Author: joshbersin

Understanding The Tech Layoffs. Could They Have Been Prevented?

Time to talk about layoffs, a topic nobody likes. And while you may consider layoffs a “case of bad management,” let me convince you otherwise. In some sense they’re just a fact of life, and often we simply need them. Here is my argument.

The Growth Cycle Of A Business

Companies, like people, go through ... Read more»

The Growing Role Of Pay In Employee Experience and Business Performance

For the last three years we’ve been worried about burnout, mental health, and work life balance during the pandemic. This week a new issue has emerged. A new Mercer study of employee sentiment found that pay has suddenly become the number one factor in satisfaction at work.

When asked “what keeps workers up at ... Read more»

The Story Behind The Book: Irresistible, Launching Now

This week we officially launch Irresistible, a book that has been in development for more than seven years. It’s a leadership, management, and HR book filled with stories, tips, and best practices from years of my research, consulting, and meetings with business leaders around the world. (News release here.)

Let me tell ... Read more»

Cornerstone Makes A Play To Dominate The Skills Platform Market

This week was the week of Cornerstone’s global user conference, entitled Limitless: Unlocking the Potential of your Workforce. And for the first time, users get to see what the new Cornerstone is all about.

Let me first say that I’ve been working with Cornerstone from the beginning, when the company was a scrappy LMS ... Read more»

Career Pathways: An Innovation That Could Transform The Economy

We just released new research on Career Pathways, a bold corporate innovation that creates non-linear career paths for workers with any education. This approach, which has been pioneered by companies like Walmart, Amazon, Mercy BonSecours, and others, has the potential to transform jobs, companies, and the economy. (More details here.)

But first, ... Read more»

Productivity Paranoia: The Design Challenge Ahead.

Last week Microsoft’s Work Trend Index discovered a profound problem at work: while 87% of employees believe they are highly productive, only 12% of CEOs agree.

This is a staggering finding. While employee work harder than ever, CEOs simply do not believe it.

Microsoft believes this is a symptom of hybrid work, but I ... Read more»

We Are Becoming A PowerSkills Economy

Everyone keeps talking about the economy these days. Interest rates are rising, inflation feels out of control, and there’s a hint of recession in the air. Yet job growth remains strong and unemployment is low. What’s really going on?

After years of study and hundreds of conversations with business leaders, I’ve come to a ... Read more»

Microsoft Announces Major Expansion Of Viva, and CEOs Need To Lighten Up.

If there’s one thing you can say about Microsoft, this is a company that can execute. Since the introduction of Microsoft Viva in early 2021, the company has more than doubled down on its Employee Experience Platform strategy, with a flurry of new announcements this week.

Let me start by saying that Microsoft, at its ... Read more»

The Healthcare Industry Has A Talent Crisis: We Found The Cure.

We just completed a massive study of the talent and HR challenges in healthcare, and the findings are astounding. And there is a lot to learn from this industry.

To start, you should understand that healthcare is now the largest industry in the United States. Almost 14% of the American workforce serves in this ... Read more»

SuccessFactors

SAP SuccessFactors Launches Its Biggest Release In A Decade

In a flurry of new HR Tech products released this week, one definitely warrants attention. SAP SuccessFactors, the largest HCM vendor in the world, introduced its most significant release in a decade. While it doesn’t have a specific name, I call it SuccessFactors Next-Gen HCM.

Here’s what it’s all about.

As most of you ... Read more»

The Confusing Job Market: CEOs and CHROs Seem Baffled

We have entered one of the most confusing job markets in decades. While the unemployment rate continues to drop (3.5% here, 2.4% in Japan), companies are also worried about the slowdown. So they’re “hiring” and “laying off” simultaneously. What a confusing time.

Consider the following data, taken from a recent PWC pulse survey among ... Read more»

A New Strategy For Corporate Learning: Growth In The Flow Of Work

The corporate training industry is over $320 billion in size and growing in importance every day. Companies are struggling with employee retention, transformation, and challenges with hybrid work while technologies and industries change faster than ever. How can CEOs and CHROs keep up? The answer is very clear: build an enterprise capability in learning, capability ... Read more»