Are Layoffs The Only Way To Make AI Transformation Happen? episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 12, 2025 · 15 MIN

Are Layoffs The Only Way To Make AI Transformation Happen?

from The Josh Bersin Company · host Josh Bersin

This week I discuss this ongoing trend of layoff announcements, typically coupled to “AI.” And as you’ll hear, this is quite a complex topic which gets into company culture, labor relations, and ultimately long term business strategy. A new article in The Economist claims that “Europe Crushes Innovation” because of its old-fashioned labor rules. The point they make, which I discuss, is that forcing companies to “hold on” to workers stunts growth and innovation. While I can’t argue with the data, I believe it’s not that simple. So listen to this podcast and see if our “Dynamic Organization” model makes more sense. You can explore all the dynamics in this podcast by getting Galileo®, the world’s AI assistant for HR and Leadership. Galileo can assess your company in this area of maturity and give you essential action-items to help with your own team or company’s AI transformation. (Prompt: “my company is xyz, we’re in industry abc, our business issues are xxx, would you benchmark me against the dynamic organization research and help me identify the leadership, management, and HR practices I need to accelerate my AI transformation?”) Anyway listen in, I’d love your comments. Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube. Additional Information The Definitive Guide to Building a Dynamic Organization How Europe Crushes Innovation (Economist) How Japan’s Culture Of Business Teaches Us About AI Transformation Be Careful With The Layoffs What Is the One Trait That Makes for a Great Manager? You Might Be Surprised (WSJ) Chapters (00:00:00) - Patricia Frost on Seagate CEO(00:00:21) - The Need for Corporate Layoffs(00:03:33) - Why Europe Will Lay Off More People Than the US(00:10:04) - Reasons Why You Shouldn't Hire So Many People

This week I discuss this ongoing trend of layoff announcements, typically coupled to “AI.” And as you’ll hear, this is quite a complex topic which gets into company culture, labor relations, and ultimately long term business strategy. A new article in The Economist claims that “Europe Crushes Innovation” because of its old-fashioned labor rules. The point they make, which I discuss, is that forcing companies to “hold on” to workers stunts growth and innovation. While I can’t argue with the data, I believe it’s not that simple. So listen to this podcast and see if our “Dynamic Organization” model makes more sense. You can explore all the dynamics in this podcast by getting Galileo®, the world’s AI assistant for HR and Leadership. Galileo can assess your company in this area of maturity and give you essential action-items to help with your own team or company’s AI transformation. (Prompt: “my company is xyz, we’re in industry abc, our business issues are xxx, would you benchmark me against the dynamic organization research and help me identify the leadership, management, and HR practices I need to accelerate my AI transformation?”) Anyway listen in, I’d love your comments. Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube. Additional Information The Definitive Guide to Building a Dynamic Organization How Europe Crushes Innovation (Economist) How Japan’s Culture Of Business Teaches Us About AI Transformation Be Careful With The Layoffs What Is the One Trait That Makes for a Great Manager? You Might Be Surprised (WSJ)

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Are Layoffs The Only Way To Make AI Transformation Happen?

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This episode was published on October 12, 2025.

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This week I discuss this ongoing trend of layoff announcements, typically coupled to “AI.” And as you’ll hear, this is quite a complex topic which gets into company culture, labor relations, and ultimately long term business strategy. A new article...

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