In the latest episode of the HR People Pod, our panel reflects on the recent riots in the UK, the conflicts happening globally and the effects they have in the workplace. We also get to grips with the rising use of generative AI by job applicants, the gender mix within the profession, and the concept of ‘quiet vacationing’ – another media catchphrase or a real phenomenon? CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Caroline Roberts, associate non-executive director at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University NHS Trust, and Claire McCartney, policy and practice manager – resourcing, inclusion and talent management at CIPD. Recorded: 16 August 2024

Would you share salary information on a job advert? In the latest episode of the HR People Pod, our panel challenges organisations to be more transparent with pay, explores the rise of the ‘workation’, how sadly commonplace bullying and incivility is at work, and tips to improve social mobility in your organisation. CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Janet Campbell, director at Restoration & Renewal Delivery Authority, Garin Rouch, OD consultant at Distinction Business Consulting, and Woosh Raza, Director of People at NCVO. Recorded: 02 August 2024

Welcome to HR People Pod, the CIPD’s new fortnightly podcast bringing you expert insight and topical stories impacting the world of work. In our pilot episode, host David D'Souza, CIPD's director of people profession, welcomes Woosh Raza, executive director of people culture and inclusion at NCVO, Katie Obi, chief people officer at One Advanced and Bertie Tonks, chief people officer at Collinson to the panel as we discuss whether Gen Z are ‘lazy’, the unintended consequences of a rising minimum wage, whether more organisations are letting people work from home full-time and take a deeper dive into the growing demands on the profession. Recorded: 10 May 2024

In this episode we’ll be talking to Foo Chek Wee, Regional HR Director at Zalora, Clarence Hoe, Group Director, Human Resource Group, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and Su-Yen Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Human Capital Leadership Institute about how they’re planning for the future of Talent in Singapore.

In this episode we hear from Andy Lancaster, Head of L&D Content, CIPD and Nicola Josephs, Senior Executive Advisor, CEB on the challenges and opportunities facing L&D professionals now, and in the future. We also chat with Derek Bruce, Head of International Development, ABN AMRO and Alexandra Bode-Tunji, Programme Lead - Skills and Capabilities, TFL about how their organisations are preparing their employees for the future.

In this episode we chat with mum-to-be Ksenia Zheltoukhova, research advisor at CIPD, and her partner Ryan McKelvey about their decision to take advantage of shared leave and what challenges and opportunities it has presented. We also chat with Fiona Martin, Pay and benefits administrator at CIPD, to find out how it works in practice and how HR can support and encourage couples considering shared parental leave.

Recorded at the launch event for new research from the Valuing your Talent initiative, this episode explores why companies should be interested in measuring the value of their people, how they can begin, and the impact that human capital measurement and reporting can have business performance and investment potential.

Dr Mark Cole, Head of L&D at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation, Catherine Noel, L&D Manager at Cannon and Jennifer Wrigley, L&D Manager at Discovery Networks International discuss how they tackle line manager training and how L&D professionals could better support and engage with their line managers to increase the success of their learning and development plans.

Podcast 113: Wearable Technology by CIPD

Podcast 112: Interview with Scott Durairaj (Bonus) by CIPD

Liz Bingham, a Partner in People Advisory services at EY, describes how her career flourished after a supportive boss encouraged her to come out at work and how this helped her become a more authentic leader. Liz also discusses her opinion of the experience of young people entering the workforce, as well as giving tips for HR and line managers who want to bring a truly diverse community into the workplace.

Gay, lesbian and trans people talk about their work, their colleagues, disclosure, language and why there’s no such thing as the LGBT community. Our guests include Stephen Frost, a globally recognised diversity expert for Frost Included, trainee vet Hattie Smart, EY partner Liz Bingham, Amy Stanning, shared services Director at Barclays, Head of diversity and inclusion at NHS Employers, Paul Deemer, and Scott Durairaj, head of patient experience, mental health and learning disability for the NHS.

In a world heavily influenced by technology and evolving views on leadership and employee experience, people practice by and large, is still founded on the so-called 'Ulrich HR operating model' that was put forward in the 90s. Is it finally time to consider HR's next top operating model?  Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests: Dave Ulrich, University of Michigan - Ross School of Business, Natalie Shiels, Chief People Officer at Mosaic Group, and Perry Timms, founder of People and Transformational HR, as we explore what approach to HR would be fit-for-purpose in the rapidly changing business environment of today and the future. Learn more about current practice, future models and successful transformations with our latest article series on HR operating models: www.cipd.org/en/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/insight/hr-models/

Podcast 110: Resilience by CIPD

Welcome to our first podcast episode of 2016! In this episode we ask three leading thinkers to share their predictions for what the next 12 months will hold for HR and L&D. Sharing their insight and foresight Professor Sir Cary Cooper, 50th anniversary professor of organisational psychology and health, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Dave Coplin, Author and Chief Envisioning Officer, Microsoft UK and Inji Duducu, Group HR Director, Benenden Group discuss the key issues facing HR and L&D in the changing world of work including automation, wellbeing, performance management, the leadership of the future, the ongoing debate around email and the concept of finding the right balance in the emerging phenomenon of “work-life integration”.

In today’s business landscape HR professionals are seeking greater business credibility, greater influence and greater impact in their organisations. But what role does HR play in promoting and/or enforcing ethical responsibility in business? Recent high-profile scandals at Volkswagen, Tesco and Amazon have highlighted the importance of organisational culture and leadership, not to mention the risks of ignoring them. In this roundtable discussion Philippa Foster Back CBE, Director of the Institute of Business Ethics, David Jackson, Associate Director of HR at Manchester Metropolitan University and Laura Harrison, Director of People and Strategy at CIPD, discuss the changing role of HR and how ethical responsibility and business credibility can be balanced and incorporated into that role.

As the world of work changes at an ever increasing pace this podcast explores the role HR professionals should play in planning and landing change programmes in their organisation.

CIPD research shows that over two-fifths of organisations have reported an increase in mental health problems in the last 12 months – but rather than simply taking measures to deal with these problems there is growing evidence that it is in employers’ best interest to promote and support good mental health in their workforce. So how can employers work to tackle the root causes of mental health problems and provide measures to foster good mental health in their organisation? In this podcast we hear from John Binns, a well-being and personal resilience advisor, about his personal experience of poor mental health and how he now uses this experience to advise organisations on how best to support employees who may be suffering from poor mental health, including the importance of carefully considering messaging around initiatives. We also speak to Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind, about the importance of proactive communication to make mental health conversations normal and remove the stigma around mental health. Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk and former Minister of State at the Department of Health, also gives insight into the work he did as minister to promote mental health support and gives his opinion on the economic and social case for why employers should make this a priority.

Research suggests that by 2030 there will be more jobs than people. In this talent-led market, reward strategies will become enormously important in helping organisations to stand out and attract and retain the very best candidates. In this podcast Charles Cotton, Public Policy Advisor for Reward at CIPD offers insight into the shifting landscape of reward and the challenges of catering to a changing workforce with increasingly diverse needs and preferences. Neil Morrison, Group HR Director at Penguin Random House discusses the importance of reward in creating a fair and transparent culture following the merger of the two publishing houses in 2014. And Kelly Mitchell, Head of People Services at Home Group shares her organisation’s experience of launching an innovative reward scheme and the benefit of good communication and engagement.

In this podcast Kathryn Nawrockyi, Gender Equality Director at Business in the Community, Vilma Nikolaidou, Head of Organisational Development at Tate Gallery and Margot King, Head of CR, Diversity and Recruitment at Eversheds offer thoughts and insights into boardroom gender diversity issues.

Recent research shows that just 7% of L&D professionals evaluate the impact of learning initiatives on the wider business but in these uncertain and evolving times it’s essential that L&D becomes all about alignment; with both business aims and with evolving ways of learning. But what does alignment actually look like? In this podcast we speak to three experts to gain their insight. Laura Overton, founder of Towards Maturity, discusses what is holding alignment up and what L&D should really be measuring to assess value, while Julian Stodd, Founder and Captain at SeaSalt Learning describes the new world of learning, of social and community, and why L&D need to act as agile facilitators not controllers of learning. Andrew Jacobs, Talent Management and Organisational Development Manager at London Borough of Lewisham, agrees with the importance of embracing new ways of learning but stresses the need to challenge the use of certain methods and technology to ensure it’s what is needed for the business. Andrew also discusses his experience of stripping back his L&D offering to truly align with what people want and what they’re already using. Do you feel that more needs to be done to align L&D with business objectives in your organisation? How are you embracing evolving learning methods? Join in the discussion on Twitter @CIPD using the hashtag #cipdpodcasts.

Recruiting the right people is a challenge faced by every organisation, but SMEs in particular may face more challenges than most. Limited time and resources as well as competition from larger companies can make it much more difficult for smaller firms to find and recruit the best candidates.

The world of continuing professional development (CPD) is changing. Organisations and professional institutions are increasingly shifting their emphasis from classroom-based learning and compulsory hours or units to a much more personalised, flexible and informal approach. This podcast takes a closer look at CPD in the HR profession, exploring the benefits and challenges of a voluntary system, how it compares to other professions, the opportunities it offers for the individual and the organisation and ultimately, how CPD can contribute to building and maintaining the HR profession as a whole. In a round-table discussion, our guest speakers David D’Souza, Head of London at CIPD, Simon Collins, Talent Manager at Caterpillar and Rebecca Normand, International Business Manager at CIPD, talk about their own experiences of CPD, both in HR and other professions, the new and innovative ways that companies are engaging their employees and encouraging ongoing learning and how they see CPD evolving in the future.

Digital innovation has continued to move at an unprecedented pace, and few would argue the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has shifted the model for organisations, and equally, if not more so, in the realm of L&D. 2023 research from the CIPD revealed that just 5% of respondents currently use AI to support L&D, with a modest 6% additionally planning to use AI into 2024. So, is an untapped opportunity waiting for the curious L&D professional to uncover? Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests: Radha Bharj, Co-founder of Rythmik and Erica Farmer, Co-founder of Quantum Rise, as we explore how learning professionals can embrace the disruption AI offers to increase their capacity to deliver impactful and effective learning for organisations?

It’s our 100th podcast! To celebrate this milestone we asked you, our listeners, to take the lead and give us your wise words and views on the HR profession; its highs and lows, how it’s changing, the best advice you’ve been given in your career and what you love about working in HR. We also put your questions to our trio of expert speakers: HR Director of Telefonica, UK, Ann Pickering, Stefan Stern, visiting professor as CASS Business School, and Max Blumberg, Research Fellow at Goldsmiths University. Ann, Stefan and Max also give their expert insight on successful HR careers, industry trends and buzzwords, and what HR means today.

Parents of babies born or adopted on or after 5 April 2015 will be able to take advantage of shared parental leave, one of the biggest family friendly working reforms in years. But does this legislation do enough to truly suit the needs of the future workforce? In this podcast we discuss the future of family friendly working and the advantages to be gained from embracing a culture of agile working. We hear from Jo Swinson, Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and Women and Equalities Minister, about how shared parental leave will work and what she expects the take up to be. Jo also discusses why legislation like shared parental leave will help challenge conceptions in society and drive change to achieve a more level playing field for male and female employees. Tim Munden, Vice President of HR at Unilever, discusses how Unilever are looking to go beyond implementing the new legislation to start incorporating parental and other family absences (like eldercare) into their talent planning pipelines and the importance of line managers and role models in communicating this type of culture. We also speak to Jennifer Liston-Smith from My Family Care about the issue of pay and why employers should consider the business case for embracing family friendly working in terms of recruitment and retention. Jennifer also gives her advice for employers who want to embrace the future of family friendly working, including how to equip managers to handle requests for leave. To discuss this episode on Twitter, use the hashtag #cipdpodcasts.

Business partnerships are on the rise, with 25% more organisations setting one up in 2014 than in 2013. This episode follows on from the December episode which looked at the key considerations that should be made when approaching business partnerships. In this episode we speak to representatives from Shell and Rolls Royce about their experiences of business partnerships. Sofiah Umar, VP for HR Strategy and Planning for Shell tells us about using business partnerships as a way to collaborate with competitors and the challenges HR face in accepting the change of mindset required for success, while Charlotte Dearnley, Head of HR for Controls and Data Services at Rolls Royce, speaks about her role in building an individual culture and identity for her business unit, while remaining part of Rolls Royce, and the importance of fostering communication. Philippa Stokes, Head of Global Employment Relations at Rolls Royce echoes this point by describing why it is crucial to foster common understanding. We also hear from Paul Sparrow, Director of the Centre for Performance-led HR and Professor of International Human Resource Management at Lancaster University Management School on the role of HR in launching and sustaining successful business partnerships.

Welcome to the first podcast for 2015! In this podcast Chief Executive Peter Cheese explains the key themes the CIPD will be focusing on in the coming year and introduces 4 important thinkers discussing what they think is significant and cutting edge for the profession right now. First we speak to Nick Chater, Professor of Behavioural Science at the Warwick Business School, about the science of human behaviour and its relevance to HR issues. Next we hear from James Rule, Director of HR Solution Effectiveness at Thomson Reuters who describes a scheme called ‘partnering for performance’ that embodies the idea of aligning talent within the business with opportunity and how they have used technology to achieve this. We also hear from Arnab Banerjee, an HR Transformation and Technology expert, who describes the ways technology can optimise HR and his predictions for what will happen in this space. Finally we hear from Rita Gunther McGrath, a Professor at Columbia Business School, who outlines why she believes that businesses should stop focusing on sustaining a competitive advantage and instead work towards identifying different opportunities and working in an agile way to take advantage of these opportunities.

As the nature of organisations changes to become less insular and more networked, strategic business partnerships are on the rise and HR’s role in these partnerships is critical This podcast looks at HR’s role in business partnerships and the key considerations that should be made when approaching business partnerships. We speak to to Paul Sparrow, Director of the Centre for Performance-led HR and Professor of International Human Resource Management at Lancaster University Management School about why business partnerships are on the rise, the concept of mutual benefits and the three overaching themes that his research has identified as affecting the outcome of partnering arrangements; risk and capability, governance and sharing knowledge and learning beyond your own organisation. This podcast will be followed up by the February episode where we speak to Shell and Rolls Royce to learn about their experience of HR’s role in the success of their business partnerships.

This podcast explores the tricky business of team creation and discusses the role and contribution of evolving technology, the importance of communication patterns and shared values.

In this podcast we discuss the impact of increasing numbers of migrant workers on the UK workforce and in particular the effect that this is having on young people as they seek employment. We speak to Gerwyn Davies, Public Policy Adviser at the CIPD, who sets the scene for the numbers of migrant workers compared to 10 years ago. We discuss the rising number of skilled EU workers entering the UK workforce and the impact on the UK employment rate. We also speak to Alex Gennie, Senior Research Fellow, IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) and Sinead Lawrence, Senior Policy Adviser, CBI (Confederation of British Industry) about how the employment landscape is changing in general and why it is important to consider the impact of EU migrant workers as part of this changing landscape. We go on to discuss what EU migrants bring to the workforce in terms of skills and values and the effect this is having on young people in particular.

In this podcast Sandy Pepper, Professor of Management Practice at LSE, Deborah Hargreaves, Director of the High Pay Centre and Mark Childs, Managing Director of Total Reward Group, discuss the issues and questions about executive pay.

While your business is small, the founder can personally interact with the employees and convey the core vision that they have for the organisation. As the organisation expands, this is increasingly difficult, and the founder has to rely on others to ‘sell the dream’. In this episode, we speak to Alex Saint, co-founder and CEO of Secret Escapes, about the process of ‘stepping back’ as his company has expanded and opened offices abroad. We also speak to Ksenia Zheltoukhova, Research Associate at the CIPD, who discusses recent CIPD research findings , which highlight the importance of finding a way to formalise your values as your business grows. To hear how DUO have formalised their values with the help of employees from across the business, we speak to Claire Alexander, HR and Talent Development Manager at DUO. We also speak to Ben Saunders, Head of HR at IMarEST, the professional body for marine professionals, about the vision and values challenges faced by a membership body, and

In this podcast we speak to Pensions Minister Steve Webb about how the pensions landscape has been changing, with the implementation of auto-enrolment, and recent changes to the state pension and to annuities.

Awareness of what it means to be neurodivergent has grown amongst employers, as well as the understanding of the value this talent pool offers the organisation. But what does it mean to be neuroinclusive? Are we in danger of pigeon-holing or shoehorning neurodivergent talent into specific roles? And is there more that we can do to create workplaces that respond to individual working preferences? Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests: Kevin Lyons, Senior HR Manager at Pearson; Alex Hirst, Co-founder of Hoxby; and Dr Jill Miller, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Policy Adviser at CIPD, as we explore how you can make your organisation more neuroinclusive.

In this podcast we explore the work of Professor Eugene Sadler-Smith, who researches and writes on insight, intuition and creativity.

Most people have a story of a poor or badly-organised introduction to a workplace. As the beginning of an employee’s relationship with their new employer, however, getting the induction process right is really important, and an unmissable opportunity to explain what the company’s all about. On a mission to find out how to do induction differently, we spoke to three companies from a range of sectors who have all recently revolutionised their induction processes. Coffee company UCC send a ‘culture pack’ to new hires, and establish a strong connection with employees before they even begin. BBC Worldwide have worked with communication company One Fish Two Fish to develop a truly multimedia approach to induction that introduces employees to their content and brand. Meanwhile, global HR consultancy Mercer have worked with Big Picture Learning to create a visual representation of their company and strategy, which helps new starters to see where their roles fit in the context of the organisation. All of these companies have moved away from a traditional ‘broadcast’ approach, which sees lots of information transmitted to bewildered new starters, to a process that is far more two-way, and that involves interaction, discovery, and conversation. Author and academic Paul Turner discusses the importance of this, and of aligning the induction with the brand and values of the company. He also describes how companies can measure the success of a new approach. Share your induction experiences, or let us know what you thought of this episode, using the hashtag #CIPDpodcasts Paul Turner, author and academic Naomi Godwin, HR Advisor, UCC Anna Charleston, Head of HR Operations, BBC Worldwide Nicole Black, UK Market Manager, Mercer

This month we’re looking at how organisations increasingly need to formulate a strategic response to an age-diverse workforce, as working lives get longer and the younger end of the workforce also becomes a focus. This is about going beyond the legal necessities in terms of age discrimination and equal opportunities, and looking at the issue strategically. The CIPD’s Dianah Worman gives us a picture of the age profile of UK workers, and also talks through some of the results from recent CIPD research. We speak to Judy Greevy from HMRC about the organisation’s award-winning approach to age diversity, including workshops that address common misconceptions about younger and older workers. We also speak to Marcus Lee from Santander about the bank’s impressive endeavours to offer opportunities to young people, and also their focus on ‘re-careerers’ who might consider a move into banking later in life.

Recent CIPD research has revealed that although £3.2 billion is annually invested in training for managers across the UK, 72% of organisations report a deficit of management and leadership skills. In this round table podcast recording, we’ll be discussing why this is the case, and what to do about it. What are the barriers to effective leadership in modern organisations, and how can we overcome them? We will discuss some of the findings from the research with CIPD’s Ksenia Zheltoukhova, while Kirstin Furber, People Director, BBC Worldwide, Louise Fisher, HR Director, Xerox and Andy Lancaster, formerly Learning and Development Manager, Hanover Housing and now Head of L&D at the CIPD, outline their personal experiences of organisational structures and leadership capability.

The CIPD’s Chief Economist kicks off the first CIPD podcast of 2014, with a cautiously optimistic note for the next 12 months. Mark Beatson tells us that employment growth may well continue, but that with average earnings still falling in real terms, it’s the productivity deficit that employers really need to tackle. We also look ahead with Peter Cheese, who discusses how he believes that the improved economic outlook gives HR professionals the space to think more strategically. Peter also rounds up some of the CIPD’s key priorities for 2014, including the ‘Valuing your Talent’ project, aiming to provide a framework for human capital measurement, and the CIPD’s commitment to providing clearer membership propositions for people management professionals at all stages of their career.

With new CIPD survey results showing prevailing uncertainty that social media has any role to play in the workplace, we discuss ways in which social and digital technologies can and increasingly will have a real impact on the world of work. We discuss how employers can exploit the potential of a more networked workforce, and talk about the altered power dynamics that can result from a more ‘social business’. HRD and prolific tweeter Gemma Reucroft (@HR_Gem) speaks about how she’s used social media to network and learn, and how her company is now building social technologies into its communications framework. DPG’s Head of Customer Experience Mike Collins (@MikeCollins007) talks about a networked approach to L&D. We also probe the findings with report author Jonny Gifford (@jonnygiff), who argues that the question is no longer ‘whether’ but ‘how’ you are going to use social media. The episode also includes the legal perspective from solicitor Ron Kane, including his suggestions for collaboratively developing a workable social media policy.

In this podcast Martin Clarkson, Co-founder and Chairman, The Storytellers, Vilma Nikolaidou, Head of OD, Tate Galleries and Wilson Wong, Senior Researcher, OD Insight and Practice, discuss organisation development from the perspective of involving stakeholders in the design and development process, and examine the best ways to communicate OD throughout the organisation.

In this podcast Neal Blackshire, Benefits and Compensation Manager, McDonald’s, Kendra Osenton, Pensions Policy Manager, BT, and Andy Seed, Director of Tax and Pensions, KPMG discuss pension auto-enrolment for SMES.

For this podcast we travelled to a careers fair in north London to speak to some students who are exploring their career options. We also speak to some of the people involved in the project, including CIPD’s Kelly Duncan and Katerina Rudiger, and Nick Chambers, Director of the Education and Employers Taskforce. They discuss the importance of tackling the mismatch between young people and employers at the recruitment stage and explain how volunteer HR professionals can help by delivering CV and interview guidance.

In this podcast Simon Lloyd, HR Director of Santander, Simon Thompson, Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker Institute, Andrea Eccles of the City HR Association and CIPD Head of Public Policy Ben Wilmot discuss the need to change the culture of the financial sector to repair the trust in it that has been lost.

There’s no time to lose in making our businesses environmentally sustainable, but among the myriad of responsibilities falling on the shoulders of people professionals, what role can you play as agents of change within the environment agenda? Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests: Dr Jan Maskell, Business Psychologist; Gilda Neiman, Board Director at Chapter Zero in Brussels; and Susannah Haan, Senior Corporate Governance Advisor, as we explore how people professionals can better influence boards and senior leaders while also embedding sustainable checkpoints in your day-to-day processes.

Coaching has become the generic solution to a plethora of HR development needs but is it always the right approach and are we using it effectively? John McGurk, CIPD Adviser, Learning & Talent, Peter Hawkins, Professor of Leadership, Henley Business School, Heather Townsend, Director, Excedia Group, and Neil Morrison, Group HR Director, Random House, discuss.

In this podcast two women, Naomi Timperley, Co Director of Enterprise Lab and Director of Social Media Boom and Claire Mason, Founder and Managing Director of Man Bites Dog, share how they started up their own businesses and Claire McCartney, CIPD Adviser, Resourcing & Talent Planning, discusses what her research has highlighted.

In this podcast Katerina Rudiger, CIPD's Skills Policy Adviser, Jane Daly, Head of Learning and Development at Marks and Spencer and Elizabeth Eddy, Head of Skills for NHS employers, discuss the problem of youth unemployment and what employers should be doing to play their part in boosting work opportunities for young people.

In this podcast CIPD's Chief Executive Peter Cheese. Robert Bolton, Partner, Leader of Global HR Transformation Centre of Excellence, KPMG and Hayley Brown, Talent Intelligence Analyst, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), for AVON Cosmetics, discuss the results of a survey and how HR needs to be able to use analytics to prove its own value to the business.