The Josh Bersin Company

Josh Bersin
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Insider Insights on Corporate Talent, Learning, and HR Technology, with analyst perspectives, executive interviews, and in-depth vendor analysis.

  1. 1D AGO

    Important Issues Of Leadership, Trust and Culture Behind Big AI Companies

    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   Chapters (00:00:00) - The Human Side of Building AI(00:02:40) - Microsoft and the Human Side of AI(00:10:59) - The culture of startups(00:17:57) - NVIDIA and the future of tech

    20 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Why Microsoft Could Outpace Anthropic and OpenAI In Enterprise 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   Chapters (00:00:00) - Why Microsoft Is the Leader in AI(00:02:41) - The Future of AI: No One Model(00:09:52) - Microsoft's Work IQ and the Context Layer(00:21:01) - SANA vs. Microsoft: How Microsoft Will Win

    21 min

  3. APR 10

    The Context Layer (Semantic Layer) In Enterprise AI (And Where Business Rules Go)

    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   Chapters (00:00:00) - What is the Business Rule(00:07:41) - ServiceNow, Business Rules Integration

    13 min
  4. The Frontline Conversation: Very Different Types of Frontline Workers

    APR 9 ·  VIDEO

    The Frontline Conversation: Very Different Types of Frontline Workers

    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 Chapters (00:00:02) - Frontline Conversation(00:07:40) - The Importance of Qualifications in Your Sales Pitch(00:09:12) - Employment Segmentation(00:10:24) - Training costs of the logistics industry(00:14:01) - How to Find and Retain Talent in Healthcare(00:14:41) - One Restaurant Group's Shift From Part-Time Work to Full Time(00:17:13) - Discussing Full-Time vs Part-Time Jobs(00:18:14) - Josh Ferson(00:19:51) - The Future of Segmentation in Business

    22 min

  5. APR 6

    HR 2030 - The Vision for Agentic Human Resources

    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   Chapters (00:00:00) - HR 2030: The AI revolution(00:06:13) - Human Capital Management: Rules and Cultural Rubrics(00:17:59) - WSJD. HR 2030: The challenge

    20 min

  6. APR 3 ·  VIDEO

    How ServiceNow Is Building the Agentic Future of 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 Chapters (00:00:03) - What Works: Systems Thinking(00:00:41) - ServiceNow CEO on the Company's Transformation of HR Using AI(00:02:19) - WSJD Live: ServiceNow's AI-Powered HR Function(00:05:41) - Six Pillars of the AI Revolution at ServiceNow(00:08:48) - How Galileo is helping HR professionals be more strategic(00:11:14) - How ServiceNow Is Bringing AI to HR(00:14:44) - What specific skills do you need in your role around AI(00:15:51) - WSJD: The HR Organization of the Future(00:20:28) - WSJDLive: The AI and HR Transformation(00:22:44) - WSJD Live: AI and HR Transformation(00:24:24) - What Works in HR: Brandon Roberts & ServiceNow's Galileo

    25 min

  7. APR 2

    Why Being "Laid Off" By An AI Agent Could Be A Good Thing

    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 Chapters (00:00:00) - The Way Companies Are Layoff(00:09:18) - The AI Talent Mobility Agent

    12 min

  8. MAR 28

    What Does "AI-Literacy" Really Mean?

    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.) Chapters (00:00:00) - Advocacy of AI literacy(00:01:26) - Six Rules of AI Training(00:08:53) - Pacesetter: Trust, Security, and Legal Risk

    15 min
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About

Insider Insights on Corporate Talent, Learning, and HR Technology, with analyst perspectives, executive interviews, and in-depth vendor analysis.

Information

  • Creator
    Josh Bersin
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    347
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 JOSH BERSIN
  • Show Website
    The Josh Bersin Company

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