Josh Bersin

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 a...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. BrightHorizon...

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 ac...

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...

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 M...

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 Econom...

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&#82...

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

In this podcast, I “spill the beans” on all the major trends in HR Technology for 2023  I’ll be detailing this in my 75 minute keynote at the HR Technology Conference in September .  In this session I talk about: The growth of the HR Tech market and “the best stock in HR technology” The new HR Tech architecture Why investors are changing their strategy in HR Tech How...

In this podcast I discuss the huge, exciting, and brutally competitive market for HR Technology. With the big conference coming up soon, I wanted to give you a sense of how complex this market can be, and how some vendors thrive and others fail to achieve their potential. I list a lot of vendors here, and in every case these are innovative, creative companies run by amazing entrepreneurs. Some suc...

In this podcast, I discuss our groundbreaking new research on corporate training, Growth in the Flow of Work . After almost a year of research and study of 1000+ companies, we evaluated more than 90 business practices that drive business impact. After a detailed analysis of the findings, the results are clear: it’s time for corporate L&D to focus on growth: career mobility, skills adjace...

It has been a crazy year so far, as inflation and recession worries abound. In this podcast I will try to demystify what’s going on and give you what I believe is your mandate as an HR leader or HR professional in the mess of information coming your way. Additional Information It Doesn’t Look Like A Recession To Me Be Careful With The Layoffs How Do You Build an Irresistible Company?  ...

As I read about the latest Supreme Court decisions, realizing how many people feel “ignored” by our government, I wanted to give you some solace. Despite the often-dysfunctional nature of our public policy systems, companies can be very fair, diverse, and inclusive. In this podcast I discuss the “real secrets” to diversity and inclusion, with a clear distinction about what...

Coming off our Irresistible Conference , I want to highlight the big idea: making your company Irresistible by Design. In this podcast I overview the concept and give you some stories to help you understand this idea. In today’s world of economic change, rapid technology change, war, inflation, and many other uncertainties, there is one business strategy that works: designing your company ar...

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 economic slowdown yet, it’s pretty clear it’s coming, so it’s a good time to get ready. Should you continue to raise wages? Hire like crazy? Spend money on tools and systems...

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 for all of us. Yes, business leaders have a responsibility to society, but their #1 mission is to “get good things done.” And, like Ben Franklin years ago, Elon has a...

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 “burned out.” In this podcast I describe what’s going on, and why you have to totally “rethink” the idea of Employee Engagement or Employee Experience. And I give you the five ne...

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 “open up” the architecture for growth, adaptability, and scale. It’s pretty important stuff and shows how the company is rapidly adapting to change, with a target to hi...

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 to recruit, and the big secrets to recruiting with excellence. For more information please look at our new research and the JBA program Talent Acquisition at a Crossroads . Additional Resour...

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 core HCM platform in the background. Additional Information HR Technology Disruption: EX Is The New Core The Definitive Guide To Employee Experience Oracle Introduces Employee Journeys: The EX Market Ge...

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 perhaps the most important topic of all: how we design jobs, teams, and organizations. After a year studying this topic we’ve unlocked the secrets, and in this podcast,...