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)

In this podcast I want to talk about Jamie Dimon’s recent town-hall at JP Morgan Chase. He describes his frustration with remote work, bureaucracy, and lack of productivity in vivid language. As you’ll hear from my comments, I have 100% sympathy for his feelings, but the answer is not as simple as forcing people into the office or laying off 10% of the workforce.

Stay tuned I promise you’ll learn something. This is a problem in job design, culture, middle management roles, and overly complex job architecture. And we’re witnessing this precise situation with layoffs at Salesforce, Workday, Meta, and other fast-growing companies.

Additional Information

New Research: Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO

Understanding Organization Design

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR

In this week’s podcast I introduce our new research on the important and fast-changing role of CHRO, or Chief People Officer.

Over the last decade this role has exploded in scope and importance, leaving many CEOs and CHROs working to keep up. After a year of research studying the career history and performance of more than 20,000 senior HR leaders, I explain how the role has changed and share our new research on the backgrounds, experiences, and capabilities of the world’s leading Chief HR Officers.

If you’re a senior HR leader, please join our benchmarking survey to learn more.

Additional Information

New Research Unlocks Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO (article)

CHRO Insights Research Report

CHRO Insights Benchmarking Survey

CHRO Insights Video (Youtube)

This week I discuss the rapid evolution of AI Agents in the Enterprise, and how they’re starting to replace billions of dollars of legacy enterprise software. It won’t happen overnight, but using our four-stage model, companies are rapidly looking at ways to use AI platforms to assist, automate, and integrate business workflows in ways that ERP and HCM systems failed.

(PS: this disruption is why Workday and Salesforce just had layoffs.)

The four stages are discussed in The Rise of the Superworker. And you can get all the details in Galileo.

Additional Information

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

The AI Trailblazers! HR Technology Outlook 2025.

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR

Lloyds Banking Group, the largest bank in the UK, is undergoing a £3 Billion business transformation focused on enhancing customer experiences, integrating products and services, and leveraging technology to improve service delivery.

Holly Quincey, Chief Talent Officer, describes the company’s accompanying talent transformation, particularly its skills-based hiring strategy.

Talent Acquisition: This includes bringing executive hiring and leadership development in-house, saving millions. A program called “Prescient” was developed for the top 340 leaders, incorporating tools like Hogan and Raven assessments, 360 feedback, and external benchmarking to build leadership capabilities and align with future skills needs.

Cultural Transformation: Lloyds is shifting from siloed thinking to a more collaborative, customer-obsessed, and growth-oriented culture. This involves fostering a mindset where the bank sees itself as a tech company that does banking, rather than a traditional bank with good technology.

Recruitment and Workforce Planning: The recruitment function was remodeled in 2024, with a focus on reducing agency dependency and aligning talent acquisition with strategic workforce planning. This included hiring leaders with experience in campaign hiring and demand planning.

Financial and Operational Impact: The transformation has already generated significant financial savings, including £20 million in 2024 alone from in-house initiatives like talent acquisition and leadership development. The organization continues to hire thousands annually while embedding innovation and efficiency across its operations.

This WhatWorks interview will give listeners the inspiration to “think big” in your end-to-end talent transformation strategy.

Additional Information

Leadership Development Insights,

Human-Centered Leadership, Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Why Are Some Companies More Dynamic than Others?

Change and transformation is the theme for 2025. 53% of CEOs believe their company will not exist in ten years, with iconic brands like Starbucks, Boeing, Nike, Intel, Southwest, and Target going through turnarounds. And 93% of CEOs believe AI will totally transform their operating model. (PwC CEO Survey.)

At the same time we’re witnessing a massive “change management” push in the US Federal Government, driven by 200+ executive orders and other communications. The big issue i discuss is “will this form of change even work?” Do “Executive Orders” help people understand and embrace mandates for change?

While political change is not the right model for business, I want to point out how risky this approach may be. Putting aside political issues themselves, I think we’re about to learn a big lesson on “how to create enduring change.” Yes, sometimes things have to happen fast, but in most cases culture is built over years and individuals must be included in the process.

And that goes for AI transformation too, as I discuss in the podcast.

If you want to learn more about the topic of change, I encourage you to check out our Josh Bersin Academy program “Change Agility.”

And please read my book Irresistible, which is now one of the highest rated business books on Amazon.

Additional Information

Despite Political Firestorm, Diversity Investments Are Alive And Well

The Rise Of The Superworker: Delivering On The Promise of AI

Elevating Equity: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Get Galileo®, The Essential AI Assistant For Everything HR

Jim Hemgen, Director of Talent Development at Booz Allen Hamilton, talks with Kathi Enderes about how the company creates validated skills across hundreds of domains, including AI.

This success story defines the journey for every company. Using skills validation provided by Workera, and content from Udemy and HackerRank, Booz Allen has created a highly trusted, validated skills process that credentials employees in a trusted and verified manner. And Jim explains how he works with these vendors to put together a powerful, working solution.

As you’ll hear, the key to success is engaging managers (and employees) to encourage learning and focus on the most important new skills. Jim also describes how story-telling and rewards contribute to the company’s success in ongoing skills development. Today more than one third of Booz Allen staff have completed validated credentials for their career.

Sign up today for our newest course “Building a Skills Strategy that Works,” filled with case studies and a step-by-step guide to skills-based learning, recruiting, development, and career management.

Additional Information

How To Take A Pragmatic (and winning) Approach To Skills

The Rise of the Superworker: Delivering On The Promise Of AI

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR

In this conversation, I discuss the DEI firestorm, the evolution and current state of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the corporate world, the alarming decline in trust towards businesses, and the necessity for companies to reinvent themselves in the face of changing market dynamics and the rise of the ‘super worker’. I also explain how much of our HR research is now clearly playing out in the PwC CEO Survey, which puts a financial picture on much of our HR and workplace research.

Takeaways

• DEI programs have historical roots and are essential for business.
• The political climate has influenced DEI initiatives significantly.
• Trust in business has seen a significant decline recently.
• Many employees feel disillusioned with the American dream.
• Reinvention is crucial for companies to thrive in the future.
• Companies that redeploy talent see better financial outcomes.
• The Edelman Trust Barometer reveals alarming trends in public trust.
• Diverse and inclusive workplaces lead to better performance.
• The rise of AI is transforming business operations.
• Engagement in DEI is a business necessity, not just a social agenda.

Important Resources

The Rise Of The Superworker: Delivering On The Promise of AI

January 28 Predictions Webinar

Edelman Trust Barometer 2025

PwC 2025 CEO Survey

Get Galileo®, The Essential AI Assistant For Everything HR

In this podcast I explain the four-stages of AI transformation and detail why and how “AI Pacesetters” will far outperform others in their AI business transformations. The Rise of the Superworker research explains this in more detail.

The Rise of the Superworker predictions report is available to all users of Galileo, The Josh Bersin Academy, or Corporate Members. (A Galileo Pro membership is only $39 per month, and JBA membership is $49 per month.)

If you want to learn more and follow our ongoing case studies, briefs, and AI tools, download the Rise of the Superworker Overview today. You will be registered for regular updates. And please register for our launch webinar where I will detail this entire story.

Chapters

00:00 The Super Worker Effect and AI Transformation 06:54 Re-engineering Work with AI 13:14 Change Management and Training for AI Adoption 17:14 The Future of Work in an AI-Driven World

Additional Information

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Galileo Professional, The Essential AI Assistant for Everything HR

How do you deliver on the promise of AI in your team, your company, and your career? Welcome to The Rise of the Superworker, our new research on the organizational adoption of AI. This research explains how organizations and leaders can redesign work, jobs, and customer experiences to deliver on the promise of AI.

And as you’ll hear, job opportunities will expand for everyone. AI is not a technology to eliminate jobs, rather its a platform to empower every role. And the result will be orders of magnitude improvements in revenue, productivity, service, and creativity.

Download the Infographic overview here.

You can get the detailed report by subscribing to our AI platform Galileo, joining The Josh Bersin Academy, or our joining our Corporate Membership.

Additional Information

The Rise of the Superworker: In-Depth Article

AI in HR: Certificate Program in The Josh Bersin Academy

Galileo Professional, The AI Assistant for Everything HR