2022 in Review: 12 Truths about Work, Leadership, and People

2022 has been quite a year, with big ups and downs for businesses and the workforce. A war in Europe, high inflation, a looming recession, stock market crashes, mass layoffs in the tech sector, and mental health issues were all hard to swallow. On a positive note, we finally emerged from the pandemic, got back together in conferences and business travel, and made big strides in figuring out new work realities. One thing is certain: the world of work as we know is changing rapidly.

At the Josh Bersin Company, we're lucky to work with thousands of companies around the world to help shape this new work reality.

Our goal is simple: to make work better and more meaningful.

So, we set out an ambitious plan for 2022 to provide research, programs, and learnings for our members and the market.

Looking back, our amazing team brought many different insights to our members and the market, too many to write into one article - so I selected one for each month based on the biggest projects we brought to the market at any given time.

Truth 1: Change agility replaces the old paradigm of change management.

In January 2022, Nehal Nangia, GPHR? and I finished the results of two years of study for our change agility playbook, spurred in part by the pandemic, but also by the ever-increasing speed of change in the workplace. As change is happening so quickly, there is no way to "manage" it as a project management discipline of communication, training, and stakeholder management.

Rather, it needs to tap into the ingenuity and creativity of every employee, design solutions with employees, and use behavioral nudges to foster new, better behaviors that will set the company up for future success. Companies like Lego, Rabobank, and Providence show us how.

Truth 2: The learning technology market is moving fast, and companies can't keep up.

In February 2022, we launched a massive study on the learning technology market, explaining the various categories and describing over 40 different providers across various categories of the market. Josh Bersin shared his deep experience in the learning technology market study.

From collaborative learning to SkillsTech, from coaching to VR and the metaverse, from video learning to creator tools, and from capability academies to talent marketplaces, this $360B market can be overwhelming - but we can help you navigate it.

Truth 3: To spur productivity, innovation, and performance, design your company for the future.

In March 2022, we brought the definitive guide to organization design to the market. In this in-depth, detailed study of the often esoteric and "nerdy" topic of organization and work design, we identified that accountability and agility together drive the most successful outcomes (and that it's one of the most impactful things the business can do).

Yet, models and approaches are stuck in the past. We developed a new model for companies to design work, jobs, and businesses for the future. 9 in 10 companies are not effective in this area - but those who are see amazing results in productivity, performance, and business outcomes. Companies like Telstra, Bosch Power Tools, or ING are designing their company for success.

Truth 4: The most important factor in recruiting effectively is the recruiter.

In April 2022, we launched the results of another massive research study, led by Janet Mertens , shedding light on the complex field of talent acquisition. The definitive guide to recruiting concludes that talent acqusition, done right, is not just about the best sourcing technologies, the most sophisticated candidate CRMs, or candidate chatbots - but the best companies practice what we call "human-centered talent acquisition", focusing on a great candidate experience, an engaging employee value proposition, and the best recruiters.

Even in today's slower-growth environment, it's critical to focus on fostering human-centered talent acquisition, leveraging your recruiters as business consultants. Bayer, Ikea, and L'Oreal all know how to foster this human-centered talent environment.

Truth 5: A truly irresistible conference experience can have a big impact.

In May 2022, 400 HR and business executives around the world joined us in our first-ever conference, Irresistible 2022. On the beautiful USC campus, we spent three days learning and imaging the future of work together.

In five amazing keynotes with CHROs of the world's most admired companies and 20 breakout sessions on a variety of topics from employee experience and hybrid work to health and wellbeing, from learning and leadership development to talent acquisition, and from HR technology to HR operating model, it was an invigorating experience.

Truth 6: Successful companies use their Cloud HCM system to transform experiences and their business.

In June 2022, we completed the second part of a three-part study on excellence with cloud HCM systems, this one based on studying highly successful Oracle implementations. While most companies struggle to get value out of their HCM transformation, what are the best doing differently?

Stories from AirAsia India, McDonald's, and JPMC made it clear: simplifying and streamlining the employee experience matters more than just automating HR transactions. Your HCM transformation needs to support your unique business and position you for the future, not just for today.

In December, we finalized with the third part of these studies, following the success of SAP SuccessFactors transformations. Microsoft, Allianz, or Nestle all used the HXM platform to transform their business for the future , going well beyond transactional efficiencies.

Truth 7: Connection, collaboration, and community are key to making your company irresistible.

In July 2022, our corporate member platform - a way for the world's most innovative HR organizations to get insights, research, tools, and learning to make their companies irresistible - came to life for our corporate members.

This significant milestone helped us support leaders around the world at scale. Our inaugural organization design superclass, led by Andy Biladeau , provides expert-level learning with detailed tools and guidance.

Truth 8: Corporate learning has a new mandate: growth in the flow of work.

In August 2022, we launched our biggest-ever study in our definitive guide to corporate learning, led by Nehal Nangia, GPHR? . We investigated the learning and development practices of the world's most successful companies. The result was a groundbreaking discovery changing the world of corporate learning forever.

Learning in the flow of work is now mainstream, and companies around the world need to move to enabling growth in the flow of work. As we show in the definitive guide, most companies are not prepared for this, but those who are add outsized value to the business and the workforce.

Truth 9: The cure to the healthcare industry's clinical talent shortage lies in systemic people solutions.

In September 2022, at the HR Tech Conference, we launched the first industry study of our Global Workforce Intelligence Project, on the largest and most complex industry: healthcare. Together with Greg Till , CHRO of Providence, Josh Bersin and I launched the insights to a packed (fire-marshalled) room. The gist of it: the only way healthcare executives can address a looming 2.1 Million people gap in clinical roles is by executing on the Four R framework of HR, systemically addressing recruiting, retention, reskilling, and redesign all together.

Based on billions of data points from the Eightfold Talent Intelligence Platform and with detailed examples and stories from healthcare leaders like AdventHealth, Mercy, Providence, and New York-Presbyterian, we show how a structured, data-informed approach can help any company address talent gaps.

Truth 10: Irresistible is not just a book - it's a new, better way to manage, lead, and work.

In October 2022, we launched Josh Bersin 's latest and greatest book, Irresistible, and it hit the market with massive impact.

Immediately, the book sold out in many places, people from around the world contacted us to get on the waitlist, and not a day goes by where we don't see somebody comment on LinkedIn about the value of it. The recognitions and awards are plenty because this result of ten year's of study, research, and conversations is not just a book to read but a practical workbook to run your company better, lead people and projects, and work more effectively.

Our corporate members can now get workshops and detailed guidance on how to put these insights into practice.

Truth 11: Career pathways and no-cost education can transform companies, communities, and societies.

In November 2022, Nehal Nangia, GPHR? and I launched in-depth research studies on career pathways and the future of careers in healthcare. If you are unsure of the difference between career paths and career pathways, don't use the $5,250 educational tax credit yet, or see tuition reimbursement as an employee benefit aimed at helping your already highly educated workers get an MBA, this research is for you.

Companies like Walmart, Rocket Central, Bon Secours Mercy, Providence Health, AdventHealth, Amazon, and others help people in dead-end, lower-educated jobs move into future-proof roles - fully prepaid by the company.

Truth 12: The digital transformation of banks is a skills issue, not a tech problem.

In December 2022, led by Stella Ioannidou , we launched our second industry study of the Global Workforce Intelligence Project, on the banking industry.

The crisis banking faces is different to the healthcare crisis - rather than facing a capacity gap (not enough clinical people), this industry is challenged by a capability gap (lacking skills and capabilities). We discovered that trailblazer banks work differently across the systemic HR solutions framework to solve this critical problem.

These insights are not just applicable to banks or healthcare organizations: if you face a capacity gap, a capability gap, or an alignment issue, this research is for you.

Many more lessons, stories, and studies

These 12 truths barely scratch the surface. There is so much more for our members, and we invite you to join us to learn and develop the future together:

• 50+ case studies and examples from the world's most innovative, people-centered companies, from American Airlines to Walmart, from IBM to Salesforce, from Bayer to Microsoft, from Telstra to Deutsche Telekom.
• Working with 60+ of the most successful HR tech providers
• Discussing the future of work with hundreds of leaders in our Big Reset discussions
• Convening various CHRO forums, functional expert sessions, and other discussions
• Sharing our insights in hundreds of webinars, educational sessions, and keynotes
• Dozens of deep-dive research studies on everything from assessments to coaching, content intelligence to communication, people analytics to pay equity, workforce management to skills strategy, and talent marketplace to collaborative learning
• 100+ podcasts, videos, and articles from Josh Bersin on the most important topics of business and HR today
• Eight new programs in the Josh Bersin Academy, allowing thousands of people in the Josh Bersin Academy to learn, discuss, and grow together

Thank you for a fantastic 2022!

Last but not least, a big thank you!

• To our amazing team at The Josh Bersin Company for tirelessly working with our clients to create research, insights, learning, and experiences that make a difference.
• To Josh Bersin for inspiring us every day to fearlessly design a future where companies are irresistible, where leaders are human-centered and where employees thrive.
• To our clients, collaborators, and partners for working together, we couldn't have done it without you.

Together, we are changing the world.

Where to go next

• Join our corporate membership program to access all these insights and much more, and we'll also help you put them into the context of your business.
• Become part of the Josh Bersin Academy to develop your skills and experiences in all of these areas with 25 certificate programs and close to 50k members (and stay tuned for what's next!)
• Come to Irresistible 2023 to learn and grow with other leaders around the world in June 2023.
• Our 2023 Predictions are coming in January, join this webinar with Josh Bersin .
• Stay tuned for more research, insights, and learning in 2023! Rewards and pay equity, leadership and culture, listening and people analytics, productivity and performance, and a new HR operating system are on our list of topics.

Josh Bersin , Bill Pelster , Mark Spratt - , Janet Mertens , Nehal Nangia, GPHR? , Stella Ioannidou , Jordan Hammerstad , Sara Pelster , Nivedita Aluri , Katelind Hays, MBA , Jess Morris , Laurie Barnett , Sam Sawyer , Aaron Duffy , Amy Farner , Andy Biladeau , Jeanne Rankin , Barbara Sullivan , Erin McLaughlin , RaghuRam Jandhyala, PMP , Karen Loeffler , Ashley Baskin Tucker , Veronica Dinis , Teresa Long , Charles Kinzie , Victoria Morgan , Bo Vialle-Derksen , Alec Bashinsky , Henry Chandler