four Stages of AI Transformation

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

Introducing The AI Trailblazers! HR Technology Outlook 2025.

Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR

What do we do about the American Dream? This week I discuss the explosion of employee and citizen activation (NYC UHG CEO, for example) and how the US economy has not been delivering for 2/3 of the workforce.

And in that discussion I challenge HR and business leaders to re-engineer jobs and work around what we call Superworkers, all with a goal of using AI to increase customer service, scale, quality, and value. I try to warn and give examples of what happens when companies use technologies like AI to eliminate jobs and simply reduce labor costs.

• Employees will give you feedback, they can “rage quit.”
• Automation to reduce labor can backfire.
• Our job as leaders is to help build a company of Superworkers.

Additional Research and Reading

Donald Trump Will Do Nothing to Bring Back Our Dying American Dream (NYT research column)

What Gives Poor Kids a Shot at Better Lives? Economists Find an Unexpected Answer (Raj Chetty’s research on lack of upward mobility in the US)

How To Make Productivity Soar: Four Stages of AI Transformation

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR

Linda Kirchhevel, Director, Talent & Leadership Development at Sanford Health talks with Kathi Enderes about their leadership development program. Linda discusses how the organization’s frequent mergers caused them to prioritize creating a unique leadership framework centered around the mission of the organization. (Sanford Health is the largest rural healthcare provider in the United States.)

The Sanford Leader Framework (“The Sanford Leader”) is applicable to anybody in the organization, focused on developing behaviors and capabilities at scale for all 45,000 employees. Built in collaboration with FranklinCovey, the leadership development model, assessment, orientation, and development plan delivers a customized leadership program at all levels. (Leading self, leading others, leading mission.)

As Linda explains, this program has driven a 13 point increase in employee engagement measured through NetPromoter.  And the program continues to drive high levels of employee engagement, retention, and alignment during a series of acquisitions. It exemplifies the “Irresistible Leadership” model we highlight in our research.

Additional Information

Human-Centered Leadership, Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy (Join today!)

Why Are Some Companies More Dynamic Than Others?

The Surprising Facts About Leadership Development (podcast)

AI tools are rapidly sweeping across our companies in every job function, and most of us see them as “productivity tools.” Well, that’s a very limited view of the future. While AI may make you 15-20% more productive, the big payoff comes when we rethink work entirely and let AI systems take over as “autonomous agents,” albeit with our support.

In this podcast I discuss the four levels of AI adoption, and help you think about the important job-redesign work we’ll do in 2025. And I would argue that “doing existing work faster” is going to become a commodity quickly. And at levels 3 and 4 we will be re-engineering jobs and work, developing new skills, improving pay, and empowering people to do more!

You can read more about this in our upcoming 2025 Predictions report, but the best next step is get your hands on Galileo, the AI Expert Assistant for Everything HR. (And Join the Josh Bersin Academy!)

Companies have been investing in People Analytics and Industrial Psychology since the late 1800s, going back to Fredrick Taylor (time and motion studies) and Carl Jung (psychological types). The original idea was to scientifically manage work, using data to measure labor, strength, motion, and later engagement, skills, and leadership.

All this effort resulted in thousands of books and tools to measure employee engagement, employee experience, productivity, and organization design.

Ultimately where we landed was a new domain we call People Analytics: using people-related data to monitor, improve, and optimize business outcomes. And this journey, which I’ve been a part of for 30 years, resulted in a massive investment in HR technology platforms, engagement surveys, sentiment analysis tools, and more and more models for trust, leadership, management, wellbeing, and employee growth.

All that energy, deep thinking, and investment now lands in a new world, one we call “Systemic Business Analytics.” We use this name because it’s time to stop isolating people data from business data and running this domain as “projects,” rather think about it as an integrated analytics system.

In other words, as I explain in the podcast, let’s move forward and take all the people data we capture and embed it right into our existing business measurement systems. Instead of creating a “people data warehouse” to run reports and analysis on HR information, we can use that valuable information and put it right in the hands of business leaders and managers.

Our new research, “The Journey to Systemic Business Analytics,” details this journey and shows you our four level maturity model. (You can view the maturity model here.)

Today fewer than 10% of companies are doing this well, but that’s still a large number. And as I describe in the podcast, AI is going to light a bonfire under this space and rapidly accelerate this direction.

Additional Information

People Analytics, A Complex Domain, Is About To Be Transformed by AI.

People Analytics Certificate Course in The Josh Bersin Academy

Systemic Analytics: A New Approach

Galileo, The AI Assistant for Everything HR

This week I summarize my meetings and discussions with clients in NYC and you can see we covered many topics.

Here’s the AI summary, which is pretty good.

In this conversation, Josh Bersin discusses the evolving landscape of AI platforms, particularly focusing on Microsoft’s positioning and the challenges of creating a universal AI agent. He delves into the complexities of government efficiency, emphasizing the institutional challenges faced in re-engineering government operations.

The conversation also highlights the automation of work tasks and the need for businesses to decompose job functions for better efficiency.

Bersin stresses the importance of expertise in HR, advocating for a shift towards full stack professionals who possess a broad understanding of various HR functions.

Finally, he addresses the impending disruption in Learning and Development (L&D) due to AI advancements, predicting a significant transformation in how L&D professionals will manage knowledge and skills.

Additional Information

Inside Microsoft’s struggles with Copilot (Business Insider Exclusive)

Hyper-Growth Through Efficiency: Theme For The New Era

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

Chatbot Architecture: MS Copilot, Joule, Galileo, and The Future of L&D

In today’s podcast I discuss the organizational, institutional, and societal impacts of AI. And I’m not predicting what “could happen” but rather sharing “what is happening now.” As you’ll hear, AI plays a role in our political issues but an even greater role in our careers, pay, rewards, organization structure, and culture.

A recent AI adoption study by McKinsey found that 74% of companies have at least one AI application in place, and 20% have 3 or more. So we’re already seeing the impact. As you’ll hear, this is a technology that people are worried about at the moment, so we need to consider many levels of change management throughout our organizations.

Chapters

00:00 The Rapid Rise of AI and Automation 05:13 Job Transformation and AI Impact 08:56 Privacy Concerns in the Age of AI 12:47 Organizational Design and Talent Density 20:48 Leadership in the AI Era 29:54 Embracing AI: The Path Forward

Additional Information

Hyper-Growth Through Efficiency: Theme For The New Era

How To Create Talent Density

Were These Layoffs Inevitable? Perhaps, But Here’s How It Happened.

People as Competitive Advantage: Certificate Course In The Josh Bersin Academy

After decades of effort and growth, only around 10% of People Analytics teams deliver strategic business value. Many are still focused on traditional analysis of engagement, retention, leadership pipelines, and other HR measures.

In this WhatWorks podcast I talk openly with Paul Rubenstein, the Chief Customer Officer at Visier, about how this market has evolved. And in the conversation you can learn about Visier and the role of integrated, AI-platforms for the important topic of managing corporate HR and work data.

Our newest research on People Analytics is coming out this month, stay tuned for much more detail on this topic.

Additional Information

People Analytics, Evolved: A Systemic Approach

Certificate Course in People Analytics from The Josh Bersin Company

 

 

This week I discuss the issue of DEI (must it DIE?), inclusion, and corporate culture in the Trump Era. We just completed a 1.5 hour discussion with 30+ companies on the impact of the 2024 election and regardless of your political position, some people are worried. It’s clear to me that DEI (or whatever you call it) is not going away, but in this podcast I reframe the topic and give you perspectives from some of the largest companies in the world.

Additional Information

Are Diversity And Inclusion Programs Going Away?

Elevating Equity: A Certificate Program From The Josh Bersin Academy

Chief Diversity Officer: The Toughest Job in Business

In this episode of the WhatWorks podcast, Paul Walker, CEO of FranklinCovey, talks with Kathi Enderes about FranklinCovey’s history, his own journey of 25 years with the company from frontline employee to CEO, and how the company now helps large organizations like Marriott enable transformational change through individual behavior change, execution excellence, creating a culture of trust and performance, and developing new leadership capabilities.

FranklinCovey (FC) is one of the only publicly traded learning and leadership companies in the world.

Learn about how FC helps Marriott deliver one of the most highly esteemed customer experiences in the hospitality market.

Interviewee:  Paul Walker, CEO FranklinCovey

Additional Information

The Surprising Facts About Leadership Development,

Human-Centered Leadership,

Why Are Some Companies More Dynamic Than Others?

This week I discuss how major new AI use-cases have emerged. Imagine if every employee had a personal AI assistant? It’s going to happen. I also discuss LinkedIn Hiring Assistant, Galileo, SuccessFactors Joule, AI for performance management, and a big question: what are you going to do with the 35% productivity you gain?

Coming back from multiple weeks on the road with clients and vendors, this podcast will expand your thinking and help you build your own business case for AI tools and agents in your own HR organization.

While many of us believe AI is a productivity tool, I explain how AI use-cases in HR are for expansive than you realized.

Watch this YouTube to learn about the two ways to think about AI applications.

Keywords:

AI in HR, recruitment, productivity, coaching, job descriptions, LinkedIn, generative AI, HR technology, innovation, use cases

Additional Information

LinkedIn Enters AI Agent Race With LinkedIn Hiring Assistant

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

SuccessFactors Leapfrogs HCM Capabilities: AI, Skills, Talent Intelligence, And More

Introducing Galileo Pro, Your Personal AI Assistant for HR

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In this week’s podcast I discuss the trend (and need) for job task re-engineering: breaking down our jobs into tasks, so we can effectively use AI and Agents to speed things up. As more and more vendors announce AI Agents to assist with work, our best opportunity for massive improvement is to “re-engineer” how we do things, not just “add agents” to our current jobs.

As I describe, most companies build job titles in a “mashed potato” approach where we squash a bunch of things into one job description. Thanks to AI we can now think about work differently, and this will impact sales, marketing, HR, engineering, and just about every other function in our companies. In some ways this is a return to the old ERP model of “designing work around the software” but this time the Agents are smart, programmable, and learning! So if we do this well we’re going to see massive improvements in productivity.

I talk about Rolls Royce, EPAM, and the PR battle between Salesforce and Microsoft for “Agent-Tech.”  Plus I talk about why Chief Learning Officers have a new role in 2025!

Lots of new ideas to think about here.

Please watch this video for more on this topic.

Additional Information

Get your hands on Galileo Professional: your personal AI assistant for HR

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

Redesigning Work with AI

Vendors Mentioned

Agentforce by Salesforce

Copilot Agents by Microsoft

Sana Labs (the platform under Galileo)

 

In this episode of the WhatWorks podcast series, Nick Benaquista, SVP, People and Capability Partner, Chief Administration Office and Strategic Growth at Mastercard, shares how Mastercard has transformed HR from a static, siloed, overlapping model towards the product and consulting-oriented model of Systemic HR. Now in year 2 of the ongoing transformation, the company is continuing to change HR roles, jobs, operating models, and skills, and is using technology and AI to elevate the employee experience and its continuous business transformation.

Interviewee Nick Benaquista, SVP, People and Capability Partner, Chief Administration Office and Strategic Growth at Mastercard

Company Mastercard, a leading US-based global payment solutions provider with 33,000 employees

Additional Information

The Systemic HR Operating Model

Why The World Needs A New Operating Model for Human Resources

The Mastercard HR Transformation Story

Keywords:  Employee Experience, HR Technology, Systemic HR, AI in HR, HR capabilities, HR roles

White collar robots have arrived: digital twins, digital assistants, and AI-powered agents.

In this podcast I discuss what I learned about at Unleash, Sana, and Spotify this week.

My big message is this: AI in HR is even more powerful than we expected. And AI platforms and tools are transforming HR right this minute – across every domain in HR.

Digital Twins in the insurance industry. AI-powered L&D and change management solutions. AI-powered candidates battling it out with AI-powered selection and recruiting platforms. Scheduling bots unleashing energy in healthcare. End-to-end employee knowledge and learning systems at Spotify.

For two years we’ve watched AI evolve from predictive analytics to AI assistants to AI agents to Digital Twins. And these tools are now here for you to use, as long as you just get your hands dirty trying these tools out.

Bottom line: this is no longer a market of waiting for just the right solution – many of the new AI tools in HR can already do much more than you expected. Get your hands on Galileo and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Additional Information

Introducing The AI Trailblazers! HR Technology Outlook 2025.

Introducing Galileo Professional, Your Personal AI Assistant for HR

Can AI Do Performance Reviews? Rippling Says Yes.

Delta Air Lines understands the importance of its employees, managers, and leaders, so the company has built one of the airline industry’s most advanced “skills-first” strategies. Built on its investment in SAP technology (Talent Intelligence Hub) and a focus from the top, the company fully embraces an agile cross-functional career model, all built around skills.

In this episode Tim Gregory, Managing Director of HR Innovation and Technology at Delta, walks Kathi Enderes through the company’s strategy, describing how Delta uses skillstech and AI to help employees advance their careers across job families in the company (we call this The Dynamic Organization).

Delta is a pioneer in this effort: most airlines fall far behind in their talent and HR strategies. As Tim describes, this strategy not only helps employees grow and develop, it gives Delta a foundation of sustainability and customer service others only emulate.

Delta is rated the #1 airline for passenger service in the US, and we believe this HR strategy is foundational to its market success. Join our course Career and Talent Mobility to learn more.

Additional Information

Delta Now Rated As Customers’ Favorite Airline

SAP SuccessFactors Delivers on HXM and The Promise of AI

Career and Talent Mobility: Certificate Program from The Josh Bersin Academy

 

 

I just finished a long meeting with 15 senior HR leaders in Silicon Valley, so in the context of AI, I discuss the themes of forgiveness, growth, and leadership these organizations are facing.

And these issues are acute right now. 2025 is shaping up to be a “Year of Redesign” throughout business, and as we do this we have to rethink about how we think about people. Are we ready to support, forgive, and help our people adapt? Leadership trust is at an all time low, so we definitely have some work to do.

I also describe how Satya Nadella embraces this idea of continuous growth as a very senior leader.

I also discuss the growing value of “Vertical AI” solutions and how they will complement and add value in a world of large AI providers, and give you a sense of where I believe the AI market is going.

Takeaways:

• Forgiveness and growth are essential in personal and professional development.
• Leadership is a continuous journey that requires constant learning.
• AI will play a significant role in redesigning work processes.
• A growth mindset fosters a culture of improvement and accountability.
• Organizations should focus on problems rather than blaming individuals.
• Continuous learning is crucial for high-performing companies.
• Redesigning roles and processes is necessary in the age of AI.
• Forgiveness can lead to better employee engagement and retention.
• Leaders must adapt to changes and seek advice from others.
• Creating an environment for reinvention is key to organizational success.

Additional Information

Corporate Citizenship Redefined

Leadership Trust Is Dropping (PwC)

The Value of Values As Organizations Build on Trust

Introducing Galileo Professional, Your Personal AI Assistant for HR

 

 

This week we are so excited to launch Galileo Professional, the personal AI platform designed for HR professionals, consultants, vendors, and investors in the global Human Resources industry.

As you’ll hear in my introduction, Galileo Pro is Your Personal AI Assistant for everything HR.

For $39 per month you now have access to the most trusted corpus of HR research in the world, including every research study, maturity model, case study, vendor profile, and benchmark we’ve done for 26+ years. This corpus is powered by the Sana advanced AI platform to give you personalized advice, education, and tools to help you in every area of HR.

Our trusted content providers (Lightcast, Oyster, Visier, Heidrick & Struggles) add global data on regulatory practices, skills, salary and turnover benchmarks, and leadership models, and we are adding more trusted content every week. And best of all, Galileo Pro is an open Gen AI platform for you to add your company’s policies, procedures, hiring guides, and other internal tools so you have your own personal (or company) Gen AI system to help with every HR topic you face.

Listen to the podcast, along with an AI-generated (thanks to Google Notebook LLM) Q&A on Galileo Professional, including a discussion of the Galileo Success Center, your place to learn about AI and share world-class ideas, innovations, and solutions built on the Galileo Platform.

You can purchase Galileo Professional today for yourself, your team, or your organization.

Join us on this exciting journey of AI-powered HR, leadership, and management solutions in the decade ahead.

In this week’s podcast I give you some insights on HR tech in 2025, perspectives on jobs, and what you’ll be dealing with in 2025. We just had two weeks of HR Tech announcements and next week you’ll see a big one from us! (The biggest product announcement in my career, to be a little hyberbolic!).

Topics include: the verticalization of AI, whey OpenAI will compete with Microsoft, how agents will change our jobs, and the implications of the low unemployment rate on pay equity, DEI, talent density, recruiting, and organization design.

For those of you who agree with me on Organization Design in 2025, here is the Org Design SuperClass, which is a “must consume” offering for the coming year.

Watch this space for our Big Reveal next Tuesday!

Additional Information

Understanding The Job Market (video)

The Org Design SuperClass

How To Create Talent Density

The Definitive Guide to Building a Dynamic Organization

Galileo, the world’s AI-powered expert assistant for HR.

 

 

Aimbridge manages 1100 hotels around the US and employs more than 45,000 employees. In this podcast, Conrad Riddle, VP of HR Shared Services at Aimbridge Hospitality, discusses how the company empowers employees (“Uberizing the Workforce”) and delivers a flexible, highly engaged workforce with dynamic workforce scheduling. The company leverages UKG Workforce Management to give employees a centralized app that lets an employee manage their schedule dynamically.

As you’ll hear, Ambridge employees can now “bid and ask” for new shifts without going through management.

Through schedule sharing across locations and bidding on shifts in an online platform, employees have more flexibility in their schedules and empowers them to manage their own shifts. It also enables managers to easily approve requests and effectively manage labor to avoid costly contractors.

Additional Information

Employee Experience: The Definitive Guide

New Research: Cloud-Based HCM Can Redefine Employee Experience

Join The Employee Experience Workshop: A Certificate Program In The Josh Bersin Academy

 

In this week’s podcast I go through the 30 HR Technology AI Trailblazers in some detail. You’ll hear about all the companies in the Trailblazer Report, as well as some of my personal thoughts on their leadership teams, centers of innovation, and differentiating capabilities.

My keynote at HR Tech was 75 minutes long and you can hear it or get access to the materials if you join our corporate membership (or come back to HR Tech 2025 next March!). For those of you in Europe, I will be speaking at Unleash Paris on Thursday October 17 and I will also be discussing many of these topics at Workday Rising EMEA on Wednesday December 11 at the RAI Conference Center in Amsterdam.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy hearing about these 30 amazing companies, each of which is delivering on AI in high-value, high-ROI solutions. I also spent some time talking about the COST of AI and why and how you can work on a business case for these new AI capabilities and make sure you have a clear use-case and implementation plan for these new, exciting, high-value innovations.

AI in HR has reached a tipping point: it’s here and it’s delivering real value. Now we all have to figure out what to buy, which major players to standardize on, and which use-cases to address first.

Vendors Discussed

ADP Lyric HCM, Arist Creator and Teammate, Cornerstone Galaxy, Disprz Learning System, Draup Talent Intelligence, Deel Employment of Record Platform, Docebo Creator, Eightfold Career Navigator and Talent Intelligence, Galileo: The Expert AI Assistant for HR, Gloat Workforce Agility, Growthspace Precision Skilling, Heidrick & Struggles Navigator, HiBob, Lattice, LinkedIn Learning, Lightcast Skills, Medallia, Oracle HCM, Oyster Global Employment Platform, Paradox, Rippling Talent Signal, Sana Labs, SAP SuccessFactors and Joule, SeekOut, ServiceNow, SHL Global Assessments, UKG Bryte, Visier Vee, Workday Illuminate AI Platform (and HiredScore), Workera Skills System. 

Additional Information

The Trailblazer and HR Tech 2025 Report

Josh Bersin Company Announces 30 AI HR Tech Trailblazer Vendors the CHRO Really Needs to Know About

 

This podcast details what Workday’s new AI platform, Workday Illuminate, and also describes Workday’s momentum coming out of Rising. I also discuss why Salesforce slams Microsoft, the new tsunami of Agents, including Microsoft, Salesforce (who is charging $2 per conversation), SAP, Workday, UKG, ServiceNow, and others. I also discuss the near-term job disruption we’re seeing from Agents and what you should do to prepare.

Then I discuss the strikes at Boeing and why “growth at any cost” is such a dangerous business strategy, and how we may avoid this problem in our companies. Read Irresistible to learn more.

Additional Information

What Is Workday Illuminate?

Galileo Selected As Workday Innovation Partner

Benioff Slams Microsoft as he Promotes Salesforce Agents

Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World’s Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations

In our latest WhatWorks podcast, Samantha Garvie, HR Safety and Compliance Director at Rowley’s Wholesale, speaks with Kathi Enderes from The Josh Bersin Company.

Rowley’s Wholesale, a Michigan-based distributor of automotive and industrial products, has been in business for over 100 years and is currently in its third generation of ownership. With 125+ employees across three locations, the company utilizes UKG-Ready for its HRIS system, covering benefits, timekeeping, payroll, succession planning, and learning management.

The mobile app has been widely adopted by employees, enabling them to access important information and complete tasks remotely. Samantha shares insights on how technology is transforming the employee experience and discusses her plans to explore AI to enhance fatigue management, stress management, retention, and succession planning. This episode offers valuable lessons on leveraging HR technology to support a distributed workforce and drive organizational success.

Interviewee: Samantha Garvie, HR Safety and Compliance Director, Rowley’s Wholesale

Company: Rowley’s Wholesale, a US-based distributor of automotive and industrial products with 125 employees

This week Klarna, a buy-now pay-later company in Sweden, announced plans to terminate its Workday and Salesforce relationships and build it themselves. A bunch of tech pundits are big fans, but I have my doubts. As you’ll hear in the podcast, many big companies (much bigger than Klarna) have tried this, only to retreat to vendor solutions. And I do question the business strategy of putting high-powered engineering talent on mature, enterprise products like HCM and CRM.

Obviously AI is getting smarter and more capable by the minute. As I explain in the podcast, there are better ways to think about this problem, and this conversation opens up the door to a big discussion about the future of enterprise apps, agentic AI, and the role of large-scale incumbent vendors in our corporate IT stacks.

Additional Information

Klarna Cuts 50% of Workforce, Ends Partnerships with Salesforce and Workday Amid Generative AI Overhaul

Klarna Plans to ‘Shut Down SaaS Providers’ and Replace Them With Internally Built AI. The Tech World Is Pretty Skeptical

AI Agents, The New Workforce We’re Not Quite Ready For (Agentic AI)

Agentic AI is the next big wave in AI, where AI systems and chatbots can take actions on our behalf. These agents can perform tasks such as composing emails, creating documents, building courses, and even recruiting. They can be seen as virtual employees or teammates that can be trained and managed. These agents will change the technology landscape and the stack of tools in our organizations. They will require onboarding, training, and governance to ensure they are effective and secure. And Agentic AI has the potential to improve productivity and provide measurable ROI.

Keywords agentic AI, AI systems, chatbots, virtual employees, virtual teammates, training manager, recruiting agent, technology landscape, productivity improvement, measurable ROI

Takeaways

• Agentic AI allows AI systems and chatbots to take actions on our behalf, performing tasks such as composing emails, creating documents, building courses, and recruiting.
• These agents can be seen as virtual employees or teammates that can be trained and managed.
• Agentic AI will change the technology landscape and the stack of tools in organizations, requiring onboarding, training, and governance.
• These agents have the potential to improve productivity and provide measurable ROI.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Agentic AI 01:11 Agentic AI in Training Management 05:56 Agentic AI in Recruiting 09:03 Onboarding and Training Agentic AI 12:08 Changing the Technology Landscape with Agentic AI 16:31 Measuring the ROI of Agentic AI

Additional Information

AI Agents, The New Workforce We’re Not Quite Ready For

Artificial Intelligence in HR: Certificate Course From The Josh Bersin Academy

Introducing Galileo, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HR

Autonomous Corporate Learning Platforms: Arriving Now, Powered by AI

 

 

In this podcast I discuss the ever-changing role of Labor in our economy, our companies, and our own personal lives. The word “labor” is really an old-fashioned idea, but we still have the US holiday, so I wanted to unpack what it now means.

As you’ll learn Labor Day is a time to think about hiring, pay, development, and diversity as well as productivity, labor unions, the impact of tips and income inequality, and the enormous role of HR as an ombudsman between “labor” and “management.” And yes, AI is going to force us to think deeper about what “people” do in our companies.

Remember that we’re all “labor” and every employee is a human being. So while US Labor Day was originally a way to celebrate unions and organized labor, let’s also think broader about all the value-based investments we make in every person in our companies.

Keywords:

Labor Day, labor movement, workers, economy, automation, technology, labor shortage, skills shortage, investment in employees, unions, fair pay, benefits, working conditions, income inequality, HR professionals, Boeing, Starbucks, employee activation

Chapters:

00:00 The Importance of Workers in the Economy 02:11 Automation and the Changing Labor Force 04:07 Investing in Employees to Attract and Retain Talent 14:37 The Role of Unions in Advocating for Fairness 17:48 Addressing Income Inequality 20:08 The Role of HR in Supporting Employees

 

Additional Information

When Will The Trillions Invested In AI Pay Off? Sooner Than You Think.

With Thoughtful Design And Culture, Dropbox Proves Remote Work Is A Winner

AI in HR Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Learn about Galileo: The World’s AI Assistant for HR

In this WhatWorks podcast I interview Andy Bradshaw, the CEO of SHL.  SHL is one of the world’s largest psychometric assessment vendors, bringing together psychology, skills assessment, and other forms of measurement to identify the capabilities, and potential of an individual at work.

These highly scientific assessments are widely used for pre-hire screening, job-fit analysis, development planning, leadership development, and succession planning. But in a world of AI, where large HR platforms are “inferring” skills and capabilities, where do they fit?

Andy, who has led SHL for many years, explains how psychometric assessment fits into the new world of AI and Talent Intelligence. He also shares how SHL itself has amassed a large data set on skills and roles that makes SHL a big data vendor as well.

Keywords

SHL, talent intelligence, assessments, AI, talent acquisition, talent management, leadership assessment, benchmarking, data-driven decisions

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction 00:57 SHL: A Talent Intelligence Business 02:21 Psychometric Assessments and Tailored Solutions 03:47 Customization and Defensibility of Assessments 06:37 Consolidation in the Assessment Market 07:07 The Complementary Role of AI and Assessments 08:56 Assessments vs. AI: The Value of Insights 12:49 Assessing Leaders: Experience, Ability, and Potential 16:09 Benchmarking and Data-driven Decisions 19:03 Talent Intelligence: Aggregating Data for Better Decisions 21:17 Conclusion

Additional Information

Introducing the HR Career Navigator

The Talent Intelligence Primer

When Will The Trillions Invested In AI Pay Off? Sooner Than You Think.

In this week’s podcast I describe the HR Career Navigator and the role of HR skills and capabilities in HR and business transformation. Then, as we approach HR Tech season, I give you my three steps to evaluating HR Tech vendors.

Additional Information

Introducing The HR Career Navigator

Why Is It So Hard To Be A Chief HR Officer (CHRO)?

Research Shows That High Growth Large Companies Have Distinct HR Skills

This week I recap the idea of a “Corporate Learning Architecture” and give you some of my historic perspectives on why this is so important in the age of AI. A Learning Architecture is a constrained approach to corporate L&D that gives employees a clear and memorable approach to learning, and also gives you the “freedom within a framework” to use AI without creating chaos.

We are in the middle of deep interviews, case studies, and vendor research on the impact of AI on L&D, so as I discuss here if you’d like to talk with us please let us know. Some of this podcast will be a good overview of the basics, but this is important because we don’t want our business training environments to look like TikTok!

Contact us at https://joshbersin.com if you’d like to join in our Pacesetter program for Corporate L&D.

Additional Information

Oldie: The Need For A Learning Architecture

Autonomous Corporate Learning Platforms: Arriving Now, Powered by AI

The $340 Billion Corporate Learning Industry Is Poised For Disruption

AI in HR Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

In this episode, Susan Podlogar, former CHRO at MetLife, talks with Kathi Enderes about the transformative impact of an AI-based talent marketplace (powered by Gloat). You’ll learn what a talent marketplace is, how to implement, and why these solutions are rapidly growing around the world.

Podlogar explains how they implemented this solution and how it unleashes energy for individuals and the organization. MetLife’s talent marketplace democratizes access to projects, mentoring, and roles, fostering an inclusive culture and enhancing skill development. She also explains how this HR solution drives critical skills development (ie. actuaries) for competitive advantage.

As Susan explains, today 60% of employees participate and more than 400,000 of work hours have been saved – driving productivity, engagement, and financial returns.

Additional Information

The Mad Scramble To Lead The Talent Marketplace Market

The Definitive Guide to Building a Dynamic Organization

Career and Talent Mobility: Certificate Program In The Josh Bersin Academy

The NYT published an article explaining how hard it is to be an HR professional.  “The job has become an exasperating ordeal. People hate us.”

While many people don’t know this, HR is a complex, difficult, and highly strategic profession. And given that HR professionals are caught between leadership and employees, it can often be very frustrating.

Despite the challenges, HR is more important than ever. I hope this podcast (and the NYT article) is an inspiration for HR professionals to build your sense of confidence and professional capabilities. (Learn more about Systemic HR.)

Additional Information

NYT Article “So, Human Resources Is Making You Miserable?”

Redefining HR’s Role As A Consultant, Value-Driver, And Center of Innovation: Systemic HR

The Josh Bersin Academy: Upping The Game of Thousands of HR Professionals Every Day

In this conversation, I discuss three main topics: the battle in the enterprise chatbot space, the transformation of talent acquisition, and the new “sticky” state of the job market.

How to make sense of enterprise AI Copilots? Workday and Salesforce team up, Apple Intelligence is coming, how do you make sense of it all?

In talent acquisition, there is a shift from a thin model focused on speed and efficiency to a thick model focused on growth and strategic decision-making (Systemic Talent Acquisition).

Finally, to address the more “sticky” job market, companies need to improve their workforce planning to navigate the changing economic landscape and leverage alternative sources of talent.

Additional Information

Workday Salesforce Partnership: Teaming Up For Enterprise AI

Here Come The Copilots!

Artificial Intelligence in HR Certificate Course

The Organization Design SuperClass

In this podcast I summarize a series of high-level meetings I’ve had with HR leaders in the EU, where companies are very focused on preparing for tectonic shifts in employee expectations, skills, and work rules. While articles and podcasts continue to talk about “the future of work,” I believe that narrative is over. The industrial work model has ended and the future has arrived, and I describe it clearly in this episode.

Takeaways

• The industrial model of work is decomposing, and the traditional job structure is being replaced by more flexible and agile work arrangements.
• Employees are changing jobs and industries frequently, and skills have become transportable.
• Gig, contract, and part-time work is now mainstream, and the 4-day week is coming.
• Companies need to focus on reskilling employees and promoting learning agility to adapt to the changing workforce.
• Continuous performance feedback and accountability are becoming more important than annual performance appraisals.
• High-performing companies have a clear mission, strong leadership, and a focus on employee development and support.
• AI is transforming the workplace, and HR professionals need to upskill in AI to stay relevant.

Additional Information

Welcome To The Post-Industrial Age

Understanding Galileo, The World’s AI-Powered Expert for HR

AI in HR: Certificate Courses in The Josh Bersin Academy

 

Today I broadcast again from Ireland, where I discuss why I disagree with SHRM’s position on DEI, how DEI is undermined and why it remains important, the unfortunate decline in civility in the American workplace, and how we afford the $2 Trillion investments in #AI. (Read our research report Elevating Equity to understand the real-world business case for DEI and pay equity.)

Keywords DEI, equity, fairness, civility, values at work, political discourse, ROI of AI, SHRM

Takeaways

• Equity is a crucial aspect of DEI, representing fairness and justice in the workplace, and lives on for many business reasons.
• Civility is essential for effective communication and collaboration at work.
• The lack of civility in the United States is a concerning issue that needs to be addressed.
• The ROI of AI is still uncertain, and organizations need to carefully evaluate the value it brings.
• Already AI provides time-saving benefits, enables new capabilities, and enhance learning and problem-solving.

Additional Resources

SHRM’s Problematic DEI Pivot

Elevating Equity: Josh Bersin Academy Certificate Course on DEI

Civility in the Workplace (research)

Goldman Sachs MIT ROI of AI Analysis

 

 

In this podcast I discuss the recent layoffs at UKG and Intuit and how AI played a role quite different than we expected. In both cases the CEOs tell us that AI is the future and that they need large amounts of capital to invest in this new capability, thus they are “pre-replacing” human capital with technology.

In addition to this, as I discuss, both companies (Intuit in some detail) describe how “underperformers” were the first to go. So these are somewhat strategic moves to “re-hire” their teams and upgrade skills. And this also points out the very large cost of AI, which forces CEOs to redeploy financial resources from labor to capital.

Lots of subtle implications here, and I have to believe other CEOs will look at this and consider the same moves.

Additional Information

UKG and Intuit Reductions In Force: Both Growth Moves

AI in HR Professional Certificate Program, from The Josh Bersin Academy

 

This is the inaugural podcast in our new WhatWorks Series, focused on stories and case studies of the world’s most interesting and creative HR teams.

In this podcast, Kathi Enderes, SVP and Global Analyst, interviews Allan Calonge, CHRO, and Levi Loverkamp, Chief Workforce Planning Officer, describe how Bon Secours Mercy Health’s systemic HR integrates cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decisions, and career pathways through a partnership with Guild.

Led by CHRO Joe Gage, the HR team emphasizes trust, long tenures, and a robust people insights and analytics capability, transforming talent management and organizational culture. Listeners can learn about Systemic HR and how to transform HR in this podcast.

The WhatWorks Series will include interviews with pacesetter HR leaders, teams, and vendors. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact us.

Additional Information

The Systemic HR Initiative

Why Is It So Hard To Be A Chief HR Officer (CHRO)?

Learn about Galileo, the World’s AI Expert Assistant for HR

Special Josh Bersin Academy Course: AI in HR (highly acclaimed)

 

 

In this podcast I discuss the four huge transformations taking place in corporate learning & development, all driven by AI. Join me in the discussion here and you can learn more in The Josh Bersin Academy, where we just launched our AI in HR Course and two mobile-learning micro-courses on AI use cases and Generative AI best-practices.

Outline:

• The learning and development industry is going through a significant reinvention driven by AI and other emerging technologies.
• AI is disrupting the traditional instructional delivery paradigm by automating content creation and personalizing learning experiences.
• The learning and development technology stack is undergoing radical changes, with learning management systems being commoditized and learning experience platforms struggling to define their role.
• The consumption of learning is becoming hyper-personalized, and learning and knowledge management are converging.
• The roles in L&D will totally change.

Additional Information

Introducing Galileo, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HR

HR Predictions for 2024: The Global Search For Productivity

Why Do Companies Hire Too Many People?

In this podcast I walk through a few of the findings from our CHRO Insights® research, explaining why the CHRO role has become more complex and difficult than ever.

This podcast episode discusses the challenges, issues, drivers, success factors, and derailers of being a head of HR or CHRO. I share early insights from a massive research project that studied 47,000 heads of HR from various industries and sectors.

The research reveals that many CHROs did not come from their own company, indicating a lack of succession management and internal development. It also highlights the complex and multifunctional nature of the CHRO role, requiring HR domain expertise, C-level executive skills, systemic thinking, comfort with data and technology, and a good understanding of human nature.

If you are hiring a CHRO or aspiring to a senior HR role, listen in. And read my in-depth article on the topic.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The Success and Frustrations of Being a CHRO or Head of HR 04:10 Insights from a Massive Research Project on CHROs 09:21 The Challenges of Moving into a CHRO Role 16:06 The Complex and Multifunctional Nature of the CHRO Role 21:53 Conclusion: Opportunities for CHROs to Learn and Connect

Additional Information

The Ever Expanding Role of the CHRO (YouTube)

Introducing The Systemic HR Initiative

Learn about Galileo, the World’s AI Expert Assistant for HR

Special Josh Bersin Academy Course: AI in HR (highly acclaimed)

Arist, a fascinating new company in corporate learning, is reinventing how we develop, deliver, and consume content. And yes, these guys are bringing Autonomous Learning to companies today, in a very special format.

In this podcast I interviewed Michael Ioffe, Ryan Laverty, and Maxine Anderson, the three founders. Not only is the technology fascinating, this is also an example of how a strong, integrated management team can build a business quickly. Arist was founded in 2019 and is quickly becoming a category leader in micro-learning and what I call “learning in the flow of work.”

If you’re trying to reinvent your slow, clunky, expensive, training process, this podcast will give you some amazing new ideas. And you can experience this amazing experience in the two free courses below!

Additional Information (And Experience the Content!)

Autonomous Corporate Learning Platforms: Arriving Now, Powered by AI

Arist Course: Becoming a Gen AI Savvy HR Professional (Free)

• SMS: Text “GENAI” to 20202 via SMS (US only)
• WhatsApp: Text “GENAI” to +1 903-459-6893

Arist Course: Josh Bersin’s HR Predictions for 2024 (Free)

• SMS: Text JBA2024 to 20202
• WhatsApp: Text JBA2024 to +1 903-459-6893

Join The Josh Bersin Academy for more!

 

 

 

In this episode I explain what’s happening in the Chatbot or “Intelligent Agent” market as vendors produce Copilots and we start to figure out how they’ll work together. I discuss our own plans for Galileo and explain how SAP Joule is partnering with Microsoft to integrate these agents. It’s early days and vendors like ServiceNow, Workday, and others are actively working here.

Then I give you some insights on our massive new research program in corporate L&D. Yes, AI is the big disruptor hitting corporate training and I explain why this is far bigger than the e-learning era we experienced 24 years ago.

Additional Information

Learn about Galileo, the World’s AI Expert Assistant for HR

Special Josh Bersin Academy Course: AI in HR (highly acclaimed)

Autonomous Learning Platforms: Arriving Now, Powered by AI

Galileo Availability With Four New Trusted Content Partners

 

In this podcast I describe the new, transformed role of HR Business Partner. This pivotal position, which was defined 25+ years ago as an “HR Generalist,” has now become pivotal to a company’s successful people strategy. If you want to learn more, check out our most popular course in the Josh Bersin Academy, the HR Consulting Masterclass, or call us for advice.

Of all the things we deal with in business, none are as important as having the right level of management, leadership, and HR expertise at the point of need. This is the new role for the HRBP, and this podcast gives specific examples.

This topic is part of our complete Systemic HR advisory program, which has been rolling out over the last year. If you’re trying to make your HR team or HR department more effective, please give us a call.

Additional Information

Introducing the Systemic HR Initiative

Introducing Galileo, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HR

Overview of Systemic HR: The Four Levels Of Maturity (podcast)

 

Globalization Partners (G-P), a company specializing in global employer of record services (EOR), discusses the complexities and opportunities in the global employment market. They emphasize the importance of compliance, automation, and the human touch in their approach. In this podcast I interview Nicole Sahin, Founder and CEO, and Nat Nataranjan, Chief Product Officer.

The EOR space is massive: including providers like G-P, Deel, Oyster, Remote, Papaya Global, Rippling, and others. In this interview Nicole and Nat explain the history of the market and how G-P has built its highly service-centric, technology-agnostic, partner-centric approach to global hiring and growth.

Additional Information

The Global Workforce Intelligence Project

EOR Provider Deel Expands Into HCM (and Payroll)

 

 

Given this week’s political news, I wanted to share my thoughts on “Citizenship,” the way we as employees and individuals work together to help our company and our society make decisions the benefit everyone. We live in a world of shatteringly fast change, with two global wars, a rising sense of mistrust of political systems, and enormous changes to our working and family lives.

Despite all this change, and the difficult decisions we must make, there is a process for continuous improvement. And this process, which I label Citizenship, applies to our companies, our teams, as well as our cities, states, and societies. This podcast discusses this issue and is here to convince you that you, as an individual manager, employee, or leader, have an enormously important role in creating a positive, high-performing community in your company.

Citizenship: the character of an individual viewed as a member of society; behavior in terms of the duties, obligations, and functions of a citizen: e.g. an award for good citizenship. (Dictionary.com, based on Oxford English Dictionary.)

Sound Bites

• “The reason we have political systems in the world is to find a way for individuals and businesses to legislate, debate, argue, and negotiate the resource allocation of a country, of a state, or a city.”
• “A company is essentially a small society. We have to make decisions on how we allocate resources as well.”
• “Citizenship to me is a really wonderful word because what it tends to mean is you as an individual, we as individuals have two fundamental roles in society.”

Keywords politics, citizenship, resource allocation, organizations, internal citizenship, diversity, financial performance, Workday, DEI, Starbucks, society, government

Additional Information

World-Class Diversity and Inclusion: Elevating Equity (Josh Bersin Academy Certificate Course)

The Voice of the Employee (Certificate Course)

Giving Voice to Values (Certificate Course)

Citizenship On The Rise: What This Means To Business and HR

This week, coming off our amazing Irresistible 2024 conference, I recap what we learned and discuss the evolution of enterprise talent intelligence. I explain the Skyhive-Cornerstone deal, update you on SAP and Workday’s AI efforts, and give you a preview of what’s going to happen as we get our hands on OpenAI GPT4o (Omni).

Next year’s Irresistible will be May 19-22, 2025 so put it on your calendar. And if you’re ready to revolutionize your HR team and entire HR function, Galileo is now fully available – you can learn more here.

Additional Information

Galileo Goes Live, Expands Its Power With New Trusted Content

YouTube video of Galileo Launch

 

 

In this podcast I discuss Microsoft’s exciting new internal skills strategy, with a focus on Viva Skills, the role of the Microsoft Copilot, and how Microsoft is “inventing new products for HR” as Customer Zero. Customer Zero is Microsoft’s way of “eating their own dogfood” and making sure their new products are well designed before the hit the streets.

Video version of podcast: https://youtu.be/6VuOYUBT2KA

Takeaways

• Microsoft is a role model for HR, with an innovative and experimental approach.
• They are leveraging the Microsoft Graph to gather skills and HR data for better decision-making.
• Viva Skills and Eightfold are being used to build a skills infrastructure and provide personalized recommendations.
• Microsoft is integrating AI agents like Galileo into the Microsoft Copilot, showcasing the importance of AI in HR.
• Companies need to develop their own AI strategies to stay competitive in the evolving HR technology landscape.

Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Microsoft and their HR Function 02:06 Building a Skills-Based Employee Experience 05:34 Challenges of Skills Platforms in HR Technology 10:38 Integrating AI Agents into Tools and Systems 15:36 The Significance of AI Technologies in HR Redesign

Additional Information:

Building A Skills-Based Organization: The Exciting But Sober Reality

Enterprise Talent Intelligence Arrives, Disrupting The HR Tech Market

Here Come The Copilots!

Today’s podcast, recorded in Vegas after a series of conferences (ServiceNow Knowledge and Unleash), talks all about how ServiceNow is making a major play to dominate the space and how Enterprise Talent Intelligence is going mainstream.

I also discuss what we covered in our AI in HR workshop and how to evaluate the massive number of tools are coming (including Galileo® from us).

I also give you my thoughts about why Business Insider was a bit unfair to Workday and how the HCM market will soon change existentially.

Additional Information

Enterprise Talent Intelligence Has Arrived: Disrupting The HR Tech Market

ServiceNow Boldly Introduces AI Solution For Skills, Learning, And Growth

Why I’m Still Bullish On Workday

Here Come The Copilots: Microsoft’s GenAI Strategy For The Enterprise

AI in HR: Certificate Course in The Josh Bersin Academy (join the more than 30,000 people who love it!)

This conversation explores the concept of employee experience and its evolution from employee engagement. The case studies of the BBC and Schiphol Airport demonstrate innovative approaches to creating inspiring employee experiences. The discussion emphasizes the operational aspects of employee experience, including training, inclusion, belonging, pay, and benefits. It also introduces the concept of employee activation, where employees are empowered to make local changes to improve their work experience directly. Keywords employee experience, employee engagement, case studies, operational aspects, training, inclusion, belonging, pay, benefits, employee activation, BBC, Schiphol, T-Mobile, AirBNB, Kaiser Permanente

Takeaways

• Employee experience is a more expansive and refreshed approach compared to traditional employee engagement.
• Understanding the specific needs and experiences of different employee groups is crucial for creating inspiring employee experiences.
• Operational aspects such as training, inclusion, belonging, pay, and benefits play a significant role in employee experience.
• Employee activation empowers employees to make local changes to improve their work experience.

Sound Bites

• “Employee experience is the core mission of HR”
• “Self-directed and coach-oriented career development is a massive driver of organizational performance”
• “Be careful not to threaten employees inadvertently with AI”

Additional Resources

Employee Activation: An Essential Big Idea For 2024

Why The 4-Day Week? Because 33 Year-Olds Now Run The World.

Surprising Results From The World Happiness Report: What It Means To You

 

Microsoft’s Co-Pilot, powered by AI, is being widely used by Fortune 500 companies and has become the largest and most prevalent corporate AI tool in the world. A research report by CompTIA shows that 94% of professional users have used some form of AI, including Microsoft’s Co-Pilot. The company is deploying AI at a massive scale, which is improving productivity and saving users hours per day.

And there’s more. The integration of AI into enterprise applications, such as Workday and SAP, is transforming the way users interact with these systems. Talent intelligence, powered by AI, is becoming an enterprise-class system that goes beyond sourcing and selecting candidates to include internal mobility, pay equity, and performance management. The learning and development space is also experiencing a significant transformation with the use of AI to generate and personalize content. The implementation of AI in the HR tech market is expected to disrupt the industry and companies that adapt quickly will thrive.

Keywords

Microsoft, Co-Pilot, AI, Fortune 500, CompTIA, productivity, enterprise applications, Workday, SAP, talent intelligence, learning and development, HR tech market

Takeaways

Microsoft’s Co-Pilot, powered by AI, is the largest and most prevalent AI tool in the world, used by Fortune 500 companies. AI is being integrated into various applications, improving productivity and saving users hours per day. Enterprise applications, such as Workday and SAP, are incorporating AI to transform user interactions. Talent intelligence, powered by AI, is expanding beyond sourcing and selecting candidates to include internal mobility, pay equity, and performance management. The learning and development space is undergoing a significant transformation with the use of AI to generate and personalize content. The implementation of AI in the HR tech market is expected to disrupt the industry, and companies that adapt quickly will thrive.

Sound Bites

“Microsoft’s Co-Pilot is now in use by 60% of the Fortune 500.” “61% of companies are already using AI in their corporate infrastructure.” “Microsoft is deploying AI at a scale that’s just spectacular.”

Additional Information

Why I’m Bullish On Workday: News From The Innovation Summit

Enterprise AI At Work: The Talent Intelligence Primer

Will Chatbots Take Over HR Tech? Paradox Sets The Pace.

A Peek Under The Covers Of SAP SuccessFactors’ AI Strategy

This week I attended the Workday Innovation Summit and there’s a lot to discuss. Having just celebrated its 19th birthday, the company is embarking on a major transformation. And it’s not just product innovation that’s happening, the company is greatly expanding its business model.

Additional Information

Workday Innovation Summit: What’s New and Workday’s AI Architecture

Enterprise AI At Work: The Talent Intelligence Primer

Will Chatbots Take Over HR Tech? Paradox Sets The Pace.

The Labor Market Has Totally Changed: Are You Really Ready?

In this podcast I discuss the rapid, unprecedented changes taking place in corporate L&D, and how we have to rethink our entire training strategies. Not only is AI radically changing the landscape, we also have to rethink how we blend training solutions with knowledge management and legacy content too. In many ways this is the dawn of a new era in L&D!

Additional Information

The $340 Billion Corporate Learning Industry Is Poised For Disruption

How To Take A Pragmatic (and winning) Approach To Skills

BetterUp Manage: Pioneering AI-Powered Platform For Leaders

Is Google’s search monopoly over? In this podcast I give you some striking insights we’ve learned from our Galileo rollout, and explain how AI is about to radically change the HR Tech and consumer landscape. It’s not as scary as it seems, but it’s clear to me that HR Tech vendors, analytics experts, and all information companies are going to have a lot of disruption ahead. And for HR and leadership teams, the opportunities are even bigger than we realized.

And I explain why deep vertical AI systems, not broad “expansive” ones, are the future. And “Mixture of Experts” is where we’re going.

*This podcast was recorded outside so I apologize for some wind noise*

Additional Information

Introducing Galileo, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HR

AI in HR Certificate Course – The Josh Bersin Academy

HR Technology Traiblazers: Vendors Who Are Reinventing HR Through AI

In this podcast I discuss the Q1 2024 jobs report and what it tells us about the post-industrial economy. I also not that CHRO pay is rising, talent intelligence is taking over core HR technology, and AI is not, despite John Stewart’s monologue, taking all our jobs away. Lots to think about here, some important resources below.

Additional Information

The Post-Industrial Age research

Nick Bloom Research on CHRO Pay

Talent Intelligence Primer

Join The Research Study on people analytics and talent intelligence (you’ll get the results)

Our Newest Academy Course: AI in HR – join us.

Believe it or not, chatbots are taking over the world. And they’re much more powerful, integrated, and intelligent than ever. In this podcast I talk with Adam Godson, CEO of Paradox. Through its pioneering focus, Paradox has radically changed the way we think about recruiting technology, making the complex process orders of magnitude easier for job seekers, recruiters, and hiring managers.

As you’ll learn about in this podcast, these “narrow but deep” Conversational AI systems are extremely powerful, but they’re not as simple as you think. Use this podcast to learn about Paradox and also as a guide to help you think about Conversational AI in many of your HR strategies.

Additional Information

Understanding AI in HR

Our New AI in HR Certificate Course – #1 In The Josh Bersin Academy

The Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming Clear

This was such a fun discussion: Lynda Gratton, who wrote The Hundred Year Life, and I discuss the new world of work, careers, and policy issues we face. As I discuss in the beginning, the changing demographics and demands workers are essentially forcing companies to become what we call “Dynamic Organizations.” Note that this week Bayer jumped into this new world, following companies like Telstra, Unilever. Schneider Electric, HSBC, and many others.

Additional Information

About Lynda Gratton

Bayer adopts the Dynamic Organization model – cutting bosses

The Dynamic Organization Research

Understanding the Pixelated Workforce

The New Deal of Work (Diane Gherson)

This podcast was just published on YouTube, so you can watch the video.

Companies all over the world are buying and implementing skills technology throughout HR. But how do we know what to buy and make sure it’s all going to add value? In this video I unpack a different approach: the pragmatic approach to skills, and how this approach will unlock you from vendor paralysis and make sure your investments really drive tremendous value.

Much more to come on this topic, stay tuned for our upcoming research study on Enterprise Talent Intelligence.

(Bonus episode authored between my normal Friday afternoon publishing.)

This week the World Happiness Report was published, an encyclopedic look at happiness for the year. The results are surprising, disappointing, and very important. In this podcast I unpack the findings and show you the six factors that correlate to global happiness and what they mean for you as a leader, employer, or HR professional. Once again there are lots of important lessons here for corporate culture, remote work, pay, and management.

Additional Information

What The World Happiness Report Teaches Us About Work (article)

Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World’s Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations

Employee Activation: An Essential Big Idea For 2024

Citizenship On The Rise: What This Means To Business and HR

Why are we having a national discussion about the 4-day week? Because the workforce has radically changed, and 33 Year-olds now run the world.

In this podcast I talk about how and why the workforce has radically changed and what this means to managers, leaders, and HR. I also discuss why talent density, talent activation, and empowered leadership are the management secrets for the future.

I also describe my discussion with the head of HR at OpenAI, the 4-day week legislation in Washington (Bernie Sanders), and The Infinite Game in business.

Lots of food for thought.

Additional Resources

It’s Me, Hi, I’m the Problem. I’m 33

The Four-Day Work Week: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

32-Hour Week Discussion In US Senate

How To Create Talent Density

Finite and Infinite Games

 

In this podcast I discuss our meetings in NYC with senior HR leaders about our Dynamic Organization research, and how “Talent Density” is becoming one of the key strategies for growth. I also discuss how “change has changed” and why we have to take advantage of front-line employees and managers in our organizational development and growth strategies. I also discuss what change leaders do and why a new model of leadership is emerging, as well as why financial systems and DEI programs have to adapt to these new models. Examples include Netflix, Boeing, ServiceNow, US military, and others.

Additional Information

How To Build A Dynamic Organization (new research)

Introducing The Organization Design SuperClass

Irresistible 2024: Join Us This May

This week Workday announced plans to acquire HiredScore and while it may seem tactical, this deal could have bigger implications. In this podcast I discuss M&A in HR Tech and why we may be entering a new AI-fueled cycle of M&A activity.

Additional Information

Workday To Acquire HiredScore, A Potential Shakeup In HR Technology

Introducing Galileo, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HR

HR Predictions for 2024: The Global Search For Productivity

Understanding AI in HR

The Talent Intelligence Primer

As companies shift heavily towards “skills-based hiring” to remove bias, we now see the unintended consequence. Half of all US college graduates are now “underemployed” and 52% of college grads never use the skills they studied in school.

This new study, which looks at 10-year job histories of college graduates in the US found that “of the graduates in non-college-level jobs a year after leaving college, the vast majority remained underemployed a decade later.” This study included college grads from 2012 to 2021, conducted by Burning Glass Institute and Strada Education.

What’s going on? Hundreds of studies continue to show that college graduates outperform non-grads. The Social Security administration itself states.

Men with bachelor’s degrees earn approximately $900,000 more in median lifetime earnings than high school graduates. Women with bachelor’s degrees earn $630,000 more.

The Burning-Glass/Strada report also points out that students have seen this coming. College applications are down and students are moving away from liberal arts toward trade-oriented degrees in computer science and engineering.

Is this a big wakeup call to Colleges? It sure is. Listen to my explanation about what’s going on.

Additional Information

Autonomous Corporate Learning Platforms: Arriving Now, Powered by AI

Irresistible 2024: Join Us This May!

Introducing Our New “AI in HR” Certificate Course

In this podcast I interview Joel Hellermark, the founder and CEO of Sana, one of the most exciting new learning and AI platforms in the market. As you'll hear, Joel has a vision for corporate learning which many of us have dreamed about, and he explains how he's bringing it to reality. Over the coming months I will be interviewing other HR Technology CEOs, focused on exploring the many innovations created through AI and other advanced machine learning technologies. So stay tuned for more. Please mark your calendar and sign up for Irresistible 2024, May 20-22 at USC in Los Angeles. This star-studded event will be "the HR Executive Confab Of The Year" I promise you, and we have many special guests to tell you about. Additional Information Introducing Our New “AI in HR” Certificate Course Introducing Galileo™, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HR HR Predictions for 2024: The Global Search For Productivity  

In this podcast I discuss the urgent need to better automate, upskill, and integrate recruiting. CEOs believe recruiting is the third "most time-wasting" process in their companies (after emails and meetings), yet it's more important than ever. This year companies need to really rethink and transform this function, and this podcast explains the issue. And yes, AI is part of the answer. Additional Information Why Do Companies Hire Too Many People? HR Predictions for 2024: The Global Search For Productivity Are Diversity And Inclusion Programs Going Away? AI in HR: Brand New** Certificate Program From The Josh Bersin Academy

This week Meta (Facebook) announced revenue growth of 25% year over year and a headcount cut of 22%, with net income soaring to $14 billion, almost a 35% net profit. That spectacular outcome is a result of focus and a clear and rigorous process of reducing headcount. But the big story is not this company, it's the big idea that companies often over-hire. And this over-hiring results in bureaucracy, slowdown, and loss of innovation. Just as Meta has learned this, I believe every company has to learn this lesson. In today's talent-constrained global economy, it's time to run our companies with a focus on "fewer people" and "more clarity." This podcast explains. Additional Information The Myth of the Bell Curve The Dynamic Organization Research HR and HR Technology Predictions for 2024 The Four Day Work Week Arrives  

In this podcast I discuss our Dynamic Organization research and how this new way of running a company is rapidly growing around the world. As the title points out, Dynamic Organizations are 31X more effective at bringing innovations to market and far outperform their peers (Netflix is discussed in detail). But this is not as easy as it seems. This podcast is a summary of 200+ discussions we had with HR leaders this week, talking about speed and agility in organization design, Irresistible Leadership, and the urgent need for a more dynamic operating model for HR which we call Systemic HR. I encourage you to listen because it brings together these three pivotal ideas and will help you build a more productive team and company as the labor market gets hotter this year. Additional Information HR Predictions for 2024: The Global Search For Productivity Introducing The Systemic HR™ Initiative Building A Dynamic Organization Companies Have Been Neglecting Their Leadership, And It Shows    

In this podcast I tell the narrative for the 2024 predictions, and why labor shortages, productivity, and dynamic organization models will become core topics this year. I also discuss the new role of DEI, employee activation, labor unions, and what we can expect in the economy. The 15 predictions are all imperatives and our new research should help you learn, prioritize where to focus, and see around the corners for this exciting year ahead. Additional Resources HR Predictions for 2024: The Global Search For Productivity Are Diversity And Inclusion Programs Going Away? The Predictions Infographic Get the Predictions Report and Action Guide: Join The Josh Bersin Academy  

This week I introduce a big idea: Employee Activation. This idea, which comes from important work we’re doing with Medallia, shows you how to move “beyond engagement” to a whole new world of employee listening and action-taking based on feedback.

In the new world of labor shortages, high turnover, unions, and general employee stress, Employee Activation might be the big answer.

Here’s a definition:

“Employee Activation means designing the company so that managers, line executives, and employees can adjust, change, and redesign work around worker’s needs, suggestions, and demands.”

(This week’s podcast was recorded on a walk, so I apologize for some of the “animal sounds” in the background)

Additional Information

Is DEI about to DIE?

Welcome to The Post-Industrial Age (Labor shortages as far as the eye can see)

Why AI Projects Are More Like Traditional IT Projects Than You Think

2024 is off with a bang. The death or decline of DEI strategies, increased activity among unions, and job numbers in December that predict a secular labor shortage for years ahead. In this podcast I give HR and business leaders some advices on "what to do about DEI programs" in this new political environment, and how to think about this ongoing labor shortage. Imagine a world where every employee has 15 job offers to think about each day? That's where we are! And get ready for our comprehensive Predictions report coming this month! More Resources Are Diversity And Inclusion Programs Going Away? Conservatives Going After Corporate DEI Programs Next Bill Ackman Letter re: Harvard Elevating Equity: Best-Selling Certificate Course in The Josh Bersin Academy  

In this podcast I walk through the big business and HR stories of 2023 and what they tell us for the year ahead. 2024 looks like a year with a strong economy, continued labor shortages, with employees continuing to take charge. And as you expect, AI will change everything. And there's one big story that defines everything, but you'll have to listen to the podcast to hear it. Join me as we look ahead and stay tuned for our detailed 2024 Predictions report coming in January.

As I look back on the year and think about all the challenges we face in business, I'm reminded of the simple human formula of how we care for each other. This topic, that of "care," is not something people talk about a lot at work. But in many ways it's fundamental to business success. This podcast explores that issue. Additional Information Workplace Mental Health Has Become A Strategy For Business Performance The Four-Day Work Week: An Idea Whose Time Has Come The Healthy Organization: Next Big Thing In Employee Wellbeing Corporate Citizenship Redefined: Trust, Inclusion, and Responsibility  

This week I want to give you some insights on AI, the use of LLM's, and how to think about a "knowledge graph" for your company, and how it applies to HR. Yes, your AI strategy, your employee experience strategy, and your own career as a professional are all dependent on your "Knowledge Graph."  In HR your knowledge graph includes your understanding of HR practices, vendors and tools, economic and workforce data, company culture, industry trends, HR benchmarks, and the many case studies of successful solutions in the domain. If you think about the knowledge graph in your company, you can develop the right AI strategy for the organization. Additional Information How To Execute The Four-Day Workweek (Harvard Business Review) Introducing Galileo™, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HR Why Are Some Companies More Dynamic Than Others?

We've just completed a major study of the 4-day week and the results are surprising: companies of all sizes are seeing real benefits and this podcast explains why. While we've all been comfortable with the 5-day week since the early 1920s, it's now time to let go of that paradigm. Lots to discuss and think about here, but it's real. Additional Information Our New Research and Toolkit On The Four-Day Workweek The Four-Day Work Week: An Idea Whose Time Has Come (Videos and Examples) Your Co-Workers Are Less Ambitious Than You Were (Qualtrics and WSJ)  

I bet you're an expert at something. We all are. But how will it feel when a Generative AI becomes deeper and more expert than we are? In this podcast I describe what an "Expert" really is, and why Gen AI has the potential to totally change the market for Experts: not only HR consultants, but lawyers, accountants, scientists, and more. And that means we "Experts" need to up our game. Consulting firms watch out. After many weeks using our new platform Galileo™, I'm amazed at what it can do. This podcast explains how it works and how "expertise" is created by AI. Additional Information Introducing Galileo™, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HR (Join the waitlist) Building A Company Skills Strategy: Harder (and More Important) Than It Looks Understanding An Expert System (Wikipedia)

The OpenAI board saga has been fun to read about, but now that it's settling down what have we learned? In this podcast I recap the last week's events and give you some perspectives on tech companies, leadership, employee activation, and culture. And by the way, what is the role of the board and where does it fit? And why is Sam Altman so important? As you'll hear, the big lesson here is that the most important stakeholders are not the board, but the employees, management, leadership, and culture. And I share lots of stories about tech companies, leadership, culture, and growth. Additional Information Companies Have Been Neglecting Their Leadership, And It Shows The Big Reset Playbook: Organizational Culture and Change Agility The Unbelievable, Critical, Never-Ending Role Of Culture In Business

In this podcast I tell the story of our new Generative AI platform Galileo™, The World's first AI-Powered Expert Assistant for HR. Not only do I explain the history, but I explain how Generative AI platforms work and how flexible and scalable they can be. As I explain, Galileo is much more than a highly intelligent assistant, it is a platform for many applications in HR. I hope you find this podcast educational, because it will teach you about AI in general and many of the powerful benefits to come.... and why deep domain-specific AI can be so powerful. Additional Information Sign Up for the Galileo™ Wait List (Corporate Members, you'll be receiving instructions.) Read About Features and Sana AI Watch The Explainer YouTube Video

As everyone talks about building a skills-based organization, developing people, and dealing with the tough labor market a looming question remains: How do we evaluate people for performance? A new book about Ray Dalio's company Bridgewater Associates gives us some interesting insights into one of the most "feedback-rich" cultures on the planet. How much feedback is good and how do we make it work to everyone's benefit? In this podcast I explore the topic and give you my perspective on the never-ending topic of how we evaluate our people. Additional Information We Wasted Ten Years Talking About Performance Ratings. The Seven Things We’ve Learned. Performance Management Reimagined: Certificate Program In The Josh Bersin Academy The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend, by Rob Copeland The Dot Collector, by Ray Dalio

In this podcast I draw the line from cancel culture to Israel to DEI to business performance. And the argument I make is that despite the challenges we face in the political and culture wars, we, in business, have to do away with these behaviors and focus on building a meritocracy, a culture of open, socratic debate, and a focus on "trusted data." A business, unlike a society, relies on trusted data, a common set of values, and the opportunity to decide how decisions are made. Despite the current war against DEI programs, diversity, inclusion, and psychological safety sit at the center of a great company. So this podcast will show you how to think these things through and go back to your values as a leader or HR manager: fair and equitable discussions and decision-making. Additional Resources The Cancelling of the American Mind: How Cancel Culture Undermines Trust, Destroys Institutions, and Threatens Us All. By Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott. Diversity initiatives in America are foundering (Economist) Diversity Programs Become A Political Football: Why This Could Be Positive Building A Dynamic Organization: The Skills Meritocracy  

In this podcast I review our new Irresistible Leadership research, which discusses the new models of leadership and why leadership development investments are so important. Despite a wide range of offerings in this area, investments in leadership have lagged, so I hope this research gets you motivated to put some time and money into this critical business initiative. Additional Information Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World’s Most Enduring, Employee Focused Organizations (Josh’s book) Human Centered Leadership (Certificate Program In The Josh Bersin Academy) The Learning & Development SuperClass (Certificate Program In The Josh Bersin Academy) Why Are Some Companies More Dynamic Than Others? Welcome To The Post-Industrial Age: Why AI Is Here To Save Us

In this podcast I give you the "under-the-covers" look at our new Systemic HR research, and discuss the evolution of HR, the reason HR has changed, and the urgent need for full-stack HR professionals around the world. This research, which is soon to be launched to our corporate members, has been developed after two years of work and helps CEOs, CFOs, and CHROs understand the new operating model for HR teams, and walks through the four-levels of maturity to get there. We're all on this journey together, and this research will show you the way. If you would like to dive into this research and assess your HR team, please contact us. Additional Information Systemic HR: Introductory Video Presentation (From LinkedIn Talent Connect) The Strategic Business Partner: Certificate Course In The Josh Bersin Academy Why Are Some Companies More Dynamic Than Others? Under The Covers Of The Josh Bersin Academy  

In this podcast I briefly discuss the Trailblazer HR Technology vendors STRIVR, Seekout, Sana Labs, HiBob, Rippling, and ServiceNow. These are vendors who are pioneering the use of AI or other innovative technologies; they are big and well enough established to be a safe buy; and they are platforms and tools that have been proven in the market. I'll talk more about other Trailblazer HR Technology Vendors as the year goes on. Many are implementing next generation AI solutions but others are innovative in other ways. If you're an HR Tech vendor and would like to talk with us, please email us to [email protected] - we look forward to talking with you. Additional Information - Certificate Courses on HR Technology The HR Tech Workshop, Certificate Program By The Josh Bersin Academy The Learning & Development SuperClass: A New Certificate Program from the Josh Bersin Academy Additional Reading and Research The Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming Clear Why Microsoft Viva Skills Could Disrupt The HR Tech Market LinkedIn Launches Exciting Gen AI Features in Recruiter and Learning SuccessFactors Delivers on HXM and The Promise of AI Here Comes “Workday AI” Understanding AI in HR: Research Study The Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming Clear People Analytics Evolved: Systemic Analytics Powered by AI Building A Skills Strategy: Harder (and More Important) Than It Looks  

In this podcast, authored in Paris at Unleash, I discuss the confusion about skills technology and how to rethink your skills strategy. I also discuss AI #Trailblazers Docebo, Arist, & Cornerstone.... and I preview some very important c-level research we launched, "The Dynamic Organization." Additional Information The Definitive Guide To Building A Dynamic Organization - new research and infographic to download Building the Dynamic Organization: Critical for the Post-Industrial Era - article by Kathi Enderes Avature Enters The Learning Market

This week I'm kicking off a series of podcasts and articles on the HR Tech "Trailblazers," vendors who are pioneering the use of AI to revolutionize HR, the workplace, and management. As you'll hear me explain, AI is going to totally revolutionize the HR and workplace technology market, and some vendors are now showing us the way. In this podcast I highlight Eightfold, Paradox, SuccessFactors, and Visier. In future podcasts I'll talk about other Trailblazers like Seekout, Sana, Textio, and many more. Additional Information SuccessFactors Delivers On The Promise of AI The Learning & Development SuperClass: A New Certificate Program from the JBA Why Microsoft Viva Skills Could Disrupt The HR Tech Market LinkedIn Launches Exciting Gen AI Features in Recruiter and Learning Here Comes “Workday AI” Why It’s Time For A New Era In Human Resources. Enter Systemic HR. Confused About Generative AI in HR? Here’s How To Run A Hackathon!

This week we previewed our big research effort in Systemic HR, the evolution of the human resources function. As you'll hear, this is a story about how Human Resources professionals continue to add value as business, the economy, and the workforce continues to change. We will be releasing much more on this, I hope it gets you motivated to rethink your role, your career, and how your team is organized. Additional Information The Josh Bersin Academy: The World's Professional Development Center for HR Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations

This week and next we're going to see some big news from the three biggest companies in HR Technology. In this podcast I explain what Workday announced last week and give you a sneak preview (nothing confidential) about what's coming from SAP and LinkedIn.

The message is pretty clear: Gen AI is not only here but it's about to add massive value to these systems. There are some threats to come, but generally thinking you'll see how creative and solution-oriented these offerings are. (Definitely nothing to be afraid of.) I also discuss what Gen AI means to you and your IT department, and give you a preview of the three big research studies coming out soon: The Dynamic Organization, Systemic HR, and Irresistible Leadership. See you all at the upcoming conferences.

Additional Resources

Understanding AI in HR: Research Study

The Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming Clear

People Analytics Evolved: Systemic Analytics Powered by AI

The HR Tech Workshop, Certificate Program By The Josh Bersin Academy

In this podcast I go through the last 100+ years in the evolution of Human Resources. As you'll see, this profession has exploded with growth, new domains, new job roles, and a massive increase in importance. HR executives are "at the table" with CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs and now must operate in what we call a "Systemic HR" model. This background explains how we got here and is a preview of our Systemic HR research coming next month. Additional Resources Why We Are Entering A Secular Labor Shortage The Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming Clear Deep Dive on AI in HR (Research Study) Introducing The Organization Design SuperClass! The Josh Bersin Academy: World’s Only End-To-End Professional Development Platform for HR

In this podcast I discuss the ongoing UAW strike and why it feels strangely out of sync with the economy, EV revolution, growth of Tesla, and emergence of AI. And I also give you my experience with the "true costs" of AI, which you have to reflect in your rosy expectations for productivity. Also some great resources below.

Additional Resources

What Are The Three Generations Of AI In The HR Market?

Why Union Workers May Be Better Paid But More Unhappy (research)

How AI Impacts Organizational Productivity (what I call Organizational Ingenuity)

HR in the Age of AI: Certificate Course from Josh Bersin Academy  

This week Walter Isaacson's book came out, so I wanted to give you my thoughts. The book is a fascinating read, and as I finished I left with a new sense of empathy, respect, and admiration for Elon Musk. Not often do individuals take on enormous role models for billions of people, so I wanted to give you a sense of what I learned. Before you judge him, read the book. He, like all of us, is not a perfect person but we can learn a lot from him. I welcome your thoughts, feedback, and opinions. Prior Podcast: Understanding Musk, Twitter, and the role of Business in Society

In addition to my regular podcasts on HR, leadership, the workforce, and the economy I'm now starting a new podcast series on HR Technology. These podcasts will talk about HR Tech markets, trends, and vendors. And I'll give you my unwashed perspectives on how different vendors position themselves. In this first episode I give you a deep introduction to Talent Intelligence, and AI-based solution that is starting to replace traditional HR systems. While the big vendors (SAP, Oracle, Workday, ServiceNow) are trying to enter this market, the hottest vendors are what I call second generation AI vendors. These include vendors like Eightfold, Gloat, Beamery, Seekout, Phenom, Skyhive, Fuel 50, with newer offerings coming from Cornerstone, iCims, and emerging skills technology vendors like Techwolf, Retrain.ai, LinkedIn, Udemy, and soon Microsoft. And Talent Intelligence is not just a technology market: this is a new set of tools to reinvent recruiting, internal mobility, skills development, career growth, workforce planning, succession management, leadership development, and even pay equity and performance management. And many products Read our Talent Intelligence Primer for more detail. And read our AI in HR Deep Dive research to understand what's under the covers. Join The HR Tech Workshop in The Josh Bersin Academy to learn more on this essential topic.  

This week I want to talk about the problem of proliferating HR Tech platforms in companies. It's not a simple problem, but it really is everywhere. The average large company has 80+ HR tools and many global companies have twice that. Why is this taking place and what can you do? And how will AI help? Here are some of the answers, and more resources to help below: Resources HCM Platform Excellence: SAP, Oracle, Workday Implementations In Detail The HR Tech Workshop, Certificate Course in The Josh Bersin Academy The HR Consultant Masterclass with Bill Pelster, The Most Popular Course in The Academy The Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming Clear Understanding AI in HR: A Deep Dive  

In this podcast I discuss the continued growth and confusion in the Generative AI market, and explain how the "AI stack" is still immature, making it difficult for application vendors to deliver on the promise quite yet. It means that you, as a business and HR leader, have to focus your imagination on real-world use cases and guide the vendors in the right direction. As with any new technology platform, this massive shift will take time and the shakeout has yet to occur. Google's announcements this week (coupled with AWS last week and Meta the week before) show how big and early the space still is, with many unlimited opportunities ahead. I also discuss the triad of strategies you need to succeed in this new age: a dynamic organization that can adapt to new ways of working; a leadership model that focuses on human-centered business issues first, execution second; and an HR function that operates in a new, strategic, Systemic way. I will be covering more of this at our special event at the HR Technology Conference in Vegas and at Unleash in Paris. Listen in and send me your comments. Additional Information Check out our new mobile-first micro-learning course on AI in the Josh Bersin Academy. Why Org Design Is The Secret To Success in AI Understanding The Post-Industrial Economy And Why It Changes Everyone's Job Keynote Speech at Irresistible 2023  

We just finished five weeks of in-depth discussions with companies about their Gen AI projects and it's pretty amazing. Lots of playing around, pilots, experiments, and fears. In this podcast I describe what we've learned and give you lots of insights on how these systems work, how they will become "IT projects" pretty quickly, and how the vendor market is still shaking out.  For more details please read some of the resources below. Getting Under The Covers of AI in HR The Post-Industrial Economy: Why AI Is Here To Save Us The Organization Design Superclass (Josh Bersin Academy) IBM WatsonX The SAP Copilot          

This week's podcast talks about AI and why this new technology is creating an urgent need to look at Organization Design. I also discuss many of the findings from our Big Reset discussions with 200+ companies about their AI projects. And I included an important discussion by Andy Biladeau about our new Org Design SuperClass. This deep-dive course, designed for HR and business people, takes you through a real OD project (in a simulated company) and gives you access to all our internal consulting tools. So you can adopt AI and learn how to reorganize your team yourself! The Organization Design SuperClass HR In The Age of AI:  Certificate Course Org Design: The Journey To Agile The Deep Dive on AI: Research Report The Josh Bersin Academy:  https://bersinacademy.com

This week's podcast is all about economics, and how it directly impacts HR.  I also discuss the post-industrial economy, a big topic we discussed at Irresistible. This topic will be the focus of much of our research throughout the year. Bottom line: you need to know this stuff, it really matters. The Josh Bersin Company: https://joshbersin.com The JBA (Josh Bersin Academy):  https://bersinacademy.com The Deep Dive on AI in HR

This week I'm podcasting from London and discuss my conversations with 50+ companies this week about talent acquisition and other important topics. We're also two weeks into our summer sprint on AI and I share some of the stories we're already hearing from HR professionals about how confusing this has become.  But there's a method through the chaos. The Josh Bersin Academy: new courses just released https://bersinacademycom The Josh Bersin Company: lots of new research https://joshbersin.com The Time-to-Hire Factbook A New Operating Model for HR: Arriving Soon (No this podcast is NOT sponsored - so you wont have any interruptions or fake endorsements ever!)

We just finished a long call with more than 100 companies about their AI in HR strategies. Guess what - everyone is experimenting. While there are hundreds of use cases, most companies are starting task forces, looking for areas to focus, and realizing that the technology is amazing but also immature and very new. This podcast discusses our first big discussion with HR leaders on their experiences, with much more to come. Our New Deep-Dive Whitepaper on AI in HR The Josh Bersin Academy: Join Our AI Certificate Program

This week I'm podcasting from the UK and want to tell you about the sharply worded letter from conservative Attorneys General to Fortune 100 CEOs threatening to sue them for race-based quota-oriented diversity programs. It's a big messy topic created by the Supreme Court Affirmative Action decision. I also give you some perspectives from the UK National Trust, perspectives on European maturity in business sustainability, and an overview of our new research on AI (available now.) Additional Resources Conservative State Attorneys General Threatening Letter To Fortune 100 CEOs Deep Dive on AI in HR: Our Newest Research Report    

In this podcast I discuss what we've learned about building the Skills-Based Organization, what's happening with skills-tech, and I also give you some thoughts on the management issues behind the "Twitter vs. Threads" war going on in social media. 

The podcast is based on the article below, and also discusses many best practices to consider as you build out your skills solutions, technology stack, and strategy.

The NEW Josh Bersin Academy: https://bersinacademy.com

The Josh Bersin Company: https://joshbersin.com

Resources:

Building A Skills-Based Organization: The Exciting But Sober Reality

Career and Talent Mobility: A New Certificate Program From The Josh Bersin Academy

The Global Workforce Intelligence Project: Skills Gaps Industry by Industry

Adapting To AI: The New World Of Organizational Ingenuity

The Supreme Court decision to roll back Affirmative Action is very likely to set back our diversity and inclusion efforts in business. Many reports point out that dropping Affirmative Action has already hurt diversity in colleges, and that, in turn, is going to hurt diversity in our companies. Here I discuss what we've learned about this topic and I give you some thoughts for your own leadership teams. Resources Research Shows Rollback Of Affirmative Action Reduces Diversity Dramatically "Our Commitment To Diversity Will Not Waver" (GM, Microsoft, Salesforce) 60+ Companies Submit Amicus Brief Promoting Need for Diversity and Affirmative Action Chevron Leads Diversity Efforts With Business-Driven Strategy Elevating Equity: Josh Bersin Research Overview Salesforce And Others Refuse To Back Down Elevating Equity: The Certificate Course in the JBA (for you and your teams!)

Our Irresistible 2023 conference was not an event, it was an "experience." In this podcast I summarize what went on, and give you the big highlights. Themes include Organizational Ingenuity, Productivity, AI (of course), Culture, and a big learning experience from our visit with the Netflix leadership team. Next year's conference will be May 20-23, 2024 so sign up early! And one big message: HR teams have really learned what the "post-industrial age" is all about. Have business leadership teams learned the same?  Hear my thoughts. Sign up NOW for Irresistible 2024: it will fill up and you get a big discount for signing up early.    

Next week at our Irresistible 2023 Conference I will be unveiling a new speech on the topic of Organizational Ingenuity, part of the long history of business shifting from the industrial age to the post-industrial age. As you'll hear briefly in this podcast, we're all about to become SuperHuman workers thanks to AI, giving us the opportunity to do more with fewer people. But that won't work out if you don't have Organizational Ingenuity. And that's the focus of this podcast and my speech next week. I also discuss the work we're doing on The Josh Bersin HR Copilot, which we'll be previewing at the conference next week. As you'll hear, AI is bringing together information like never before and in many ways making us each like Superman, unaware and learning how to use our new "superpowers." If you want to understand this more, read my book Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations. While the book is not about AI, it lays the framework for the new business issues we face in the AI-decade ahead.

The single biggest expense item in most companies is people: salaries, benefits, real-estate, and HR. How do we manage this expense well? We need better, more integrated people data. Well in this podcast I introduce the idea of Systemic People Analytics, a new way of thinking about our HR technologies, and why despite AI, we need dedicated platforms for "systemic people analytics." Additional Information New Josh Bersin Company Research Just Released Redesigning HR: An Operating System, Not An Operating Model. New People Analytics Tools Coming    

This week's podcast covers several topics:

• The continuing debate about remote work, and why I believe it's still a good option, despite CEOs who feel otherwise
• My great conversation with Scott Galloway, discussing remote work and more
• Why Amazon workers may walk out
• Review of AI solutions from the ERP vendors and update on 2nd Generation AI
• The big issue of talent scarcity and what to do about it
• Why does it take so long to hire people and what's the answer
• The AI safety law in New York City and why it could create some chaos.

Additional Information Irresistible 2023: The Global Conference for HR Leaders and Teams (get your seat) Gallup research on Remote Work (referenced in podcast) Lightcast: The Switzerland Of The Global SkillsTech Market Amazon Workers Walk Out Over Lack Of Trust In Leadership (and Remote Work Policy) The New York City AI Safety Law (we all need to learn about)    

This week Microsoft launched a barrage of Copilots, Copilot development tools, and new infrastructure and Azure services to help IT departments, vendors, and individuals apply AI to our everyday life. In this #podcast I discuss the implications of this transformational new set of tools, and how important they will be to all areas of HR. These applications include recruiting, onboarding, training, leadership development, coaching, wellbeing, and of course day to day productivity. I also discuss the implications of Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI and the difference between Microsoft's strategy and Google's AI strategy unleashed a week earlier. And I briefly discuss the Josh Bersin Copilot we will be previewing at our conference in June. Additional Information Microsoft's Massive Copilot Announcements Microsoft Build 2023: all the news and announcements from the developer conference Microsoft Build 2023: Five Top Announcements Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott thinks Sydney might make a comeback Microsoft Goes All In On Plug-ins for AI Apps  

In this podcast I describe our newest thinking about talent, leadership, and HR in the Post-Industrial Age. Today's economy, and all it brings to us in business, jobs, and HR, is very different from the past - and if you understand this new world you see it explains many things:

• Why we have talent shortages
• Why skills are so important to companies
• Why high performing companies have fewer employees
• Why old-style leadership is holding companies back.

The lessons in this podcast explain many of the new trends in HR, and also will teach your business leaders how to think about hiring, performance management, and leadership very differently. Many of the principles in this dialogue are covered in my book, but I wanted to update this thinking in the new world of AI. Additional Information Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations Pacesetters: Lessons In Transformation From Leaders In Healthcare, Banking, and CPG Why Is The World Afraid Of AI? The Fears Are Unfounded, And Here’s Why. Organization Design For The Post-Industrial Age Introducing Irresistible 2023: Why You Should Come Join Us!  

In this podcast I explain how Large Language Models and neural networks are reinventing the HR Technology market. After more than 30 in-depth interviews with HR Tech vendors, we see three generations of AI solutions:

• Emerging: AI features added on
• First Generation: AI capabilities built-in
• Second Generation: Platforms built on AI

As I discuss in this week's podcast, vendors in category 3 are the most transformational of all. These vendors are building their entire product set around Large Language Models and expansive neural networks. While they were once considered new, as you'll learn in this podcast I believe these "built on AI" platforms are the future of the market. Stay tuned for our new whitepaper on the HR Tech vendor market and how AI is changing the entire marketplace, and my take on the impact Google will have on this market. Additional Information: How AI Is Disrupting The HR Tech Marketplace SeekOut Brings GPT4 To Recruiters. Eightfold Launches Copilots For HR. What Is A Neural Network? (Great overview video)

Introducing the Pacesetters: industry leading companies who outperform their peers through skills, transformation speed, and execution. After more than a year of research in the Global Workforce Intelligence Project, this week we unveil the Pacesetter research, and this podcast gives you the overview. These companies are "architected for change," and they include leaders like DBS (Digital Bank of Singapore), Providence Health, BNY Mellon, ING Bank, and many others. I hope you enjoy this podcast, please join our membership for much more. Additional Resources Transform or Perish: Seven Winning Strategies Of The Pacesetters (Inc. Magazine) The Global Workforce Intelligence Project (Pacesetter Report) GWI Overview and Methodology Understanding Talent Intelligence: The Primer 

In this podcast I introduce our new research on pay and rewards. This enormously important part of business needs a transformation, and our new research on "Systemic Pay and Rewards" explains why. I give you an overview of why pay systems are so brittle, what really drives results, and how we can dramatically improve these important parts of our companies. You'll hear about how to implement pay equity, what to do about performance management, and why "total rewards" is just not the total solution to the problem. In an economy where skills are constantly changing, employees are burned out, and the job market is incredibly competitive, it's time to rethink your approaches to pay and put together a high-value, strategic, "systemic" approach. Additional Resources Why Pay Practices Are Broken (article) Systemic Rewards: The Research The Definitive Guide To Pay Equity Solving the Complex, Important Pay Equity Problem Wellbeing Evolved: Building A Healthy Organization How to Solve Pay Equity: More Important than You Realize (podcast)  

Generative AI and neural networks are going to radically improve and change corporate training. In this podcast I detail the five biggest opportunities for change, and what corporate training, L&D leaders, and HR professionals should think about as we bring these amazing new systems into our companies. Additional Information EdTech Is Going Crazy For AI What Is A Neural Network? Fantastic Overview Of How AI Systems Work. Redesigning HR: An Operating System, Not An Operating Model. Why Is The World Afraid Of AI? The Fears Are Unfounded, And Here’s Why. The Stanford University AI Index: Measuring trends in Artificial Intelligence SeekOut Brings GPT4 To Recruiters. Eightfold Launches Copilots For HR. Workday’s Response To AI and Machine Learning: Moving Faster Than Ever Yann LeCun and Andrew Ng: Why the 6-month AI Pause is a Bad Idea  

In this podcast I discuss a big question: Why are HR professionals being laid off? It's not for a lack of effort, it's caused by a bigger issue. The role of HR has changed, and we need to stop "building solutions" and "taking orders" and spend more time "Falling In Love With The Problem." As you'll hear, this consultative approach to HR is now badly needed. And HR professionals who don't get this are soon to be at risk. In this podcast I explain what "Falling In Love With The Problem" means to HR, and how you can use these ideas to make your work, your career, and your team far more effective and essential to your company. Additional Resources Redesigning HR: An Operating System, Not An Operating Model. The HR Consultant: A Masterclass From The Josh Bersin Academy (our #1 course!) The Strategic HR Business Partner, From The Josh Bersin Academy The Academy At Bank Of America Case Study    

This week I summarize the results of 20+ interviews with HR Tech and AI vendors and talk about how AI and all its various manifestations can teach us a lot about how to approach Human Resources in a much more systemic way. Not only are the HR tools and Copilots starting to roll out in the market, but we are also seeing how AI-centric platforms (Talent Intelligence systems, for example) will really disrupt and ultimately obsolete many traditional HR tools. I also introduce the idea of "Falling In Love With The Problem," which in many ways defines what we call the new Systemic operating model for HR.  (Uri Levine, the founder of Waze, really first coined this phrase.) Resources I Recommend What Is A Neural Network? Fantastic Overview Of How AI Systems Work. Redesigning HR: An Operating System, Not An Operating Model. Why Is The World Afraid Of AI? The Fears Are Unfounded, And Here’s Why. Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations SeekOut Brings GPT4 To Recruiters. Eightfold Launches Copilots For HR. Workday’s Response To AI and Machine Learning: Moving Faster Than Ever Yann LeCun and Andrew Ng: Why the 6-month AI Pause is a Bad Idea

In this week's podcast I discuss the open letter signed by Elon Musk asking researchers to "pause" the development of AI, the explosive meeting between Howard Schultz and Bernie Sanders, and an amazingly important new study by Pew Research on the state of American Work. As you'll hear, I make an argument that all this AI development is extremely positive and that we really have no choice except to push ahead as a society. The Starbucks story is well worth listening to because it exemplifies the enormous power employees have over employers, and why you cannot let your employee experience problems get away from you. And as you hear more about the Pew research on American Work you'll learn more about why trust, growth, and your relationship with co-workers (your company culture) are the top issues to address health, wellbeing, and happiness in the United States. As always, I welcome your feedback or comments. (apologies for the slightly funky sound this week) Resources to Read Open AI Letter Asking For Pause Howard Schultz Testimony To Congress on Starbucks Union Activity Pew Research: How Americans View Their Jobs The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer New MIT Research Shows Spectacular Increase In White Collar Productivity From ChatGPT Bill Gates Sees Generative AI As The Biggest Thing Since Windows The New York Times Still Worries AI Will Destroy Our Lives Understanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think (*updated) Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations    

After weeks of discussion with dozens of technology vendors, I'm ready to say: GPT and Generative AI is going to revolutionize Human Resources. And it is going to disrupt the HR Tech space as well. In this podcast I explain why I feel this way, how I don't see the "evils" of AI at all, and how we can use these new tools to evolve, improve, and transform our HR departments and our companies. Additional Resources The Role Of Generative AI And Large Language Models in HR Workday’s Response To AI and Machine Learning: Moving Faster Than Ever Bill Gates Sees Generative AI As The Biggest Thing Since Windows The New York Times Still Worries AI Will Destroy Our Lives  

In this podcast I detail the Workday AI and ML strategy, with a strong focus on the new, more integrated HCM products and how they fit together. I also discuss the Skills Cloud, where it came from, and where it's going. And I also explain why Workday Prism, Extend, and Orchestrate have become so strategic to the company's growth. And I also give you my perspectives on GPT-4 and the massive Microsoft Copilot launch. Additional Resources The Role Of Generative AI And Large Language Models in HR Workday’s Response To AI and Machine Learning: Moving Faster Than Ever New MIT Research Shows Spectacular Increase In White Collar Productivity From ChatGPT LinkedIn Announces Generative AI Features For Career, Hiring, and Learning Microsoft Launches OpenAI CoPilots For Dynamics Apps And The Enterprise. Understanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think (*updated) Microsoft’s Massive Upgrade: OpenAI CoPilot For Entire MS 365 Suite.  

This week I'm focusing on three things:  First a quick discussion of the SVB banking crisis and what's going on; Second a further discussion about why Generative AI is so disruptive to HR; and Third, and most important, a deep discussion about Pay Equity. This coming week is Equal Pay Day where we symbolically celebrate closing the pay gap between men and women. Well the bigger topic is pay equity, and we are launching a major new research study which describes the state of pay equity, the impact of pay equity, and the best practices in pay equity. You can get the overview materials starting on Tuesday and in this podcast I interviewed Kathi Enderes, our SVP who led this research. Additional Resources After years in decline, is the gender pay gap opening up? Why The Gender Pay Gap Is Stuck The Role Of Generative AI And Large Language Models in HR New MIT Research Shows Spectacular Increase In White Collar Productivity From ChatGPT What’s Going on With Silicon Valley Bank?

This week I want to talk about the IBM/Chief study of women in leadership that concludes "the leadership pipeline is broken" and that "given the state of the pipeline, we may NEVER reach gender parity." The data is striking so I want to show it to you and try to interpret what's going on. Second, I want to update you on the rapid progress in OpenAI's strategy as they launch their open API for enterprise and developers, and discuss major new announcements coming. Finally, I want to describe Systemic HR in more detail and give you a real-world example. Additional Resources OpenAI launches an API for ChatGPT, plus dedicated capacity for enterprise customers In 2023, Gender Parity 'Feels' Close — But Research Shows We Are Farther Than Ever Before Redesigning HR: An Operating System, Not An Operating Model. The Unbelievable, Critical, Never-Ending Role Of Culture In Business

In this podcast I talk more about the high cost of AI and chatbots like Bing and ChatGPT, and how to think about the "risks" of AI as it takes over the computing landscape. (Yes, it will!) I also discuss the enormous opportunity for HR teams to lead productivity projects, and finally give you my perspectives on why face-to-face meetings are so important.  (And I welcome my new grandson!) Some Additional Resources To Read Understanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think (*updated) Why Chatbots Lie Were All These Layoffs Inevitable? Perhaps, But Here’s How It Happened. Predictions for 2023: Redefining Work, The Workforce, And HR Are We The Guinea Pigs For AI Tech Vendors? Who Should You Believe When AI Chatbots Go Wild? Organization Design Demystified: Your Journey To Productivity

This week we saw hundreds of stories, articles, and complaints about Bing. Well I've tried it and talked with some Microsoft execs and I believe this is one of the most important (and disruptive) technologies we will see in HR. So listen and you'll hear why. On an even more important point, I spent some time discussing our New HR Operating System, which we call Systemic HR. We're in the middle of this research and I'll be explaining more at the Irresistible 2023 Conference in June. In this podcast I explain the model and why it's so essential. Additional Information My Experience With Bing and Chat-GPT: It’s Amazing And Not A Bit Scary. The Churning US Labor Market… And Why We Need “Labor Anthropologists.” Were All These Layoffs Inevitable? Perhaps, But Here’s How It Happened Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations

This podcast is a review of last week's massive set of announcements from Microsoft and Google about Chatbots. Rather than try to summarize what you've already read, I spend time talking about the implications of all this. Here are a few highlights: Is Microsoft's statement that "search will be reinvented" really correct and could this disrupt Google? Lots of problems with that theme, and I've seen Bard. It's good. What are the implications of ChatGPT and Bard on jobs, roles, and the technologies of HR? Many things to discuss here. What will ChatGPT and Google Bard do to consumer behavior and the massive advertising and SEO markets? Publishers are freaked out but should they worry? Is this another "automation eliminating jobs" technology or not? As you'll hear, this is an "augmentation" technology and yes, it will force us to think about where we add value. Finally, what about the AI Mania taking place in the stock market? Not only are AI companies suddenly worth more money but it's now becoming impossible to buy a .AI domain name. I don't have all the answers but I'll explain what's going on. Additional Resources Understanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think (*updated) Microsoft thinks AI can beat Google at search — CEO Satya Nadella explains why Google is investing $300M in an OpenAI challenger that will take on ChatGPT while focusing on A.I. safety OpenAI Is Drawing Competition From Fleet of Startups

This week we saw the US unemployment rate drop to 3.4%, a 53 year low. Yet many large companies are announcing layoffs. Is this "the big shift" from Tech to Retail, Hospitality, Healthcare, And Travel? Or is this just the new normal: too many jobs and not enough people? In this podcast I'll explain what's going on.

Additional Resources

Labor Shortage In The Middle Of A Business Slowdown? It All Makes Sense.

Were All These Layoffs Inevitable? Perhaps, But Here’s How It Happened.

Predictions for 2023: Redefining Work, The Workforce, And HR

Understanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think (*updated)

The January 2023 BLS Jobs Report (itself) Want More?

Join The Josh Bersin Academy!

Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations (my book)

In this week's podcast I cover a bunch of topics. Here they are:

• More proof that Chat-GPT is immature and yes, it's biased
• The unexpected impact of pay transparency laws
• Why the economy is experiencing a "slow motion car crash"
• The ever-tighter labor market and shortage of workers
• Why gig workers are happier than wage slaves and what you can do about it
• Microsoft research on the inadequacy of productivity tools (& why ServiceNow is hot)
• What 10 HR execs agree on the "secrets of high performance hiring"
• Why car sales people are great folks to hire!
• What to do AFTER the layoff
• Why Amazon is a very tough place to sell a book (sob)
• The new operating model for HR, which we call Systemic HR
• Predictions for 2023: it's all about Activation!!!

Additional Links

Predictions for 2023: Work, Workforce, and HR

Understanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think (*updated with many links)

A New Generation Of Mastery-Based Learning Platforms Has Arrived (*Updated)

The Josh Bersin Academy: Even Bigger And Better In 2023

Understanding HR Capabilities: Mandate for 2023 and Beyond  

Want More? Join The Josh Bersin Academy!

Now that we've all had a chance to hear about CHAT-GPT we're all scratching our heads. Is this real? Is it going to transform our education and our lives? Or is it a tool for job displacement, information warfare, and abuse?

Well I've learned a lot about this over the last several years and in this podcast I give you a simple explanation about what's going on. And I will try to convince you that Chat-GPT (and it's many cousins and competitors) are likely to have a massively positive impact on business, leadership, and HR... to say nothing about our normal lives as consumers and individuals.

Additional Resources

Chat-GPT: Try It Out Yourself

Chat-GPT vs. Sparrow: Battle of the Chatbots (worth watching)

Six AI Chatbots Threatening OpenAI (From TheInformation)

Why Microsoft's Investment in OpenAI Threatens Google (Fortune)

Listen to Satya Nadella Describe Microsoft's View of OpenAI

Get to know Olivia, Paradox.ai For Recruiting

More layoffs, more worries about the economy, and lots of discussions of "Quiet" things: quiet quitting, quiet firing, and quiet hiring. In this podcast I recap the first week of the year, discuss these issues, and give you a sense of what it all means. I also discuss the latest about the economy, the enormous growth in talent mobility, and my high level perspectives on Chat-GPT. It's going to be a tumultuous year, so stay tuned for our big Predictions for 2023, coming later this month. Resources A Skeptical Look at Chat-GPT by Ezra Klein and Gary Marcus 2023 Predictions: Webinar (report to come) Why Employees Are Really Quietly Quitting, 4-day Workweek and More Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations (my book) "A must-read primer for business leaders considering how and why to build a people-centered business.", by Arianna Huffington. Join The Josh Bersin Academy: 50,000+ HR Professionals Learning Every Day    

I've been talking about Capability Academies for a few years, and sure enough they're becoming an important new paradigm in corporate learning. Well in this podcast I explain how a new set of L&D technology providers is focused on this space, and why you, as an HR or L&D leader, are likely to buy one of these platforms in the near future. I encourage you to read the accompanying article here, or check out our many examples of Capability Academies in our member research library. Other resources I recommend: What Is A Skills Taxonomy Anyway? The Capability Academy: Where Corporate Training Is Going A New Strategy For Corporate Learning: Growth In The Flow Of Work The Josh Bersin Academy: The World's Home For HR

We're entering a tumultuous year and employees are fed up. Quiet quitting continues and unemployment remains low. What is your mission as an HR professional in the year ahead? In this podcast I help you understand tech industry layoffs, the changing role of pay, new priorities for L&D, and why employees are "fed up" and changing jobs at a rapid rate. And I'll give you an informed perspective on the role of HR and your mission as a leader, HR professional, consultant, or entrepreneur. This is an exceptional time to be in Human Resources, L&D, consulting, or HR Tech. Join me as I explain how you can re-energize your career and value in the year ahead. Additional Resources Doing More With Less: Why Are Employees Checking Out? HR Technology 2023: What's Hot? What's Not? Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations Accelerating Your HR Career: The Newest Course In The Josh Bersin Academy The Global HR Capability Project    

In this podcast I discuss the big trends in the HR Technology market in 2023. This podcast discusses the article posted this week which lists many of the hot vendors. While some of this discussion is my opinion, I am always interested in your feedback so if you disagree or want to convince me otherwise please let us know! As you'll hear, there are some exciting new opportunities ahead, but also some "category convergence" I think you'll find important. Additional Information HR Technology: What's Hot? What's Not? (Article) Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations Follow Us On LinkedIn HR professionals and leaders: Join The Josh Bersin Academy Join Our Corporate Membership Program  

In this podcast I breakdown the big secrets we've discovered in the digital transformation in financial services. While there are a lot of industry-specific issues to understand, many of the best-practices apply to every company in the world. And Trailblazers, the banks that set the standards for customer experience and digital offerings, are now accelerating their lead from their peers. This research is the latest study from our Global Workforce Intelligence Project, and I know you'll find it fascinating. Additional Information Banking Under Siege: The Secrets To Digital Success In Financial Services Introducing The Global Workforce Intelligence Project Redesigning Jobs, Organizations, and Work Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations (Best-seller on Amazon)

In this podcast I break down the big issue of "purpose at work," which is one of the biggest challenges companies face. How do we create a work environment and set of experiences, programs, and management practices that engage people with a sense of Purpose? And why does "reducing work time" actually make so much sense? As you'll hear, this is not as philosophical as it sounds - there are a lot of pragmatic solutions here, and I took some time to decompose them for you. I also talk about Happiness, and how most of the research about happiness teaches us even more about how to be better leaders, managers, teammates, and HR professionals. Additional Resources Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations How To Build A Happy Life, by Arthur Brooks Our New Role: Bringing Kindness To Work The Four Day Work Week

In this podcast I discuss our new research program on Irresistible Leadership, a topic which will be essential in the year ahead. As you’ll hear, I packed the podcast with stories and ideas, but focused my attention on the big narrative: why a new model of leadership is needed in the year ahead. Productivity, sustainability, growth, and human-centered leadership must come together. If you’re interested in joining us in this research, please click here or contact us to set up an interview.

Additional Resources

The Art And Science Of Irresistible Leadership, by Nehal Nangia

Productivity Paranoia: The Leadership Challenge Ahead

Join The Irresistible Leadership Research Program

Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World’s Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations (best-seller)

In this podcast I describe my two-week tour through Northern Europe: Sweden with Workday and Spotify, UK book tour with banks, publishers, and media companies; and The Future of Work Symposium hosted by the King and Queen of The Netherlands. Issues with skills, recruiting, inflation, diversity, and the role of HR and employers in the Future of Work. This Symposium was one of the most interesting and powerful meetings I've attended in years, so stay tuned to hear all about it. What I Learned From The King And Queen Of The Netherlands Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee Focused Organizations (Now cited as "the most important business primer of our times.") About Us The Josh Bersin Company is the leading research, advisory, and professional development organization for HR leaders and their teams around the world. Corporate members gain access to thousands of in-depth research, case studies, tools, advisory services, and benchmarking information. Individuals can join The Josh Bersin Academy for a complete professional development platform, designed to keep HR professionals current on groundbreaking ideas, tools, and best-practices.      

This was one of the most chaotic and "news-filled" week we've had in a while. In this podcast I want to recap what happened and give you some perspective. The bottom line is that most of these stories are about trust, leadership, and the need to invest in people. (Of course I want to tie this back to HR.) So use this podcast as a way to make sense of all this noise. I also talk a lot about my predictions for 2023 (coming late this year) and why hiring is going to be difficult for years to come. And I talk more about our Global Workforce Intelligence Project which has turned out to be one of the most exciting research projects we've ever done. (Corporate Members only.) Next week we are in Europe at Workday Rising and meeting more than 50 clients all over northern Europe, so I'll have lots of news to share. Additional Resources Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations (my best-selling book) Understanding The Tech Layoffs. Could They Have Been Prevented? The Growing Role Of Pay In Employee Experience and Business Performance The Email Elon Musk Just Sent to Twitter Employees is a Masterclass in How Not to Communicate The Josh Bersin Company Corporate Membership Program

Layoffs are simply a part of business. Over the years there have been millions of workers let go and it's always a difficult, painful process. In this podcast I give you my perspectives on the process, the role leadership must play, and how to deal with the topic if you are the one losing your job. I also give you my own perspectives on hiring, which is the mirror image of layoffs, and what I think is going on at Twitter. Finally, I took a few minutes to share my personal experience with layoffs at IBM, Sybase, DigitalThink (where I was the victim), and my own company. I hope this podcast gives you some perspective as a leader, HR person, or individual dealing with this issue. And let me remind you the Irresistible companies deal with this a very unique way.  (They hire slowly and have a very deliberate process to make sure all new hires "increase productivity" and don't "slow the company down.") More Background History of biggest layoffs in the US List of latest 200,000 layoffs in Tech (real-time updates) Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Companies Elon Musk Is Bad At This (The Atlantic) Mark Zuckerberg Says "He's Sorry" For The Layoffs

After several weeks travelling to conferences and talking with clients I want to riff on a bunch of urgent topics: How do we create pay equity when inflation is running at over 8%? How do we get people "back to the office" when 55% of job candidates now want fully remote work? How do we redesign jobs to reduce stress and help with tremendous hiring challenges? And what really works for Employee Experience now that people are more worried about their standard of living than their mental health? (And will the Four-Day week really work?) In this podcast I try to cover it all, and also point out some of the important lessons in my book Irresistible, to help you stay ahead of this crazy labor market. Important Resources Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Companies (a 99 cent special price discount on Kindle for a week!) Microsoft's Amazing DEI and Pay Equity Story Mercer's New Inside Employee's Minds (how pay has become the #1 issue for employees all of a sudden)

This week I travelled to the Cornerstone and Guild user conferences, so I give you some in-depth perspectives these companies and your SkillsTech, talent marketplace, and career pathway strategy. Also, the print copy of Irresistible is available this coming week, so I explain why the book is so essential in our new "back to work" economy for the year ahead. Resources Cornerstone Makes A Play To Dominate The Skills Platform Market Career Pathways: An Innovation That Could Transform The Economy Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations

In this podcast I describe the emergence of a massive new innovation in business: non-linear Career Pathways. These new innovative programs bring new careers, educational credentials, and skills to individuals and help companies fill important jobs and operational roles in the future. This is a big new idea that is now paying off, pioneered by companies like Walmart, Guild Education. BrightHorizons EdAssist, Verizon, AT&T, Mercy BonSecours, and many others.

This is the story of Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations. Listen to the story: how the book was written, why the seven secrets, and what this book will teach you, your team, and your organization about growth and profitability in the dynamic business environment ahead. The book is now available on Amazon, for bulk orders, and for academic and student orders.  

This week I discuss how the war in Ukraine teaches us important lessons in business. This week I'm talking with several thousand HR professionals in Ukraine and we're going to talk about what we've all learned. What you'll see is that most of the lessons in my new book, Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations, are also the lessons of winning the war. The book is available on Kindle this week (purchase here) and the print version comes out on October 25. Resources Mentioned In The Podcast Organization Design: The Real Secret To Growth Team of Teams, by Stanley McChrystal Accounting for Slavery, by Caitlin Rosenthal

New Microsoft Work Trends research identifies the Productivity Paranoia at work: 87% of employees feel productive, yet only 12% of CEO's agree. In this podcast I detail the big issue of "productivity at work" and explain why this gap is taking place, and what you can do about it. Additional Resources Discussed In This Podcast Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations Journey to Agile: Organization Design, The Real Secret To Growth, The Josh Bersin Company The Good Jobs Strategy, by Zeynep Tom How To Fix A Toxic Culture, by Don Sull, PhD.

In this podcast I dig into the low unemployment rate and the new role technology plays at work. We're no longer in a world were tools are used to replace people: our new world of work is far more "human-centered," giving employers and policy-makers an opportunity to leverage PowerSkills in a very important and strategic way. Additional Reading We Are Becoming A PowerSkills Economy Josh’s New Book: Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World’s Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations

This podcast is a quick overview of all these topics, following my week at the largest HR Tech conference in the world.  As you'll hear, the HR Tech world is doing fine, and I decompose what's going on in core HR, skills technology, recruiting, M&A, and all sorts of other topics. I also want you to listen to my conversation on the Global Workforce Intelligence Project, the 4 R's, the "new job market," and the introduction of my book, Irresistible. Irresistible, a book I've been working on for seven years, will be available on October 25. Pre-order or buy it the first week and you'll be one of my BFFs. Have a wonderful Fall - its time to start going to conferences again and I look forward to seeing you all in the coming months. Additional Resources Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Companies GWI Launch:  Curing the Healthcare Talent Crisis and the Four R's SuccessFactors Launches It's Biggest Release In A Decade  

In this podcast I interview Kathi Enderes, our SVP of Research and a seasoned healthcare executive, about our new GWI research on this vital industry. Learn how the healthcare providers are solving some of the most challenging talent issues in the economy. Additional Resources The Global Workforce Intelligence Project Healthcare At A Crossroads: What To Do?

In this podcast, I "spill the beans" on all the major trends in HR Technology for 2023  I'll be detailing this in my 75 minute keynote at the HR Technology Conference in September.  In this session I talk about:

• The growth of the HR Tech market and "the best stock in HR technology"
• The new HR Tech architecture
• Why investors are changing their strategy in HR Tech
• How Employee Experience is flipping the market upside down
• The Next Gen HCM market
• Growth and disappointments in SkillsTech
• The emergence of Talent Intelligence
• Incredible growth and consolidation in Recruiting Tech
• Category creation of Talent Marketplace
• New world of corporate learning and the role of the Metaverse, Capability Academies
• Why the Creator Market will disrupt L&D
• A new world of People Analytics and Employee Listening
• The six things you have to know to manage HR Tech well.

Yes you should still come to the conference, but this is a good preview. Join our corporate membership if you want much much more! Additional Resources Next Gen HCM: It's Closer Than You Think Pre-Order My New Book: Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations HR Technology Market Disrupted: Employee Experience Is The New Core New Research: HCM Best Practices  

In this podcast I discuss the huge, exciting, and brutally competitive market for HR Technology. With the big conference coming up soon, I wanted to give you a sense of how complex this market can be, and how some vendors thrive and others fail to achieve their potential. I list a lot of vendors here, and in every case these are innovative, creative companies run by amazing entrepreneurs. Some succeed, and some do not. So I discuss the keys to success. See you in Vegas in September, where I will be discussing the HR Tech market for the year ahead. Vendors mentioned include Entelo, Pymetrics, HighGround, Impraise, TinyPulse, SumTotal, Saba, Zenefits, Trinet, Lever, Waggl, CultureIQ, Kenexa, EdCast, Cornerstone, CodeAcademy, Skillsoft, Peakon, Workday, Qualtrics, Udemy, LinkedIn, Lynda.com, Glint, Oracle, SuccessFactors, and more. Additional Resources HR Technology: The Definitive Guide HR Technology Archives: All Our Public Research

In this podcast, I discuss our groundbreaking new research on corporate training, Growth in the Flow of Work. After almost a year of research and study of 1000+ companies, we evaluated more than 90 business practices that drive business impact. After a detailed analysis of the findings, the results are clear: it's time for corporate L&D to focus on growth: career mobility, skills adjacency, coaching, leadership development, and organizational growth. This is a significant new role for corporate training managers. Most companies know they need to focus here, but only 11% of companies are focused here today. This podcast describes the findings. Additional Resources New Definitive Guide: Growth In The Flow Of Work Learning In The Flow Of Work: A New Paradigm The Academy at Bank of America The Creator Economy In Corporate Learning

It has been a crazy year so far, as inflation and recession worries abound. In this podcast I will try to demystify what's going on and give you what I believe is your mandate as an HR leader or HR professional in the mess of information coming your way. Additional Information It Doesn't Look Like A Recession To Me Be Careful With The Layoffs How Do You Build an Irresistible Company? Here’s how Starbucks, Walmart, Microsoft, Lego Group, L’Oreal, Chevron, and Cedars Sinai thrive. How Work Design And Job Design Are Holding Companies Back Unleashing Human Potential: The Real Secret To Business Success

As I read about the latest Supreme Court decisions, realizing how many people feel "ignored" by our government, I wanted to give you some solace. Despite the often-dysfunctional nature of our public policy systems, companies can be very fair, diverse, and inclusive. In this podcast I discuss the "real secrets" to diversity and inclusion, with a clear distinction about what "great" really looks like. I included examples of Dow Chemical, Chevron, L'Oreal, Cedar Sinai, Target and others who lead in this area. And what you'll hear is that you can create a fair, inclusive, and highly diverse company if you focus on the business, not just HR. The story is all about building our own "society" within your company, and how learning to be diverse and inclusive is all part of being what we call an Irresistible company. And for more on that topic, take a look at my book coming out this fall, Irresistible: The Seven Secrets To The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Centric Organizations.

Coming off our Irresistible Conference, I want to highlight the big idea: making your company Irresistible by Design™. In this podcast I overview the concept and give you some stories to help you understand this idea. In today's world of economic change, rapid technology change, war, inflation, and many other uncertainties, there is one business strategy that works: designing your company around the desires, skills, and aspirations of your people. And that's what Irresistible by Design is all about. This is not about raising pay, increasing benefits, or increasing the flexible work policy. Irresistible by Design™ is a new way to think about your company, so dig in and let me explain. We are also starting to market my new book Irresistible: The Seven Secrets To The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations, which you can pre-order now. Listen in and please give us your thoughts. Additional Resources Irresistible By Design: What It Means To Chevron, Walmart, Microsoft, L'Oreal, Cedars Sinai, and Lego Group. Elon Musk's Email Announcing 10% Force Reduction How Work Design And Job Design Are Holding Companies Back Unleashing Human Potential: The Real Secret To Business Success  

Yes, it looks like we’re headed for a slowdown. Not only have high growth stocks and crypto been devastated, but companies are also starting to wonder about growth. While we’re certainly not in an...

After endless articles about Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, I wanted to give some perspective. In this podcast I discuss what’s really going on here, and how Elon Musk’s activities are a good lesson...

We have entered a new phase in the economy: one where employees are simply fed-up. Union movements at Starbucks, Amazon, and Apple are just the tip of the iceberg: almost 81% of employees are...

Workday is one of the most iconic enterprise software companies, essentially inventing a new breed of enterprise cloud applications. In this podcast, I discuss the history of the company and the newest strategy to...

This podcast details our brand new research on recruiting, and why 74% of companies underperform. I took some time to give you many of the details, including the labor market situation, why companies struggle...

In this podcast, I explain how HCM systems have changed, and how the center of gravity for HR Tech has shifted. The new center is the Employee Experience and Talent Intelligence platforms, with the...

In this podcast, I discuss one of the most important topics in business: Organization Design. Now that it’s almost impossible to hire people and we’re redesigning everything about work, it’s time to look at...

We’ve entered a new world of work. Jobs, skills, and organizations are changing faster than ever. And it’s all because of what we call “Industry Reinvention.” If you want to learn all about how...

How do we attract, recruit, and retain people in this difficult labor market? Raise wages? Improve career options? Spend money on training? The answer is yes – all these things. But there’s something more....

In this podcast, I detail our new research, The Change Agility Playbook, which looks back at what companies have learned over the last two years. Change Agility is a new management manifesto, and it’s...

In this podcast I discuss inflation. Why do we have it? How long will it be here? And most importantly of all, what does Inflation do to our wages, recruiting, and pay and benefits...

In this podcast, I discuss the biggest talent issue of the year: the tremendous need for people. As the unemployment rate plummets and it becomes harder to hire, we have to ask ourselves “why...

In this podcast, I discuss the billion dollar+ market for online coaching. It’s an amazingly successful, fast-growing space with four distinct categories. Coaching on-demand, driven by AI matching, Leadership development for all, democratizing coaches...

It’s time for our 2022 Predictions. It’s going to be an exciting and challenging year for business leaders and HR teams. Not only are we entering the most competitive labor market in decades, we’re...

In this podcast I explain why vendors like Udemy, Articulate, 360 Learning, Fuse Universal, and other “creator tools” are growing at a breathtaking rate in the enormous market for corporate training. I also explain...

How do you develop these essential PowerSkills in business? As I describe in this podcast, there are four methods: traditional instructor-led training, 360-degree assessment and coaching, simulation and real-world experiences, and suggestions and nudges....

Recruiting is one of the most difficult challenges in business today, and in this podcast, I talk about what we’ve learned. As you’ll hear in my discussion, the human-centered approach to recruiting is more...

In this podcast I interview Ronni Zehavi, the CEO and co-founder of HiBob. HiBob is one of the fastest-growing HR platforms in the mid-market, known for its gorgeous and very innovative user experience. I...

In this podcast I interview Kathi Enderes, our VP of Research and the author of Employee Experience, The Definitive Guide. Kathi discusses the most important elements of employee experience, the role of pay, trust,...

Facebook’s rebrand to Meta is even bigger than you think. Here are my perspectives on this deal, along with some discussion about Nextdoor, DAOs, STRIVR, Mursion, and why I think Facebook is missing a big opportunity. This is a risky move for the company, and it may take them away from the biggest opportunity they have – fixing the existing business we all know.

And also, that Facebook sees the Metaverse as a massive advertising strategy, learning more about you as a consumer than you ever wanted them to know.

“Let’s not build the Metaverse with the plan to help other Platforms accumulate and retain consumers,” Rubin wrote. “Let’s build the Metaverse to keep them from being in the VR business in a meaningful way at all.”

“Revenue would also come from ads, the market Facebook knows best. Rubin imagines Coca-Cola paying for prime placement of a pavilion, Ford paying for its virtual cars to be usable or Procter & Gamble promoting its brands on digital billboards. Gucci could open a virtual store and Comcast (owner of CNBC parent NBCUniversal) would pay for “a giant sign that says, ‘Comcast: Get Better MetaSpeed!’”

Interesting Resources

The Metaverse Is Mark Zuckerberg’s Escape Hatch (my general thinking)

Facebook Meta Was Our Game To Lose (the real Advertising strategy here)

The Metaverse May Be Coming But Don’t Expect It From Zuckerberg (WaPo)

What The Metaverse Could Be (A positive view from VR fans)

Meta the Business (good business perspective)

Facebook Employees Think The Name Is a Brand Tax

Definitions of Meta

One definition of this Greek word is transcending or going above and beyond. In the computer field, it defines things that embrace more than usual. For example, a metafile contains all types of data. Meta-data describes other data. See metafile, metadata, and meta tag.

What’s the next step in Employee Wellbeing? Well as our new research points out, companies are moving well beyond benefits to a new world of The Healthy Organization. In this podcast I describe the...

Over the last few weeks we’ve seen a flurry of “flow of work” applications enter the world of HR Tech. In this podcast I explain Workday Everywhere, the growth of GrowBot (now called Disco),...

In this podcast, I describe The Ten New Truths about HR Technology Market.  This summarizes the presentation I”m giving at the HR Technology Conference this year, and will be the source for much of...

In this podcast, I discuss the massive trend for CEOs, CFOs, and CHROs to invest in the education of their workers. Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, Disney, and hundreds of other companies are investing many billions of dollars to help employee obtain degrees, certificates, and educational credentials. What’s behind this huge trend? In this podcast I describe the trend and explain why this is one of the highest ROI programs in business today.

Additional Resources

Build vs. Buy: The Days Of Hiring Scarce Technical Skills Are Over

Let’s Stop Calling It Labor: We’re All In The Services Business Now

The Capability Academy: Where Corporate Learning Is Going

Talent Acquisition At A Crossroads: New Certificate Program from the Josh Bersin Academy

In this episode, I talked with Nari Ansari, one of the general partners at TCV. We talked about lots of important topics in the HR Tech market, including:

• What makes HR Tech companies successful over the long run?
• How does TCV pick winners like LinkedIn, Facebook, HireVue, Perceptyx, and others?
• Why are sales and marketing so vitally important in the HR space?
• What should you do when the company struggles and what happens when you’re in the “cold part of the pool?”
• How should CEOs and entrepreneurs think about big fundraises vs. a series of small raises?
• Should you go deep or wide with your product strategy?
• When should you sell out to a bigger vendor?
• What consulting services are important sources of revenue?

Some of the resources to look at include:

HR Tech Companies: Is Raising More Money Always A Good Thing?

Cornerstone Goes Private: It’s All About Growth

PS: If you’re a budding new board member, angel investor, or entrepreneur please listen in. You’ll learn a lot.

 

The EX market is so dynamic it feels like every tool, vendor, and platform is moving in this direction. In this podcast I describe the three layers of EX and how you can think through what goes where. The three layers are A) the productivity tools layer, B) the workflow or journey tools layer, and C) the core application layer.

If you’re trying to sort out how to configure your core HCM systems to make work easier for people or if you’re building employee portals or journeys, this podcast may help you figure out what’s going on. And of course I talk about the role of ServiceNow, Workday, Oracle, SuccessFactors, Qualtrics, Microsoft, and many other vendors in this market.

Additional Resources

Employee Experience: The Definitive Guide (100+ page study)

Employee Experience: Four Fascinating Facts

Workday People Experience Arrives

SerivceNow: The Workflow Workforce

Not To Be Outdone, ServiceNow Ups The Ante in Employee Experience

Oracle Introduces Employee Experience Platform

The Massive Impact of Microsoft Viva

Employee Experience 4.0: Shortening The Distance From Signal To Action

What is the number one thing we’ve learned from the Pandemic? In this podcast I sit down and talk about the number one thing we’ve learned from the Pandemic: The Unquenchable Power Of The Human Spirit.

In this podcast I explain why Human Resources has become one of the most important jobs in business, and how we, as HR and business leaders, need to really think about “the power of the individual.”

Specifically, I talk about:

• Why Trust is the most important part of the Employee Experience
• What companies should do to attract the best candidates in this wierd and competitive labor market.
• Why “reskilling” is kind of bad word to use, and how to reframe this as “upskilling”
• Why Allstate has been able to reinvent itself for 90 years using the focus on “unleashing the power of the human spirit”
• Why the new world of individuality and uniqueness is replacing conformity at work
• How to build a hybrid work strategy that lets people thrive and grow
• Why terms like “growth mindset” and “abundance mentality” are all about unleashing the power of the individual.

Additional Resources

Employee Experience: The Definitive Guide

The Big Reset: Where We Are Now

The Joys Of Hybrid Work: How We Got Here

The Global HR Capability Project

HR Capabilities:  Beyond Technical Skills

Why Service Workers Are More Important Than Software Engineers

 

 

 

 

In this longer podcast, I walk through everything we’ve learned about skills taxonomies, job architectures, and the new world of hybrid work. And to really get your attention I explain why the Apple Genius Bar is a genius idea, which builds on all that’s going on in the world of skills and jobs.

We are clearly entering a new world of organization design. You no longer need to model your company like a gigantic pyramid, it’s truly a network of hybrid roles. We’ve gone from jobs to roles and from skills to capabilities, and in this podcast, I explain how this all works.  I also explain how NASA has redefined its skills model for its mission to Mars, and how Telcos are rethinking skills in the age of 5G, and how Epic (one of the most successful software companies in the world) organizes its jobs into only seven categories. And I give you the three business strategies that create effective skills taxonomy projects.

And here are some other references to help.

What Is A Skills Taxonomy Anyway?

The Global HR Capability Project

The War Of The Skills Clouds

BurningGlass Acquires EMSI: A Leader In Jobs Data?

Let’s Stop Talking About Softskills: They’re PowerSkills

Hybrid Work: Ten Things We Have Learned

Accounting for Slavery: Masters and Management (a fascinating book that’s all about organization design)