Irresistible insights: a review of Josh Bersin’s new book

There is perhaps no more well recognized “thought leader” in the field of Human Resource (HR) technology than Josh Bersin. He has achieved what might be called iconic status. A colleague once introduced me by saying “he is a type of Josh Bersin” (hopefully Josh would not find this comparison to be diminishing). Given Bersin’s iconic status I was excited to read his new book “Irresistible: the seven secrets of the world’s most enduring, employee-focused organizations”.?The following are insights and thoughts about the book from the perspective of someone whose career has also focused on HR technology but whose thought leadership mantle is admittedly far less illustrious.

What’s in the book?

The book is organized around “seven secrets of the most employee focused organizations in the world” (p. 5) worded in the form of shifting mindsets from old ways of working to new approaches.

1.??????Teams, not hierarchy.?Recognizing that teams are how most work gets done and companies operate as social networks not organizational hierarchies. ?Companies need to use technology to encourage greater use of dynamic teams and manage employees in a more fluid manner where work is not defined by who people report to but by the teams they belong to.

2.??????Work, not jobs. Defining careers and staffing decisions based on people’s skills, experiences, and ambition instead of focusing on formal job roles and previous job titles and qualifications. ?Making development decisions that emphasize new experiences over new positions and hiring decisions based on future potential instead of past accomplishments.

3.??????Coach, not boss.?Embracing Ed Schein’s advice that the “most important part of a high performing culture is people helping each other” (p. 87). ?Rethinking the role of manager as being two distinct activities: managing projects and developing people. Changing performance management practices to place greater emphasis on the value of coaching and talent development. ?

4.??????Culture, not rules.?Moving away from fixed, “one size fits all” norms and policies to create more flexible, inclusive, supportive work environments.?Recognizing the critical impact employee wellbeing plays in world characterized by accelerating change and frequently shifting expectations.

5.??????Growth, not promotion.?Redefining career success to focus on a building capabilities and potential instead of changing job titles and positions. Creating psychologically safe workplaces where people feel support and rewarded for taking risks in the service of learning and growth.?

6.??????Purpose, not profits.?Recognizing that “profits are important…but purpose is the real fuel of a company.?It gives people the energy, enthusiasm, and creativity to add value” (p. 166). ?Building a culture where people work to make an impact on something they care about instead of just waiting to be told what to do to earn a paycheck. ?Embracing “conscious capitalism” where company valuation is based in part on ethical, environmental, and socially sensitive behavior.

7.??????Employee experience, not output.?Using technology to create systems and workplaces where employees feel their needs and interests are understood, valued, and supported.?Giving employees more control over how they do their work and making it easy to get stuff done.

What I liked most about the book

Irresistible is a treasure trove of ideas, insights, and examples on how to improve the quality of work. At a general level, I appreciated the emphasis placed on changing leadership mindsets about how organizations should function. The book also contains hundreds of interesting data points and observations. For example, did you know access to natural light in an office has been shown to improve employee productivity? Bersin also challenges prevailing practices that need to be rethought ranging from pay transparency and its impact on equity, to the lack of career development programs focused on people past the age of 40 even though these employees will still be working 20 or more years. He also rightfully criticizes many work methods that are still widely used by companies even though they are ineffective relics from the 20th century (e.g., the nine box).

Perhaps what I most liked about the book was its focus on changing how we think about work in general.?Many societal assumptions about work are rooted in what I call 18th century psychology where work is all about punishment and reward. This leads to unhealthy beliefs such as thinking that the only purpose of work is to earn money.?Here is one of my favorite passages in the book (italics added): ?“[companies need] people who are self-motivated, passionate, and excited to about their ability to have an impact.?I think all kinds of humans seek this kind of work.?The key is to give them an environment that makes it possible” (p 41).?We are happiest when we feel we are valued, and work can and should be something that gives people a sense of meaning, value, and importance.

What I felt was missing or potentially off target

I agree with most of what Bersin says in the book.?Where we disagree is probably because I view the world from a slightly different perspective given my background in psychology and the nature of my career experiences. The biggest concern I had when reading the book was what I might call a tendency to overstate things. For example, the book criticizes existing practices like hierarchical organizational structures, fixed job roles, and hiring based on past qualifications as things that have little to no value. While I agree these have been vastly over-emphasized in the past, they still have value in the future of work particularly in certain job settings.?No one wants to check into a hospital where patient care providers are encouraged to try their hand at different health care roles to gain new experiences without a formal control structure that vets people based on their past qualifications. ?

In some places the writing also leans toward a feeling of hyperbole rather than balanced discussion of past work practices. For example, the book states that “companies no longer add value through scale and efficiency; they add value through innovation, invention, and service” (page 206).?This is not exactly true since much of the innovation companies do is to create more scalable and efficient methods for production and service delivery. This writing style also leads to few instances where the book contradicts itself.?For example, early in the book it is stated that “middle managers exist to ‘get in the middle’ of decisions” (p 14) yet the end of the book observes “the most important factor in irresistible companies is their management” (p 212).

One area where I wish the book had focused energy was how Irresistible companies deal with problems that involve difficult workforce decisions and interactions.?For example, accounting for the fact that not all employees have the same level of capability or potential, yet people often bristle when they are reminded of this reality.?Or dealing with power struggles between competitive people who may have great intentions for the company but differ in their visions of what the “best leadership structure” looks like for the organization.?It is one thing to create great employee experiences when company growth and profits are trending upward.?It is quite another when companies face major economic headwinds, resources shortages, and fierce market competition. ?My guess is Bersin could offer a lot of ideas on this topic, and perhaps those will be in his next book.

Is Irresistible worth reading?

There are thousands of books about the future of work, but few by authors with the level of exposure to different HR practices and solutions Josh Bersin has acquired.? Irresistible is a book well worth reading by anyone interested in creating better workforces. If you really find this topic interesting, you might also enjoy a complementary book written by an industrial-organizational psychologist who, while not as well-known as Josh Bersin, has also spent his career exploring how to use technology to improve the quality of work. That book is called “Talent Tectonics: navigating global workforce shifts, building resilient organizations, and reimagining the employee experience” and is by some guy you might have heard of called Hunt.