Josh Newman: Revolutionizing Workforce Design: Global Head of People and Strategy @ WPP
My guest on episode #460 of #thePOZcast is Josh Newman, the Global Head of People and Strategy Experience at WPP. Josh doesn’t just predict the future of work—he’s actively building it. As a future-of-work strategist, creative storyteller, and organizational change provocateur at WPP—the world’s largest marketing and advertising company—Josh leads bold experiments in workforce design, AI adoption, and unlocking human potential at scale.
With a background that blends strategy, storytelling, and systems thinking, Josh has helped Fortune 100 giants like Walmart, American Express, and PepsiCo rethink how they attract, engage, and grow talent. He helped launch Walmart’s employee value proposition, built proprietary workforce intelligence tools that rival top consulting firms, and transformed HR from a support function into a commercial growth lever. Known for turning complex change into narratives that inspire action, Josh brings the brain of a strategist, a copywriter's pen, and a founder's instincts. If you’re looking for someone who sits at the intersection of people strategy and business impact—Josh is already there, drawing the map. Let’s get to it!
Connect with Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshnewman1/
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Takeaways:
- Work architecture is essential for understanding how work gets done.
- Workforce design and strategy are closely linked.
- Employee experience mapping can enhance workforce design.
- Onboarding is a critical stage in the employee journey.
- Mutual responsibility exists in managing employee expectations.
- Technology can complicate employee experiences if not implemented thoughtfully.
- Future-ready organizations prioritize employee development and upskilling.
- HR must claim a seat at the revenue table to drive business outcomes.
- Remote work requires intentional design to foster collaboration.
- Contentment is a dynamic goal worth striving for in one's career.
Summary
In this conversation, Adam Posner and Josh Newman delve into the intricacies of workforce design and employee experience. They discuss the importance of understanding work architecture, the critical stages of employee onboarding, and the mutual responsibilities of employers and employees in managing expectations. Josh shares insights from past workforce design projects, highlighting lessons learned from failures and the significance of creating future-ready organizations that prioritize employee development. The discussion also touches on the evolving role of HR in driving revenue, the challenges of remote work, and the impact of parenthood on leadership styles. They conclude with reflections on career advice and the true definition of success.
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Workforce Design and Architecture
02:59 Employee Experience Mapping: The Six Stages
05:56 Mutual Responsibility in Onboarding
08:53 Lessons from Workforce Design Failures
11:52 Future-Ready Organizations: Human-Centric Approaches
14:37 The Role of HR in Revenue Generation
17:48 Navigating Remote Work and Mentorship Challenges
20:18 The Transformative Power of Parenthood
26:44 Navigating Work-Life Balance and Productivity
31:55 The Future of Work and Employee Value Proposition
34:56 Defining Success Beyond Traditional Metrics
