Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations

by Josh Bersin

In this leadership book, renowned industry analyst Josh Bersin introduces a new way to think about organizational design, employee engagement, and employee development. Distilled from decades of research and management theory into seven practical yet profound management principles, Bersin outlines how business leaders can create enduring companies that thrive with improved customer satisfaction, employee retention, and business agility.   Irresistible businesses grow faster, they’re more profitable, and they innovate and lead their markets. Most importantly, their employees, customers, and stakeholders are drawn to them like magnets.   Leaders have an outsized impact on culture, engagement, and productivity. Irresistible helps leaders at all levels understand how to scale a business through a new organization model - the “network of teams.”  Bersin's model emphasizes that effective companies operate as networks, not hierarchies. When focused leadership empowers small teams, the result is increased speed, agility, and traction - along with a sense of purpose, mission, and clarity of roles.   Leaders of irresistible companies understand that by unleashing the power of the human spirit, their companies can go faster and farther than their competitors by empowering people and creating employee-centric cultures. If you can make your company – large or small -- irresistible, your employees will contribute, innovate, and grow more than you thought possible.   Bersin shares eye-opening examples from his consulting work with HR and executive business teams around the world. Each chapter includes tips and discussion questions to bring these organizational behavior lessons to life. Inspiring yet highly pragmatic, this business book is a leader’s handbook for today’s unpredictable business world, where people and culture are more important than ever.   Bersin's human resource management book challenges companies to rethink their current approach to organizational design, leadership development, and human resources strategy. A top business book for organizations large and small, Irresistible belongs on the bookshelf of every executive, supervisor, and entrepreneur.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Historical Romance, Cultural, Management

225 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2022

About the author

I am a passionate industry analyst, researcher, writer, and keynote speaker on all aspects of corporate leadership, talent management, HR, and technology.

I'm also the founder and Principal at one of the leading HR research and analyst firms, Bersin by Deloitte.

Originally trained as an engineer, I've always loved to read and write, and credit my high school english teacher and debate coach who developed my love for discussion, argument, and analytic thinking.

My professional life has focused on helping HR professionals, business leaders, and young entrepreneurs understand how to drive impact in their organizations. I'm fascinated by the people side of business, and after 30+ years working in technology and other companies, I try to bring a pragmatic and constantly current perspective to what makes people and organizations work.

I love to chat with professionals, entrepreneurs, and business people around the world so I look forward to hearing from you.

Reviews

[John Stepper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compact book does a very good job of synthesizing 7 majors trends in the workplace.

About halfway through reading the book, I happened to listen to the author on a podcast with Rodney Evans from The Ready. Josh Bersin seems to have a practical, earnest desire to make work better and that helped me to enjoy and appreciate the book even more.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

[Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for any HR practitioner including leaders managing people and teams. The author brings out the practical aspects we tend to ignore and overlook everyday as we work. Coaching, growth, culture,purpose, work, experience. I can read this book again to refresh myself with the 7 secrets of an employee- focused organization.

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covid changed the way that work was done, it also opened up new opportunities for businesses to be more employee-focused and successful. This book covers the seven principles which Josh Berin has identified in his research. An interesting book but a lot of businesses have a lot of work to get some of these principles implemented.

[Best Indie Book Award · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏆 2022 BIBA® Non-Fiction: Business Management Winner!

[Stella Ioannidou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of these rare books that do not belong in the bookcase. Let me explain why.

Josh Bersin, the world's renowned industry analyst and HR influencer (long before influencers were a hit) has been collecting, composing, analyzing and leading business stories for more than 30 years. This book captures not only these stories, but also the "why" behind them.

Proud owner of an advance reader copy signed from Josh himself, I keep this book on my desk at all times. As an HR researcher and analyst, executive coach and working parenthood advocate, I frequently go back to re-read chapters, paragraphs and sections multiple times every week. Based on the problem, project, or discussion at hand, there is no way I can't find inspiration and practical guidance in this book. Therefore I am unable to put it back into the bookcase with the rest of the books: it's my absolute practitioner handbook.

And if you are anywhere in the business (a C-level executive, an entrepreneur, a project manager, a leader, an HR professional, a coach or even a parent!) it should definitely become yours too. The seven secrets are transferable to any occasion where there's humans interacting, and applicable to any opportunity that aspires to make lives better.

[Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

7 Linkedin articles published in one book

Josh Bersin is one of the analyst that I frequently listen to to get updates on the "HR" function. I find his views about the economy, social and demographic trends and it's impact on the labor market insightful, he has an up to date understanding of the IT industry and HRIS.

I was really looking forward to read this book, and I had built my expectations based on the high estime that I have for him as a professional. I was expecting this book to bring a cohesive and holistic understanding of the current trends in the HR function. What I found was a good book with seven different chapters with lots of details and anecdotes of what "Irresistible" companies are doing. Each chapter follows a principle that guides the design of the HR processes or Employee Experiences.

The book lacked a coherent and global view, and as a consequence, it can contradict itself with the advices he gives based on this "irresistible" companies experiences from chapter to chapter, and sometimes within the same chapter.

Review under construction

[Mudit Aggarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This book is a road map for …


… creating more humane workplaces.”


- Adam Grant


The reason I started my review with Adam Grant’s quote is because that quote truly best-describes this book:


Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World's Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations

by Josh Bersin


Following are the 7 “practical yet profound” principles, suggested by author …

… that help business leaders create organisations that thrive:


1. Teams, not hierarchy

2. Work, not jobs

3. Coach, not boss

4. Culture, not rules

5. Growth, not promotion

6. Purpose, not profits

7. Employee experience, not output


Some of you can get a general direction of author’s views from the principles shared above.


To get a better understanding of these principles & ‘how-to’ apply these principles - read the book 🙃


Josh Bersin has given us a quintessential book on employee-first philosophy …


… and if you are in people management role, this is a must-read!

[BookCupid · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe my low score has to do with the fact I listened to this on audiobook. It felt so long as the image descriptions were read too.

To be fair, learning organizations that promote L&D programs and aim at making sure teams grow to reach their full potential, companies that allow for horizontal transfers, and those that have clear communication are irresistible. I just wish the world hasn't changed so drastically. Unfortunately, many of the companies are automatic everything with AI, and layoffs are occurring. Are they providing employees the time to learn? Or simply cutting drastically?

[Bobby Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bersin is one of the foremost learning & development (L&D) experts in the world, and this book explains why. He couples data with rich experience to explain why the best—and most profitable—companies succeed by putting their people first. Irresistible is one of the best books I've ever found for company leaders and HR managers. It's an excellent manual that explains why and how to invest in your people to build a better, more effective business.

Full review/summary here: https://bobbypowers.net/review-irresi...

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended by the head of HR at my organization. The ideas in the book appeal as an aspirational manifesto to employee engagement, experience, and passions, but I'm not sure how many are actually able to be implemented in late stage capitalism. I work at a nonprofit and I'm not even sure how many we could do, let alone at a publicly traded company driven by quarterly profits. Many examples are either too vague (e.g., engage your employees! but no examples) or too specific (related primarily to technology, software, and engineering) to be helpful.

[Jason Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit I was rolling my eyes at some of the early concepts in this book. It’s hard to envision a world in which your direct boss is always changing and you might be working for your own staff. But as the book went on I found some good take aways. I completely agree with the idea of paying people for the value they create instead of forcing people into manager roles whether or not they have the right skill set. I also liked the data that showed grades in university do not correlate with performance. In my experience I usually find it the opposite. Overall 3.5/5 stars.

[Irene Gracesiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way we add value has changed. Companies no longer add value through scale and efficiency; they add value through innovation, invention, and service. This means we have to run companies differently.

Bersin outlines seven key principles that make companies "irresistible" to employees by fostering engagement, growth, and retention. Here's a summary of the key concepts:
1. Teams, Not Hierarchies
2. Work, Not Jobs
3. Coaches, Not Bosses
4. Culture, Not Rules
5. Growth, Not Promotion
6. Purpose, Not Profit
7. Employee Experience, Not Process

[Karthik V J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good with lots of examples

The book was clearly structured and had lots of examples that were practical and relevant in the changed atmosphere of today. Very insightful and informative. Would be good if a summary of the checklists is given

[Karen Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to it as an audiobook but I think I need a paper copy to highlight and put notes in the margins. This is a book I want to quote and refer to when having conversations about talent strategy.

[David Lopez Valero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very inspiring findings and totally related to them. I was a bit skeptic at some of the sample companies but in any case samples are good and makes things easier to visualize. There is hope that the 7 innovations are taken and there are more irresisitible companies out there.

[Will Estes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be highly insightful. I started implementing things within the first chapter. I love the intention of this book - how to create an employee-focused company. I'm really excited to see how much this ties into the new performance management system design that I'm working on.

[Trixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

innovative & inspiring
this book was very easy to read -- straight to the point and not too anecdotal. there was some repetitive information, but overall offered new insights and modern tips to take your company's HR and people management to the next level.

[Dave Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great points of interest to a management minded manager. The author emphasis on coaching and creating a positive culture instead of producing and promotion is food for thought.

[Bonnie Endicott]

Useful guidance on modern workplaces. A worthwhile spend of time for HR and Talent Development Professionals.

[Wasted_Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was part of a company book club and while it was an easy read, I didn’t find any of the information incredible groundbreaking. That being said it was a good refresher.

[Burak Sancar]

It was valuable to take a moment to reflect on our practices and that is what this book is about. Nothing more :)

[James Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good tour around modern thinking about the future of work. Plenty of pointers to drive practical action. A little overlapping at times but that's the nature of the future of work where lots of traditional silos are merging and consolidating.