Bert Somsin
Chief Human Resources Officer
onsemi
Episode 44
Beyond 'Always Done It': First Principles Drive Breakthrough HR Transformation
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleSeptember 25, 2025 · 15:30
Thesis
“Deep-rooted organizational traditions often hinder progress, but by applying 'first principles' thinking, leveraging data, and demonstrating relentless conviction, HR leaders can successfully drive significant, impactful change that benefits both employees and customer experience.”
Show notes
In this episode of the Built by People Podcast, Bert Somsin shares his unique career journey from a package handler at UPS to the Chief HR Officer at OnSemi. He discusses the challenges he faced during the Christmas rush at UPS, particularly in staffing and training drivers. Bert emphasizes the importance of change management and the need for data-driven solutions in HR practices. He reflects on the critical lessons learned from his experiences and offers valuable advice for future leaders in the industry.
Key Takeaways
- Bert started his career unexpectedly as a package handler at UPS.
- OnSemi operates in 33 countries with a workforce of 23,000.
- The Christmas rush at UPS presents significant staffing challenges.
- Bert implemented a new training program to address staffing needs.
- Change management is crucial when introducing new initiatives.
- Data-driven analysis is essential for effective HR solutions.
- Staffing levels directly impact safety and operational efficiency.
- First principles thinking helps in problem-solving.
- Planning for worst-case scenarios is vital in business.
- Integrity and consistency are key traits for success.
Chapters
00:00 Bert's Career Journey
01:39 Overview of OnSemi
02:14 Challenges at UPS During Christmas Rush
07:01 Overcoming Cultural Norms in Training
09:33 Importance of Staffing and Safety
11:57 Lessons Learned and Future Advice
What you'll take away
- 1Challenge long-standing traditions and 'the way we've always done things' by questioning fundamental assumptions and employing a 'first principles' approach.
- 2Utilize data-backed analysis to build a compelling case for change, especially when addressing sensitive areas like safety or core operational processes.
- 3Cultivate relentless conviction and persistence to overcome resistance from all organizational levels, from executives to frontline trainers.
- 4Proactively plan for worst-case scenarios and engage peers early to broaden the impact and support for innovative solutions.
- 5Success often hinges on consistent character traits: being respectful, responsible, and having integrity, alongside strategic problem-solving.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Challenging a 30-year-old, 5-day safety training, which was a sacred cow, by proposing a more focused 3-day model, suggesting that 'less' (in duration) could be 'better' (in effectiveness and safety).
- •Arguing that a staffed operation (even with reduced initial training time) is inherently safer than an understaffed one, pushing back on the notion that longer training automatically equates to more safety.
In Bert's words
“What's much harder, the challenge was overcoming the cultural norms. This is the way we've done things. It's proven. We don't compromise in safety, et cetera.”
Highlights the primary obstacle to innovation in established organizations: deeply ingrained cultural resistance.
“It's not about compromising on safety or going against tradition. It's about solving the problem for what it is today, right?”
Articulates a modern approach to balancing cherished traditions with the necessity of evolving to meet current challenges.
“It wasn't about less safety training, it was about focused safety training.”
Reframes a potentially controversial reduction in training time as an improvement in quality and effectiveness.
“I believe that I pursued it without letting up. Like I was not going to back down from saying this is the right way and I will be a district of staff and. Keep all our team members safe.”
Emphasizes the critical role of conviction and persistence in driving significant organizational change against resistance.
“It's about first principles, which is breaking everything down to the most simple and fundamental form and then working your way back up from, from that standpoint.”
Introduces a powerful problem-solving methodology that helped him overcome initial constraints and find an innovative solution.
“Sometimes it's not about being special. It's just about being consistent, respectful, and responsible. In other words, being someone with character.”
Offers profound, foundational advice on the importance of character and consistent behavior for professional success.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Difficulty in meeting high-volume staffing needs (e.g., peak seasons) due to rigid and outdated training requirements that limit capacity.
- •Organizational inertia and resistance to change ('this is the way we've always done it') preventing the adoption of more effective, data-driven solutions.
- •Risk of unmet service commitments and compromised customer experience when staffing levels are insufficient.
- •Ineffective, generalized safety training that lacks focus and does not adapt to specific regional or contextual hazards.
- •Challenges in securing executive buy-in and convincing experienced trainers to adopt new methodologies, even when data supports the change.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Bert Johnson is the chief HR officer at semiconductor company Onsemi
Interviews with Onsemi's Chief HR Officer
At UPS, the problem was hiring enough peak drivers to support the Christmas rush
Top Executives: The Problem
Burt says overcoming resistance to safety training was key to success
The Challenges of Safety Training
Bert, why was solving this particular problem so important for the organization
UPS Employee on the Christmas Crisis
Bert, what parting advice would you like to share with our community
Bert Jones on Being Consistent, Respectful, and Success
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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