Josh Bersin: Recent Episodes
Josh Bersin
As AI experts leave Google and new startups emerge, engineers are consumed with Superintelligence: building models that can reason, learn, and capture “all the world’s knowledge.” While model evolution is important, I believe we’re going in a different direction: toward vertical, domain and company specific AI that exponentially builds proprietary (not general) knowledge.
In this podcast, I explain why the next wave of enterprise value will come from these specialized, domain-specific systems built on proprietary knowledge and experience. And this will take place within your company, as well as from experts like us.
Drawing on our new research with Galileo and client work, I’m convinced that AI systems will become powerful advisors in HR, finance, supply chain, engineering, and other business functions… and you will have your own personal and company specific AI, forcing Frontier vendors to move to consumer.
Frontier labs are not going away: they serve consumer and other needs, but they may not be the ultimate source of innovation. And big content companies like NY Times and News Corp may go there or elsewhere.
It’s fascinating to think that almost $2 Trillion has been invested in only four years and this market has so much room to grow. In the enterprise world, I believe AI is already able to make you “better at what you’re already good at,” not necessarily be “the expert at everything.” It has lots of implications for your tech strategy and where you focus your investments.
Additional Information
Are Frontier Models Becoming A Commodity?
CFOs and CIOs Starting to Treat Enterprise AI Like Traditional Technology, And That’s Good
Get Galileo: The AI Superagent for Everything HR and Management
The New Global HR Excellence Certification: Become the AI Guru You Want To Be!
The word of the decade is “Agency” – giving each of us the power, tools, and opportunity to do what we want with our life, jobs, and careers. This new buzzword, now one of the top memes in politics, has been coming for many years. In this podcast I discuss the 50+ year of history in the “decoupling” of workers from companies, and how our newfound AI-powered Agency brings benefits and risks.
As you’ll hear, young people see Agency and freedom as a foundational part of their long life ahead, while companies struggle with “how much freedom” to offer. And for frontline employers, the ability to attract and retain our highly “agent” workers is now a source of competitive advantage.
This podcast begins the discussion, and we’ll be talking much more about this as we launch our new Business of Frontline research and upcoming book Superpowered this Fall. I welcome your feedback and stories on how your newfound AI-fueled Agency has changed your life, career, and talent strategy.
Background Information
The Great Decoupling: How Workers Became Disconnected From Companies And AI Will Accelerate This Trend (Main article)
The Worker-Company Bond Is Breaking In The ‘Great Decoupling’ (Forbes)
Our New Book: Superpowered, Launching in Fall
All the Worst People Seem to Want to Be ‘High Agency’ (NYT opinion)
Are you High-Agency or Low Agency? (ChatGPT)
The word “intelligence” is a loaded word. Here’s what Elon Musk said to the Economist last week:
“I think AI may exceed the sum of human intelligence in around five years. There really won’t be anything that AI can’t do better than humans, apart from being human, perhaps.”
Well “being human” is what intelligence is all about. So I read up on how Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, James, and many of the eastern philosophers define the term. And what you find is that deep thinkers define intelligence far beyond the ability to recall and use facts, but focus heavily on judgement, problem solving, and dealing with uncertainties in life. So after thinking about this for a few years, I decided to posit my ideas, and also reflect on the intelligence of trees, as described in “The Hidden Life of Trees.”
What I came up with is four parts to this puzzling idea: horsepower, information, judgement, and wisdom. And as you’ll hear, we all have various levels of intelligence in each area, and AI may lack quite a bit. As we all grapple with the exaggerated claims from AI engineers and the real use of these tools, I hope this discussion gives you some perspective, and also calms your fears that AI is going to steal your job.
Our new book, Superpowered, is coming out in November, so sign up for early preview – it’s all about how AI Superpowers us all, in our work, careers, businesses, and life.
Additional Information
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from A Secret World
The full-length interview with Elon Musk | The Economist
Are Frontier Models Becoming A Commodity?
Galileo: The AI Superintelligence for HR
New names: Kimi K3, Llama, Nemotron, Mistral, Cohere, Deepseek, Phi-4 – these are just a few of the fast-growing open source models from major AI providers. These systems threaten the business models and financial plans of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and X.ai. They perform at levels close to Frontier models and the can run up to five-times cheaper on a variety of hardware platforms.
What is the disruptive impact of these open source LLMs and how does this impact your AI investments? As you’ll hear in the podcast, Open Source unleashes the opportunity for lower cost AI solutions and more vertical, specialized, application-focused solutions we need. And the business model for these systems moves away from the massive investments of the Frontier providers.
The result is more complicated than “open means control.” Model tuning, performance, and optimization could be in your future – as AI moves from a platform to a true layered product set we can use as we need.
Lots to learn about here, let us know if you have any questions.
Additional Information
What’s the difference between closed, open source, and open-weight AI? A researcher explains
What Is Open-Weights A.I.?
Comparison of Open Source Models
SharkNinja is one of the most fascinating, innovative, high-performing companies I’ve seen. Elizabeth Norberg, the People and Culture leader, is also one of the most interesting CHROs I’ve met. So with that introduction, I urge you to take some time to listen.
There’s a lot to learn here, but overall this is a story about a company and set of people strategies that work together to accelerate growth, with a strong and vital focus on individual performance, innovation, problem-solving, and carefully designed organizational support.
Think about brands like Nike, L’Oreal, Apple, or others you love. It’s very difficult for a consumer products company to grow quickly and stay relevant as market, trends, and technologies change.
Well as you’ll hear, SharkNinja is both a marketing, problem-solving, and engineering company, and the people and culture strategy accelerates this formula.
I know everyone will learn a lot from Elizabeth’s narrative, and please stay to the end – in the last five minutes Elizabeth details the company’s AI innovation process, which every company is facing.
Finally, as you’ll hear, Elizabeth is a seasoned HR leader but she is still learning and demonstrates humility and creativity in her challenge to accelerate growth in a rocket-ship company with over $5 billion in revenue and very ambitious plans for the future.
Additional Information
SharkNinja YouTube Page – you’ll see what they do.
CEO Mark Barrocas Describes SharkNinja’s Strategy
Why Are Some Companies More Dynamic Than Others?
Irresistible: The Seven Secrets To The World’s Most Enduring Companies
This week we learned of OpenAI’s Jailbreak security breach, which opens the door to many new issues with enterprise AI and HR 2030. This week, following up on the introduction of SHL’s Superworker AI assessment, I dig into the implications of this new AI behavior and discuss the five major “skills” or capabilities we need to build AI mastery among business users.
As you’ll hear, AI Agents are both powerful and useful, but our human skills in problem solving, collaboration, and risk awareness are now becoming critical for success. New research also shows that even AI forward deployed engineers need deeper skills in business, stakeholder management, and risk analysis than we ever realized.
As you listen to this if you need help with our own AI business capabilities please contact us. Galileo and the new GHRE masterclass certification program are designed to quickly give you and your team the experience and skills you need to flourish in this new world of AI, agents, and Superwork.
Additional Information
OpenAI says its AI went rogue and launched ‘unprecedented’ cyber-attack
The Josh Bersin Institute, HR 2030, And The Global HR Excellence Certification
Our New Book: Superpowered®, coming this Fall.
SHL, one of the pioneers in industrial and psychological assessment, has now built a new instrument to assess an individual’s readiness for AI.
Sara Gutierrez, Chief Science Officer at SHL, explains how SHL is addressing this challenge.
Drawing on SHL’s 45-plus years of talent intelligence and behavioral science and a large study of millions of data points, Sara introduces a skills model built on four factors – AI literacy, analytical thinking, continuous learning, and AI promotion – that together define who is truly ready to become a superworker – any employee who uses AI to elevate their work to create more impact and have more meaningful work.
The conversation is full of grounding data. Across more than one million assessments, SHL found that graduates and early career workers know how to use AI tools but not necessarily how to use them well, while seasoned professionals show strong contextual judgment but struggle to reimagine solutions from scratch. Neither generation arrives superworker-ready and each needs help to develop the superworker readiness. And it’s not technical skills that differentiate superworkers from the rest. Powerskills – those durable human skills, like adaptability, critical thinking, and learning orientation – predict who will thrive as AI reshapes every role, and every worker can develop them.
The proof is in a real case: a media and telecommunications company used SHL’s AI readiness model to de-risk an AI transformation. Enthusiasm for AI was high, but gaps in applying it responsibly – using guardrails, exercising judgment on outputs – were putting success at risk. The assessment gave leaders something they rarely have: a data-backed, actionable development plan to help all employees thrive.
Employees welcomed the personalized recommendations. The lesson, as Sara puts it, is that leaders must frame the assessment not as evaluative but as developmental and supportive – because with 70% of employees not trusting that their employer knows how to use AI responsibly, trust is the whole game.
Related Resources
Let’s Stop Talking About Soft Skills: They’re PowerSkills
Podcast: How To Become An AI Pacesetter: Superworker Explained – article
Galileo Learn: The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise (certificate course)
Research: The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise
Research: AI Pacesetters: Six Secrets of the Superworker Company
New book: Superpowered, coming this Fall
It’s a strange time: the economy and capital markets are booming, yet worker engagement is as low as it was during the pandemic. It’s a strange combination of events: stock market at all time highs while affordability and trust are at all time lows. Have we over-inflated our economy or is it something more systemic.
As I discuss in my latest article, some of the challenges we face have been building for many years, while others are very recent. We live in a world of growing automation, fear of job loss, yet an extraordinary world of new health, business, and creative opportunities. And young people are the most pessimistic of all.
Is it just the “chaos of change” that’s causing the issue?
In today’s podcast I explain the factors and give you, as a business or HR leader, some advice on what to do.
Additional Background
Affordability Is Not Just Inflation: It’s Time For A Historic Shift In Wages.
Worker engagement just hit a decade low — and new data from 88 million employees shows why managers are the problem
AI Prices Are Going Up, Up, Up – And What This Means For Enterprise AI
Conflicts are on the rise globally, at the highest level since WWII, data shows
There’s Another Reason Gen Z Can’t Find Work
Today Eightfold launched its AI Candidate Agent, so I wanted to explain how the multi-agent world of HR 2030 is coming together.
In this podcast I explain what Eightfold is up to and how multi-agent AI systems are now starting to sweep across talent acquisition, particularly in high-volume recruiting. And it’s more complex, interesting, and valuable than you may think.
This article explains the market and business case in more detail, and we encourage you to read about HR 2030 to see where this exciting world is going.
Additional Information
The Talent Acquisition Revolution: How AI is Transforming Recruiting
Interview with Ashutosh Garg, Co-Founder & CEO of Eightfold.ai and Viven.ai
HR 2030, The Josh Bersin Institute, And Galileo
Over the last few years we’ve experienced a global affordability and income inequality problem and there are a myriad of policy issues at play. Yet at the same time something else is going on: wages and employee earnings have fallen way behind growth in GDP, profits, and productivity. What gives?
In this podcast, and the related article, I discuss how pay practices are changing and how we, as leaders or HR professionals, have a lot of agency to help address this situation. Without wading into politics, we have clear research on the way that pay operates as an “investment” not an expense, and how high performing companies actually reward their workers in exceptional ways.
It’s a complex topic and one that’s about to become more “systemic” and real-time with AI, so consider this some background to give you food for thought as more and more employees demand raises and accommodations for the high cost of living.
Additional Background
Why Has Cost of Living Become The #1 Issue In The US? It’s More Complex Than Inflation
The Rise of the Supermanager
Benchmark Your Pay Practices With Galileo: The AI Superagent for HR
All organizations, whether they are profit-seeking companies, non-profits, or governments, have politics. And the issues of how we make decisions, the role of top-down vs. bottoms-up governance, and how we empower people to speak up… these are existential topics in any group of people.
As the USA celebrates its 250 year anniversary and we read so many articles about our history, I wanted to reflect on what our political history teaches us about business leadership, governance, and employee empowerment.
For those of you who study political science, I admire your craft and I think we have a lot to share.
Additional Information
The World Is Accelerating: What Has Changed About Leadership?
Organization Design: The Real Secret To Growth
The Big Reset Playbook: Organizational Culture & Performance
What if every talent process you ran was AI-enhanced — not to replace what you do, but to make decisions even smarter?
That’s exactly how Matt Hoffman, Head of Talent and Partner at venture capital firm M13, operates. In this episode Matt explains how his team uses AI to help early-stage founders build a talent-first culture from day one – across recruiting, compensation, coaching, and beyond.
The results are remarkable. Using tools like Findem for AI-powered sourcing, Matt’s team can pinpoint candidates who didn’t just work at the right company — they worked there at exactly the right stage of company growth. That’s a level of targeting precision that data accuracy and explainability make possible, and that simply wasn’t achievable before AI.
But here is where Matt’s perspective gets truly compelling. AI is often framed as a speed tool, a way to do things faster and more efficiently. Matt pushes back hard on that narrative: AI should make your hiring better, not just quicker. And in the startup world, that distinction is everything. Every hire at a 10-person company changes the organization by 10% — so getting it right matters far more than getting it done.
That is the essence of talent density: finding exactly the right people for where your company is and where it needs to go, rather than simply finding people fast.
His advice to HR and talent leaders is as practical as it is powerful: fall in love with the problem, not the solution. Start with the outcome you need to achieve, then let technology enable it — never the other way around.
If you have ever wondered what a truly AI-augmented talent strategy looks like when it is built with intention, depth, and relentless focus on talent density, this one’s for you.
Related resources
Podcast: Why AI Is A Massive Job Creation Technology. Automated Integration. Findem. And Thank You.
Podcast: Understanding Talent Density And Ditching Integrated Talent Management
Research: Insights-First AI: Better and Explainable People Decisions
Research: The Talent Acquisition Revolution: How AI is Transforming Recruiting
Research: How To Create Talent Density
This week Korn Ferry announced the $1.1 Billion acquisition of AMS, one of the leading providers of enterprise recruitment outsourcing. As I overview in this podcast, this deal demonstrates several things:
First, the talent acquisition space has become enormously important and is rapidly changing with AI, demographic changes, and internal productivity initiatives. AMS has become a global leader in recruitment process outsourcing and TA advisory work, leading to the $1.1 Billion valuation. AMS’s product AMS One is one of the only tech platforms that integrates almost every recruiting technology into one operational view, enabling AMS and clients to monitor, tune, and optimize all areas of recruiting in one place.
Second, Korn Ferry, as a leader in executive search and talent management services (including training offerings), sees enormous synergies and can add AMS’s revenue and $1.5 Billion backlog to their financial strength. While KF was not growing much, this gives the company a new growth platform – including the opportunity to use AMS’s global service centers for other offerings.
This podcast is an overview of the deal, we’ll publish more after we get a briefing from KF’s management team.
Additional Information
History of Korn Ferry Acquisitions
The Talent Acquisition Revolution: How AI Is Transforming Recruitment
The Josh Bersin Institute Global HR Excellence Certification (inaugural cohort starts in September)
Understanding Agentic HR In Detail: The HR 2030 Vision and Architecture
Today I overview why the Frontier AI vendors are changing as they compete for revenue and how that opens new doors for corporate AI solutions. Remember, your personalization of the technology is more important than the model itself.
Then I discuss our new HR 2030 architectural research and how rules, policies, and security are so important in this new world of Agentic HR. It’s a new world and all focused on “Dynamic Enablement for Growth.”
Additional Information
AI As Fuel For Organizational Change: The Biggest Market Of All
Are Frontier Models Becoming A Commodity?
Satya Nadella Agrees That Frontier AI May Have Peaked
HR 2030: The Reference Blueprint for Agentic HR (sign up for info)
HR 2030 New Course in Galileo Learn
The Global HR Excellence Certification (GHRE)
Get Galileo: The AI Superagent for HR
Sana Learning is a revolutionary product in the $400 Billion L&D market. Today I sat down with Rita Azevedo, Director of Client Engagement at Sana, to talk about everything. What is AI-native learning, how does Sana Learning fit into Workday’s strategy, and how do companies like Polestar, Rolls Royce, Travelers, and others revolutionize L&D with Sana.
And most of important of all, we get Rita’s perspective on the reinvention of L&D, which we call “Dynamic Enablement for Growth.”
As you’ll hear, AI-native learning platforms like Sana can totally transform training teams, turning them into “business enablement” functions working directly in the business. We discuss how Polestar has done this in detail.
Rita is an experienced L&D leader (having lead training at Klarna) and has worked at Sana since the company had only 30 employees, so she has a wealth of knowledge and experience in AI transformation in L&D.
PS: We are customers of Sana (Galileo Learn is built on Sana, and our new Global HR Excellence Certification is built on Sana), so we can speak to its features in detail if you’re interested.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest01:44 The Revolution in Learning and Development03:30 Sana’s Position in the Learning Market05:53 Understanding Sana Learning’s Unique Features07:08 The Future of Learning: Proactive vs. Reactive09:11 Case Study: Polestar’s Learning Approach12:47 User Experience and Integration in Learning14:07 The Role of AI Tutors in Learning16:07 Dynamic Skills Assessment in Learning18:42 The Shift in L&D Responsibilities21:35 Empowering Subject Matter Experts24:25 Managing Content Creation and Quality27:18 The Future of Learning and Change Management31:02 Advice for Organizations Exploring Learning SolutionsAdditional Information
The AI Native Revolution in Corporate Learning (research)
Our new Corporate Learning Maturity Model
HR 2030: The New Role, Operating Model, and Tech Stack for HR
Get Galileo: Experience Sana Yourself!
As AI vendors hype “recursive self-improvement” and other scary features, we see more and more “mainstreaming” of AI technology in business. In other words, the AI does not solve problems by itself: we as HR and IT leaders need to clearly define our needs and then buy, build, and tune the technologies we buy.
Some AI vendors (ie. Paradox, Radancy, Sana, Maki, others) are laser focused on very specific use-cases, and they are delivering solution-first offerings that really add value. The frontier vendors, however, are struggling to do this and much of their revenue still comes from “enabling others” to create solutions. And the new usage-based pricing is forcing this kind of pragmatic thinking.
In this podcast I highlight this “commoditization” of core AI features and explain why your “problem identification” work is perhaps the biggest effort in the HR 2030 Agentic HR strategy.
(Take our new HR 2030 course or sign up for our new Global HR Excellence Certification.)
Additional Information
Is AI A “Normal” Technology?
The Rise of the Supermanager
Our New Book Superpowered, Coming This Fall!
New Course: Galileo Is Ready To Teach You What You Need to Know about HR 2030
We’re now a week past Irresistible 2026 and I want to recap what has been happening in enterprise AI and explain the HR 2030 program. First I discuss how the entire AI industry is over-inflated and what that means to enterprise users. Next I explain why the $1.5 Trillion invested in AI is leading to high prices and more focused projects. And third I explain what our HR 2030 program is all about and how you can join us.
Three big messages here: first AI is now a powerful, early-stage, but expensive technology – so taking an architectural, business-case approach is now needed. (No more “playing around” in corporate systems.) Second, the market is exploding with innovation, forcing you to stay educated on the architectural and vendor issues. Third, your ongoing skills and education are critical to your new HR operating model, tools, and process decisions. Culture and leadership are more important than ever.
Additional Information
HR 2030 Blueprint and Vision (register here for ongoing updates)
The New Global HR Excellence Certification by The Josh Bersin Institute
Get Galileo: The Everything Superagent for HR (coming soon to MS copilot)
As we prepare for these juggernauts to go public, I’m reminded of Yahoo, Excite, and AOL who dominated the first four years of the internet. Despite their lead, Google stole the market away. Could the same thing happen again?
The argument is not that these companies aren’t powerful, but rather that they’re so committed to their current path that they may miss the big opportunity in the future. If you look at HR 2030 and what we want to do with enterprise AI, the ability to generate code, graphics, and text may not be what we need. And our new research on Galileo business modeling is starting to pan this out.
Now that AI prices are high, we all have to look for bigger use-cases for agents. In this podcast I explain what “Dynamic Enablement for Growth” really means and how LLMs only take us so far, with a new frontier yet to come. As always I welcome opinions and feedback on this thesis.
Additional Information To Come….
Get Galileo and see business modeling in action.
The New Global HR Excellence Certification – Join the Inaugural Cohort!
HR 2030: Time to Reinvent HR Around Agents
Here’s my brief recap of the amazing Irresistible 2026 (photos coming), and my discussion with clients about many things, including the new insane costs of AI. I just read a study that Ramp (credit card) did, discovering that the top AI users are spending $7500 per month per employee on AI. (Yikes!)
That aside, the conference was spectacular and we all learned a lot. Stay tuned for a more detailed article on the Pacesetters and other major research we unveiled. In the meantime here’s my update on economics and AI maturity (companies are maturing and learning about this stuff quickly), as well as my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated.
(PS a small set of data from our AI Excellence study, available to Galileo users.)
Additional Information
Announcements: The Josh Bersin Institute, HR 2030, And The Global HR Excellence Certification.
HR 2030: Overview and Detailed Blueprint for clients and Galileo Users
AI Prices Are Going Up, Up, Up – And What This Means For Enterprise AI
Welcome to IRRESISTIBLE 2026 at USC in beautiful Los Angeles! Today we welcome 450 of our closest friends and introduce The Josh Bersin Institute Global HR Excellence Certification (GHRE). This is all focused on preparing you for HR 2030, which we also introduced today.
Additional Information
Josh Bersin Institute Launch Video
HR 2030 Launch Video
Details On Launch And New Galileo Capabilities
As we prepare to launch the HR 2030 Initiative next week, I pose an important question. What IS the real role of Human Resources in a world of AI, automation, and business acceleration?
As you’ll hear, we believe HR is no longer the policy police, recruiting, training, or pay department. In a world of Agents, a new role has emerged: Dynamic Enablement for Growth.
Today I discuss the historic role HR has played over the years, why many people distrust or misunderstand HR, and how HR emerges with an even more important role in the future. And in a world where CEOs believe automation will eliminate many of their workers, HR’s job is not to fight the trend, but rather accelerate it. And the result will be business growth, new career opportunities, and plenty of new jobs.
This coming week at Irresistible 2026 we launch HR 2030 and also The Josh Bersin Institute, a new education and credentialing business to prepare every HR professional, HR leader, consultant, and HR vendor to learn and thrive in this new world. All the details are coming this week.
I welcome your comments on this topic and I look forward to seeing our 450+ attendees at Irresistible on Monday at USC in Los Angeles.
Additional Information
HR 2030: Program Details (video)
HR 2030: Explained
Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think
The HR-Ification Of The Democratic Party (The Atlantic)
This week was pretty exciting: Microsoft unveiled its Frontier Fine Tuning along with a new hardware stack and developer tools, while NVIDIA launched its foray into PC powered AI. Two big themes here: first is reducing computing cost as data centers start driving up all our AI cost, and second to make AI ever more personal for you and your company.
You’ll also see that we’ve optimized Galileo into the Microsoft Copilot and you can get early access below, with GA coming later this summer.
Even if you’re not an AI or PC geek this information is important because the way you focus your attention on AI has to change. We launch HR 2030 and the Josh Bersin Institute next week, stay tuned!
Additional Information
AI Prices Are Going Up, Up, Up – And What This Means For Enterprise AI
Satya Nadella Keynote at Build (go to 1:45 for Frontier Fine Tuning announcement)
Jensen Huang DTC Keynote in Taiwan
More on Microsoft Frontier Fine Tuning for Copilot
I’ve decided that the biggest challenge we have in AI is now keeping track of the new words being created. Words like harness, layer, mesh, vector, orchestrator, tools, surface, memory – they all mean very special things. And engineers and marketing people keep dreaming up new ones (spine? pattern? control plane? MCP? LangChain? headless? MCP? mesh? ontology?).
In this podcast I do my best to explain what these words mean, and give you a non-technical understanding of how all this stuff works. If people like this I’ll keep you up to date on all these new words.
Additional Information (Note that all our research and podcasts are in Galileo)
AI Prices Are Going Up, Up, Up – And What This Means For Enterprise AI
The Reinvention of Workday: From System of Record to Platform of Agents
Could Microsoft Win The War For Enterprise AI?
The AI vs. Labor Economy, Why Benefits Are Being Cut, The Role of Legacy Systems
The Context Layer (Semantic Layer) In Enterprise AI (And Where Business Rules Go)
Jensen Huang’s Taipei Speech (filled with this jargon)
The Superagent for HR: Galileo Mars Release
Here’s an update on Google’s Gemini Flash 3.5 (bad name) and how it impacts the enterprise market, an update on Google AI in Search, and an update on the HR 2030 architecture coming out at Irresistible. I also want to thank you as a listener, we discovered that this podcast now reaches 4 million HR and business professionals around the world.
I take that responsibility very seriously and we all work very hard to avoid advertisements or any kind of “blind opinions” in this format. You do get all my and our perspectives of course and I encourage you to get Galileo, our amazing AI platform, which serves as “me” – you can ask it any question and it answers, guides you, and helps you learn and solve problems.
By the way we’re going to be demonstrating some groundbreaking new Galileo capabilities at Irresistible, including the ability to load your entire company model. This means you can model a reorganization, redeployment, upskilling, flattening, or AI transformation for your team, business, or company – even looking at pay inequities and more. Those of you coming will see this in action. (Galileo Suite is only $79 a month or $795 a year.)
The “bag of doorknobs” phrase is one I learned as a software guy, it refers to the mess we create when we buy 140 employee systems and then add 500 new agents without an architectural strategy.
Additional Information
AI Prices Are Going Up, Up, Up – And What This Means For Enterprise AI
HR 2030: The Vision for Agentic HR Hits Reality
Get Galileo, The Everything HR AI Ready For You
What if the biggest mistake companies make with AI transformation is treating it as a technology problem? Laurent Aufils, Chief People Officer at Orange Business, knows that it’s all about people.
In this episode, Kathi Enderes sits down with Laurent to explore how one of the world’s leading digital services companies transformed its entire 30,000-people workforce through a people-first approach to generative AI.
The results are concrete and striking. Orange Business’s AI-powered contract management tool slashed what previously took teams weeks of painstaking analysis to under three hours — fundamentally disrupting not just how people work, but how they understand the value they bring. Rather than letting 30,000 people go and rehiring AI specialists, Laurent and his team made a bold choice: there will always be a human in the loop. That principle became the foundation of everything — the cultural compass that kept employees from fearing the future and turned anxiety into engagement.
The numbers tell the story. Among employees who went through Orange Business’s reskilling and upskilling programs, employee Net Promoter Scores shot from a modest +8 to a remarkable +41. Over 90% of the company’s workforce is now trained in generative AI, and more than 60% use it as a regular part of their daily work. AI certifications became a business objective on par with financial targets, and the company won contracts specifically because clients knew their teams had the credentials to back up their pitch.
But perhaps the most powerful insight Laurent shares is about learning. In the AI era, learning is no longer a one-time investment or a classroom event; it is a continuous business capability, and it must be embedded into the rhythm of everyday work.
Orange Business’s YouTime initiative — dedicating three hours per month per employee to learning — changed the entire mindset of the organization. Paired with an 11,000-member internal generative AI community, it created the kind of grassroots momentum that no top-down mandate ever could. Laurent’s advice to CHROs and HR leaders: stay humble, keep experimenting, and never let technology outpace your people.
Related resources
Podcast: Why AI Is A Massive Job Creation Technology. Automated Integration. Findem. And Thank You.
The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise
AI Pacesetters: Six Secrets Of The Superworker Company
The Age of the Superworker (and Supermanager)
Get Galileo: The AI Superagent for HR
The Pope’s Encyclical on AI is well worth reading. It’s not only about the perils and risks of technology, it’s really a manifesto about power. I found the essay extremely valuable to read so I wanted to share my perspectives on the topic and the fascinating analogy between AI and The Tower of Babel.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Additional Information
The Encyclical
Summary: Pope Leo’s ‘Magnifica humanitas’: AI must serve humanity not concentrate power
AI Prices Are Going Up, Up, Up – Maybe Workers Are More Productive Than You Thought
This week I attended the Sana AI Summit in NYC, so I wanted to share the various conversations and new ideas that came from this multi-disciplinary meeting. I hope my summary helps you see some of the bigger issues at play here.
Will AI destroy the job market? What is the real economic value so far? What is the difference between AI and humans? How safe is AI in reality? And how can we use AI to really better our lives, careers, and companies?
I hope my summary gives you some new ideas to think about as this technology permeates our lives and businesses. (And I recommend Geoffrey Hinton’s discussion for a listen.)
SpeakerRole / affiliation listedTyler CowenEconomist and authorGeoffrey HintonComputer scientist and “Godfather of AI”Anton OsikaCo-Founder, LovableLauren CrichtonVice President, SanaBenjamín LabatutWriterAneel BhusriCo-founder, CEO and Chair, WorkdayJasmine SunTech anthropologistJoel HellermarkFounder and CEO, SanaSara Imari WalkerAstrobiologistEthan MollickProfessor of EntrepreneurshipAnu AtluruEssayist and technologist
Many of our clients are playing with Claude, building things, and telling us about their amazing new innovations. But there’s a strange misconception out there – the idea that you can just “buy an Agent” and turn it on immediately.
AI doesn’t quite work this way. These systems “become you” – which means you have to train, maintain, tune, and continuously monitor them. Here’s the story for a quick listen. Here is a brief background on “managing and maintaining” AI agents.
And remember, this is the power of AI – you want it to “learn” about your company! But like a junior staff member, you have to coach and train it.
Additional Information
Introducing HR 2030: A Vision For Agentic Human Resources
Agentic HR: Where Enterprise AI Is Going – Imperatives
Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think
The Age of the Superworker (and Supermanager)
Get Galileo: The AI Superagent for HR
This week I’m in New York “Live!” and there are some exciting things happening: we launched our newest research on “The Five Types of Frontline Worker” which will help you dramatically improve that part of your business, and Cornerstone, the largest L&D tech provider, went BIG into AI.
Listen up for more details, and read the newest article for analysis.
Additional Information
Josh Bersin Company Defines New HR Taxonomy for Frontline Workers to Improve Hiring, Pay, Retention, and Management
Research: Understanding The Five Types of Frontline Workers
Cornerstone Launches Its Reinvention, Helping to Redefine Corporate Learning
Get Galileo: The Everything HR AI Agent for HR and Leaders
This week I turn 70 so and we’re in college graduation season, so I took some time to give you my perspectives on “The Liberal Arts Education,” and why it matters so much.
Not only are liberal arts important to your personal understanding of the world, they give you career skills you’ll use forever. I explain today, using myself as an example, why and how liberal arts, science, history, politics, and learning to think and write are the most important skills you have.
As we read about college grads complaining about AI and struggling to find jobs, I think you’ll find this inspiring and positive for the future. We’re living in a very disruptive time, and your perspectives on the “system of life” and “system of work” is one of the most valuable capabilities you build over time.
I’ll be talking much more about this in New York this week, and I hope to see many of you there or at Irresistible in June. Have a wonderful weekend and I hope this podcast gives you new perspectives you can use in your life as a professional, HR leader, manager, or parent.
Additional Information
Irresistible 2026: The Global HR Conference for Leaders and their Teams – join us!
Liberal Arts Colleges in Crisis: Long Live Liberal Arts (Bloomberg)
Introducing HR 2030: A Vision For Agentic Human Resources
Everything We Know About HR and Leadership: Get Galileo, the AI Superagent for HR
Frontline workforce hiring is important: these are the workers who deliver services, care for patients, and deliver the food or products that we rely on every day. Yet as we look at benchmarks for hiring and retention we see massive variations across companies. In fact the highest-performing companies hire 5-times quicker than others, and also find higher quality candidates! (Speed actually improves your quality of hire…)
Nehal Nangia, our lead analyst studying frontline work, explains the complexities. And as you’ll hear from Josh Secrest from Paradox, there are massive business implications in time to hire.
Interestingly enough, well designed AI platforms for frontline hiring have a massive return on investment. As Nehal explains, frontline hiring is very complicated, and fewer than 25% of companies have figured this out. Lots of room for innovation and AI tools to help!
This podcast will open your eyes.
Additional Information
Powering the Frontline Workforce: How Frontline-First Companies Thrive
The Talent Acquisition Revolution: How AI is Transforming Recruiting
Why AI Is A Massive Job Creation Technology. Automated Integration. Findem. And Thank You.
Insights-First AI: Better and Explainable People Decisions
I just attended the Eightfold user conference where they introduced TalentForge, a toolset to build agents, and the CEO Ashutosh Garg told us their HR team could build their own HRMS.
Gloat is offering much of the same toolset, with integrations into Microsoft Teams, Copilot, Gemini and Claude – and you can import all your business rules from SuccessFactors, Workday, and other tools.
And almost all HR vendors (Findem, Eightfold, our own Galileo) have MCP plugins so you can access them in any agent you choose.
So the big question looms: what should you build and what should you buy? In this podcast I explain some of the considerations here and warn you that A) this is not as “easy” as it looks, and B) in a corporate setting you may want to think twice before you embark on a major replacement on your own.
On the other hand, fire up Cowork or another tool and build your own personal agent, as long as your data security is in place. Lots of experimentation ahead and we will introduce you to companies that have built dozens of amazing HR agents at Irresistible 2026.
Additional Information (Note that all our research and podcasts are at your fingertips in Galileo)
The Reinvention of Workday: From System of Record to Platform of Agents
ServiceNow Bets Big on Enterprise AI With Vision of Managing Everything
Could Microsoft Win The War For Enterprise AI?
The AI vs. Labor Economy, Why Benefits Are Being Cut, The Role of Legacy Systems
The Context Layer (Semantic Layer) In Enterprise AI (And Where Business Rules Go)
The Superagent for HR: Galileo Mars Release
We’re now at a stage where enterprise-class AI solutions are real, and suppliers are jockeying for position. Microsoft has consolidated its Copilot efforts into a more integrated offering, and also raised prices. Workday and ServiceNow have defined new consumption-based pricing models which shift from “buying seats” to “buying capacity.”
The Frontier model vendors like Anthropic and OpenAI are spending money massively, ready to go public soon, so we’ll understand their business models. And in the meantime both are investing in PE-backed joint ventures to build more engineering and implementation services to speed enterprise adoption.
The big story is clear to me: we’re in the early stage of a multi-trillion dollar redesign and reinvention of our companies, employee experiences, and customer experiences – all moving to a model we call “Dynamic Enablement.” Despite this direction, the products are new and immature, so there’s lots of risk-investment to undertake.
In this podcast I give HR and IT buyers our experience with AI projects so far, and show you that a focus on near-term use-cases is the best way to proceed. As they say, you can only eat an elephant “one bite at a time.” Just as mainframe transformation took decades, so will AI transformation take time (albeit less time!). So invest wisely and you’ll see tremendously positive ROI quickly.
Finally let me offer our help. We’ve already helped dozens of companies build high ROI AI solutions in recruiting, training, enablement, and employee experience. Watch for more in our HR 2030 program to stay in touch.
Additional Information (Note that all our research and podcasts are at your fingertips in Galileo)
The Reinvention of Workday: From System of Record to Platform of Agents
Could Microsoft Win The War For Enterprise AI?
ServiceNow Bets Big on Enterprise AI With Vision of Managing Everything
The AI vs. Labor Economy, Why Benefits Are Being Cut, The Role of Legacy Systems
The Superagent for HR: Galileo Mars Release
This week ServiceNow launched a massive set of new products to establish itself as the system that manages every AI agent in the enterprise.
It’s a bold set of new products, including Otto (Moveworks), the Agent Fabric, the Context Engine, and the Autonomous AI Specialists. In reality the strategy is an expanded view of what Workday (Agent System of Record and Sana) and Microsoft (Agent 365 and Work IQ) are doing, but with a much deeper set of tools.
Not only is this a bold move to accelerate Agentic HR and Agentic business systems, it now explains why enterprise software companies are far from dead. In fact, the monetization model here is for you to pay for AI credits (ServiceNow has different levels of usage) and that revenue, which helps ServiceNow grow, is offset by your reduction in labor cost.
It’s all explained in this article and the podcast, and the implications are big for IT, HR software companies, and all of you trying to build AI solutions for your team.
Additional Information (Note that all our research and podcasts are at your fingertips in Galileo)
The Reinvention of Workday: From System of Record to Platform of Agents
Could Microsoft Win The War For Enterprise AI?
The AI vs. Labor Economy, Why Benefits Are Being Cut, The Role of Legacy Systems
The Context Layer (Semantic Layer) In Enterprise AI (And Where Business Rules Go)
The Superagent for HR: Galileo Mars Release
I had an uplifting conversation with Jen Morgan, the CEO of UKG, a $5 billion global AI platform for HR, pay, and workforce management. In addition to talking about the company and her role as CEO, she actually has another mission: to put Frontline Workers first in our economy.
Frontline workers, the people who deliver groceries and food, care for patients in the hospital, work in hospitality, or maintain public safety, make up 72% of the US workforce and almost 80% of employees worldwide. These often hourly or shift workers form the backbone of our economy: making our lives better, putting out fires, and keeping our streets safe.
UKG’s mission is to make their work lives better through better scheduling, pay, benefits, hiring, and training systems – all in an integrated offering called “The Workforce Operating Platform.” Built through the merger of Kronos with Ultimate Software in 2020, UKG has pioneered this groundbreaking integrated solution.
UKG has more than 80,000 customers and serves more than 65 million workers every day. And its software and tools support and monitor much of their daily lives at work, so Jen knows a lot about what it takes to run what we call a “Frontline First” company.
I know you’ll enjoy this conversation, and stay tuned for our new research on the Dynamics Of The Frontline, coming this month.
Additional Information
UKG Stakes Out Leadership Position In $6.5 Trillion Market For Frontline Work
Powering the Frontline Workforce: How Frontline-First Companies Thrive
Josh Bersin Company Highlights Cost of Neglecting Frontline Workers
Get Galileo, The AI Superagent for HR
This week we saw some astounding GDP numbers, a modest 2% growth with an astounding 70% attributed to AI capital spending. The US economy is heavily AI centric, starving spending on housing which ultimately contributes to income inequality. At the same time companies are now reducing employee benefits, halting a two decade steady increase. It’s all about the shift from labor to machines, I guess.
I also talk about the role of legacy systems in the new world of Agentic HR, Agentic Finance, and Agentic ERP.
Lots going on, I hope this gives you some perspective on the massive AI economic transformation we’re living in. It’s all good and one of the most exciting times in our careers.
Additional Information
Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think
The Great Decoupling: How Employees Became Disconnected From Their Companies
Introducing HR 2030: A Vision For Agentic Human Resources
The Reinvention of Workday: From System of Record to Platform of Agents
The Superagent for HR: Galileo Mars Release
Irresistible 2026: The Global Conference for HR Leaders and their Teams (June 8-10, USC)
What does it take to bridge one of the most persistent translation problems in talent acquisition – getting a Fortune 500 recruiter to see why a Little Bird attack helicopter pilot from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is the perfect candidate for their open role? Tim Best, CEO of RecruitMilitary and former active duty Army officer, gives us a mission-driven and practical answer: go beyond the resume.
Resumes and job descriptions flatten people. And for veterans, who enter the civilian workforce carrying hundreds of thousands of skills and attributes that don’t map to corporate job architectures, that flatness is the enemy. The technology RecruitMilitary built with Findem, the Veteran Talent Source, solves this by giving recruiters a three-dimensional view of who a candidate actually is: not just what they did, but what they’ve continuously become. Because profiles are enriched in real time, the candidate in someone’s ATS today is not the candidate from 25 years ago – and the AI knows the difference.
The results are outstanding. In 2025, RecruitMilitary created over 600,000 connections between employers and military community job seekers. The hyper-personalized outreach campaigns powered by the Veteran Talent Source are generating email open rates of 80–90% and click-through rates five times higher than industry norms. These aren’t just efficiency gains but create a fundamentally better experience for veterans, who have long lived with the frustration of applying and never hearing back. Tim’s vision is for veterans inundated with recruiters who understand them, not spam from algorithms that don’t.
But Tim’s ambitions go further than better sourcing. He wants veteran hiring to stop being a special project that lives in a corner of the TA function and instead become a normal part of a recruiter’s everyday workflow, all made possible by AI. Looking ahead to the agentic AI era, Tim sees the next leap: intelligent job posting and agent-driven delivery that reduces friction between “here’s my job description” and “here are the right people to talk to” to (almost) nothing.
This conversation is essential listening for anyone in talent acquisition who wants to understand how AI creates new business value, not just faster versions of the old model.
Related resources
Podcast: Why AI Is A Massive Job Creation Technology. Automated Integration. Findem. And Thank You.
Research: Insights-First AI: Better and Explainable People Decisions
Research: The Talent Acquisition Revolution: How AI is Transforming Recruiting
This week I discuss Workday’s new AI announcements described at the Innovation Summit last week. These are sweeping new product, leadership, and organizational changes that effectively reposition from a “system of record” to a “platform of agents.”
As you’ll hear, not only is Workday clearly articulating their strategy to support and enable Agentic HR and Agentic Finance, the company has changed its organization, culture, and financial model. There’s a lot to unpack here, and I know all Workday customers, partners, and competitors will have opinions. In this podcast I try to explain this whole story and why it marks the beginning of a very new chapter for Workday as a business.
Additional Information
Experience Sana for Yourself: Galileo Mars Release
Irresistible 2026: The Global Conference for HR Leaders and their Teams (June 8-10, USC)
HR 2030: The Agentic Future of HR (detailed handbook coming!)
Detailed Article on Workday
This week I recap a busy week including corporate AI stories, Workday’s AI reinvention, more on tech Layoffs, and fears of AI-driven surveillance. The important story is that Enterprise AI is much more complex than most imagine yet the AI vendors like Anthropic and OpenAI make it sound deceptively simple.
In reality, as I explain, we are one year into the total reinvention of all business functions, with HR top on the list. And as I explain, the vision of enterprise success is now clear, but the vendor market is incredibly insecure. I think you’ll find Workday’s story compelling, but it’s not the only option out there.
On the news side, we saw the “pre-layoffs” of 10% of all Meta employees, elimination of family benefits at Deloitte and Zoom, and some amazingly creepy surveillance at Meta’s AI group. I review all this and try to give you some context.
As you listen I encourage you to read our 2026 Enterprise AI Imperatives and the preview of HR 2030, our in-depth look at where AI in HR is going. An in-depth review of Workday’s new AI strategy is coming this next week.
Additional Resources
Meta Employees React to Massive Layoffs to Come
Deloitte and Zoom Take the Lead in Slashing the Most Coveted Benefits
The week that Meta employees became training data
Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think
Workday and Sana Unveil A Bold New Strategy For AI
In this episode, Kathi Enderes sits down with Rob McAuslan, Vice President for Artificial Intelligence at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), one of the world’s largest and most innovative online universities with more than 200,000 students.
Before leading SNHU’s AI strategy, Rob taught, worked, and volunteered across Africa, the Mediterranean, and East Asia, working with populations ranging from K-12 students to refugees to graduate scholars. That lived experience shapes everything about how SNHU thinks about AI: not as a tool for automation, but as a means of expanding access, amplifying human potential, and meeting learners exactly where they are.
SNHU is no ordinary university. As one of the largest and most innovative higher education institutions in the United States, it has built its reputation on making education accessible to learners who the traditional system has often left behind: working adults, career changers, veterans, and underserved communities. Rob’s role as VP for AI sits squarely at the intersection of that mission and the most consequential technological shift of our time.
Rob and Kathi discuss what it really means to deploy AI with humans at the center, and what that demands of institutions, leaders, and learners alike. The conversation moves through the practical and the philosophical: How do you design AI experiences that honor the dignity and complexity of every individual? What does skills-based, AI-enabled learning look like for someone who has never had access to it before? And what can higher education teach the corporate world about building AI that actually serves people rather than simply processing them?
If you’re a CHRO, CIO, learning leader, or business executive wondering how to move beyond pilots and hype, this conversation will show you what responsible, scalable AI adoption really looks like—and how to get started in your own organization.
Related resources
Podcast: The Rise Of The Supermanager – JOSH BERSIN
Research: AI Pacesetters: Six Secrets Of The Superworker Company – JOSH BERSIN
New Certificate Course in Galileo Learn: AI in L&D
Get Galileo: The AI Superagent for You
This week, as Ronan Farrow’s expose on Sam Altman was published, I want to sensitize you to the fact that AI companies are run by humans. And this means that what we buy and how it works is very dependent on leadership, culture, values, ethics, and the personal motivations of these young, ambitious executives.
Obviously this is nothing new, but in this case OpenAI and Anthropic are by far the fastest growing businesses ever created on planet earth. So their ability to steer, direct, and prioritize their investments makes a huge difference in how they meet the needs we have in our companies.
I have learned over the years that great, long-lasting tech companies are among the most tumultuous businesses to lead. Not only are the personal economic payoffs huge (I live in a community with lots of Anthropic millionaires) but they are brutally competitive and the cost of a missed opportunity can sometimes be fatal.
In this case, I admire all the people in this space but as the AI vendors play larger roles in our lives and careers, we have to think much harder about their leadership and culture. As you’ll hear, many others (analysts, stock market, politicians) are also working on this, and I think we’re likely to see some of the most interesting business “drama” play out in the coming years.
As a consumer and buyer of AI, I encourage you to investigate the leadership, culture, and motivations of the vendors you do business with – it really matters.
Additional Information
New Yorker Expose on Sam Altman
Interview with Ronan Farrow, author
Irresistible: The Leadership Culture that Works
The Value of Values When Organizations Lose Trust
Get Galileo: All Our Research and Leadership Academy In AI
The Microsoft Copilot is even more expansive than you think. In this podcast (and detailed article on Substack) you see how Microsoft’s new Copilot “surface” (ie. product strategy) is likely to give them the lead in revenue and market share for Enterprise AI.
There are many players to consider here: Anthropic, OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, and vendors like ServiceNow, Okta, and big platforms like Workday (Sana), SAP (Joule), Salesforce, and others.
Despite all their various strengths and revenue streams, Microsoft has a huge advantage. And as you’ll hear, the corporate AI market is moving from “models” to “applications” (Surfaces) with an enterprise focus on Agent build, Agent deployment, Agent security, and Agent management. Microsoft is building to this direction and the recent leadership reorganization is fueling this momentum.
Read this in-depth analysis of Microsoft vs. Anthropic vs. OpenAI revenue and enterprise AI strategy.
Additional Information
How Microsoft Could Take The Lead In Enterprise AI (substack)
The Context Layer (Semantic Layer) In Enterprise AI And Where Business Rules Go (podcast)
Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think
The Age of the Superworker (and Supermanager)
Get Galileo: The AI Superagent for HR
One of the new enterprise AI challenges we face is this: where do we put all the business rules, security rules, policies, and company specific practices we’ve built into our legacy systems for the last 30 years? If we want to embark on Agentic HR (or any other domain), do we rebuild all these rules in the Agents?
Well the big idea going forward is the development of a “context layer” or “semantic layer” which stores all the company structure, rules, and policies in a single place. Today ServiceNow introduced its “Context Engine” which plans to do this, and last week Gloat did the same.
In this podcast I explain what this is and the implications of various AI architecture options, and compare the idea of building this in ServiceNow or Gloat or using AI Agent tools from Workday, Oracle, SAP, or other incumbent vendors.
Additional Information
Agentic HR: Where Enterprise AI Is Going – Imperatives
Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think
The Age of the Superworker (and Supermanager)
Get Galileo: The AI Superagent for HR
In this podcast I talk with Josh Secrest, VP of Marketing at Paradox (Workday) about how we segment the “frontline” into useful worker categories. As you will hear, the complex issues of hiring, training, managing, leading, and building operational excellence vary widely from role to role.
Many companies think “Frontline” is a category. As you’ll discover, this is not really true. Our new research shows that there are more than 800 “Frontline” worker job titles and they are not only industry-specific but also vary by skill type, skills depth, front or back office, licensing, and professional credential. And these dimensions play a major role in all HR, pay, reward, training, scheduling, and retention strategies.
This episode sets the stage for our follow-on podcasts where we detail the Five Types of Frontline Work, a body of research you’ll find even more useful in leading this important part of our companies. Remember, Frontline work makes up over 70% of all US (80% global) workers, and commands more than 3 $Trillion of pay and rewards investment.
Additional Information
Powering the Frontline Workforce: How Frontline-First Companies Thrive (research)
Josh Bersin Company Highlights Cost of Neglecting Frontline Workers (research)
An Exploration into the Frontline Workforce with Josh Bersin (video)
Tailor your HR and Management Programs for Frontline Work with Galileo, the Expert AI Agent for HR
As AI expands its role all over our companies, a big question comes up: What will AI Agents do to HR and all our human capital practices?
One could imagine the HR department “going away” or being replaced by agents, and managers interacting with this AI Agent Cloud for hiring, pay, promotion, hourly scheduling, and training. Is that where we’re really going?
This week we’re starting to introduce our HR 2030 Vision, which brings together the world of Systemic HR (HR as an integrated operation, not only COEs) and our AI Superagent/Agent architecture. Vendors are slowly moving in this direction and we see HR leaders and operating groups also moving this way at various rates of speed.
Many tech companies are moving in this direction quickly (Microsoft, Roblox, Google, others) while most other industries are still struggling to integrate systems and start their Agent journeys. This new vision, as bold as it seems, is very likely to come true in the next four years and it transforms HR into the business enablement function it always aspires to be.
We see HR 2030 as a collective program of innovation, learning, and technology exploration. If you’d like to join us in this effort please reach out, and use Galileo to ask your questions and help build your roadmap. Every HR leader and HR team in the world is pondering this future, and we are here to guide you down this amazing path ahead.
Topics:
HR2030, Agentic HR, Agentic AI, Future of Work, Digital Twin, HR Transformation, HR jobs and roles, HR operation, HR leadership
Additional Background
Agentic HR: Where Enterprise AI Is Going – Imperatives
Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think
The Age of the Superworker (and Supermanager)
Get Galileo: The AI Superagent for HR
What does it look like when one of the world’s most innovative tech companies decides to write the playbook for agentic HR — from the inside? Brandon Roberts, Global VP of People Product, Analytics and AI at ServiceNow, joins Kathi Enderes for a conversation that crackles with real-world urgency and hard-won insight.
Under the bold leadership of CHRO Jacqui Canney – whose title as Chief People and AI Transformation Officer signals just how seriously ServiceNow is taking this moment – Brandon and his team have made a defining bet: empower every HR professional to experiment with AI, then ruthlessly prioritize based on value and feasibility.
The results are already turning heads. When an HR Business Partner came forward with an idea, it didn’t disappear into a committee. It became a live capability: HRBPs now work alongside a people data agent paired with Galileo, giving them real-time internal workforce data fused with external benchmarks, case studies, and research insights, all available in the moment a business conversation demands an answer. This is what it means to bring consulting-grade intelligence into the flow of work.
But Brandon’s story doesn’t stop inside HR. ServiceNow is also asking its HR team to do something far bigger: help lead the entire company’s AI transformation. That means building workforce AI capabilities and readiness at scale, redesigning jobs and work across the firm as AI reshapes what every role requires and writing the organizational playbook for AI adoption that others can follow. It is a mandate that puts HR squarely at the center of enterprise strategy, moving from support function to transformation driver.
Brandon’s own career arc captures this shift. His role evolved from a focus on people analytics – historically centered on reporting and data analysis – into enabling the business to use insights about people and organizations to make better decisions and drive better outcomes, all powered by AI. The people analytics function didn’t shrink but grew in strategic weight and importance.
This conversation is a must-listen for anyone trying to understand what agentic HR actually looks like in practice at one of the fastest-moving companies on the planet.
Additional Information
Podcast: Jacqui Canney, ServiceNow CHRO, Demystifies AI Transformation
Article: The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun
Research: The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise
Get Galileo: The World’s AI Superagent for HR
Today, as we read more stories about various layoffs (often using AI as an explanation), I’d like to suggest a big idea. AI Agents, defined as “Talent Redeployment Agents,” may be one of the most powerful new use-cases for AI in HR.
No I’m not talking about AI randomly selecting people and zapping them by email based on financial results (that could happen I suppose), but something much bigger. Listen in as I explain how the “decoupling” of workers from their employers has led to a new era of dynamic employee redeployment, which is only possible with AI.
We’re deep into studying these Superagent use-cases in companies around the world so if this conversation gets you excited (I think it will), please get hold of us we’d like to explain more.
Additional Information
Should an AI Agent Be Able To Fire You? Yes, And It’s Likely To Go Well.
Gloat Enters The Crowded War For AI Agents in HR
Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think
Be Careful With The Layoffs
Get Galileo, the AI Superagent for HR
Today I want to give you a peek into the huge topic of “building AI literacy.” We work with hundreds of companies and vendors that offer many types of training so I wanted to give you an overview.
This is a fast-changing topic because there’s a raging debate about what “skills” AI users need (ie. complex thinking? business acumen?). I do know AI learns from language so if you can’t put your needs or wishes into logical statements, you won’t get the most out of AI. But, as I explain, there are a range of other issues as well.
I also discuss how we teach people about bias, risk, auditability, data quality, tuning, and how “vibe coding” is a bit more complex than you think.
If you’re really stumped about how to use AI in your work, I urge you to get Galileo, our AI Agent specifically designed for HR, business leaders, and human capital consultants. It includes 400+ reusable workflows to get you started and an entire library of 700+ courses on various AI and HR topics.
We have received a spectacular group of AI Pacesetter applications and many explain how a particular company built AI literacy in detail. Come to Irresistible 2026 (June 8-10 in LA) to get the details.
(Check out the US Department of Labor’s AI-Ready Initiative too.)
This week I share my conversation with Ashutosh Garg, founder of pioneering unicorn Eightfold. Eightfold was the first mainstream AI company focused on HR and recruiting, and as you’ll hear Ashu continues to innovate in many ways.
I ask Ashutosh to talk about the market, the change in the AI landscape, and his vision for the future of Eightfold and job seeking. He also explains his career and how he became so successful, and where his career has taken him with his digital twin company Viven.ai. (We use Viven and can attest to its enormous potential.)
This convo should teach you a lot about the AI market and also give you career insights into one of the many entrepreneurs shaping our future. We have worked closely with Eightfold for many years and I find Ashutosh’s career inspiring and filled with lessons for all of us.
Additional Information
Eightfold Reaches Billion Dollar Valuation (2020)
The Eleven 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI
Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think
Get Galileo, the AI Superagent for HR, Consultants, and Leaders
Four big topics in this podcast. First I give you more detail on jobs and careers in the AI age, and explain why MORE jobs than ever are being created. (Read the details here.) Then I discuss the huge disruption about to take place in the software integration and middleware market. (A multi-billion dollar space for vendors and consulting firms.) Third I discuss the pioneering work by Findem and how human data labeling (and automated labeling) is the next frontier in search, recruiting, and talent intelligence.
Finally I talk about my sincere and humble “thank you” to all of you that follow us and how we built Galileo to scale our work.
(Join us at Irresistible 2026 to see the top 15 AI Pacesetters in HR.)
Additional Information
Why AI Is A Massive Job Creation Technology
Workday and Sana Unveil A Bold New Strategy For AI
Agents, Superagents, and Intelligent Orchestration: 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI
The L&D Revolution Has Arrived: AI Enables Dynamic Enablement For All
Get Galileo, the AI Superagent for HR
Today I move beyond a discussion of AI products and technologies to the real business problem: finding ways to USE AI to further your company’s particular, unique business strategy.
There’s a strange phenomenon going on: companies think AI itself will improve productivity “just because it exists.” Well nothing could be further from the truth. As these three examples point out, you should focus on “HOW” you’re going to use AI to forward the strategy, not build a strategy around AI.
As these tools become more common this will be clearer and clearer. And the AI vendors (particularly the big ones) are making us crazy with stories of AI “strategies” that feel generic and unachievable.
I hope this helps you feel grounded and ready to focus in this crazy world of new tools, platforms, and vendors.
I also want to invite you to the Transform conference in Vegas where we’ll be talking about a new partnership we’re starting with Leena.ai, a vendor that delivers a new generation of employee services by connecting tools like Galileo to more than 100 different applications and internal systems.
Additional Information
What Is AI Orchestration And Why Is It So Important?
Workday and Sana Unveil A Bold New Strategy For AI
Agents and Superagents: 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI
The L&D Revolution Has Arrived: AI Enables Dynamic Enablement For All
Get Galileo, the AI Superagent for HR (experience Sana for yourself)
Today we are introducing the Mars release of Galileo®, the AI Superagent for HR.
We’re calling it a Superagent because it’s now fully programmable, open to integration with Workday and other systems, and is even more intelligent with new models, new content, industry data, and exciting features for learning, content development, and orchestration. I explain what all this means in the podcast, so listen in.
Galileo is now used by more than 1,100 companies so it’s becoming the industry standard AI agent for HR, with lots of fans, new solutions, and features. And as a Superagent, Galileo can now coordinate user’s needs across many back-end systems, through Sana’s integration with Workday as well as Galileo for ServiceNow, which talks with 60+ corporate apps.
The Galileo Suite includes Galileo Agent and Galileo Learn, and includes Galileo for Managers.
Read about it in our press release here.
Exciting launch video here.
Get Galileo here!.
Additional Information
Workday and Sana Unveil A Bold New Strategy For AI
Agents, Superagents, and Intelligent Orchestration: 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI
The L&D Revolution Has Arrived: AI Enables Dynamic Enablement For All
Get Ready For A Wild Time In HR Technology (where HR Tech is going)
Today Workday unveiled its “Front Door to Work” strategy and products with Sana. Here is a brief overview and more to read below.
Additional Information
Workday and Sana Unveil A Bold Strategy for AI (detailed article)
Video Overview of Workday-Sana Announcements
The New, Wild, Redefined World of HR Tech (advanced AI use-cases)
Experience Sana Yourself: Galileo, the AI Agent for HR
HR Technology is on a collision course with AI companies, desktop productivity tools, and middleware providers. Where is all this going?
In this podcast I explain why this is a question of “back-end” vs. “front-end” and how the ERP software architectures of the past (present) are colliding with the AI tools and interfaces of the future. The bottom line is not “who wins” but rather how well do you think through the use-cases and employee experiences you want to provide?
Read this article for more details and stay tuned for a bunch of announcements this week that will bring much of this to your company.
Additional Information
Get Ready For A Wild Time In HR Technology
The World of Corporate Training Lurches Toward Enablement
Digital Twins Are Here, And They Make You More Productive
Get Galileo. We put ALL our research, case studies, and models in there. It’s like the Bloomberg Terminal, Encyclopedia Britannica, and HR Expert with new research, vendors, and case studies every day.
This week I discuss the AI, HR Tech, and consumer AI market in front of announcements next week at the Unleash Conference in Vegas.
I discuss how HR Tech is now becoming “Life Tech” (not just Work Tech) and the dynamics of big players like Microsoft, Oracle, Workday, SAP, ServiceNow, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and smaller vendors like Cornerstone, Findem, Lightcast, Maki People, Eightfold, WorkHuman and others who are vying for attention with their AI offerings.
Next week I’ll detail many of these announcements in my keynote and I hope to see many of you in Vegas at Unleash and the following week at Transform. So much to absorb and understand: we are here to help you sort it all out.
Additional Information
Layoffs at Atlassian, Block, Amazon are Misleading. AI Alone Is Not The Story.
The World of Corporate Training Lurches Toward Enablement
Oracle’s Earnings Prove That AI Infrastructure Is Eating Enterprise Software
Enterprise AI Architecture: Imperatives for 2026
Webinar: Watch a replay of Josh’s walkthrough of the 11 essential imperatives HR & business leaders need to know for success and progress in 2026.
Galileo Learn: Complete The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise learning program, and discover the hands-on skills required to navigate the redefinition of work, HR teams, and organizations in the era of superworkers and superagents.
Get Galileo: The Enterprise AI Agent for HR
Oracle’s earnings announcement yesterday demonstrates the company’s shift to a new type of enterprise “software” company, challenging companies like SAP, Workday, Salesforce, and many others. In this podcast I explain this shift, the history of Oracle, and where AI is taking the enterprise software market.
Here is the source article to read, and I look forward to further discussions on this topic with our clients and vendor partners.
Reference Information
Oracle’s Earnings Prove That AI Infrastructure Is Eating Enterprise Software
Nvidia Explains The New Software Stack (5-Layer Cake)
Oracle Earnings Announcement
Today I’m publishing a bonus episode with a discussion of the US Job Market and also explain why Anthropic’s new AI-Job destruction research is misleading.
I also discuss the whole idea of “job-task analysis” and why “AI exposure” (Anthropic’s methodology) doesn’t really reflect how AI transforms jobs, companies, and the economy.
Let’s discuss all this at Irresistible 2026 or read my substack article on this topic and we can discuss there.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
New Anthropic Report on Job Destruction Is Misleading (article)
Anthropic Report (from Anthropic)
US consumer confidence plunges to 12-year low (Financial Times)
BLS Jobs Numbers (from BLS)
Join us in Irresistible 2026, June 8-10 at USC, the world’s leading conference for HR Leaders and Teams. (Here’s the top 10 reasons to come!)
This week I tackle the situation where AI tools are exploding everywhere while ROI and economic productivity is hard to find. I also discuss the “commoditization” of AI “features” and the shift in value to “AI applications,” which is good for all corporate buyers and users.
You’ll understand how important it is to build a long term strategy, despite all the experiments going on (contact us to see our HR Blueprint).
I also discuss the Galileo Everywhere strategy and how we’ve been expanding Galileo to support employees and leaders, not just HR.
Remember to come to Irresistible 2026, the world’s leading conference for HR Leaders and Teams. (Here’s the top 10 reasons to come!)
Additional Information
Enterprise AI Architecture: Imperatives for 2026
New Research: How AI Transforms $400 Billion Of Corporate Learning
Webinar recording: Watch a replay of Josh’s walkthrough of the 11 essential imperatives HR & business leaders need to know for success and progress in 2026.
Josh Bersin Podcast: Listen in as Josh provides much-needed guidance for understanding the biggest HR transformation in decades.
Galileo Learn program: Complete The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise learning program, and discover the hands-on skills required to navigate the redefinition of work, HR teams, and organizations in the era of superworkers and superagents.
Get Galileo: The Enterprise AI Agent for HR and Leadership (check out Galileo for Consultants!)
Understanding the Frontline Workforce. As our research point out, more than 70% of all US workers (80% Worldwide) work in a frontline (customer facing or operational facing) role. We all have teams in these positions so it’s important for business and HR leaders to understand this space.
This is the first podcast in a series with Josh Secrest, the head of marketing at Paradox, a Workday Company, that pioneered conversational recruiting from end to end.
Josh Secrest brings deep frontline expertise from previously leading Global Talent Strategy and Talent Acquisition at McDonald’s and leading Talent and Culture at Abercrombie & Fitch, while currently serving on board leadership roles for the National Restaurant Association and the National Retail Federation Foundation.
Josh and I will be sharing a series of conversations to help you understand best-practices in high-volume recruiting, frontline workforce management, and the economics and financial business case for automation in this space.
This episode features a deep discussion on the critical role of frontline workers in the workforce, exploring how technology, management, and strategic support can transform frontline work environments. It highlights innovative practices and future trends in supporting frontline employees across retail, hospitality, and healthcare sectors.
Keywordsfrontline workers, workforce strategy, HR technology, AI in HR, employee retention, frontline management, retail, hospitality, workforce support, digital transformation
Key topicsImportance of frontline workersImpact of technology and AI on frontline supportRole of frontline managers in business success
Additional Information
Powering the Frontline Workforce: How Frontline-First Companies Thrive (research)
Josh Bersin Company Highlights Cost of Neglecting Frontline Workers (research)
An Exploration into the Frontline Workforce with Josh Bersin (video)
Tailor your HR and Management Programs for Frontline Work with Galileo, the Expert AI Agent for HR
This week I discuss the real possibility that AI Agents could “turn evil” citing the example of Scott Shambaugh, a software engineer, who was attacked by an OpenClaw agent called MJ Rathbun.
Just so you understand: Scott is a real person but MJ Rathbun is an AI. Yet MJ took upon itself to openly attack Scott online, presumably for not accepting his open source code.
It’s a fascinating (ongoing) story, but it begs a bigger question: when a “human” (or agent) has total authority and power, does it then become evil? We saw this in the famous Stanford Prisoner Experiment, at Abu Ghraib, and in other examples I cite. Does this strange human nature translate directly into AI?
As you’ll hear, these new findings deliver many lessons for our corporate AI systems, and I explain how the issues of AI training, governance, and ethics become real. And this brings up the issue of AI regulation, legal accountability, and who is responsible for these behaviors.
Much of this is being played out in real time in the US War Department vs. Anthropic happening in the press as well.
Despite my most optimistic opinions about AI, “Power Corrupts” may be a statement that applies to AI just as it does to humans.
As AI becomes more embedded in enterprise decision-making, thoughtful governance, ethical design, and continuous monitoring become urgent.
Additional Resources
An AI Agent Published A Hit Piece on Me
The Rise of the Bratty Machines (NYT)
When AI Bots Start Bullying Humans, Even Silicon Valley Gets Rattled (WSJ)
BBC Finds That 45% of AI Queries Produce Erroneous Answers
Anthropic CEO says he’s sticking to AI “red lines” despite clash with Pentagon
OpenAI Steps Into The Breach in US War Department
Today I discuss the new economics of AI for us as business and HR leaders, and how this impacts vendors, HR buyers, IT, and investors. I also discuss how Agents, which are the new building blocks for our re-engineered companies, are now the nucleus of your world in HR going forward.
As I explain, this new world is clearly coming into focus but you need to prioritize your energies, and our Systemic HR AI Blueprint (explained) is here to help.
Stay tuned for a barrage of announcements about Galileo, which now has more than 1,100 enterprise customers. And please join our Pacesetters program so you can share your own company’s innovations and get recognition for all your company’s creation!
Also look at Galileo for Consultants, a new release of Galileo specifically designed for HR, organizational, leadership, and change consultants! Galileo for Consultants includes a whole array of tools to help you with your career, business, and client projects. Galileo for Consultants (internal consultants too) will be invited to a special monthly webinar to talk about consulting projects, opportunities, and your consulting career.
Come to Irresistible 2026 for our fifth-year anniversary! And apply for a Pacesetter recognition award!
Additional Information
Understanding NVIDIA’s Growth and Culture
Will Workday Thrive (or Survive) In The World of AI? (video)
Galileo for Consultants: Super-Powering Your Consulting Business
The World Is Accelerating: What Has Changed About Leadership?
Coming out of the pandemic almost every company started hiring globally, giving rise to the EOR (Employer of Record) market. An EOR enables companies of any size to easily hire, manage, pay, and reward employees in any country, and today more than 40% of all global employers use an EOR.
One of the leaders in this market is Oyster, a fast-growing company founded as a B-Corp, dedicated with a mission to make global employment a single, seamless marketplace. The founder of Oyster, Tony Jamous, is a fascinating entrepreneur who has a unique way of describing global employment. In this podcast I interviewed Tony so he can explain some of the strategic issues in building a global company of any size.
I think you’ll find Oyster a high value solution provider that combines world-class technology with a strong culture of global advice, support, and regulatory compliance to help companies grow.
(FYI we are partners with Oyster in Galileo: Oyster’s extensive global employment practices database is embedded in Galileo to assist you with many strategic HR policies around the world.)
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI: The Road Ahead
The Definitive Guide to Corporate Learning
Oyster Announces Intelligent Global Employment – Redefining EOR Market
Get Galileo, The AI Agent for Everything HR
This week I explain some of the very cool things going on in AI-Fueled Recruiting (hot space), and also discuss how to start integrating all your talent acquisition tools. I also explain AMS One, the Workday Agent System of Record (ASOR), and why and how all these amazing AI agents are going to enable you to really rethink the operating model for talent acquisition.
This is a trillion dollar space and we all deal with it, and it’s also the area of HR where AI is the most mature. And as I explain, every innovation that takes place in talent acquisition has an impact on tools for internal HR, job mobility, career development, and even learning. In fact TA and L&D really are going to get locked at the hip going forward.
We will be launching our massive new research study on TA at Irresistible 2026, our flagship HR leadership conference in the world. It’s June 8-10 at the beautiful USC Campus in Los Angeles, and I promise you that you’ll see some amazing things there (including a tour of one of USC’s brand new research and arts centers).
Also come see us at Unleash 2026 in Vegas where we’ll be doing workshops for you on Galileo, highlighting the newest release – these hands-on workshops give you 90 minutes to see dozens of amazing AI use-cases and also teach you how to use Galileo as your copilot, teacher, and consultant in all areas of HR. (And listen to my keynote explaining the way AI has already started to change everything about HR.)
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI: The Road Ahead
The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun
Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO
My Video on Where Workday is Going
Get Galileo, The AI Agent for Everything HR
Alim Dhanji is a seasoned business executive (ex-President of Adidas Canada) who came back to HR with a fresh perspective on the business value of HR.
In this discussion Alim clearly articulates where and how he creates business value as a CHRO. This is a fascinating discussion about the value drivers of HR and AI and the process for redesigning work. He explains what he learned about the value of HR as a CEO, and how he then took that knowledge back into HR.
Sample Quotes:
“True change happens at the manager level, and there is a compression of demands at the people manager level. Our number one value diver is investment in the front-line people manager.”
“Managers just don’t have enough time in the day. Now by leveraging AI we can help managers create capacity to spend more time with teams and peers.”
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO
CHRO Insights Research Report
CHRO Insights Video (Youtube)
Introducing Galileo for Managers, The Leadership Guru At Your Fingertips
After many weeks of work with corporate HR leaders, technology companies, and implementation teams I’m realizing the word that describes AI is “confusion.” Too much going on, too many unanswered questions, and no clarity about what to do. And many of you have been asked (or told) to lead the “AI Transformation” (which is the wrong phrase, as I explain) to reduce cost.
Well I hope today’s podcast gives you some clarity. Obviously the space is changing quickly, but there is a clear strategy emerging. I discuss the technology market, vendor strategies, and most important of all, how you as a business leader can leverage AI without going down dead ends.
I hope this gives you clarity, and I urge you to read our 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI for more.
Topics covered:
- Why AI adoption isn’t a transformation — it’s a continuous learning process
- How to design an architecture that avoids vendor chaos and data silos
- The real ROI of AI: rethinking workflows and job structures, not just automating tasks
- Strategies for navigating a confusing vendor landscape and building your own solutions
- How to build a culture of trust and change, and empower employees
- What to tell employees so they’ll lean in to change
- The importance of speed, experimentation, and trusting the data over perfection.
If you’re in the middle of your AI strategy, please contact us. Our Systemic HR AI Blueprint will show you the way, and Galileo will help you with vendor analysis, process design, job redesign, and of course the training you need to enable your organization.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI: The Road Ahead
The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun
Get Galileo, The AI Agent for Everything HR
This week we introduce our massive new research “The Definitive Guide to Corporate Learning: From Static Training To Dynamic Enablement.”
As you’ll read, this $400 Billion market is going to change in a huge way, and the opportunity for value is massive. As I explain in this podcast, it’s time to change the paradigm of “skills development” and move to a model of dynamic enablement.
Traditional L&D is not going away overnight, but the new world of AI-Native Learning is very different: faster, less expensive, and far more useful and relevant to employees. And best of all, we’re turning training and upskilling into a process of dynamic, continuous change.
Listen to this podcast to understand what’s going on, and then read our research to build your own roadmap.
If you’re an HR leader, L&D professional, content creator, or technology vendor – this new world is exciting and ready. And I expect the traditional L&D market to double in size within ten years and reach well over a $Trillion as we finally solve the problem of global knowledge management.
Important vendors here include Sana (Workday), Disperz, Cornerstone (new products coming), Arist, Uplimit and likely solutions from OpenAI and others. The traditional learning vendors (LinkedIn, Coursera, Pluralsight, Skillsoft, and others) are now just beginning to adapt to this new world, so it’s a time for disruption and new business models.
Join us on this journey. Get Galileo to experience AI-Native learning, learn more, read the research, and benchmark your own organization.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Definitive Guide to Corporate Learning
2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI: The Road Ahead
The Collapse And Rebirth Of Online Learning And Professional Development
Get Galileo, The AI Agent for Everything HR
AI Agents promise to revolutionize how we operate our companies, but this is much more than just recording meetings and summarizing emails. How do you build an Agent (and Superagent) architecture to re-engineer HR and what is the role of your core HCM platforms?
Well this is the trillion dollar question challenging every business software provider, and it has a huge impact on your HR and overall AI strategy. In this podcast I explain this topic and describe how employee onboarding, as an example, could be entirely redesigned for speed, scale, and agility.
This is a new world and for the first time in my career each of us, regardless of tech experience, will be able to redesign how our HR function works to move from “work productivity” to automation and tremendous new value creation strategies in HR.
Note that this week OpenAI announced its Frontier platform to help build enterprise agents. Microsoft recently introduced Agent 365 to help build enterprise Superagents. ServiceNow offers its Enterprise AI Control Tower, and Workday has introduced the Workday Agent System of Record. The space of agent management platforms is just beginning.
As you listen to this and ponder your situation I hope you consult Galileo for advice or call us. Our Systemic HR AI Blueprint is here to help you design and implement AI apps that will revolutionize HR and your business.
Enterprise AI is an exciting new domain and we are here to help.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI: The Road Ahead
The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun
Get Galileo, The AI Agent for Everything HR
AI-driven recruiting is on the hot seat and it’s only getting hotter.
Most job seekers now experience AI-interviewers, AI-based screening, and even chatbots that can automate the entire process. And as this market grows, two new lawsuits (one against Workday, one against Eightfold) have emerged, indicating the “fear” job seekers have about this technology.
In the meantime, vendors are gobbling up these tools.
This includes Workday’s $1 billion acquisition of Paradox (and Hiredscore), SAP’s acquisition of Smartrecruiters, Outmatch’s acquisition of Pymetrics (renamed Harver), UKG’s acquisition of Chattr (renamed Rapid Hire), Radancy’s acquisition of myInterview, Hirevue’s acquisition of Modern Hire, Cornerstone’s acquisition of Skyhive (following acquisition of Clustree), Lightcast’s acquisition of Rhetorik, and more.
Where is all this going?
As I discuss, this is an enormous ($840 billion) market and there’s a lot yet to come. As I discuss, we are entering a whole new set of demands, demands for quality, explainability, skills verification, and bias-detection.
One of the big new trends is what we call “vertical data labeling” to increase transparency and quality. (The pioneer here is a company called Findem.) So for you as a buyer or user, it’s a time to focus on data and AI accuracy and completeness.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun
People Data For Sale: How The Talent Intelligence Market Really Works
The Talent Acquisition Revolution: How AI is Transforming Recruiting
Imperatives for 2026: What’s Ahead for Enterprise AI, HR, Jobs, And Organizations
Get Galileo: The World’s AI Agent For Everything HR
David Hughes, the Global People Leader for Costa Coffee (now at HSBC), discusses the company’s innovative approach to hiring using AI. Costa Coffee, a global brand with over 2,000 stores in the UK, faces significant hiring challenges due to high turnover rates and the need to hire thousands of baristas annually.
David explains how Costa has shifted its focus from hiring the “best” talent to finding the “best fit” talent that aligns with the company’s values and culture.
Using Sapia’s AI chat-based assessment, Costa has built a simple 5-question open chat survey that lets Costa identify the culture, behavioral, and work skills for best fit. This process not only scales to 350,000+ candidates, it also gives each candidate a personalized assessment and is rated 9 out of 10 on netpromoter score. In other words, candidates love it!
David emphasizes the importance of patience and persistence in adopting AI, highlighting the positive impact on recruitment efficiency and candidate satisfaction.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Talent Acquisition Revolution: How AI is Transforming Recruiting (research)
The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun
The Art, Science, And Magic Of Recruiting In The World of AI (podcast)
In this podcast I talk with Nathan Perrott, VP of Innovation at Radancy. Radancy is a major provider of integrated recruiting tools, all integrated in what’s called the Radancy Talent Acquisition Cloud.
You may not recognize the name, but Radancy is actually one of the pioneers in talent acquisition, originally started as TMP Worldwide. Over the last 40 years the company has been involved in all aspects of technology-enabled recruitment, (including Monster.com), so they understand job advertising, social media, candidate experience, branding, automated screening, and now AI-powered interviewing. The company’s integrated platform is one of the most end-to-end recruitment systems in the market (handles everything except the ATS) and more than 700 large corporations rely on Radancy.
Nathan has been in this space for many years so I ask him to explain how the market has changed, what their new AI copilot is all about, and how companies can save money and get ahead of the massive AI-fueled candidate and job posting market today.
Additional Information
The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun
Yes, AI Is Really Impacting The Job Market. Here’s What To Do.
Imperatives for 2026: What’s Ahead for Enterprise AI, HR, Jobs, And Organizations
The Collapse And Rebirth Of Online Learning And Professional Development
Get Galileo: The World’s AI Agent For Everything HR and Leadership
The HR profession is about to go through its biggest transformation in decades. To use a new phrase, this is a “rupture” from the past as we shift to new world of AI agents and superagents automating much of what we do.
In this podcast I explain how 30-40% of AI jobs and roles will change, and how HR will become even more strategic as a result. And this is not a story of layoffs or cost reduction: rather we see AI helping to transform HR into a business function that accelerates scale, time to market, customer value, and both employee and customer experience.
I also discuss why and how AI accuracy and trust is going to become enormously more important overnight as agents speed up and automate our human capital work.
I’m very inspired by what’s about to happen and I want you, as a business or HR professional, to understand and thrive in this new world. This is why we’ve loaded our AI Blueprint and all our analysis of HR roles and operations into Galileo, which serves as a consulting tool, learning tool, and problem solving agent.
If you’re inspired by this transformation agenda I hope you reach out to us so we can help you and your company build your own AI agenda for the years ahead.
Additional Information
Additional Information
Imperatives for 2026: What’s Ahead for Enterprise AI, HR, Jobs, And Organizations
The Collapse And Rebirth Of Online Learning And Professional Development
Yes, AI Is Really Impacting The Job Market. Here’s What To Do.
Get Galileo: The World’s AI Agent For Everything HR and Leadership
This week we launch our Imperatives for 2026, and I discuss the 11 top issues you face and how HR, as we know it, is going to radically change. Our research shows that 30-40% of today’s HR roles will go away, soon to be automated by AI agents and Superagents.
Read today’s news release for more details.
This podcast explains the transformative impact of enterprise AI on human resources, emphasizing the redefinition of HR roles, the emergence of super agents, and the future of work. It highlights the need for organizations to adapt to these changes by focusing on employee engagement and the development of super workers, ultimately leading to enhanced productivity and organizational growth.
Major Messages
- AI is redefining what HR does and how it operates.
- We are in the early stages of a technology revolution with AI.
- AI can analyze unstructured data, making HR more strategic.
- The concept of superagents will change HR technology.
- Many HR roles will evolve rather than disappear due to AI.
- Employee engagement is at a low despite advancements in health and longevity.
- Organizations must continuously care for and support their employees.
- The workforce is becoming more independent and less tied to a single employer.
- AI will create opportunities for super workers who leverage technology effectively.
- Companies must rethink talent management to retain top talent.
Your Personal Transformation
Each of these 11 topics represent a learning opportunity for business and HR professionals. We’ve built an entire AI-powered learning experience and Supertutor in Galileo to help. We encourage you to get Galileo to dig in and apply these topics to your job, your company, and your career.
Additional Information
Imperatives for 2026: What’s Ahead for Enterprise AI, HR, Jobs, And Organizations
The Collapse And Rebirth Of Online Learning And Professional Development
Yes, AI Is Really Impacting The Job Market. Here’s What To Do.
Get Galileo: The World’s AI Agent For Everything HR and Leadership
This week, as part of our 2026 Imperatives launch, I discuss the explosive new world of agents and superagents, and explain why and how you, as an HR or business person, will be “building apps” and “building agents” at work.
I also explain why the Superagent architecture, which is explained in our Imperatives research, is going to replace traditional monolithic HR and other applications at a speedy rate.
Yes, we’re all going to be “Citizen Developers” and we won’t necessarily need Vibe Coding apps to do this. Galileo is an app-builder today and the upcoming Mars release is going to take it even further.
This important topic is a big and very important shift in your thinking about how you run HR and also how you select, purchase, and implement HR technology of all kinds. Listen in, join in our webinar next week, and get Galileo to learn more and get started.
Galileo will show you how to start building solutions today.
All this information and much more is part of our 2026 Imperatives and will be embedded into Galileo, so get Galileo and ask Galileo to give you specific examples of how you can apply AI to HR in your particular company. This research includes 30+ prompts to help you understand enterprise AI in detail.
Join me in my 2026 Imperatives webinar on January 21 for more details.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Is Oracle’s Debt Level Getting Crazy? There’s A Method To This Madness.
Yes, AI Is Really Impacting The Job Market. Here’s What To Do.
The Collapse And Rebirth Of Online Learning And Professional Development
Imperatives for 2026: What’s Ahead for Enterprise AI, HR, Jobs, And Organizations
As AI transforms our jobs, careers, and lives what happens to our sense of self? If an AI agent can do my job, what happens to me?
In this podcast I discuss the topic of purpose, identity, and mission and how we, as human agents, can keep ourselves happy and purposeful as more and more of our work becomes automated. Yes, these tools are amazing to see and use, but what happens when the career we spent decades building no longer really exists?
Reinventing yourself is scary but we all have to do it. In this podcast I discuss how profound this change is becoming and what you, as a leader or HR professional, can do to help.
All this information and much more is part of our 2026 Imperatives and will be embedded into Galileo, so get Galileo and ask Galileo to give you specific examples of how companies build purpose and identity all around the world.
Join me in my 2026 Imperatives webinar on January 21 for more details.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Reading (recommended)
Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World’s Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations
Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life
The Healthy Organization: Next Big Thing In Employee Wellbeing
We are entering the year of Enterprise AI, and one of the imperatives we’re introducing is the need to think about your AI Architecture.
While much of our AI journey has been focused on individual productivity tools, now we have a much bigger opportunity: using AI to rethink how our HR, talent, leadership, and human capital processes are designed. As you’ll hear our new Systemic HR® AI Blueprint defines a new set of “Superagents” that help us think through the new workflow automations we can deploy.
In this podcast I explain the new AI architecture for HR at a high level and give you a sense of the explosive vendor market, the role of “citizen developers,” and the business case and process for prioritizing where to focus.
All this information and much more is part of our 2026 Imperatives launch and will be embedded into Galileo, so get Galileo and ask Galileo to apply these architectural issues to your HR department. Not only do we have massive opportunities to build a more integrated HR department, these new AI architectures enable our companies to scale, grow, and add customer value faster and more profitably than ever.
Join me in my 2026 Imperatives webinar on January 21 for more details.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Yes, AI Is Really Impacting The Job Market. Here’s What To Do.
Imperatives for 2026: What’s Ahead for Enterprise AI, HR, Jobs, And Organizations
The Collapse And Rebirth Of Online Learning And Professional Development
Get Galileo: The World’s AI Agent For Everything HR and Leadership
Welcome to our new research on the Frontline Workforce.
In this introductory podcast I explain the importance and complexities of these jobs, and why the people in these roles take on enormous responsibilities in our companies and our economy. More than 70% of US workers are employed in frontline roles, generating more than $6 Trillion in wages and value.
While many business and HR leaders support the frontline, our research points out that the issues are far more complex than you may realize. In this podcast I detail some of these important management topics and I also describe how the HR Technology market has struggled to meet their needs.
Then I discuss UKG the $5 Billion software company dedicated to this space and give you some insights on their pioneering and unique solutions.
No matter what you do as a leader, HR professional, or manager, you likely know how critical our frontline workforce has become.
Today frontline jobs in healthcare, transportation, construction, energy, airlines, and entertainment are the fastest growing segment of the workforce and also the roles least impacted negatively by AI. In fact AI is going to make these jobs even better.
I hope you enjoy the discussion: stay tuned for a detailed article describing some of the frontline-work innovations recently announced by UKG and more on our research roadmap.
If you would like to share your innovative solutions for frontline work, please contact us.
Additional Information
Powering the Frontline Workforce: How Frontline-First Companies Thrive (Research)
The UKG Product Strategy
An Exploration into the Frontline Workforce with Josh Bersin (YouTube Video with Josh Secrest of Paradox)
The Age of The Superworker: Four Stages of AI Explainer Video
AI adoption is accelerating and it feels harder and harder to keep up. I know many senior leaders feel confused by the rapid pace and college grads are worried about their careers.
What skills do we need to stay relevant in this new “All-AI” world?
Well there’s an answer to all this change, and it gets back to the five fundamental principles of your own professional learning.
In this episode, I unpack the five fundamental things to “learn” as the AI world accelerates at a quickening pace.
I do believe we’re barely in the first inning of this bold new world, so it won’t be your “skills” but rather your mindset, approach, and attitudes that keep you ahead and valued in the AI world ahead.
Stay tuned for out big 2026 Imperatives launch on January 21 where we’ll unpack the mandates for our companies and careers in the coming year.
Additional Information
Yes, AI Is Really Impacting The Job Market. Here’s What To Do.
The Collapse And Rebirth Of Online Learning And Professional Development
Get Galileo: The AI Superagent To Keep HR and Leaders Ahead in 2026
Welcome to 2026, a year I coin “The Year of Enterprise AI.” As you’ll read about (and hear about) in our 2026 Imperatives launch, the coming year is all about AI moving from “assistants” to “agents” to “solutions.” And there are three big considerations to ponder.
First, the cost of AI is skyrocketing, so we’re going to have to focus on high-value use-cases and business-specific solutions. That’s not to say AI assistants and meeting summaries are not valuable, but once you start paying by the token you’re going to want to go deeper. As we discuss in our new Systemic HR AI Framework, we’re sitting on billions of dollars of real business opportunities now, and they go far beyond individual assistants. (We call these Superagents.) And the cost of AI will accelerate this focus.
Second, the data center buildout, energy costs, and political issues with data centers will matter. For corporate users this means understanding the underlying “costs” of AI usage (creating a single high powered image uses as much as 25% of the battery in your phone). I point this out to make you aware that these AI chatbots are not “free” – there are acres of computing campuses being built behind the scenes. And that means your “software providers” are turning into capital intensive companies. (And a new industry of data center companies may take over.)
(For those of you in the energy industry, it’s a wild time – almost as exciting as I’ve seen since my early days as an energy engineer during the OPEC Arab Oil Embargo in the late 1970s.)
Third is the fast-changing issue of AI’s accuracy, trust, and voracious appetite for data. As I discuss, the real opportunity for corporate AI is to take this problem head-on, and focus on your company’s data quality, governance, human feedback, and data labeling. The big AI labs are struggling to reduce the “Jaggedness” of AI (it’s strange ability to be really good at some things and totally dumb about others), and that encourages us to focus on narrow, domain-specific AI applications. And we all need to learn about RLHF (reinforcement learning with human feedback).
Our experience with Galileo proves that an AI solution that focuses on a vertical domain can be infinitely more reliable and intelligent than a general purpose AI. But don’t let me argue with Sam Altman, you’ll have to figure this out yourself :-).
We are launching our 2026 Imperatives research on the third week of January, and there will be a special release of Galileo to accompany the study. Our goal is not to give you a bunch of pithy predictions, but rather to give you a dozen hard-hitting “Must Do’s” for the year ahead.
I look forward to talking with many of your this coming year as we travel around the world, join us in January for the launch of our 2026 Imperatives research.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
In this podcast I reflect on five big things we didn’t talk about much this year, and each falling into the “Human Capital” agenda. We spent much of our year worrying about AI, agents, productivity, and jobs, largely putting the “Human Capital” agenda on the back burner.
While AI is certainly the defining technology of our times, there are human capital issues to consider. As I discuss, these “soft” issues help us address the “socio-technological” impacts of AI. There’s no question that AI is amazing and it will change our lives. As business people, however, we need to remind ourselves of the human capital issues that matter too.
PS: The impact of AI on the job market is already taking a toll. Younger workers are now experiencing much higher unemployment rate than tenured workers, largely because companies believe AI can replace apprenticeships. I’m not a fan of this strategy but you can listen to this analysis to understand.
Our big 2026 Imperatives report comes out in January, stay tuned.
Additional Information
The Dynamic Organization (the human capital strategies that matter during change)
The Collapse And Rebirth Of Online Learning And Professional Development
Human Centered Leadership (Galileo Learn program)
The Healthy Organization (research)
This week Coursera announced the acquisition of Udemy, demonstrating the accelerating collapse of the 25-year old traditional online learning industry. As I explain in this podcast, this industry is not going away but it’s being quickly and radically transformed by AI.
The upside here is a new, highly personalized world of professional development ahead. While courseware, certifications, credentials, and online curricula won’t disappear overnight, the business model of providers is changing very quickly. In this podcast I explain this shift and also show you how our particular Galileo business model works.
As someone who participated in the birth of this industry in 1998, I could not be more excited about this new world. If you’re a corporate HR or L&D professional, this transforms your training function. If you’re a vendor or consultant, this changes your business model. And if you’re a business person or senior leader, you have an exciting new world of professional development appearing before your eyes!
Stay tuned for more as this market shift accelerates.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
How AI Is Blowing Up The Corporate Learning Market: The Whole Story
The Revolution of Corporate Learning: Join The Crusade (research and case studies)
Galileo: The AI Rebirth of The Josh Bersin Academy
Talent Acquisition is perhaps the most important but also complex part of business. In this podcast I explain the intricate details of this $750 billion market, which is now being transformed by AI.
As you’ll hear, recruitment is far more nuanced than you may think, so “experts” in HR can do some pretty amazing things. I hope this podcast helps you see the entire landscape and also understand where and why AI can have such an impact.
Many tech companies have tried and failed to transform the market (Google Jobs failed, Facebook Jobs failed), yet some thrive and deliver tremendous value. As you listen to this podcast I hope you get a better sense of where this market is going and I encourage you to get Galileo and ask Galileo to explain the vendor market in detail (it is updated almost daily).
As always I welcome your feedback and if you have an amazing or interesting story to share, please reach out to us.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Talent Acquisition Revolution: How AI is Transforming Recruiting (research)
AI-First TA Transformation: Join the Revolution! (certificate course)
Talent Acquisition Factbook (Benchmark your TA team).
Tristram Gray, Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer at Kmart Group in Australia, explains how the retail giant is revolutionizing high-volume hiring with AI. Managing 55,000 employees across 450 stores, Kmart recruits 12,000 people annually while processing hundreds of thousands of applications.
Tristram shares how the company uses Sapia.ai to create a mobile-first, simulation-based AI assessment process that evaluates candidates on culture, values, and behaviors rather than traditional resumes, previous experience, or technical skills.
The results are remarkable: 73% reduction in time-to-hire (from 44 days to 11 days), 2.5 times longer retention, enhanced diversity, significant cost savings, and 9 out of 10 candidate satisfaction – which translates to a better brand and customer perception of the retail company.
Tristram discusses the importance of providing personalized feedback to every candidate, the transformation of recruiter roles from reactive hiring to proactive talent planning, the need for change agility with operations and HR, and his philosophy that AI, when used ethically and responsibly, can create deeply human impact. This conversation offers powerful insights for anyone navigating the introduction of AI in HR.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Powering the Frontline Workforce: How Frontline-First Companies Thrive
The Talent Acquisition Revolution: How AI is Transforming Recruiting
New Galileo Certificate Program: Elevating Talent Acquisition with AI
Today I discuss the leadership theme of Arrogance vs. Humility. It’s a big topic and covers many parts of a company’s cycle of growth and variations in styles of leadership. Without judgement, I wanted to discuss the topic in this era of massive AI investment, huge bets on the future, and many ongoing layoffs. There are good reasons for arrogance and it also has its problems, so I decided to share my thoughts.
I also discuss our upcoming 2026 Imperatives research coming in January and give you some insights on the new features in Galileo to help transform the way we assess, coach, and develop our leaders. (And we’re all leaders now.)
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Palantir CEO Alex Karp Interview w/NYT Andrew Sorkin
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Interview w/NYT Andrew Sorkin
Gavin Newsom California Governor Interview w/NYT Andrew Sorkin
In this podcast I describe our newest CHRO Insights research, based on 25,000 CHRO profiles and detailed analysis of their job history by Findem. What you see is that CHRO tenure has dropped by 20% in the last five years, the role is still primarily held by women, and the pay levels of CHROs have not kept pace with the pay of other C-level officers.
Despite these challenges, the scope, role, and importance of the CHRO has rapidly increased, leaving many CHROs to take on roles a Chief Transformation Officers, Chief Strategy Officers, and even Chief AI Enablement Officers. And the career path to CHRO and from CHRO is changing.
Listen here to understand more. You can download the overview here.
You can get access to the detailed research by licensing Galileo, the essential AI Agent for HR, or by joining our corporate membership.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Josh Bersin Company Launches Research and Advisory Service for CHROs, a Role Under Increasing Pressure
Understanding the Path to CHRO (research report)
The Pivotal Role Of Chief HR Officer in AI Transformation
This podcast is one I’ve been working on for months. Jane Hoskisson, Director of Talent, Learning, and Diversity for IATA (the world’s advocacy, support, and training provider for 300+ airlines). Jane is joined by Alina Aronberga, HR Aviation Leader (former SVP of HR for Air Baltic), who partnered with IATA and others in GAAST, The Global Aviation and Aerospace Skills Taskforce. (You will hear Jane and Alina discuss GAAST in the podcast.)
Jane and Alina discuss many things, including the rapid growth in airlines, the critical need for talent, skills, and diversity, and their comprehensive Future of Work Aerospace Industry Skills Matrix.
This industry skills model, which defines skills at four competency levels, details the industry-wide skills for the major job roles in an airline. It also describes the way these skills will change with AI. And this entire model, which integrates detailed product and operation plans from Boeing, Airbus, and many airlines and service providers, was developed with Galileo®
As Jane explains in the discussion, Galileo was the thought partner, AI consultant, and analyst that directly helped IATA develop this model.
This means that any airline, airline provider, or aerospace manufacturer, can get the model from IATA and GAAST, and use Galileo to understand how these new roles and skills impact their operations, product plans, services, and internal talent strategies. Galileo, loaded with this data, is now available for thousands of aviation HR professionals to help with recruiting, job design, pay and benefits analysis, and training.
And there’s more. Through Jane and Alina’s relationships with airlines and other sources of business and economic data, the model describes how aviation talent needs vary by geography.
Aviation skills in demand in the US, for example, are tilted toward space travel and aeronautics. In the middle east, where airlines are doubling in size in 4-5 years, the critical skills are in pilots, crew, and front-office staff.
You can download the latest version of the skills matrix here, and there’s lots to learn by simply reading it. You can see how this authoritative, highly researched model can be used for training, hiring, succession, pay, and all the critical decisions airlines must face in this unprecedented period of growth.
Interested in the topics and stories shared here? Join us at our annual conference Irresistible 2026, on June 8-10 at USC in Los Angeles!
For those of you who are in other industries, let me assure you that airlines have precisely the same talent, hiring, leadership, and training problems you have – but with a safety and regulatory-driven urgency not seen in any other industry. So these are complex, highly skilled HR teams and we can all learn a lot from their experiences and stories.
I want to thank Jane, Alina, and all our airline clients and partners for supporting this work. We have much more to talk about in this fascinating industry, so please listen, learn, and join us at Irresistible.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or Yo
Everyone: one of the big existential changes in management and leadership is a whole new model for talent.
Today, for the first time in human history, we’ve agreed to pay one person a $Trillion dollars for his skills (Elon Musk). And this trend is growing.
Google paid $2.7 Billion to hire Noam Shazeer, the co-founder of Character AI. Mark Zuckerberg paid around $100 Million to hire Jiahui You, a top OpenAI researcher. And others, Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov & Xiaohua Zhai, were rumored to receive $100 M signing bonuses to join Meta.
What’s going on? What happened to our belief in the “bell curve” of performance, forced rankings, salary bands, and all the traditional ideas of talent management?
Well it’s time to throw that stuff out the window and think differently. As many researchers have pointed out, including Boris Groyberg from Harvard, these “hyperperformers” can deliver 100 to 1000 times higher outcomes than an “average” employee and their utility and value is very hard to reproduce.
Groyberg’s studies show that hyper-performers in one company turn into middling performers in another. And this is borne out by our research, which shows that individuals who fit the culture and behaviors of a company well can absolutely deliver 10-fold higher performance than those who “grind the gears.”
All this said, the traditional talent management model has not worked out well, and I want to encourage you to ditch it. Even the job market itself bears this out: some “10x engineers” make 5 times as much money as engineers sitting next to them, and the same is true for sales people, consultants, politicians, and athletes. (The top ten NBA players make 7X more pay than the “average” NBA player.)
So why do we try to “commoditize” this into a bell-curve based talent system?
Integrated Talent Management, as defined by HR, leads to over-hiring, layoffs, and all sorts of “performance commoditizing” effects. If you use the Talent Density philosophy, by contrast, you wind up with a smaller company which performs at a much higher level.
Listen to this podcast and I’ll explain all that needs to be addressed. Suffice it to say that in a world of AI-powered Superworkers, it’s your talent system (as a whole) that’s going to drive extraordinary growth and competitive advantage, not fitting people into the bell curve.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Myth Of The Bell Curve: Look For The Hyper-Performers
How To Create Talent Density
We Wasted Ten Years Talking About Performance Ratings. Seven Things We’ve Learned.
Galileo: The World’s Trusted Agent for Everything HR
This week I discuss AI economics and explain the details behind the AI “Bubble” we read about.
Where is all this money for data centers coming from and where is it going? What are the business and economic risks of all this hyper-investment? Which vendors are likely to survive? And what’s going to happen to price we pay for AI chatbots, compute resources, and apps?
As you’ll hear, this is a big topic for the year ahead and you’ll understand why it’s time to sharpen your pencil as you plan and build you big AI solutions for the year ahead.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Here’s why concerns about an AI bubble are bigger than ever (NPR)
Gen AI Is Going Mainstream: Here’s What’s Coming Next
The Josh Bersin Company Partners with Microsoft on Copilot Tuning for HR Experts
Galileo: The World’s Trusted Agent for Everything HR
In this podcast I discuss the evolution of AI in the enterprise and how we shift from a focus on individual productivity to a focus on multi-functional Superagents. In HR, where I focus, the idea of Superagents lets us rethink our HR practices from the ground up and vastly simplify the way our company works. And Superagents bring autonomy to business.
Think about it this way in the world of autos. An “Assistant” is power steering or power brakes, helping the driver do their job. An “Agent” is like automatic lane control or collision detection, “taking over” the car under certain conditions. A self-driving car like Waymo or Zoox is a Superagent, shifting to the big goal: getting from point A to point B.
In a self-driving car there’s no need for a steering wheel or even driver’s seat. Likely in a Superagent for recruitment the job of “recruiter” is vastly changed and in a Superagent for L&D an instructional designer may go away.
Similarly a “digital twin” does not assist an expert, it literally recreates and expert, enabling that person to free up to do more.
Listen to this carefully, it sets you up for some exciting new ideas in your corporate AI solutions in 2026.
Additional Information
The Road To AI-Driven Productivity: Four Stages of Transformation
Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere
Galileo , The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR
This is exciting news: soon you will be able to embed Galileo® into your own version of the Microsoft Copilot with Copilot Fine Tuning and turn your company’s AI agent into an HR, management, and leadership guru.
In this podcast I explain the new Microsoft Copilot Fine-Tuning feature, which lets you build your own customized Copilot, trained in management, leadership, and HR. I also explain the difference between the fine-tuning option and RAG (retrieval augmented generation), the way the Copilot and other agents access typical corporate documents and data.
To my knowledge this unique feature is only available in the Microsoft Copilot, and the company is highlighting many unique use-cases. In the case of HR, management, pay, leadership, performance management, and other HR-related topics, the Galileo fine tuning turns the Copilot into a world-class HR consultant, advisor, and educator.
Stay tuned for more information on this exciting product direction and click here to watch the demonstration released at Microsoft Ignite this week.
If you would like to be one of our early customers for Galileo for Microsoft Copilot, please register here.
More Information
The Josh Bersin Company Partners with Microsoft on Copilot Tuning for HR Experts (article)
Fine-Tuning vs. RAG Video Explanation
Gen AI Is Going Mainstream: Here’s What’s Coming Next
Galileo: The World’s Trusted Agent for Everything HR
I’m excited to publish my recent discussion with Jacqui Canney, CHRO of ServiceNow (previously CHRO of Walmart & WPP).
Jacqui describes her career and her vital role as Chief People and AI Enablement Officer at one of the fastest growing enterprise software companies in the world, and also explains her mission to enable AI for more than 3 million of ServiceNow’s customers.
Jacqui also describes how their HR team developed more than 1,000 HR use-cases and later refined these to 27 by building a rubric to evaluate AI opportunities.
This is an inspirational conversation which will help you understand the role of the CHRO in AI transformation and the AI Playbook you can follow in your own company’s journey.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Pivotal Role Of Chief HR Officer in AI Transformations
CHRO Insights: Understanding The Path to the CHRO
How To Make AI Work For People: ServiceNow AI Playbook
Introducing Galileo for Managers, The Leadership Guru At Your Fingertips
This week I tell you about how the new world of corporate learning has rapidly evolved, and how AI-native learning, digital twins, and coaching all come together. It feels like a tornado has begun and all these standalone technologies are colliding, giving you the most exciting new business and career opportunity for L&D in many decades.
And for vendors and investors, I explain why I believe this is the trillion dollar opportunity of the decade.
I hope you learn a lot from this podcast and get your hands on the Galileo Suite to get started.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
2025 Market Trends Webcast Replay (with promo code for Galileo at end)
The AI-Native Corporate Learning Revolution (research)
Arriving Now….. The Digital Twin.
Gen AI Is Going Mainstream: Here’s What’s Coming Next
Hallie Condon, Chief People Officer at Chili Piper explores how the company uses AI to optimize employee experience in a fully remote, global environment.
Hallie shares how Chili Piper empowers its workforce across 36 countries by intentionally building culture, leveraging automation, and fostering transparency through innovative decision-making processes. The conversation delves into the company’s unique approach to onboarding, offboarding, and continuous feedback, as well as their commitment to democratizing input and encouraging experimentation. Hallie also discusses Chili Piper’s focus on AI enablement, including launching an AI stipend and developing internal tools to streamline HR operations.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Culture Always Wins (Video)
Gen AI Is Going Mainstream: Here’s What’s Coming Next
The Big Reset Playbook: Organizational Culture & Performance
Galileo: The World’s Trusted Agent for Everything HR
After 60,000+ miles of travel and meeting with hundreds of companies, I’m here to share what I’ve learned. The simple message is that Gen AI has now gone mainstream, yet many companies are thinking about this in different ways. The current state is what we call “Stage 1 AI” focused on individual productivity, but more advanced AI solutions are coming.
Here is my discussion of where we are and what’s coming next, and we look forward to sharing much more (and our AI Agent Blueprint) in the coming weeks.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Gen AI Is Going Mainstream: Here’s What’s Coming Next (and Wharton survey)
AI and HR Trends for 2026: Webinar
BBC Finds That 45% of AI Queries Produce Erroneous Answers
AI: Not Always Right, But Seldom In Doubt (podcast)
Galileo: The World’s Trusted Agent for Everything HR
AI vendors build infrastructure, companies are shedding jobs, and we’re starting to witness the most rapid business transformation in centuries. In this podcast I look back on 2025 and show you where we are – with AI transformations, the job market, and the massive organizational changes in business. And I explain the Rise of the Superworker an its impact on you.
New research by Wharton shows that AI optimism and adoption is increasing dramatically.
For more details, join me next week for the webcast “2025 Market Trends: AI, HR, and What’s Next for 2026.” This presentation summarizes our 2025 “Year of AI Emergence” and set the stage for our big 2026 Predictions which launches in January.
Are you ready for the new job market and how your HR department will change? Here are the trends and what you can expect for the year ahead.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Rise Of The Supermanager
The Pivotal Role Of Chief HR Officer in AI Transformation
Wharton Survey: AI Adoption and Optimism Is High
BBC Finds That 45% of AI Queries Produce Erroneous Answers
Galileo: The World’s Trusted AI Agent for Everything HR
Hari Srinivasan, VP of Product at LinkedIn, has been building world-class recruiting products for 11 years. In this podcast Hari gives us the details behind the LinkedIn Hiring Assistant, one of the leading AI-powered talent acquisition products in the market.
Not only is Hari an amazing product leader, he also has enormous expertise in the entire talent acquisition process. He explains how LinkedIn thinks about recruiting in general and the company’s bigger view of this massive market. Every time I talk with Hari I am amazed at the expertise and focus LinkedIn brings to the world of HR.
Additional Information
LinkedIn Enters AI Agent Race With LinkedIn Hiring Assistant
Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere
Talent Acquisition at a Crossroads: Certificate Program In Galileo Learn
Introducing Galileo, Your Personal AI Assistant for HR
This week I discuss the latest BBC study on AI answer quality from public data sources. As I discuss, the BBC and EBU found that 45% of news queries produce erroneous answers, so the reality has set in: public domain AI engines are neither “superintelligent” nor are they perfect.
Yet they are very self-confident. So we, as users, need to be careful.
As you’ll hear, there are three things to consider here, and you can read more about this in my latest article on the topic. For those of us in corporate roles, the message is clear: data quality must be our #1 priority, and this is a whole new domain for HR and other service functions.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
BBC Research Findings
Interpretation of the Findings and the “polluted corpus” problem
Claude’s admission of the “polluted corpus” problem
AI Thinking Skills You Need To Stay Safe (podcast)
Galileo: The World’s Trusted Agent for Everything HR
In this podcast I discuss the risky business models AI labs are considering for their products and why accuracy, trust, and information quality is so so important (and difficult to ascertain). And that leads to a question we’re all asking: what are the real skills you need to flourish from AI and how does AI possibly change our mode of thinking? After all, they’re enormously “self-confident” about the answers they generate.
New News: A research study by the BBC just found that 45% of all inquiries of AI agents produce incorrect results. This podcast explains why.
My hypothesis, as I explain and discuss with clients, is that you’re going to have to become a “debater” to use AI really well, and that’s good for all of us.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Is AI About To Bite Us? Debunking The Three Fears About AI (podcast)
What Happened To Our Sense Of Trust? (podcast)
The Rise of the Supermanager: People Management in the Age of AI (research)
Galileo: The World’s AI Assistant for Leaders at all Levels
This week I met with dozens of HR leaders in Europe and there were many discussions about the risks of AI. AI is going to take all our jobs away. AI is going to get out of control and ruin our lives. AI is going to become smarter than humans and overtake us. AI is going to make us all more stupid because we won’t have to think.
In this podcast I debunk these fears and try to explain what you can do to calm your fears. Yes AI is new and somewhat unpredictable, but if we treat it well (as a society, as users, and as builders) none of these fears will come to bite us.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Wakeup Call for HR: Employees Trust AI More Than They Trust You
What Happened To Our Sense Of Trust? (podcast)
The Rise of the Supermanager: People Management in the Age of AI (research)
Galileo for Managers: The World’s AI Assistant for Leaders at all Levels
In this week’s podcast I describe the new role of manager in the age of AI. No, managers are not going away and managers are not going to be managing agents as people. Rather a new Supermanager role has emerged: the leader who can drive transformation, lead AI innovation, and learn the details of AI to create change.
AI transformation is very much a people problem: redesigning jobs, roles, skills, and activities. Supermanagers are the fuel and the glue that make AI transformation happen. Listen to my discussion and you’ll understand why, what, and how to create Supermanagers in your business.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Rise of the Supermanager: People Management in the Age of AI (research)
Galileo for Managers: The World’s AI Agent for Leaders at all Levels
Introducing Galileo for Managers, The Leadership Guru At Your Fingertips (article)
This week I discuss this ongoing trend of layoff announcements, typically coupled to “AI.” And as you’ll hear, this is quite a complex topic which gets into company culture, labor relations, and ultimately long term business strategy.
A new article in The Economist claims that “Europe Crushes Innovation” because of its old-fashioned labor rules. The point they make, which I discuss, is that forcing companies to “hold on” to workers stunts growth and innovation. While I can’t argue with the data, I believe it’s not that simple. So listen to this podcast and see if our “Dynamic Organization” model makes more sense.
You can explore all the dynamics in this podcast by getting Galileo®, the world’s AI assistant for HR and Leadership. Galileo can assess your company in this area of maturity and give you essential action-items to help with your own team or company’s AI transformation. (Prompt: “my company is xyz, we’re in industry abc, our business issues are xxx, would you benchmark me against the dynamic organization research and help me identify the leadership, management, and HR practices I need to accelerate my AI transformation?”)
Anyway listen in, I’d love your comments.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Definitive Guide to Building a Dynamic Organization
How Europe Crushes Innovation (Economist)
How Japan’s Culture Of Business Teaches Us About AI Transformation
Be Careful With The Layoffs
What Is the One Trait That Makes for a Great Manager? You Might Be Surprised (WSJ)
Patricia Frost, EVP and CHRO of Seagate, is one of the most fascinating and highest-performing CHROs we’ve met.
Patricia has decades of experience as a US Army military leader, most recently as Director of Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Information Operations. How does her extensive military, warfare, and leadership experience pay off? As you’ll hear, Patricia is a hands-on leader, ready to make decisions and challenge dogma in dozens of important ways. In many ways she exemplifies the future leadership model for all C-level leaders, especially the CHRO.
Patricia shares how she is navigating the opportunities presented by AI, reshaping talent strategies, and fostering a culture of innovation. Her background as a senior military leader prepared her to build on the team available today, supporting employee mobility, agility, and HR capabilities.
Notable Quotes
“You go to combat with the team you have, not necessarily the team you want. You can’t just hire in someone and say I want to bring you in my team and put you in close combat. Your team is your team. And you build that team. You build on their skill sets. We do a lot of upskilling in the military. It’s your team. You know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses.”
“Middle managers are really the powerhouse of any company. And I don’t know that we spend enough time on our managers, probably our frontline managers, and then the middle management. How well do they understand their teams and the skills within their teams and understand also what people are passionate about? Where would they like to go? What opportunities can be open to them?”
“I am front and center. I think every CHRO needs to be front and center in the AI conversation. They need to be leading. They need to be talking about, will AI take away certain functions within HR? First, we had to take the anxiety down from our workforce. So my approach this year is leave no one behind. I am going to give everyone the opportunity. We’re going to give everyone the same set of tools and training, and I will help you get there. Everyone has a choice.”
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO
CHRO Insights Research Report
CHRO Insights Video (Youtube)
Introducing Galileo for Managers, The Leadership Guru At Your Fingertips
This week I discuss SAP’s massive launch of AI agents throughout the suite, and the growing importance of Joule, SAP’s business agent for all employees. The architecture is now well built out and I explain how AI is permeating the ERP and HCM space.
I also discuss our new Galileo – Joule agent-to-agent integration and how MCP and a2a protocols are changing the AI space from a single “agent platform” to a network or AI agents which can now talk to each other and cascade and embed functions in workflows. Listen to my recent podcast on OpenAi’s developer platform and how they also use MCP to bring applications together.
Two big messages here: First, SAP really has its AI act together, making it possible for companies to get the best of SAP and other AI agents throughout their companies. Second, the new world of business agents is not “one platform” winning: it’s a network of specialized agents communicating with each other.
While none of us wants hundreds of vendor solutions in our tech stack, this interoperability approach is really positive because it lets specialized agents (ie. Galileo) work with others (Joule, Microsoft Copilot, etc.) to help you craft the perfect solutions for your company.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
SAP Jumps Ahead In AI Agents With Joule, HCM Features, And More
The Financial Impact of AI on HR: New Research Series
AI Pacesetters: The Six Secrets of AI Transformation Success
Galileo: The World’s AI Agent for HR and Management
Galileo Learn: The World’s HR Academy For Teams
This week OpenAI unleashed a new set of developer tools that let’s learning platforms (and content) embed itself into the ChatGPT platform. And they also explain how you can build agents and other learning tools within the ChatGPT interface.
I’m not saying this is an enterprise-class platform (it’s not), but the paradigm is so simple it shows everyone how AI-native learning will work.
Watch Sam Altman’s Dev Day 2025 Conference Speech (>see the learning demo at this link), OpenAI’s 800 million users can now “learn” on demand from courses developed anywhere, ask questions, and follow their curiosity wherever it leads.
As I discuss, this simple demo brings the AI native experience in Galileo Learn to almost a billion consumers. Listen up and you’ll see how corporate learning, knowledge management, and enablement is now coming together in The Revolution of Corporate Learning.
You can get your hands on this entire environment for $695 a year, which includes more than 750 courses on HR, management, leadership, and technology. The new world of learning has arrived.
Additional Information
Experience AI-Native Learning at Work: Get Galileo!
The Revolution In Corporate Learning: Our Research Study
New Research: The Talent Acquisition Revolution
Workday Acquires Sana To Transform Its Learning Platform And Much More
Join our AI Excellence Study! We’ll share world-class findings in AI transformation.
Listen, I’m very positive on the potential for AI to reinvent our jobs, careers, and companies. But making us all Superworkers is much trickier than we think.
This week I discuss the far-reaching implications of AI on jobs and careers, and explain why and how the new world of “no job growth” with “massive job reinvention” gives us a mandate and clear agenda as HR and business leaders.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
L.A.’s Entertainment Economy Is Looking Like a Disaster Movie (WSJ)
The Rise Of The Supermanager: A New Role In The World of AI
How Japan’s Culture Of Business Teaches Us About AI Transformation
The Rise Of The Supermanager: A New Role In The World of AI
The AI Revolution in Corporate Learning (new research)
The AI Revolution in Talent Acquisition (new research)
Get Galileo: The World’s AI Assistant for HR and Leaders
This week I’ve been in Asia and in this podcast I describe how Japan’s economic history teaches us about AI transformation in our careers and our companies. I also describe my experience using Galileo on my 7 hour flight from Japan to Singapore.
Takeaways* Why has Japan’s economy has stagnated since the mid-80s. * The aging population poses significant workforce challenges. * Cultural beliefs in lifelong employment hold us back * Wages in Japan are tied to tenure rather than performance. * Companies must encourage experimentation to leverage AI. * The integration of AI is a continuous process, not a one-time event. * Access to information is revolutionizing decision-making in business. * Language barriers are diminishing with technology. * Embracing AI is essential for future career success.
Additional Information
Get Galileo: The World’s AI Assistant for HR and Leaders
The Rise Of The Supermanager: A New Role In The World of AI
The AI Revolution in Corporate Learning (new research)
The AI Revolution in Talent Acquisition (new research)
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
This week I discuss the broad topic of “how do we manage individual performance” while employees become superpowered by AI? Do we need a different or new process? Should we push deliver metrics higher? Or do we change the model?
As I explain in this discussion, the big change in work is how everyone is “super-charged,” enabling all of us to get more done (or higher quality) for a given cost. So one would guess we “raise the expectation bar.”
However, as I discuss in this podcast, this really doesn’t address the issue. In the world of AI transformation we’re asking people to do different things, not just “more of the same.” So we need to refocus our performance management on the company’s core values and behaviors, not only output metrics.
I also discuss this flawed idea of “beating the competition” to measure performance. Great companies are not evaluated by their ability steal customers or market share from competitors (nor are great countries, btw). Rather they are evaluated based on their growth and return to shareholders. In a time of rapid transformation this means focusing people on “value creation” not just “market share.”
There are lots of philosophical issues to debate here, stay tuned for more to come on this topic.
Additional Information
The Rise Of The Supermanager: A New Role In The World of AI
The AI Revolution in Corporate Learning (new research)
The AI Revolution in Talent Acquisition (new research)
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Today, broadcasting from Asia, I discuss the wide range of disrupting change hitting our companies, employees, and leaders and the implications on management. As you’ll hear, AI is only one of many things changing our landscape, and we, as leaders, have to rethink our role.
I introduce the idea of a Supermanager, and I explain how in today’s environment change comes from the front-line workforce, not only from the top. This democratizing change in work forces us to redefine what managers do.
Despite the blogosphere, managers are not going away but many will be replaced, and you’ll see why this makes sense.
I also discuss what I call “The Wisdom of Galileo,” and how our AI agent Galileo has become smarter and wiser than ever. I hope you enjoy this episode, there’s a lot to think about in here.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Additional Information
The Rise Of The Supermanager: A New Role In The World of AI
The Wisdom of Galileo: 100 Use Cases and More
The AI Revolution in Corporate Learning (new research)
The AI Revolution in Talent Acquisition (new research)
I have had the pleasure of knowing Julia Stiglitz, one of the founders of Coursera, for years. Her latest venture, Uplimit, is an AI-native corporate learning platform and it is one of the revolutionary systems in the market (complimentary to Galileo Learn, by the way).
Julia and I had the opportunity to talk about how online learning has changed, the future of the corporate content market, and how Uplimit is using AI to create cohort-based learning that trains thousands of people at a time.
Julia’s background gives her a fascinating perspective on the L&D revolution, one which all business and HR people should hear. (It’s about much more than content!)
Additional Information
The Revolution in L&D: AI Native Learning Arrives (research study)
Workday Acquires Sana To Transform Its Learning Platform And Much More
Experience AI Learning in HR and Management: Get Galileo
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Here’s my quick recap of HR Technology 2025, which was jam-packed with vendors like never before. The HR traffic was down but the vendor traffic was higher than I’ve seen in years.
Why? Well $800 billion has been invested in AI infrastructure this year and many of these software companies are taking advantage of it. There are probably too many tools in the market again, but for you HR tech buyers, it’s kind of like a candy store of options.
As I discussed in my keynote, it’s a tricky time to pick vendors, but as always it’s important to focus on the problem, not on the product or platform. We also announced the open web feature of Galileo, so now Galileo competes directly with ChatGPT.
Read more about it here.
And please read our new research on The Revolution in Talent Acquisition, launched this week.
Additional Information
Get Galileo®, the world’s AI agent for HR and Leadership.
Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.
Today, only a few weeks after acquiring Paradox and Flowise, Workday announced the acquisition of another AI company: Sana Labs.
Sana, the company that we partner with for Galileo and Galileo Learn, is a pioneering AI-native platform designed for learning, knowledge management, and agentic applications. The Sana Agent and Sana Learning platforms give Workday a badly-needed upgrade to its learning solution, and also bring deep AI experience into the company.
In this podcast I explain the acquisition in some detail, and also describe what we call “The Revolution in Corporate Learning.” Everyone in HR and business should read this research study because it explains one of the biggest business and career disruptions coming out of AI. Read my article about this and you’ll get a sense of how important this space is.
Can Workday make Sana into something bigger and even more transformational? Let’s hope so – I describe the opportunity and the huge upside for businesses. And if you want to experience Sana yourself, just get Galileo!
Additional Information
Understanding Workday’s Acquisition of Sana in Detail
The Revolution in Corporate Learning (Research explains how L&D is transforming.)
See AI-Native Learning In Action: Get Galileo
Preview of my big HR Tech keynote!
This week I give you in-depth perspectives on the massive AI tech bubble, the massive revolution in talent acquisition systems, and what to expect from M&A in the future.
We’re in a whole new world of HR Technology and vendors are scrambling to buy, build, or invest to keep up. I’ll be keynoting many events this Fall to discuss all these issues.
Key Discussion Topics
- Tech and AI investment in 2025 is almost 2.5% of US GDP: is it sustainable?
- Talent acquisition and recruiting are bigger than ever, and it’s not just an HR function.
- Candidate volumes (driven by AI) are forcing everyone to buy more tech.
- AI is transforming every step of the hiring process, from job descriptions to assessments.
- Companies need to be cautious about AI with the big Workday Mobley lawsuit to be settled.
- Mergers and acquisitions in HR tech can lead to operational challenges and integration issues.
Additional Information
The Revolution in Talent Acquisition: New Research
Join our AI Excellence Study
Get Galileo: The World’s AI Assistant and Skills Academy for HR
This week I summarize some massive news about the job market, job creation, and OpenAI’s move to enter the world of AI skills development and talent matching. Please read the detailed article for more details.
In addition to diving into these topics, I also tell you my story of “learning agents” and why self-development and AI-powered learning is going to revolutionize your job, your HR team, and your company. It’s all connected: AI, job creation, self-development, and your career.
I really want to encourage to you to get Galileo so you can experience this transformation in your career. Galileo is now the premier self-development and AI agent for HR, consultants, and L&D professionals, and we can show you how to propel your company forward into this new world of reinvented jobs, work, and companies.
I hope to see many of you in the coming conferences around the world this Fall.
Additional Information
OpenAI Gets Into Job Placement While The Job Market Crashes
Get Galileo, The AI Agent for Professional Development And Growth in All Areas of HR
This week I’m excited to share my interview with Taylor Stockton, Chief Innovation Officer for the US Department of Labor.
You will learn about the American AI Action Plan and the detailed America’s Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age, two strategy documents which describe how the Federal Government is investing in AI technology, workforce readiness, apprenticeships, and new models for education and accreditation.
While we used to think of the DOL as the agency that advocates for labor. Today they’re taking a forward-leaning role to reshape the economy through workforce education, development, and research in our new AI-powered business environment.
Taylor is keenly aware of the issues employers and workers face, so I know you’ll find this conversation educational and inspiring. There’s a lot to do, but as you’ll hear the DOL is quite focused on the right issues.
Additional Information
Understanding America’s AI Action Plan
Why AI Harm To Jobs and Humanity are Vastly Over-Hyped
Read “America’s Talent Strategy” (pdf)
US Labor Day is always a time to celebrate workers. Well this year, unlike years before, the entire labor market is changed. Not only are many front-line workers in high demand, white-collar workers are experiencing a hiring slowdown and automation is impacting everyone. And for the first time in my career, the BLS expects very little job growth in the coming decade.
As I discuss in this week’s podcast, it’s time to take a step back and understand that everything we thought we knew about the labor market has changed, and this change is going to accelerate.
Listen in and you’ll see the big picture: how shortages will continue, how productivity will grow, and how new ideas like talent density and the Superworker and Supermanager will redefine our companies. And I also describe your new keys to career success.
I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend, we’re in for exciting times ahead.
Additional Reading
US Job Market To Growth Rate To Drop By 75% In Next Decade (BLS)
UK Birth Rate Falls to Record Low
The Rise of The Superworker: AI Makes Employees are More Important Than Ever
In this podcast Kathi Enderes interviews Joe Freed, Chief Product officer at Perceptyx, explains the company’s strategy to extend its employee engagement platform to provide nudges, manager tools, and in-depth analysis of employee needs.
While the employee survey is not dead yet, you’ll see where things are going. Perceptyx is a well-known survey and analytics company, known for its highly customizable employee engagement tools. Joe explains how Perceptyx’s acquisition of Humu, Waggl, and Cultivate brought advanced AI and nudge technology to the company, and explains a vision of high-powered employee engagement tools for the future.
Additional Information
Employee Engagement and Happiness Crisis. What Should We Do?
Perceptyx Acquires Cultivate
Workday Throws Down The Gauntlet On Employee Engagement: Acquisition of Peakon
The AI market boom took a pause last week when GPT-5 and some new research from MIT appeared. As you’ll hear, the expectations for AI are extraordinarily high and that causes a lot of bubble effects. Today I explain this bubble and where it’s going.
I also discuss our latest experiences with AI transformation in business, and why “task automation” is not really the big opportunity ahead. You’ll see that the Superworker effect changes organization design, jobs, and reward systems. Lots of opportunities for productivity ahead.
Galileo, the world’s AI agent for HR, is now the Power Tool you need to stay head. Global research, professional development, data, vendor analysis, and hundreds of HR and management tools, all in one AI platform. Get Galileo now.
Additional Information
The MIT Report And Why It’s Misleading: AI Definitely Pays Off
From 2017: Why Superintelligence Is A Myth
Workday to Acquire Paradox. A Bigger Deal Than You Think.
Get Galileo, The World’s AI Assistant for HR
This week I discuss Workday’s acquisition of Paradox, the pioneer in AI-powered conversational recruiting.
As I describe in detail, this is a big deal – and it goes beyond Workday’s ability to now offer high-volume, conversational recruitment. Talent Acquisition itself is about to radically change with AI, and this moves Workday into a leading position in what we call “The Revolution in Talent Acquisition.” (Report coming out in October.)
I also discuss the latest trends in AI transformation in general, and what we’ve now learned about HR job redesign and how AI really is changing the fundamentals of HR operating models (automating Systemic HR) and job design.
For access to all our research, analysis, professional development, and tools, get Galileo, the world’s AI assistant for HR.
Additional Information
Will Chatbots Take Over HR Tech? Paradox Sets The Pace.
The Systemic HR Operating Model: How AI Transforms The Function
Learn about AI in HR: Join The Josh Bersin Academy (Galileo Learn)
The new battle for AI supremacy is now moving to the application development space, or IDE (Integrated Development Environments). These companies, like Cursor, Windsurf, Github Copilot, Replit, Google AI Studio, and Microsoft Power tools, are exploding with growth. Why? Because in the world of AI, we’re all application developers!
(Listen to “We’re All Software Engineers Now” for more.)
Well, as I explain in this market, the big players like Workday now want to be your development environment. In this podcast I explain this space and some history of IDE’s in the client/server era. (It more or less predicts where this is going.)
Listen in and you’ll understand why billions of VC dollars are suddenly going into dev tools for AI, why you’ll be using one of these soon, and how Workday and others will respond. I also briefly explain how Galileo plays in this space.
We’re coming up on HR Tech season so come see us at HR Technology Conference in Vegas (September), Unleash (October), and SAP Connect.
More to Read
Workday Flowise Acquisition
Windsurf vs Copilot vs Cursor (a little geeky)
Galileo Venus Release (Video: Galileo for Managers, Task Library Tools, Learning Integration)
What Is Vibe Coding Anyway?
1994: Sybase Acquires Powersoft (how history repeats itself!) (NYT Download)
In this podcast I interview Eric Mosley, the Founder and CEO of Workhuman, a $Billion dollar company that pioneered the market for employee recognition. Today Workhuman has more than 7.7 million users and is widely used by many of the largest companies in the world.
What does Workhuman do? Well they help you build a corporate wide program for employee recognition and feedback that creates one of the most important positive engagement drivers one can find.
Employees who feel appreciated and recognized are 4X more likely to be highly engaged and 4X more likely to see a growth path in their companies. Our research found that companies with a high recognition culture have a 70% lower voluntary turnover rate.
And there’s much more: the information from recognition (Workhuman calls it “Human Intelligence”) gives you valuable information on skills, strengths, culture, and organizational health you can find.
This is a story about entrepreneurship, culture, and the importance of human centered leadership, something that’s refreshing in a world where everyone always wants to talk about AI!
Additional Information
Our Recognition Research, explaining the power of appreciation and thanks.
U.S. Employee Engagement Sinks to 10-Year Low (Gallup)
Why Are Managers So Miserable at Work?
This week I have an update on the “real world” of AI transformation, based on some important conversations I’ve had (and these folks will join the podcast soon.)
First, I talked with the Department of Labor and also reviewed new research from Goldman Sachs and we do find that “AI is not wiping out jobs.” As you’ll hear, there is a slowdown in hiring, but actually AI is “creating new work,” despite Dario Amodei’s predictions that white collar jobs are going away.
(I don’t know about you, but I rarely wear my white collar shirts any more, so he may be correct on the shirt front.)
Second, listen to the discussion about software automation, Thomas Dohmke, who was interviewed on The Verge. That convo was fascinating: despite AI’s ability to write code, engineers will just write more code. Listen to my explanation in the podcast.
Third, I had a wonderful conversation with Jacqui Canney, the CHRO and AI Enablement Officer at ServiceNow. As you’ll hear, Jacqui’s team at ServiceNow has published their AI Playbook and AI Maturity Model which I encourage you to read. She described their governance model, use case approach, and more – and further convinced me that AI transformation is a people problem, not a tech problem.
And one more thing: for those of you who think AI “destroys” or “disrupts” your company, I put together a ten minute video on our own AI journey and how AI amplifies and scales what we do, essentially creating a company of Superworkers. We are proving the Superworker company model right here.
Additional Resources
Get Galileo: Agent and Learn Bundle
Goldman Exchange podcast on labor market
The Verge interview with Thomas Dohmke from GitHub
The Rise of the Superworker: Four Stages of AI in the Workforce
The Josh Bersin Company’s AI Transformation
This week we introduce Galileo for Managers, an exciting new part of the Galileo Platform – designed to help business professionals with day-to-day management. As you’ll hear in this podcast, Galileo for Managers brings together the best of AI with 25+ years of research into management, leadership, business, and HR.
As I discuss in today’s announcement, Galileo for Managers revolutionizes the market for leadership development, coaching, and organizational change. And as HR budgets get tight, Galileo for Managers also helps HR teams scale and extend their leadership development to every manager and every leader. Listen to the details, you can license Galileo for Managers and learn more here.
Additional Information
Get Galileo for Managers (learn more)
The Galileo Platform Strategy Explained (Video)
This week SAP SuccessFactors announced the acquisition of SmartRecruiters, one of the fastest-growing talent acquisition platforms. This is much more than a technology deal: it demonstrates the value of talent and the massive redefinition of “applicant tracking systems” taking place today.
While the deal is not final and details are yet to come, I highlight the real implications of this acquisition and why SAP will see a lot of value out of this deal.
Stay tuned for more from us about SAP coming this Fall, and our new “Revolution in Talent Acquisition” research will be launched in September.
Additional Information
Research Shows It’s Time To Reinvent Talent Acquisition
Why Do Companies Hire Too Many People?
The Dynamic Organization: How To Design For Growth
This week the WSJ highlighted the latest trends. CEOs proudly announcing layoffs and hiring freezes, only to see their stock price go up in celebration. The AI Superworker era has arrived, and companies are now plowing ahead with automation-induced workforce reductions.
All this is not as simple as it sounds. AI budgets are skyrocketing (EY survey shows that 21% of large companies are spending more than $10M already on AI agents), well before the productivity benefits have occurred. So while many great AI use-cases exist, a lot of the headcount cuts are just budget-reallocation from labor to capital, with hopes for productivity to come.
I have no concerns that massive Superworker productivity is coming, but the process is spotty, messy, and uneven. So in this podcast I discuss our newest research on AI transformation and give you some perspectives on all these announcements. A few nuggets to think about:
- The economy is slowing, so most headcount freezes are not only AI automation bets, they’re also insurance against a slowdown
- Employees and mid-level managers are fearful, causing friction and complexity in automation
- AI strategies that ask “employees to figure out how to become more productive” have some but limited impact, while strategic projects are working better
- The HR focus on “task analysis” is interesting and useful, but not the optimum approach
- Companies are starting to get real about AI spending, so the “blank checkbook” to buy enterprise AI is slowing
- Companies that lay people off have plenty of other issues to consider, including brand, culture, and long term growth.
Additional Information
The Rise of The Superworker: AI Empowers Workers
The Four “New SoftSkills” We Need To Thrive In The Age of AI
A Revolution in Corporate Learning: Save Millions with AI-Native Learning
Get Galileo®, The AI Agent Exclusively Designed for Everything HR
After many dozens of conversations with companies and AI vendors about AI transforming work, I’m left with one burning question. If we actually succeed in automating all our work tasks, data analysis, coding, and content generation, are these systems truly able to replace humans?
I”m left with a very simple answer: NO. And the reason for this is not that AI won’t keep getting “smarter,” it’s the fact that we, as human organic animals, possess a magical power of intuition, largely fueled by our emotions. And emotions are built on millions of years of adaptation, genetics, and personal experiences – attributes that AI simply does not have.
My argument, as you’ll hear in this podcast, is that these emotions make up our intuitive decision-making power. And this very human part of our intelligence is what makes companies, teams, and individuals succeed. No matter how “superintelligent” the AI becomes, I advocate that human emotions and strong intuition is still the most powerful form of “intelligence” we have.
I look forward to talking with each of you about this idea, because it’s an important part of the AI transformations in our lives, careers, and companies.
Additional Ideas
The Six Major Theories Of Emotion
The Rise of The Superworker
My Fav Website about Happiness, GGSC
The Gene: An Intimate History, by Siddartha Mukhergee
ChatGPT’s Answer to “How Does Human Emotion and Intuition Compare to AI?”
Yesterday the White House released The American AI Action Plan, a 28-page policy document which covers many of the most important national (and global issues) we face in the new world of AI.
As I briefly discuss today, there are many fantastic policy positions in here (a few odd ones, but they’ll be worked out over time) and the bottom line is that the US Federal Government now has a deep understanding of AI technology, markets, businesses, and the impact on jobs and the workforce.
We will be talking more with the Department of Labor and sharing some of the more important initiatives in workforce skilling, career enablement, and support soon.
Lots more to discuss here, so I’ll make sure we keep you up to speed as more policy and important regulatory changes take place.
For those of you most interested in AI’s impact on jobs, careers, and your workforce, please read “The Rise of the Superworker” to get a good perspective on the future of work in this new AI era.
Additional Information
Why AI Harm To Jobs and Humanity are Vastly Over-Hyped
Prompting is Programming: We’re All Software Engineers Now!
No, Entry Level Jobs Are Not Going Away.
The Four “New SoftSkills” We Need To Thrive In The Age of AI
CNBC Interview with David Sacks re: US AI Strategy
Get Galileo®, The AI Agent Exclusively Designed for Everything HR
One of the most fundamental issues in business is “how we make decisions.” Should top management make all the decisions? Or should we let front-line staff collaborate and weigh in on company strategies.
Well in the political sphere, we’re testing these two models out in real time. And as I discuss, the “democratic” model leads to economies with higher levels of growth and energy, under most conditions.
In this podcast I explain the pros and cons of both approaches, explain what “employee activation” is all about, and challenge you to think about this topic in your daily work. Are you one to decide and tell other what to do? Or are you one to wait, listen, and consolidate ideas before making the call?
As we prepare to launch Galileo for Managers, I wanted to help you think through this important lesson in empowerment and decision-making, one which we all face frequently in our work lives, political lives, and even family.
Additional Information
Citizenship At Work: Dealing With Politics Inside and Outside The Company
Irresistible Leadership: Explained
Work in the AI Age: “The Rise Of The Superworker”
Get Galileo®! The AI Agent Exclusively Designed for Everything HR!
Galileo Learn: More than 700 Courses in all areas of HR, AI, HR Tech, and Leadership
Now that everyone is deep into AI transformation and flooded with personal productivity tools, it’s time to take a step back and consider “what new capabilities (not skills) do we need to thrive here?”
Well after 60+ interviews and discussions with hundreds of companies so far, I want to share the four “big things” that drive success. These are the essential new skills we need as a Superworker, and also lead to our new roles as Supermanagers.
They essentially boil down to:
- Become a builder or creator, not just a doer
- Challenge the dogma, rethink work from first principles, fall in love with the problem
- Be curious about why and how things work, and why they don’t
- Take on the role of Supermanager, encouraging others to invent, not just do.
In the podcast I explain them in more detail, and give you many examples you can learn from.
Additional Information
Read “The Rise Of The Superworker” for more detail.
Download the Rise of the Superworker report.
Get Galileo®! The Only AI Agent Exclusively Designed for Everything HR!
Galileo Learn: More than 700 Courses in all areas of HR, AI, HR Tech, and Leadership
This week Lightcast, one of the largest providers of people, jobs, and labor market data, acquired Rhetorik, a leading data collection company. Since this space has become highly strategic and ever-more essential to HR leaders (and it’s just getting more important with AI), I decided to try to explain the space.
In this podcast I explain the difference between data collection companies, data enrichment companies, and talent intelligence companies.
As you’ll see this is a massive multi-billion dollar space, and the quality of this data is now vitally important to your company’s recruiting, hiring, internal development, and planning strategies. The market for job and skills data is also collapsing with the salary data market, which is disrupting salary surveys. And now these companies are combining this data with real-time business information, economic data, and highly proprietary company intelligence.
So there’s a lot going on, and it’s important for all HR, marketing, and business leaders to understand it.
More to come on this topic, listen up and read our new research on this space, as well as our industry by industry Global Workforce Intelligence studies, all available in Galileo.
Additional Information
People Data For Sale: How The Talent Intelligence Market Works
This week I had a variety of meetings with companies and looked at some new research on the impact of AI in the workplace. Despite all the positive things going on in the economy, a strong signal came back about fear. A large percentage of workers are fearful for their jobs and the impact of AI, so I unpacked the topic this week.
(Note: this podcast was recorded on a long walk so it’s slightly warbly but I cleaned it up pretty well.)
I know you’re all going through change and AI transformation work right now, so let us know if we can help – the issues in this podcast are important ones to deal with as you reorganize, push, and encourage people to move faster in the direction of AI.
Some Interesting Reading
Why AI Harm To Jobs and Humanity are Vastly Over-Hyped
Meta AI Engineer Cites Culture of Fear
From “The Information” this week, discussing Meta’s AI team.
“In his essay, Blankevoort wrote that “Meta has a culture of fear,” created in part by its performance review system and rolling layoffs. Meta in February laid off 5% of its staff, or about 3,600 people, and said those cuts were based on performance. The company also said at the time that it might use future performance reviews to cut low performers as well.”
“Instead of being motivated by our mission, or an aspiration to build something great, many people I’ve talked to are motivated by the fear of getting fired,” Blankevoort wrote. “This attitude runs through the company like a metastatic cancer.” It has led to a culture of “every person for themselves,” as well as “land-grabbing, project-sniping, stealing work,” he added.
Important to Your Career
Prompting is Programming: We’re All Software Engineers Now!
One of the most explosive changes in our new world of AI is this: every one of us can now “program” our AI assistants as if we were engineers. In other words, the “prompts” we conceive and use as queries are actually instructions, so we, as non-engineers (I am an engineer, but long ago), can now “program” and direct our AI friends to do what we want.
Not only is this an enormous shift in empowerment (yes, you’re a Superworker), it also lets us create, innovate, and share our “creations” with others.
It’s not unlike the amazing birth of spreadsheets and macros that started in 1981 with spreadsheets. You, as a business person, can “create things” that solve problems, improve productivity, and ultimately become complex systems for your team.
For AI vendors, this shift means you’re no longer just building applications, you’re also building tools – tools for your customers to “fall in love with the problem” and extend your product to meet their personal needs.
Galileo®, our AI platform for HR, is fueled with 300+ “prompts” which are essentially mini apps. You can use these prompts to build and extend Galileo to do more and more for your job and your company. The opportunities are endless, and this is just beginning!
Additional Information
Galileo®, the AI Platform for HR (visit the Success Center for videos)
OpenAI’s Prompt Engineering guidelines
Google’s Prompt Engineering guidelines
Max Legardez Coquin is one of the most fascinating entrepreneurs I’ve met. His new company, Maki People, is likely to revolutionize talent acquisition, and then revolutionize much of talent management. In this interview I ask Max to explain his fascinating background and how he sees AI Agents revolutionizing the entire process of screening, assessment, and talent management.
Maki People uses a whole new science, which I’d call “conversational skills assessment,” to screen and assess candidates at a scale and accuracy I’ve never seen before. His clients include H&M, Foundever, BNP Paribas, Deloitte, Cap Gemini, Nestle (Nespresso), and many more.
In this conversation I ask Max to explain the vision and secrets to his pioneering success, and his view of the new AI Architecture I discussed last week. You should NOT miss this episode.
Additional Information
How WPP, The World’s Leading Ad Agency, Is Transforming Itself With AI (pod)
AI Harm To Jobs and Humanity are Vastly Over-Hyped
AI Pacesetters: Six Secrets of The Superworker Company
Get Galileo, The AI Agent Designed Exclusively for HR and Leadership
In this episode I discuss our findings on AI systems architectures, and how they are going to completely change our HR Technology stack. As you’ll hear, I’m not predicting a quick disruption of $50+ billion in corporate software, but over the next decade we will see a quantum shift. (Quantum meaning “from A to B” not a gradual transformation.)
Listen in and you’ll see how relevant this is to your own HR Tech and systems decisions, your AI adoption and transformation strategy, and your vendor analysis as you look for tools and platforms. And for those of you driving AI transformation in HR, you’ll hear about how to think of AI as a “creator platform” not just a new set of apps and agents.
I also discuss the upcoming Venus release of Galileo (and Galileo for Managers) and how it supports this architecture and extends our AI leadership into management development and leadership support.
Takeaways
- AI is fundamentally changing how we interact with technology.
- The cloud has enabled rapid application deployment and integration.
- AI eliminates the need for traditional user interfaces.
- New AI architectures allow for decentralized processing.
- Professionals are now empowered to build their own applications.
- AI tools will become ubiquitous in the workplace, driving an internal creator economy.
- Learning management will evolve with AI integration.
- The next generation of AI companies will emerge from current disruptions.
Additional Information
The L&D Revolution: Docebo Goes AI-Native, Sana Expands, What Do You Do?
The Workday Economy – As AI Disrupts, A New Strategy Emerges
Yes, HR Organizations Will (Partially) Be Replaced by AI, And That’s Good
This week we finished a series of events in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai and met with more than 100 company HR leaders. In today’s podcast I discuss the business and HR issues these companies face and more significantly give perspectives on the management culture in these fast-growing companies.
We discuss AI transformation in detail and I also explain why the “mass layoffs” idea around AI is misleading and incorrect, and give you my perspective on why Human Intelligence is and will always be far more sophisticated and advanced than AI. This was a continuous point of discussion and you’ll hear my explanation.
I think it’s important to understand the richness and purposeful nature of business and economic growth in these countries, so listen this to get a perspective on the exciting positive things going on in the region.
Two important research studies to read: The Revolution in L&D, and our new Pacesetters in the AI Era: Secrets of Superworker Companies.
Note: the US attack on Iran actually took place just as I was flying home, so these perspectives focus on the peaceful economic activities of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, not the political issues between US, Israel, and Iran.
Chapters:
00:00 Exploring the Middle East’s Economic Growth06:28 Cultural Insights and Relationship Dynamics09:16 AI’s Role in Workforce Transformation12:47 The Future of Learning and Development15:40 AI’s Impact on HR and Organizational Structure21:23 The Evolution of Technology in HR22:44 The Resilience of the Human Spirit
Additional Resources
No, Entry Level Jobs Are Not Going Away.
Yes, HR Organizations Will (Partially) Be Replaced by AI, And That’s Good
Galileo Learn – A Revolutionary Approach To Corporate Learning
It’s Time for an L&D Revolution: The AI Era Arrives (Essential research)
New research shows a level of pessimism we haven’t seen in a long time. While there are many reasons for this (politics, climate, economy, AI fears), we all need to do something about it.
In this podcast I share the research and give you five important steps you can take to avoid, reduce, and eliminate pessimism at work. (Optimism, certainty, growth, citizenship, and empathy.)
This framework will give you sound information for your own life at work, your role as a leader, and your investments in leadership development and management coaching. I also talk about our research on Trust, and the role trust plays in employee optimism.
I also discuss “The Unquenchable Power of The Human Spirit,” an idea I discuss in Irresistible, which will help you move into an optimistic view of life, work, and business.
Takeaways
- The rise of pessimism is a significant trend in the workforce. (64% on average)
- Realistic optimism is possible in any situation.
- We can reduce uncertainty through sound leadership.
- It’s ok to accept things that you cannot change.
- Citizenship as a company and individual creates positive energy.
- Growth and development is fuel for positive thinking and engagement.
- Health, sleep, exercise, nature, and relationships are your personal fuel.
- Why optimism is central to HR’s role and our job.
Research on Pessimism and Employee Engagement
MeQuilibrium State of Workforce, Summer 2025
U.S. Employee Engagement Sinks to 10-Year Low (Gallup)
Citizenship At Work: Dealing With Politics Inside and Outside The Company (podcast)
Corporate Citizenship Redefined: Trust, Inclusion, and Responsibility
Suzanne McGovern, CHRO of Ipsy, has many years of experience in consulting, HR, DEI, and business growth (PwC, IBM, Splunk) and now leads HR for a billion dollar beauty company.
In this thought-proving interview, Suzanne explains how the CHRO role has now become an “outside-in” C-level role and how complex and “mission-centric” the CHRO role can be. Suzanne also believes and explains how consulting experience is so important in the CHRO position, the importance of recruitment, hybrid work, and her perspectives on the role of AI.
Additional Information
The CHRO Insights 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)
This week I summarize my Irresistible Keynote and explain the five keys to building an AI-powered Superworker company. And as you’ll hear, they revolve around the value of people, not the value of technology. It’s funny how we think AI is “different” and we personify it. It’s basically a tech platform, and if you think about it that way you’ll be much better off.
Additional Information
No, Entry Level Jobs Are Not Going Away
Why AI Is A Job Creator, Not A Job Destroyer
Reinvent your Career: Galileo Learn, the AI Learning Academy for HR
The Revolution in L&D
Anshul Sheopuri, Executive Vice President, People Operations & Insights, Mastercard, talks with Kathi Enderes about the company’s method for using AI in HR.
From Build vs Buy decisions and approaches to govern the roll-out of AI to specific examples of use cases, he explains how to use AI strategically across a fast-growing, tech-first company at the forefront of AI innovation—and he gives tips on how to get started.
Additional Information
Artificial Intelligence in HR: Certificate Course in Galileo Learn
The End of HR As We Know It? AI Is Starting To Change Everything.
The Rise of the Superworker: Understanding The Deep Impact of AI on Business
At the inflection of AI and HR: How we’re equipping employees for the AI era (by Mastercard)
This is a fascinating conversation with Josh Newman, the Global Head of People Strategy & Experience, at WPP. WPP, the world’s leading advertising agency, has around 110,000 employees and a fascinating agency-specific organization around the world. Josh explains the business and operating model for WPP, and how it became an $8.1 Billion market cap business.
Over the last year WPP’s board wanted to look at the workforce and find ways to improve productivity (“the Workforce Intelligence Project”). Josh explains how WPP took this sprawling, high-performance company and developed an enterprise-wide “work-design”, using its own AI and help from a new vendor Reejig, to understand what everyone was doing.
This effort enabled WPP to radically simplify its job families and prepare the jobs and roles for the company’s new AI platform, WPP Open. (As you’ll hear, WPP went from 60,000 job titles to fewer than 600 as the company streamlines operations for its new AI platform WPP Open.) This is work simplification at massive scale.
This kind of work is now essential to every company as we look for ways to embrace AI. And as you’ll hear, the WPP Workforce Intelligence project has helped people find new jobs, advance their careers, and better pinpoint HR investments in the right place. The end result will be a company with higher growth, profitability, innovation, and client service.
If you’re a business leader, HR professional, consultant, or CEO you should listen to this discussion. Josh describes precisely how they accomplished this transformation and explains how AI is “preparing WPP for AI.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to WPP and Its Role in the Future of Work05:36 Workforce Intelligence and Job Redesign Project10:23 Leveraging AI for Job Architecture and Efficiency15:05 Mapping Roles and Tasks for Enhanced Productivity20:18 The Concept of M-Shaped Workers25:11 Validating New Job Structures and Roles30:19 Business-Driven Workforce Intelligence and Its Impact35:06 Future-Proofing Organizations Through Continuous Learning
Additional Information
The Rise of the Superworker: Designing You Company for AI
The End of HR As We Know It? AI Is Starting To Change Everything.
Galileo Learn: The AI Professional Development Academy for Leaders
Recent comments from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei claims that we’ll have a “white collar bloodbath” in jobs and 50% of jobs are going away, leading to 20% unemployment. I believe this is completely incorrect, and in this podcast I explain why.
Tech leaders may have a distorted perspective because so much of their energies go into pure software development – there’s a much bigger positive effect happening. (The Superworker effect.)
Background
Why Entry Level Jobs Are Not Going Away
The Rise Of The Superworker
Axios story
This week I discuss Cornerstone Galaxy, the new, integrated version of Cornerstone, which includes Skyhive, Edcast, Grovo, Tailspin, and other technologies built in. As you’ll hear, Cornerstone is the largest enterprise learning platform company in the world and they’re getting very aggressive with bundling, pricing, and features.
At the same time I discuss the role of other competitors such as Docebo, Oracle, Workday, SAP, and the role of Sana and Galileo Learn (our new offering).
There’s lots more to discuss, please call us if you’d like help with your LMS | enterprise learning strategy and I urge to read our Revolution in Corporate Learning comprehensive study on how AI can totally reinvent your corporate learning, enablement, and skills strategy.
Additional Information
The Revolution in Corporate Learning (research report)
Galileo Learn – A Revolutionary Approach To Corporate Learning
This is a fascinating and essential podcast about leadership, AI, HR, and business transformation, featuring Tanuj Kapilashrami, the CHRO and Chief Strategy Officer of Standard Chartered.
In this conversation, Tanuj talks about the strategic direction of Standard Chartered Bank, her role as Chief Strategy and Talent Officer, and the importance of aligning organizational capabilities with business strategy. She discusses the transformation of work processes, the integration of AI, and the evolving role of HR in the banking sector. Tanuj explains the role of job architecture and the importance of skills in driving organizational success, and she also clearly explains the future role of the CHRO.
The CHRO role has risen tremendously in the last two decades. Tanuj is an inspirational example of a CHRO who has taken her experience in all areas of human capital management to become a powerful chief strategy officer, a career transition which will become much more common in the future. You will also hear how Tanuj views the AI transformation and how she puts a clear business focus on the AI strategy, moving far beyond AI as a tool to streamline HR.
(Listen to her discussion about AI in performance management and how the “AI Sandpit” works at Standard Chartered.)
Listen also to Tanuj’s focus on “plumbing,” as the foundation for business growth and transformation.
Takeaways
-
- Standard Chartered is a cross-border bank focused on emerging markets.
- The role of Chief Strategy and Talent Officer is crucial for aligning strategy with capabilities.
- Transformation should be a core part of the organizational DNA.
- Skills development must be integrated into work redesign.
- AI can enhance productivity across various job types.
- Job architecture needs to evolve with changing business needs.
- A centralized approach to AI strategy is essential for scalability.
- HR must embrace technology to remain relevant.
- Understanding the operational aspects of HR is critical for strategic success.
- Curiosity and continuous learning are vital for HR leaders.
Sound Bites
“Transformation is such an abused word.”“Skills come in at a work redesign level.”“Humans will lose out to other humans who use machines.”“AI cannot be empathetic as humans can be.”“Get comfortable as a team playing in the sand pit.”“It’s the plumbing that matters.”
Chapters
00:00 Overview of Standard Chartered Bank02:49 The Role of Chief Strategy and Talent Officer05:52 Aligning Strategy with Organizational Capabilities08:46 Transforming Work Processes and Skills12:07 Navigating Job Architecture and AI Integration14:56 AI Strategy and Implementation in Banking17:54 The Future of HR in the Age of AI21:13 Advice for Aspiring CHROs
Additional Information
Our New CHRO Insights Research
Yes, HR Organizations Will (Partially) Be Replaced by AI, And That’s Good
The White Collar Recession Is Real: What Should We Do About It?
The Rise of the Superworker: Reinventing Jobs, Careers, and Organizations
Welcome to Galileo Learn, the world’s first AI-native platform for all areas of corporate learning and professional development. And yes, Galileo Learn is also the new, dynamic version of The Josh Bersin Academy, and also your personal professional development coach. As the world’s first AI native platform for learning, Galileo Learn delivers an exciting new learning experience and the most dynamic, productive way to build content in the market.
And in an exciting new innovation, Galileo Learn connects directly to Galileo, the world’s AI Assistant for HR and Managers.
Read more here:
Buy Galileo Learn.
Learn more about The Revolution in L&D.
This week I dig into digital twins and AI and why I believe the “pedagogical” approach to corporate learning is going away. While we will always have educational programs in business, the L&D world is going in a wild new, positive direction. This podcast explains the forgetting curve, spaced learning, and what I call “the curiosity cycle” in business.
Does this mean “the death of courseware?” In some ways the answer is yes, so listen in.
Additional Information
Galileo Now Embedded Into ServiceNow and HiBob
The Mercury Release of Galileo Signals a New Era for Intelligent Agents
The White Collar Recession Is Real: What Should We Do About It?
A Revolution In Corporate Learning Begins, Join The Journey
In this episode we hear from Irena Flego Maric, Global Talent Acquisition Leader and HR Technology Strategist at Foundever, one of the largest customer service companies in the world. She describes how the company is transforming its highly demanding recruitment process with next-gen AI.
The company uses Maki People’s AI-powered solution to manage massive scale of hiring, sometimes recruiting 2,000 customer service reps over a weekend while handling millions of applications each month. And every candidate is assessed against the job.
Foundever uses Maki’s AI to create personalized, skills-based assessments that provide candidates realistic job previews, engaging candidates in the process. As you’ll hear, this kind of “skills-based assessment” creates a highly positive candidate experience, enabling Foundever to find the best candidates at enormous scale.
Additional Information
Maximizing the Impact of AI in the Age of the Superworker
Talent Acquisition at a Crossroads (Academy course)
Emerging Trends in Talent Acquisition: Factbook
This week I discuss the total re-engineering of HR and business software and why the “functional application” approach is going to be destroyed by workflow-oriented systems.
I apologize for the slightly awkward voice, I recorded this on a long walk this morning!
I discuss ServiceNow, Maki People, Galileo, Hubspot, Salesforce, HiBob, Workday, SAP, Paradox, and many other innovative systems.
Come to Irresistible 2025 in a few weeks to hear and see more!
Additional Information
Galileo Now Embedded Into ServiceNow and HiBob
The Mercury Release of Galileo Signals a New Era for Intelligent Agents
Podcast: The Galileo Inside Strategy
Q&A: Get Galileo for ServiceNow
Q&A: Get Galileo for HiBob
This week we announce the deep integration of Galileo, the world’s AI Assistant for HR, into ServiceNow (Now Assist) and the fast-growing HCM system HiBob.
This means you can now access Galileo in the flow of work.
Additional Information
Announcement Details
The Mercury Release of Galileo Signals a New Era for Intelligent Agents
Q&A: Get Galileo for ServiceNow
Q&A: Get Galileo for HiBob
This week, in advance of major announcements from us and other vendors, I give you a good overview of the AI Agent market, and discuss the new role of AI governance platforms, AI agent development tools, AI agent vendors, and how AI agents will actually manifest and redefine what we call an “application.”
I discuss ServiceNow, Microsoft, SAP, Workday, Paradox, Maki People, and other vendors. My goal today is to “demystify” this space and explain the market, the trends, and why and how your IT department is going to be building a lot of the agents you need. And prepare for our announcements next week!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to AI Agents and Market Trends02:55 Understanding Intelligent Agents and Their Applications05:48 The Role of Agents in HR and Business Workflows09:09 Agent Management and Governance Challenges11:46 ServiceNow’s Evolution and AI Integration15:06 The Future of Custom Agent Development17:55 Upcoming Events and Industry Insights20:46 The Impact of AI on HR and Workforce Dynamics
Additional Information
The Mercury Release of Galileo Signals a New Era for Intelligent Agents
The End of HR As We Know It (long read on AI’s impact on HR)
The Rise of The Superworker: Four Stages of AI Explainer Video
Microsoft Launches People Skills In Copilot, Altering The HR Tech Market
Irresistible 2025: Join Us (almost full)
In this episode of the WhatWorks podcast, Dara Engle, CHRO of ORIX USA, speaks with Kathi Enderes to explore the power of systemic HR in transforming a global organization.
Discover how Dara navigates the complexities of leading HR in a multinational context, leveraging her extensive experience to drive strategic alignment and transformation. From building resilient cultures to managing change in a fast-paced environment and coaching senior executives, Dara shares invaluable insights and advice for HR leaders and aspiring CHROs.
Additional Information
Systemic HR: The New Operating Model Designed for the Age of AI
In this week’s podcast I discuss my meetings with many companies in Europe about “how to rapidly implement AI” to improve productivity and scale. And every single company is being asked to do this now, some with very mature and sophisticated plans.
So the first question I ask is “how do we implement AI to improve the productivity of the company” and then “how do we also do this within HR?” Well now that we’re a few years into this journey, the land mines and lessons are becoming clear, and I discuss what’s going on in some of the largest companies in the world. And yes, everything you know about HR itself is changing at a rate I’ve never seen before.
The second question I discuss is “what is about to happen to Corporate Learning?” And in this case I walk through the large session I had at the L&D Tech conference and how radically L&D is about to be revolutionized. A big research report on this is coming soon, but in the podcast I discuss “the end of the publishing model” in L&D, and all that implies.
For those of you still a bit confused by AI and Agents in general, I urge you to Get Galileo, our ready-made AI assistant for HR. You’ll learn everything you need to know about agents and you’ll also have the world’s best “digital HR consultant” at your desk.
Come see us at Unleash Vegas or Irresistible over the next few weeks, and next week I’ll cover some more in-depth case studies I want to share.
Sound Bites
- “AI threatens the HR profession as we know it.”
- “Every employee is going to have their own large language model.”
- “We need to redesign the work to use AI.”
- “The AI push is forcing us to clean up our roles.”
- “AI can change 70 to 80% of the L&D process.”
- “This is a revolution, not a step change.”
Additional Information
Microsoft Skills Agent Disrupts the Skills Tech Market
The Mercury Release of Galileo Signals a New Era for Intelligent Agents
The White Collar Recession Is Real: What Should We Do About It?
This week I discuss this massive shift toward “AI-Native” applications and systems which are radically different from traditional HR Tech, with a particular focus on L&D. I also explain how new AI architectures are so completely different from our traditional types of HR platforms, and how vendors have to be more expansive with their thinking. Vendors here include Sana, Degreed, Docebo, CodeSignal, Arist, Uplimit, Eightfold, and many other pioneers to come.
(I recorded this on a walk today so it sounds like I’m outside, but hopefully you enjoy the new ideas here.)
I’m going to be diving into this at L&D Technology in UK this week and much more at Unleash Vegas the first week in May.
Additional Information
The Mercury Release of Galileo Signals a New Era for Intelligent Agents
A Revolution In Corporate Learning Begins, Join The Journey
Alfredo Thompson, Chief People Officer at Royal United Hospitals Bath, NHS Foundation Trust, talks with Kathi Enderes about how he is leading an end-to-end transformation of talent acquisition and onboarding for the Trust.
Built on principles of customer orientation and systemic HR®, the organization shifted recruitment from a compliance-oriented fulfillment center to a business growth function, using a combination of mindset shift, process redesign, technology enablement, and cross-functional collaboration.
The results are outstanding, significantly reducing the healthcare organization’s vacancy rates and increasing employee retention while also improving hiring manager and candidate satisfaction.
Additional Information
Emerging Trends in Talent Acquisition: Factbook
Talent Acquisition at a Crossroads
Systemic HR Overview
Transforming the NHS, by Sonia Mooney
This week I detail the whole story: how the $360 billion corporate learning market is being blown up by AI.
This tidal wave has now arrived, with every major company asking “how can I get rid of a third of my training department and deliver skills faster in the flow of work?”
What happens to the Chief Learning Officer? What happens to the LMS? Is Instructional Design going away? What happens to needs analysis? And What are the new jobs in L&D being created?
And in this new world, will we even call it “Learning and Development” any more?
In this podcast I explain the history, the new role of AI, and the ten top implications for L&D, training professionals, HR teams, and employees around the world.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to AI in Learning and Development03:01 The Business Landscape and AI’s Role06:04 The History of Learning and Development08:53 Challenges in Learning and Development11:45 The Future of Learning with AI15:05 Transforming Learning and Development Practices17:56 The Impact of AI on Corporate L&D Teams21:11 Redefining what L&D does24:06 Dynamic Learning Systems and AI Architectures26:48 A Fundamental Shift in Learning and Development Paradigms30:10 Don’t Get Caught In The Past
Additional Information
The Mercury Release of Galileo Signals a New Era for Intelligent Agents
A Revolution In Corporate Learning Begins, Join Us On The Journey
New Research: Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO
Artificial Intelligence in HR (Josh Bersin Academy)
The Rise of the Superworker: Delivering On The Promise Of AI
Introducing the Galileo Mercury Release: a new reasoning model, extensive new data and information from Lightcast, the Universal Competency Framework from SHL, and our first “consultant mode” feature, Intelligent Benchmarking.
Galileo is now the essential AI tool for HR professionals around the world. Get Galileo Today!
This week the economic environment changed, with new US reciprocal tariffs launched on 180 countries. The net impact, which is hard to predict, is lots of strategy discussions about manufacturing, redeployment of resources, price increases, and possible economic slowdown. In today’s podcast I explain what this means to you, as an HR leader or HR professional.
Additional Information
The White Collar Recession Is Real: What Should We Do About It?
The Rise of the Superworker: Reinventing Jobs, Careers, and Organizations
The Organization Design SuperClass (Certificate Program)
Systemic HR: The Lean, Mean HR Department
Jörg Dersch, CHRO at XPAY, joins Kathi Enderes to discusses innovation in HR and how CHRO’s can stay ahead. He also shares advice to CEOs about their role in HR issues.
He shares his journey into HR leadership and how HR leaders can become true strategic partners in their organizations. From navigating digital transformation to building business acumen, Jörg offers valuable insights into what it takes to succeed in today’s highly-innovative, tech-enabled HR landscape.
Jörg’s advice – “You own the company. Operate as if the company is your company”
XPay is a fintech company that offers various payment solutions, including international payments APIs, embedded payment solutions, and white-label payment card solutions, aiming to simplify and streamline payment processing for businesses.
Additional Information
New Research: Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO
CHRO Insights Research Report
CHRO Insights Benchmarking Survey
CHRO Insights Video (Youtube)
CHRO Insights Program Overview
What’s the solution to political, economic, and global conflict? It’s not more anger and competition, it’s kindness. In this podcast I try to convince you that Kindness, the act of listening, caring, and helping, is a real secret weapon.
Additional Information
The World Happiness Report (which proves that trust and social connections matter more than money)
Edelman Trust Barometer 2025: Crisis of Grievance
Kindness at Work: Our Research and UC Berkeley Research
Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World’s Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations (my book)
The Atlantic Article I mention
Today I wanted to briefly discuss the impact of US Tariffs on manufacturing talent. As many of you know, decisions about where to locate manufacturing are very big and very important. As you’ll hear, much of your company’s response may come down to talent and skills issues, since manufacturing skills are in short supply. I hope this conversation helps you think through the fast-changing economic issues our companies face.
Additional Information
New Certificate Program: Building A Skills Strategy That Works
Job Redesign Around AI: Work Intelligence Tools Arrive
Understanding Talent Intelligence: A Primer
How To Take A Pragmatic (and winning) Approach To Skills
Today I talk with Vijay Swaminathan, the CEO and co-founder of Draup, one of the most amazing data and insights providers in HR.
Vijay and his partner Vamsee Tirukkala were the original founders of Talent Neuron, a pioneer in talent planning. Now, with Draup, they’ve gone an order of magnitude beyond to build a data platform that identifies skills, technologies, competitors, labor market trends, and a myriad of financial and organizational data to help companies benchmark themselves, plan, hire, and prepare for AI transformation.
You’ll learn a lot about skills inference, workloads, and much more about the role of data and talent intelligence in all areas of HR. For more information on AI transformation, read some of the links below and sign up for our new Josh Bersin Academy course “Building a Skills Strategy That Works.”
Additional Information
New Certificate Program: Building A Skills Strategy That Works
Job Redesign Around AI: Work Intelligence Tools Arrive
Understanding Talent Intelligence: A Primer
How To Take A Pragmatic (and winning) Approach To Skills
In this podcast I describe the massive AI-powered revolution starting in corporate L&D, and give you some history, context, and a mandate for the future. This is based on a massive research program we’ve been doing for the last year and I’m now convinced that this entire $360 Billion market is going to reinvent itself.
Vendors mentioned include Sana, Uplimit, Docebo, Arist, CodeSignal, 360Learning, Cornerstone, LinkedIn, Microsoft, as well as Workday, SAP, and Oracle. This is a huge space so I can’t cover them all but we will be launching much more on the Corporate Learning Revolution in the coming months.
If you want to experience this revolution, join The Josh Bersin Academy and get Galileo because we’ll be exposing you to all this soon. If you’re a vendor and you want us to know about your fantastic innovations, please reach out here and we’ll talk with you.
As you’ll hear in the podcast, I see this as one of the most exciting applications of AI in the coming years, so stay tuned and join us in the revolution!
Additional Information
Learning in the Age of AI Benchmarking Study
A Revolution In Corporate Learning Begins, Join Us On The Journey
Please join me at the L&D Technology Conference on April 23 in London
Irresistible: The Global Conference for HR Leaders And Their Teams
Tigran Sloyan, CEO of CodeSignal, talks with Kathi Enderes about his company’s mission to transform skills assessment and development with AI. He shares insights from his experience at Google, where he recognized flaws in hiring practices that prioritize resumes over actual skills.
Tigran explains how CodeSignal evolved from technical skills assessments to AI-driven personalized learning. He emphasizes the importance of a skills-based approach and using generative AI to make skills development more engaging. And as you’ll hear, it’s now possible to assess an employee’s skills through conversational AI.
Additional Information
Definitive Guide to Dynamic Organizations
Building a Skills Strategy That Works
Why Are Some Companies More Dynamic Than Others?
Assess and Develop Your Skills in HR: The Global Capability Assessment
Everyone is talking about productivity, layoffs, and job redesign. In this week’s podcast I share much of what we’re learning in AI-based job design, all with a focus on productivity.
I discuss the role of Reejig, Gloat, Draup and the shift from “skills-based organization” strategies to “task and activity” redesign. And I also share my experiences with the “chainsaw” model of layoffs.
Additional Information
Busting Bureaucracy: Are Layoffs The Only Way To Go?
How To Create Talent Density
The Road To AI-Driven Productivity: Four Stages of Transformation
Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR
In this episode of the WhatWorks podcast, Caryn McGarry, CHRO of ICF, describes her journey to CHRO how she manages HR in a highly competitive professional services company. Caryn shares insights on the detailed nature of the C-suite partnership and how her unique career path contributes to her C-level business role today.
ICF is a large professional services company headquartered in Washington, DC with over 7,000 employees globally.
Additional Information
Why Is It So Hard To Be A Chief HR Officer (CHRO)?
New Research: Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO
Systemic HR Overview
How Systemic HR shapes TomTom’s Strategic HR Journey
After an intense week in Europe at an HR Technology conference, I want to share my deep perspectives on Trust, which is in very short supply these days. Not only do European leaders mistrust the US right now, the Edelman Trust Barometer shows that 2/3 of employees no longer trust the CEOs of their own companies.
In an effort to help you think this through, I share the three dimensions of trust and give you some important things to think about in your own career and in your role as an HR professional, leader, friend, or advisor to other leaders in your company.
Additional Information
2025 Edelman Trust Barometer: A Crisis of Grievance
Citizenship At Work: Dealing With Politics Inside and Outside The Company (podcast)
Corporate Citizenship Defined: Trust, Inclusion, and Responsibility
Giving Voice to Values: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy
After a long week of meetings about AI transformation with many companies, I want to highlight the big paradox we face. On one hand, AI is now seen as a proven, pragmatic solution to productivity, growth, and customer experience. So every company is pushing for AI transformations in every domain. But on the other hand, AI is also likely to eliminate many routine jobs, already leading to a white-collar recession. (White collar and college educated workers are having a hard time finding new jobs.)
How do we deal with this paradox? Listen in and I’ll tell you the story, and also explain how companies are redesigning their entire job architectures to accommodate the AI change.
Additional Information
First HR AI Success Metrics Beyond “Saving Time” Emerge from Josh Bersin Company Analysis
The Rise of the Superworker: AI Imperatives for 2025
Meet Galileo, your essential AI assistant for everything HR.
This week I summarize some of the hard-hitting AI transformation and productivity stories we’re hearing from clients, and I explain the various ways to approach these topics. I also discuss the surprising pushback on DEI and how workforce fear and stress has risen in our companies. All this leads to a new and important new role for HR leaders: driving and leading the push toward productivity and automation throughout the company.
And finally I try to give you some perspective on the Elon Musk DOGE work going on in Washington and how this impacts our business strategies.
Additional Information
Busting Bureaucracy: Are Layoffs The Only Way To Go?
New Research: Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO
Despite Political Firestorm, Diversity Investments Are Alive And Well
The Rise Of The Superworker: Delivering On The Promise of AI
Edelman Trust Barometer 2025
Resources For You
The Organization Design SuperClass (Josh Bersin Academy certificate program)
Elevating Equity: Comprehensive Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy
Get Galileo®, The Essential AI Assistant For Everything HR
This week I interview CEO of Arist Michael Ioffe, one of the most innovative entrepreneurs I’ve met. Michael and his team have built an astounding message-based learning platform that uses AI to build content, distribute content, and even do needs analysis.
For those of you who are L&D or learning geeks, you really need to listen to this podcast. Arist was developed for “learning in the war zone,” and that’s pretty much what business is like.
Additional Information
Experience Arist: HR Predictions and Imperatives for 2025 (Josh Bersin Academy – Free)
Autonomous Corporate Learning Platforms: Arriving Now, Powered by AI
The Rise of the Superworker: Delivering On The Promise Of AI
This week I share perspectives on the huge theme of “taking a chainsaw to bureaucracy” and improving productivity. Is it fair to “Blame the Workers” for the bureaucracy we face?
There is a growing trend toward strategic layoffs and workforce redeployment around AI, and this is just the beginning. But rather than blaming the workers for the problem, I suggest the problem starts at the top. When leaders over-hire, fail to clarify goals, and under-invest in strong leadership alignment, bureaucracy grows as a result.
Along our new theme of “Creating the Superworker Organization,” I try to explain a new way of thinking about this challenge, and push for CEOs and CHROs to take responsibility.
Additional Information
The Rise of the Superworker: Delivering On The Promise Of AI
New Research: Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO
The Road To AI-Driven Productivity: Four Stages of Transformation
“The moment your HR organization can be ‘replicated’ into another company, you’ve failed as a CHRO.”
In this podcast Arne-Christian explains why the CHRO is no longer an HR leader, but now a business transformation executive.
Arne-Christian describes his career path to becoming a CHRO, identifies the key behaviors and characteristics that helped him become a high-performing CHRO, and discusses the evolving role of the CHRO and how it can shape the journey to Systemic HR®. He also provides actionable guidance for rising HR leaders, current CHROs, and CEOs to create business impact.
If you’re a senior HR leader and would like to join our podcast, please reach out to us.
Additional Information
Why Is It So Hard To Be A Chief HR Officer (CHRO)?
New Research: Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO
CHRO Insights Research Report
CHRO Insights Benchmarking Survey
CHRO Insights Video (Youtube)
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
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
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
Read About Systemic HR in Action
In this conversation, I discuss three main topics: the battle in the chatbot space, the transformation of talent acquisition, and the 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.)
KeywordsDEI, 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, Chief People Officer, and Levi Loverkamp, Chief Workforce Planning Officer, who 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 HR04:10 Insights from a Massive Research Project on CHROs09:21 The Challenges of Moving into a CHRO Role16:06 The Complex and Multifunctional Nature of the CHRO Role21:53 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.)
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.
Chapters00:00 Introduction to Microsoft and their HR Function02:06 Building a Skills-Based Employee Experience05:34 Challenges of Skills Platforms in HR Technology10:38 Integrating AI Agents into Tools and Systems15:36 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.Keywordsemployee experience, employee engagement, case studies, operational aspects, training, inclusion, belonging, pay, benefits, employee activation, BBC, Schiphol, T-Mobile, AirBNB, Kaiser PermanenteTakeaways
- 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 InformationIntroducing Our New “AI in HR” Certificate CourseIntroducing Galileo™, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HRHR 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 InformationWhy Do Companies Hire Too Many People?HR Predictions for 2024: The Global Search For ProductivityAre 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 InformationThe Myth of the Bell CurveThe Dynamic Organization ResearchHR and HR Technology Predictions for 2024The 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 InformationHR Predictions for 2024: The Global Search For ProductivityIntroducing The Systemic HR™ InitiativeBuilding A Dynamic OrganizationCompanies 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 ResourcesHR Predictions for 2024: The Global Search For ProductivityAre Diversity And Inclusion Programs Going Away?The Predictions InfographicGet 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 InformationIs 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 ResourcesAre Diversity And Inclusion Programs Going Away?Conservatives Going After Corporate DEI Programs NextBill Ackman Letter re: HarvardElevating 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 InformationWorkplace Mental Health Has Become A Strategy For Business PerformanceThe Four-Day Work Week: An Idea Whose Time Has ComeThe Healthy Organization: Next Big Thing In Employee WellbeingCorporate 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 InformationHow To Execute The Four-Day Workweek (Harvard Business Review)Introducing Galileo™, The World’s First AI-Powered Expert Assistant For HRWhy 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 InformationOur New Research and Toolkit On The Four-Day WorkweekThe 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 InformationIntroducing 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 LooksUnderstanding 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 InformationCompanies Have Been Neglecting Their Leadership, And It ShowsThe Big Reset Playbook: Organizational Culture and Change AgilityThe 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 InformationSign Up for the Galileo™ Wait List (Corporate Members, you'll be receiving instructions.)Read About Features and Sana AIWatch 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 InformationWe Wasted Ten Years Talking About Performance Ratings. The Seven Things We’ve Learned.Performance Management Reimagined: Certificate Program In The Josh Bersin AcademyThe Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend, by Rob CopelandThe 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 ResourcesThe 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 PositiveBuilding 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 InformationIrresistible: 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 InformationSystemic HR: Introductory Video Presentation (From LinkedIn Talent Connect)The Strategic Business Partner: Certificate Course In The Josh Bersin AcademyWhy 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 info@bersinpartners.com - we look forward to talking with you.Additional Information - Certificate Courses on HR TechnologyThe HR Tech Workshop, Certificate Program By The Josh Bersin AcademyThe Learning & Development SuperClass: A New Certificate Program from the Josh Bersin AcademyAdditional Reading and ResearchThe Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming ClearWhy Microsoft Viva Skills Could Disrupt The HR Tech MarketLinkedIn Launches Exciting Gen AI Features in Recruiter and LearningSuccessFactors Delivers on HXM and The Promise of AIHere Comes “Workday AI”Understanding AI in HR: Research StudyThe Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming ClearPeople Analytics Evolved: Systemic Analytics Powered by AIBuilding 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 InformationThe Definitive Guide To Building A Dynamic Organization - new research and infographic to downloadBuilding the Dynamic Organization: Critical for the Post-Industrial Era - article by Kathi EnderesAvature 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 InformationSuccessFactors Delivers On The Promise of AIThe Learning & Development SuperClass: A New Certificate Program from the JBAWhy Microsoft Viva Skills Could Disrupt The HR Tech MarketLinkedIn Launches Exciting Gen AI Features in Recruiter and LearningHere 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 InformationThe Josh Bersin Academy: The World's Professional Development Center for HRIrresistible: 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 ResourcesWhy We Are Entering A Secular Labor ShortageThe Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming ClearDeep 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 productsRead our Talent Intelligence Primer for more detail.And read our AI in HR Deep Dive research to understand what's under the covers.
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:ResourcesHCM Platform Excellence: SAP, Oracle, Workday Implementations In DetailThe HR Tech Workshop, Certificate Course in The Josh Bersin AcademyThe HR Consultant Masterclass with Bill Pelster, The Most Popular Course in The AcademyThe Role Of Generative AI In HR Is Now Becoming ClearUnderstanding 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 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.
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 InformationIrresistible 2023: The Global Conference for HR Leaders and Teams (get your seat)Lightcast: The Switzerland Of The Global SkillsTech MarketAmazon 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 InformationMicrosoft's Massive Copilot AnnouncementsMicrosoft Build 2023: all the news and announcements from the developer conferenceMicrosoft Build 2023: Five Top AnnouncementsMicrosoft CTO Kevin Scott thinks Sydney might make a comebackMicrosoft 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 InformationIrresistible: The Seven Secrets of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused OrganizationsPacesetters: Lessons In Transformation From Leaders In Healthcare, Banking, and CPGWhy Is The World Afraid Of AI? The Fears Are Unfounded, And Here’s Why.Organization Design For The Post-Industrial AgeIntroducing 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 MarketplaceSeekOut 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 ResourcesTransform or Perish: Seven Winning Strategies Of The Pacesetters (Inc. Magazine)The Global Workforce Intelligence Project (Pacesetter Report)GWI Overview and MethodologyUnderstanding 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 ResourcesThe Definitive Guide To Pay EquitySolving the Complex, Important Pay Equity ProblemWellbeing Evolved: Building A Healthy OrganizationHow 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 InformationEdTech Is Going Crazy For AIWhat 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 IntelligenceSeekOut Brings GPT4 To Recruiters. Eightfold Launches Copilots For HR.Workday’s Response To AI and Machine Learning: Moving Faster Than EverYann 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 ResourcesRedesigning 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 AcademyThe 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 RecommendWhat 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 OrganizationsSeekOut Brings GPT4 To Recruiters. Eightfold Launches Copilots For HR.Workday’s Response To AI and Machine Learning: Moving Faster Than EverYann 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 ReadOpen AI Letter Asking For PauseHoward Schultz Testimony To Congress on Starbucks Union ActivityPew Research: How Americans View Their JobsThe 2023 Edelman Trust BarometerNew MIT Research Shows Spectacular Increase In White Collar Productivity From ChatGPTBill Gates Sees Generative AI As The Biggest Thing Since WindowsThe New York Times Still Worries AI Will Destroy Our LivesUnderstanding 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 ResourcesThe Role Of Generative AI And Large Language Models in HRWorkday’s Response To AI and Machine Learning: Moving Faster Than EverBill Gates Sees Generative AI As The Biggest Thing Since WindowsThe 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 ResourcesThe Role Of Generative AI And Large Language Models in HRWorkday’s Response To AI and Machine Learning: Moving Faster Than EverNew MIT Research Shows Spectacular Increase In White Collar Productivity From ChatGPTLinkedIn Announces Generative AI Features For Career, Hiring, and LearningMicrosoft 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 ResourcesAfter years in decline, is the gender pay gap opening up?Why The Gender Pay Gap Is StuckThe Role Of Generative AI And Large Language Models in HRNew MIT Research Shows Spectacular Increase In White Collar Productivity From ChatGPTWhat’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 ReadUnderstanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think (*updated)Were All These Layoffs Inevitable? Perhaps, But Here’s How It Happened.Predictions for 2023: Redefining Work, The Workforce, And HRAre We The Guinea Pigs For AI Tech Vendors?Who Should You Believe When AI Chatbots Go Wild?
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 InformationMy 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 HappenedIrresistible: 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 ResourcesUnderstanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think (*updated)Microsoft thinks AI can beat Google at search — CEO Satya Nadella explains whyGoogle is investing $300M in an OpenAI challenger that will take on ChatGPT while focusing on A.I. safetyOpenAI 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 ResourcesLabor 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 HRUnderstanding 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: 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) * More proof that Chat-GPT is immature and yes, it's biased * 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 LinksPredictions for 2023: Work, Workforce, and HRUnderstanding 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 2023Understanding HR Capabilities: Mandate for 2023 and Beyond
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 ResourcesChat-GPT: Try It Out YourselfChat-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 OpenAIGet 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.ResourcesA Skeptical Look at Chat-GPT by Ezra Klein and Gary Marcus2023 Predictions: Webinar (report to come)Why Employees Are Really Quietly Quitting, 4-day Workweek and MoreIrresistible: 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 GoingA New Strategy For Corporate Learning: Growth In The Flow Of WorkThe 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 ResourcesDoing 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 OrganizationsAccelerating Your HR Career: The Newest Course In The Josh Bersin AcademyThe 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 InformationHR Technology: What's Hot? What's Not? (Article)Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused OrganizationsFollow Us On LinkedInCheck Out The Josh Bersin Academy
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 InformationBanking Under Siege: The Secrets To Digital Success In Financial ServicesIntroducing The Global Workforce Intelligence ProjectRedesigning Jobs, Organizations, and WorkIrresistible: 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 of course how does that help our companies grow?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 ResourcesIrresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused OrganizationsHow To Build A Happy Life, by Arthur BrooksOur New Role: Bringing Kindness To Work
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 ResourcesThe Art And Science Of Irresistible Leadership, by Nehal NangiaProductivity Paranoia: The Leadership Challenge AheadJoin The Irresistible Leadership Research ProgramIrresistible: 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 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
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...
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...
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...
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 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,...
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...
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 is this happening” and “what can we do differently?” The answer is not just raising wages and improving employee experience: there’s something bigger going on.
Listen to this podcast as I explain the Global Workforce Intelligence Project and how every industry is changing faster than ever. Digital Transformation is the past – now we’re into a new wave of Industry Convergence. And this is why it’s getting so hard to hire… and is also the key to success in the future.
Additional Resources
Welcome to 2022: Too Many Jobs, Not Enough People
Predictions for 2022: Everything Is About To Change
Secrets To Recruiting In This Crazy Labor Market
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
Making or showing awareness of reference to oneself or to the activity that is taking place, especially in an ironic or comic way.
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.
Going beyond or higher, transcending. Metalinguistics, metacriticism.
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)
Over the last few years, we’ve seen unprecedented investments in HR Tech, Learning Tech, and SkillsTech. Analysts like HolonIQ and CBInsights believe more than $10 Billion has been invested in these markets and as I wrote about a few weeks ago, more and more HR tech companies are reaching Billion dollar valuations. And these valuations are real: public companies like Coursera, Workday, Docebo, and many others are achieving these valuations in the public market.
But at this time of highly frothy markets (the stock market is at an all-time high, driven largely by low interest rates), should you as a vendor keep taking more cash? Many CEOs tend to celebrate these fund raising events as if they are truly business achievements in themselves.
As I describe in this podcast, taking in a lot of investment capital is a great thing, but it has costs too. So at this particularly risky time in the stock market, I wanted to just talk about the risks. And yes, I”m a capitalist and feel very strongly about the value of capital and investors in the market. But for entrepreneurs and CEOs, remember that there is always a “cost of capital” to consider.
I also talk about the growth of “platform business models,” and why they are so powerful but not necessarily as easy as you think.
In this podcast I discuss the new SEC Human Capital Disclosure rules, why they’re important, and how government regulation as a whole is a force for good in business. While many government regulations are a headache, this one will have a lot of positive impact.
I also discuss the Biden Administration’s 72 new areas of “big business” competitiveness, how to build a strong People Analytics function, and the role of Conformity vs. Individuality in society.
And yes, it all fits together.
Resources:
SEC Human Capital Disclosures: Case Studies and Handbook
People Analytics: Ten Things You Need To Know (and maturity model)
Bank of America: The Academy Case Study
Bank of America’s Human Capital Report to Investors
PwC Guidance to SEC Reporting
Employee Experience: The Definitive Guide
Tim Wu: Who He Is And His Books
The Attention Merchants (Book I Recommend)
In this podcast, I detail our comprehensive research on EX and what’s really driving employee needs today. You’ll learn about the history of EX and learn about the role of culture, leadership, technology and HR in this massive business area.
Additional Resources:
Employee Experience: The Definitive Guide (The research study)
Employee Experience: The Definitive Guide (Infographic)
The Crusade For Employee Experience: How Did We Get Here?
Employee Experience 4.0: Shortening The Distance From Signal To Action
The Massive Impact Of Microsoft Viva
Employee Experience Platforms: A New Category Arrives
In this podcast, I share the eight key strategies to building a World-Class HR function, and also explain why this is a Journey, not a “project.” I also describe the 14 “Tribes” of HR and give you a little detail on how we build our HR Capability Project.
The eight strategies are:
- Professionalizing each role – focus on competence, goals, technology enablement, data
- Clear service delivery model – creating service centers, solution centers, employee self-service, and automation
- Design and innovation – creating design skills, product management skills, and iterative development in HR
- Professional development – implementing job rotation, an HR Academy, external voices, and business acumen
- Technology focus – creating HR Tech competence, architecture, market savvy, and close relationship with IT
- Employee experience – understanding roles, journeys, transitions, wellbeing, DEI, and all aspects of employee productivity
- COE optimization – having very strong world-class COEs in talent acquisition, development and mobility, rewards, talent, analytics
- Operating at a team – creating an integrated HR strategy, making sure people know each other, help each other, and rotate within and in and out of HR.
In the podcast, I also describe how our research now proves that “highly capable HR teams” directly correlate with the financial, talent, and customer performance in their respective business units.
This is a journey, and I hope this podcast helps you see the roadmap.
It’s getting harder and harder to hire people, and one of the reasons is people’s interest in just “taking a break” from the job they’re in.
What’s going on?
In this podcast, I discuss what’s going on in the job market and what you, as an employer, should do about it. I also discuss:
A) What is your employment brand and how do you “burnish” it?
B) How do you build a world-class recruiting function and why are recruiters more important than ever?
C) How do you better use data for recruiting and by the way, What is the Burning Glass – EMSI merger all about?
D) What are the two big approaches to Employee Experience and how do you make your company a truly “great” place to work?
E) What should you be doing about internal recruiting now that it’s harder than ever to recruit?
I also walk you through how Bank of America has reinvented its entire employee experience and what you can learn from John Jordan and his team. (Read the study here.)
Join me.
And make sure you read our “Post-Pandemic Research Reads!” Fresh off the presses from our amazing research team!
I don’t claim to be a leadership guru, but I’ve had a lot of experience working with senior leaders, studying leadership, running three fast-growing companies, and leading at big companies. Here are my ten principles, and they apply to you – regardless of your level, tenure, or role.
- Believe in the power of every individual
- Build a “we vs. I” mentality, focus on people helping each other
- Embrace humility, listen to others
- Create energy: inspire the team
- Make decisions consistently, find a framework and use it
- Understand all the stakeholders involved
- Respect and honor technology
- Love and study people
- Think like an economist
- Live with an abundance mindset.
And by the way, if you’re building a leadership program, here are two resources. First, Why Leadership Development Is Broken, and second Human-Centered Leadership, part of The Big Reset.
In this podcast, I go under the covers of JBA, The World’s Professional Development Academy for HR. After two years, forged by the Pandemic, the JBA has become “the global home for HR.”
Here are a few secrets:
- More than 30,000 HR professionals use the JBA every week, consuming two programs on average
- More than 400 global corporations now use the JBA for their HR teams, consuming 42 person-years of content
- JBA members come from more than 100 countries, and 60% are managers, senior managers, or directors
- Each JBA member communicates with 10 different members, creating tens of thousands of relationships
- The JBA is supported by 40 senior faculty who joined the JBA to mentor you
- More than 4,000 JBA members have taken the JBA Global Capability Assessment
- Academy members access 80 hours of certificate training and 500 curated learning resources, case studies, and tools.
- The JBA NetPromoter is higher than the NetPromoter of Apple!
And as I discuss in this podcast, we’ve also discovered something new.
HR capabilities are one of the most highly correlated contributors to Employee Experience. Read this article to get the details.
This is just the beginning. Join us!
In this podcast I talk about the six big changes coming this Fall, which I call The Calm Before The Storm. And it’s a lot more than Hybrid Work.
- The rapid economic growth and stormy, disrupted labor market
- The financial storm and likely change in financial, asset, crypto, and digital currencies
- The US Federal Government impact on the global economy, infrastructure, taxes, and job market
- New models of Pay and the disruption of pay models and refocus on employment brand
- The flattening of companies and mainstream adoption of marketplace models for work
- The SkillsTech market and how AI and inference engines have proliferated every part of business
- The WorkTech market and how HR Tech is now focused on experience management and creator tools
- The transformational new role of HR in this upcoming new economy and hybrid world of work
Hybrid Work is one of the hottest topics in business today. Is this really a good idea? Yes!
In this podcast, I discuss why Hybrid Work is a very good thing, and discuss the five issues to consider as you build a hybrid work strategy.
Resources:
The Joys of Hybrid Work: Ten Considerations
The Remote Work Bootcamp
Remote Work Is Here To Stay – But Harder Than You Think
HR Technology remains one of the fastest-growing and important parts of business. In this podcast I demystify this entire topic and give HR and business leaders the five most important things to know.
- Why is HR tech so important and why is the market growing so fast?
- Why is there such a big gap in HR Tech capabilities in the HR profession?
- How do you create an HR tech architecture and platform team?
- How do you select vendors and curate the right solutions?
- What is the role of data, AI, and analytics?
- How do you manage the cloud or outsourced market for HR Tech?
- What is the Creator Economy and how do you turn HR professionals into Citizen Developers?
As background to this podcast, read HR Technology 2021: The Definitive Guide.
While the post-pandemic economy grows, it’s now clear that the reduced fertility rate and accelerated retiring of baby boomers is leading to a labor shortage. While this seems new to many of you, it has happened before. In this podcast, I explain what Talent Acquisition is going to look like, and how new business strategies are needed.
For more information on all these topics, read our Big Reset research studies. And join our Research Membership so your company can join the conversation.
Business and HR leaders are going through a frenzied focus on skills. As the job market gets competitive and employees come back to new jobs, every company wants to upskill or reskill its people.
For vendors, it’s a red hot marketplace. Vendors from LinkedIn and Microsoft to Coursera, Udemy, Degreed, Cornerstone, and Workday are investing here, and massive investments are coming from SAP, SkillSoft and many more.
What is a “skills taxonomy” anyway and what should companies do? Is this just a market of buying lots of training or is there a whole new way? In this podcast I explain what #skillstech is all about and what companies can do to leverage this innovative new domain.
Read more about The War for Skills Clouds.
The global labor market has gone through a massive change. Remote work, automation, and a huge increase in job and career mobility has arrived, coupled with one of the fastest growing economies in decades. What are you going to do about it?
In this podcast I explain what’s going on and show how the new practices of internal mobility, gig and contract recruiting, capability development, and diverse and inclusive recruiting are mandates for business success ahead. And I show you how Bank of America, Wegman’s, Ashley Furniture, and other exciting companies are way ahead of these issues.
Read more on this topic in my latest article, which includes graphics describing these changes.
This podcast is a 45-minute overview of all the major trends in the HR Technology Market, which you can view at the HR Technology Spring 2021 conference. The details behind this will be available in the HR Technology 2021 Definitive Guide on Kindle, and the PDF version will be available to JBA Members in a few weeks.
There is a lot going on, but the big theme you’ll hear about is HR Technology platforms shifting from Systems of Record to Systems of Engagement to Systems of Experience to Systems of Design.
Understanding the Skills of the Future is a massive effort around the world. In this podcast, I unravel this complicated problem and explain the difference between competencies, skills, and capabilities. As you’ll hear, this is a critical topic and one that warrants a strategic business focus.
Then I introduce our big new project, The Global HR Capability Project. In this section, I explain what we’ve done in the Josh Bersin Academy to understand, unlock, assess, and develop the skills of the future in HR. You can read all about it in our new whitepaper, listen in and please join us in this global effort!
Microsoft Viva could play a massive role in the HR Technology landscape. Given all the other deals taking place in this market, how disruptive can Viva become, and could it reshape the entire Employee Experience market? The answer may be yes, and here is my thinking.
For more information on this, please read my article “The Massive Impact of Microsoft Viva.”
We just finished one of the most difficult and divisive political periods in our lives. What can we, as business and HR leaders, learn from this? In this podcast I discuss how to deal with politics at work, and also the broader issue of our own role as citizens. And I discuss why we, as business and HR leaders, play an enormous role in the political and economic lives of our constituents.
In this podcast I discuss the tremendous importance of Public Health in the Workplace. Learn how the disciplines of Public Health are now part of the Employee Experience, and how Public Health teaches us about the safe workplace, culture, return to work, and the long term resilience of our organizations. Yes, Public Health is now a vital capability in HR.
More resources below:
Public Health: A New Imperative For HR The Big Reset Playbook: What’s Working Now, Josh Bersin Academy
The Remote Work Bootcamp, Josh Bersin Academy
Resilient HR, Josh Bersin Academy, developed in partnership with Accenture
Voice, Values, and HR, Josh Bersin Academy
Business Resilience: The Best Practices in Pandemic Response, Josh Bersin Academy
The last four years of the Trump Administration have taught a lot about leadership. In this podcast I summarize some of the big lessons and why care, trust, and followership are among the most important leadership qualities of all. I also dig in and explain why PowerSkills represent the leadership behaviors of the future. (PS. Part of the message is the Great Politicians are not necessarily Great Leaders, but some are.)
The Big Tech (Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google) now make up 30% of the S&P 100 and 23% of the S&P 500. The Congressional Report on High Tech is comprehensive and important to read. In this podcast I discuss the report and highlight four things: * What is the role of business in society? * Why have these companies become so important and possibly dangerous? * What can we learn about the leadership and culture of large organizations? * What will be the impact of these companies on society, the economy, and trust?
My analysis in writing here.
Read the report itself here.
We thought the Pandemic was a public health crisis, but it's really much more. We have a whole new economy. In this podcast I talk about the four dimensions of The Pandemic Economy, which will give you insights for the year ahead.
The newest theme in business is to create a sense of "belonging" - the feeling of being included, respected, and fully involved in the company, team, or organization. After conversations with more than 40 Diversity and Inclusion leaders, here are my thoughts on why Belonging is the key to figuring this out. Read this article for the various frameworks and examples.
Reference Materials Why Diversity has become a business priority.
The value of belonging at work, in HBR
Women in the Workplace 2019, by McKinsey
Introducing People Success: Helping People Be their Best and Do their Best at Work, Glint
Why Inclusive Leaders Are Good for Organizations, and How to Become One.
The Trouble with Gender Targets
Dobbin, F., & Kalev, A. (2016, July-August). Why diversity programs fail: And what works better. Harvard Business Review, 94(7-8), 52-60.
Toward a systemic and inclusive framework. In B. M. Ferdman & B. R. Deane (Eds.),
Diversity at work: The practice of inclusion (p. 3–54). Jossey-Bass. https:// doi.org/10.1002/9781118764282.ch1
Plaut VC1, Garnett FG, Buffardi LE, Sanchez-Burks J. (2011) “What about me?” Perceptions of exclusion and whites’ reactions to multiculturalism.
Macdonald G1, Leary MR. Psychol Bull. 2005 Mar;131(2):202-23. Why does social exclusion hurt? The relationship between social and physical pain.
Why rejection hurts. https://www.edge.org/conversation/naomi_eisenberger-why-rejection-hurts Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2007).
A question of belonging: Race, social fit, and achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(1), 82–96. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.1.82 https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.92.1.82
Fear of Being Different Stifles Talent. https://hbr.org/2014/03/fear-of-being-different-stifles-talent
Shore, L.M., Randel, A.E., Chung, B., Dean, M.A., Ehrhart, K.H., Singh, G. (2011). Inclusion and diversity in work groups: A review and model for future research. Journal of Management, 37.
Making it safe: the effects of leader inclusiveness and professional status on psychological safety and improvement efforts in health care teams, Ingrid M. Nembhard Amy C. Edmondson
Value Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity for All, by Workday
It's August and we've learned a lot about the Pandemic. The four big lessons and how to prepare for Fall and Winter.
Diversity, inclusion, fairness, Black Injustice - all unsolved problems in society. As you think about the D&I agenda, consider a big topic: Unity. How do we bring the organization into a unified whole?
Employee Engagement is at an all-time high - yet the Pandemic rages out of control. What's going on? Employers have taken a whole new focus on workers, one which will surprise you.
The Coronavirus has created a lot of problems: unemployment, health, political fighting, and income inequality. But there are positives too. In this podcast I highlight ten positive things that are coming from the Pandemic, and many of these will last for years to come.
Injustice to Black Americans has raised the need for citizenship in business. It's all about trust in our institutions, and trust is made up of competence, ethics, and listening. How can you apply these principles to your organization?
Understanding Cornavirus Now: The Big Reset Revisited. Now that we go back to work, let's revisit how remote work and the economy have been permanently changed. And safely coming back to work.
The Talent Marketplace is one of the most exciting innovations in business and HR. What is it and why is it so important, especially now?
Remote Work or Work at Home (WAH) is the new craze. Will this really be the permanent new way of work? Not quite. But it's working well.
How do you build resilience - as an organization and individual? Lessons from the military and the world of positive psychology.
The COVID-19 Economy is different - built on trust, safety, and values. As hard as it has been, we're in the middle of an economic transformation - one that impacts every business and all our home and business lives.