Josh Bersin

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  

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

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  

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

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

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.)

This week I share my conversation with Ashutosh Garg, founder of pioneering unicorn Eightfold. Eightfold was the first mainstream AI company focused on HR and recruiting, and as you’ll hear Ashu continues to innovate in many ways. I ask Ashutosh to talk about the market, the change in the AI landscape, and his vision for the future of Eightfold and job seeking. He also explains his career and how he became so successful, and where his career has taken him with his digital twin company Viven.ai. (We use Viven and can attest to its enormous potential.) This convo should teach you a lot about the AI market and also give you career insights into one of the many entrepreneurs shaping our future. We have worked closely with Eightfold for many years and I find Ashutosh’s career inspiring and filled with lessons for all of us. Additional Information Eightfold Reaches Billion Dollar Valuation (2020) The Eleven 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think Get Galileo, the AI Superagent for HR, Consultants, and Leaders

Four big topics in this podcast. First I give you more detail on jobs and careers in the AI age, and explain why MORE jobs than ever are being created. (Read the details here.) Then I discuss the huge disruption about to take place in the software integration and middleware market. (A multi-billion dollar space for vendors and consulting firms.) Third I discuss the pioneering work by Findem and how human data labeling (and automated labeling) is the next frontier in search, recruiting, and talent intelligence. Finally I talk about my sincere and humble “thank you” to all of you that follow us and how we built Galileo to scale our work. (Join us at Irresistible 2026 to see the top 15 AI Pacesetters in HR.) Additional Information Why AI Is A Massive Job Creation Technology Workday and Sana Unveil A Bold New Strategy For AI Agents, Superagents, and Intelligent Orchestration: 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI The L&D Revolution Has Arrived: AI Enables Dynamic Enablement For All Get Galileo, the AI Superagent for HR  

Today I move beyond a discussion of AI products and technologies to the real business problem: finding ways to USE AI to further your company’s particular, unique business strategy. There’s a strange phenomenon going on: companies think AI itself will improve productivity “just because it exists.” Well nothing could be further from the truth. As these three examples point out, you should focus on “HOW” you’re going to use AI to forward the strategy, not build a strategy around AI. As these tools become more common this will be clearer and clearer. And the AI vendors (particularly the big ones) are making us crazy with stories of AI “strategies” that feel generic and unachievable. I hope this helps you feel grounded and ready to focus in this crazy world of new tools, platforms, and vendors. I also want to invite you to the Transform conference in Vegas where we’ll be talking about a new partnership we’re starting with Leena.ai, a vendor that delivers a new generation of employee services by connecting tools like Galileo to more than 100 different applications and internal systems. Additional Information What Is AI Orchestration And Why Is It So Important? Workday and Sana Unveil A Bold New Strategy For AI Agents and Superagents: 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI The L&D Revolution Has Arrived: AI Enables Dynamic Enablement For All Get Galileo, the AI Superagent for HR (experience Sana for yourself)

Today we are introducing the Mars release of Galileo®, the AI Superagent for HR. We’re calling it a Superagent because it’s now fully programmable, open to integration with Workday and other systems, and is even more intelligent with new models, new content, industry data, and exciting features for learning, content development, and orchestration. I explain what all this means in the podcast, so listen in. Galileo is now used by more than 1,100 companies so it’s becoming the industry standard AI agent for HR, with lots of fans, new solutions, and features. And as a Superagent, Galileo can now coordinate user’s needs across many back-end systems, through Sana’s integration with Workday as well as Galileo for ServiceNow, which talks with 60+ corporate apps. The Galileo Suite includes Galileo Agent and Galileo Learn, and includes Galileo for Managers. Read about it in our press release here. Exciting launch video here. Get Galileo here!. Additional Information Workday and Sana Unveil A Bold New Strategy For AI Agents, Superagents, and Intelligent Orchestration: 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI The L&D Revolution Has Arrived: AI Enables Dynamic Enablement For All Get Ready For A Wild Time In HR Technology (where HR Tech is going)  

Today Workday unveiled its “Front Door to Work” strategy and products with Sana. Here is a brief overview and more to read below. Additional Information Workday and Sana Unveil A Bold Strategy for AI (detailed article) Video Overview of Workday-Sana Announcements The New, Wild, Redefined World of HR Tech (advanced AI use-cases) Experience Sana Yourself: Galileo, the AI Agent for HR      

HR Technology is on a collision course with AI companies, desktop productivity tools, and middleware providers. Where is all this going? In this podcast I explain why this is a question of “back-end” vs. “front-end” and how the ERP software architectures of the past (present) are colliding with the AI tools and interfaces of the future. The bottom line is not “who wins” but rather how well do you think through the use-cases and employee experiences you want to provide? Read this article for more details and stay tuned for a bunch of announcements this week that will bring much of this to your company. Additional Information Get Ready For A Wild Time In HR Technology The World of Corporate Training Lurches Toward Enablement Digital Twins Are Here, And They Make You More Productive Get Galileo. We put ALL our research, case studies, and models in there. It’s like the Bloomberg Terminal, Encyclopedia Britannica, and HR Expert with new research, vendors, and case studies every day.        

This week I discuss the AI, HR Tech, and consumer AI market in front of announcements next week at the Unleash Conference in Vegas. I discuss how HR Tech is now becoming “Life Tech” (not just Work Tech) and the dynamics of big players like Microsoft, Oracle, Workday, SAP, ServiceNow, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and smaller vendors like Cornerstone, Findem, Lightcast, Maki People, Eightfold, WorkHuman and others who are vying for attention with their AI offerings. Next week I’ll detail many of these announcements in my keynote and I hope to see many of you in Vegas at Unleash and the following week at Transform. So much to absorb and understand: we are here to help you sort it all out. Additional Information Layoffs at Atlassian, Block, Amazon are Misleading. AI Alone Is Not The Story. The World of Corporate Training Lurches Toward Enablement Oracle’s Earnings Prove That AI Infrastructure Is Eating Enterprise Software Enterprise AI Architecture: Imperatives for 2026 Webinar: Watch a replay of Josh’s walkthrough of the 11 essential imperatives HR & business leaders need to know for success and progress in 2026. Galileo Learn: Complete The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise learning program, and discover the hands-on skills required to navigate the redefinition of work, HR teams, and organizations in the era of superworkers and superagents. Get Galileo: The Enterprise AI Agent for HR

Oracle’s earnings announcement yesterday demonstrates the company’s shift to a new type of enterprise “software” company, challenging companies like SAP, Workday, Salesforce, and many others. In this podcast I explain this shift, the history of Oracle, and where AI is taking the enterprise software market. Here is the source article to read, and I look forward to further discussions on this topic with our clients and vendor partners. Reference Information Oracle’s Earnings Prove That AI Infrastructure Is Eating Enterprise Software Nvidia Explains The New Software Stack (5-Layer Cake) Oracle Earnings Announcement  

Today I’m publishing a bonus episode with a discussion of the US Job Market and also explain why Anthropic’s new AI-Job destruction research is misleading. I also discuss the whole idea of “job-task analysis” and why “AI exposure” (Anthropic’s methodology) doesn’t really reflect how AI transforms jobs, companies, and the economy. Let’s discuss all this at Irresistible 2026 or read my substack article on this topic and we can discuss there. Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube. Additional Information New Anthropic Report on Job Destruction Is Misleading (article) Anthropic Report (from Anthropic) US consumer confidence plunges to 12-year low (Financial Times) BLS Jobs Numbers (from BLS) Join us in Irresistible 2026, June 8-10 at USC, the world’s leading conference for HR Leaders and Teams. (Here’s the top 10 reasons to come!)    

This week I tackle the situation where AI tools are exploding everywhere while ROI and economic productivity is hard to find. I also discuss the “commoditization” of AI “features” and the shift in value to “AI applications,” which is good for all corporate buyers and users. You’ll understand how important it is to build a long term strategy, despite all the experiments going on (contact us to see our HR Blueprint). I also discuss the Galileo Everywhere strategy and how we’ve been expanding Galileo to support employees and leaders, not just HR. Remember to come to Irresistible 2026, the world’s leading conference for HR Leaders and Teams. (Here’s the top 10 reasons to come!) Additional Information Enterprise AI Architecture: Imperatives for 2026 New Research: How AI Transforms $400 Billion Of Corporate Learning Webinar recording: Watch a replay of Josh’s walkthrough of the 11 essential imperatives HR & business leaders need to know for success and progress in 2026. Josh Bersin Podcast: Listen in as Josh provides much-needed guidance for understanding the biggest HR transformation in decades. Galileo Learn program: Complete The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise learning program, and discover the hands-on skills required to navigate the redefinition of work, HR teams, and organizations in the era of superworkers and superagents. Get Galileo: The Enterprise AI Agent for HR and Leadership (check out Galileo for Consultants!)

Understanding the Frontline Workforce. As our research point out, more than 70% of all US workers (80% Worldwide) work in a frontline (customer facing or operational facing) role. We all have teams in these positions so it’s important for business and HR leaders to understand this space. This is the first podcast in a series with Josh Secrest, the head of marketing at Paradox, a Workday Company, that pioneered conversational recruiting from end to end. Josh Secrest brings deep frontline expertise from previously leading Global Talent Strategy and Talent Acquisition at McDonald’s and leading Talent and Culture at Abercrombie & Fitch, while currently serving on board leadership roles for the National Restaurant Association and the National Retail Federation Foundation. Josh and I will be sharing a series of conversations to help you understand best-practices in high-volume recruiting, frontline workforce management, and the economics and financial business case for automation in this space. This episode features a deep discussion on the critical role of frontline workers in the workforce, exploring how technology, management, and strategic support can transform frontline work environments. It highlights innovative practices and future trends in supporting frontline employees across retail, hospitality, and healthcare sectors. Keywords frontline workers, workforce strategy, HR technology, AI in HR, employee retention, frontline management, retail, hospitality, workforce support, digital transformation Key topics Importance of frontline workers Impact of technology and AI on frontline support Role of frontline managers in business success 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

This week I discuss the real possibility that AI Agents could “turn evil” citing the example of Scott Shambaugh, a software engineer, who was attacked by an OpenClaw agent called MJ Rathbun. Just so you understand: Scott is a real person but MJ Rathbun is an AI. Yet MJ took upon itself to openly attack Scott online, presumably for not accepting his open source code. It’s a fascinating (ongoing) story, but it begs a bigger question: when a “human” (or agent) has total authority and power, does it then become evil? We saw this in the famous Stanford Prisoner Experiment, at Abu Ghraib, and in other examples I cite. Does this strange human nature translate directly into AI? As you’ll hear, these new findings deliver many lessons for our corporate AI systems, and I explain how the issues of AI training, governance, and ethics become real. And this brings up the issue of AI regulation, legal accountability, and who is responsible for these behaviors. Much of this is being played out in real time in the US War Department vs. Anthropic happening in the press as well. Despite my most optimistic opinions about AI, “Power Corrupts” may be a statement that applies to AI just as it does to humans. As AI becomes more embedded in enterprise decision-making, thoughtful governance, ethical design, and continuous monitoring become urgent. Additional Resources An AI Agent Published A Hit Piece on Me The Rise of the Bratty Machines (NYT) When AI Bots Start Bullying Humans, Even Silicon Valley Gets Rattled (WSJ) BBC Finds That 45% of AI Queries Produce Erroneous Answers Anthropic CEO says he’s sticking to AI “red lines” despite clash with Pentagon OpenAI Steps Into The Breach in US War Department  

Today I discuss the new economics of AI for us as business and HR leaders, and how this impacts vendors, HR buyers, IT, and investors. I also discuss how Agents, which are the new building blocks for our re-engineered companies, are now the nucleus of your world in HR going forward. As I explain, this new world is clearly coming into focus but you need to prioritize your energies, and our Systemic HR AI Blueprint (explained) is here to help. Stay tuned for a barrage of announcements about Galileo, which now has more than 1,100 enterprise customers. And please join our Pacesetters program so you can share your own company’s innovations and get recognition for all your company’s creation! Also look at Galileo for Consultants, a new release of Galileo specifically designed for HR, organizational, leadership, and change consultants! Galileo for Consultants includes a whole array of tools to help you with your career, business, and client projects. Galileo for Consultants (internal consultants too) will be invited to a special monthly webinar to talk about consulting projects, opportunities, and your consulting career. Come to Irresistible 2026 for our fifth-year anniversary! And apply for a Pacesetter recognition award! Additional Information Understanding NVIDIA’s Growth and Culture Will Workday Thrive (or Survive) In The World of AI? (video) Galileo for Consultants: Super-Powering Your Consulting Business The World Is Accelerating: What Has Changed About Leadership?

Coming out of the pandemic almost every company started hiring globally, giving rise to the EOR (Employer of Record) market. An EOR enables companies of any size to easily hire, manage, pay, and reward employees in any country, and today more than 40% of all global employers use an EOR. One of the leaders in this market is Oyster, a fast-growing company founded as a B-Corp, dedicated with a mission to make global employment a single, seamless marketplace. The founder of Oyster, Tony Jamous, is a fascinating entrepreneur who has a unique way of describing global employment. In this podcast I interviewed Tony so he can explain some of the strategic issues in building a global company of any size. I think you’ll find Oyster a high value solution provider that combines world-class technology with a strong culture of global advice, support, and regulatory compliance to help companies grow. (FYI we are partners with Oyster in Galileo: Oyster’s extensive global employment practices database is embedded in Galileo to assist you with many strategic HR policies around the world.) Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube. Additional Information 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI: The Road Ahead The Definitive Guide to Corporate Learning Oyster Announces Intelligent Global Employment – Redefining EOR Market Get Galileo, The AI Agent for Everything HR

This week I explain some of the very cool things going on in AI-Fueled Recruiting (hot space), and also discuss how to start integrating all your talent acquisition tools. I also explain AMS One, the Workday Agent System of Record (ASOR), and why and how all these amazing AI agents are going to enable you to really rethink the operating model for talent acquisition. This is a trillion dollar space and we all deal with it, and it’s also the area of HR where AI is the most mature. And as I explain, every innovation that takes place in talent acquisition has an impact on tools for internal HR, job mobility, career development, and even learning. In fact TA and L&D really are going to get locked at the hip going forward. We will be launching our massive new research study on TA at Irresistible 2026, our flagship HR leadership conference in the world. It’s June 8-10 at the beautiful USC Campus in Los Angeles, and I promise you that you’ll see some amazing things there (including a tour of one of USC’s brand new research and arts centers). Also come see us at Unleash 2026 in Vegas where we’ll be doing workshops for you on Galileo, highlighting the newest release – these hands-on workshops give you 90 minutes to see dozens of amazing AI use-cases and also teach you how to use Galileo as your copilot, teacher, and consultant in all areas of HR. (And listen to my keynote explaining the way AI has already started to change everything about HR.) Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube. Additional Information 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI: The Road Ahead The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun Secrets Of The High Performing CHRO My Video on Where Workday is Going Get Galileo, The AI Agent for Everything HR