So You Want To Be A Chief HR Officer? Why It's Harder Than It Looks

Arist Pioneers AI-Driven Autonomous Learning In The Flow Of Work: 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: Beco by The Josh Bersin Company

28 min listen

Chatbot Architecture: MS Copilot, Joule, Galileo™, and The Future of L&D: 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 by The Josh Bersin Company

20 min listen

A New, Transformed Role For The HR Business Partner: 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 Overvi by The Josh Bersin Company

22 min listen

How To Globalize Quickly? Globalization Partners Explains The EOR Market.: 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) by The Josh Bersin Company

23 min listen

Citizenship At Work: Dealing With Politics Inside and Outside The Company: 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; behavi by The Josh Bersin Company

22 min listen

Irresistible 2024 Recap, Cornerstone Acquires Skyhive, The Emergence of Talking AI Assistants: 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 by The Josh Bersin Company

27 min listen

Inside Microsoft HR's Skills Strategy: A Lesson In Innovation & Investment: 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. Takeaways Microsoft is a role model for HR, with an innovative and experimental approach. They are leveraging the Microsoft Graph to gather skills and HR data for better decision-making. Viva Skills and Eightfold are being used to build a skills infrastructure and provide personalized recommendations. Microsoft is integrating AI agents like Galileo into the Microsoft Copilot, showcasing the importance of AI in HR. Companies need to develop their own AI strategies to stay competitive in the evolving HR technology landscape. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Micros by The Josh Bersin Company

21 min listen

ServiceNow Goes Crazy For AI, Talent Intelligence Goes Enterprise, And Workday Gets Beat Up In The Press: 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 i by The Josh Bersin Company

26 min listen

Rethinking Employee Experience: Lessons from The BBC and Schiphol Airport: This conversation explores the concept of employee experience and its evolution from employee engagement. The case studies of the BBC and Schiphol Airport demonstrate innovative approaches to creating inspiring employee experiences. The discussion emphasizes the operational aspects of employee experience, including training, inclusion, belonging, pay, and benefits. It also introduces the concept of employee activation, where employees are empowered to make local changes to improve their work experience directly. Keywords employee experience, employee engagement, case studies, operational aspects, training, inclusion, belonging, pay, benefits, employee activation, BBC, Schiphol, T-Mobile, AirBNB, Kaiser Permanente Takeaways Employee experience is a more expansive and refreshed approach compared to traditional employee engagement. Understanding the specific needs and experiences of different employee groups by The Josh Bersin Company

27 min listen

Here Come The CoPilots! Microsoft Earnings, and Enterprise AI Is Next.: 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 by The Josh Bersin Company

27 min listen

Why I’m Bullish On Workday: News From The Innovation Summit: 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? by The Josh Bersin Company

25 min listen

The Dawn Of A New Era In Learning & Development. Where Is This Going?: 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 by The Josh Bersin Company

23 min listen

Yes, AI Is Even Smarter And More Disruptive Than We Thought: 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 by The Josh Bersin Company

11 min listen

Hot Jobs Report Shows A New Economy And Why CHROs Are Key To Growth: 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. by The Josh Bersin Company

17 min listen

Conversational AI Disrupts HR Tech. Adam Godson, CEO of Paradox.: 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 by The Josh Bersin Company

34 min listen

Lynda Gratton, Professor at London Business School, And I Discuss How Life and Work Have Changed: 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) by The Josh Bersin Company

36 min listen

The Pragmatic Approach To Skills - Bonus Episode: 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.) by The Josh Bersin Company

22 min listen

Surprising Results From The World Happiness Report: What It Means To You: 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 by The Josh Bersin Company

26 min listen

Why The 4-Day Week? Because 33 Year-Olds Now Run The World.: 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 by The Josh Bersin Company

24 min listen

Business Change Has Changed: Why Talent Density & Diversity Matter: 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! by The Josh Bersin Company

22 min listen

M&A In HR Tech and Implications Of The Workday-HiredScore Deal: 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 by The Josh Bersin Company

21 min listen

The Wakeup Call To Colleges: A Growing "Worthlessness" Of Degrees: 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 po by The Josh Bersin Company

18 min listen

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

32 min listen

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

21 min listen

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

23 min listen

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

25 min listen

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

20 min listen

Employee Activation: An Essential Big Idea For 2024: This week I introduce a big idea: Employee Activation. This idea, which comes from important work we're doing with Medallia, shows you how to move "beyond engagement" to a whole new world of employee listening and action-taking based on feedback. In the new world of labor shortages, high turnover, unions, and general employee stress, Employee Activation might be the big answer. Here's a definition: “Employee Activation means designing the company so that managers, line executives, and employees can adjust, change, and redesign work around worker’s needs, suggestions, and demands.” (This week's podcast was recorded on a walk, so I apologize for some of the "animal sounds" in the background) Additional Information Is DEI about to DIE? Welcome to The Post-Industrial Age (Labor shortages as far as the eye can see) Why AI Projects Are More Like Traditional IT Projects Than You Think by The Josh Bersin Company

14 min listen

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

19 min listen

The Big Stories Of 2023 and What To Expect In 2024: 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. by The Josh Bersin Company

24 min listen

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So You Want To Be A Chief HR Officer? Why It's Harder Than It Looks

So You Want To Be A Chief HR Officer? Why It's Harder Than It Looks

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