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% additionall…

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…

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 Direc…

The role of a people professional can often feel like an impossible task, being pulled from pillar to post in one of the most multi-faceted jobs in the organisation. Given the growing portfolio of responsibilities that people professionals need to manage, and the expectations around that, what does it take to thrive in this complex role?Join Nigel …

Learning professionals may not be asked to ‘show me the money’, but they will be expected to demonstrate value and return on investment. So, what can learning professionals do to best set themselves up for success? Could the answer lie in simply asking the right questions to properly diagnose an organisation’s real learning need?Join Nigel Cassidy …

CIPD’s latest health and wellbeing at work report revealed that sickness absence is at a ten-year high and that wellbeing support for individuals at different life stages can be patchy. So, how can organisations offer sophisticated and nuanced wellbeing support without truly understanding the individual needs of their people?Join Nigel Cassidy and …

How are you balancing new working freedoms with post-Covid realities? For many organisations, remote working was a boon that enabled their businesses to carry on through the pandemic. All the while their people uncovered and experienced the benefits that working remotely had to offer. But as we unwind from the pandemic, some organisations that had …

Despite increased resources in most organisations, CIPD’s 2023 Learning at Work survey found that over half of L&D teams had intensified workloads over the last year. This has left L&D professionals battling with a lack of capacity, puzzling over business priorities and with a lack of insight about what is needed. So, what can learning professional…

Is your cybersecurity training fit for purpose? There’s a common perception that cybersecurity is an issue for the IT function, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that modern cyber-criminals have mastered the psychological techniques of manipulating their target to perform a specific action, making the issue of cyber-securi…

Have we over-expanded the remit of people managers? As the world and the workplace have become increasingly complex, management requirements and expectations are expanding exponentially. So, what steps can People Professionals take to support managers, to relieve the risk of being overwhelmed, and equip them with the competencies and behaviours to …

Do we need to start thinking differently, perhaps more creatively, to reengage your people with organisational learning? For many, a perception exists that traditional approaches to organisation training have become stale. It’s imperative for learning professionals to remain curious and open minded towards new techniques and methods, in order to ge…

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) itself is not new – many organisations, knowingly or not, already use forms of AI technology within their businesses – we are now at the cusp of a major change. So just as the internet of things changed the way we work, connect, shop, spend our leisure time – and in turn how businesses operate – the AI revolution …

If pay transparency is good for workplace fairness, why isn’t everyone doing it? The calls for pay transparency as a means to remedy existing inequalities and close gender and racial pay gaps are loud and many. But the reality of implementing it is not without complications.Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests: Karen Jackson, HR Director at R…

Have we become too comfortable and over-reliant on digital learning? CIPD research suggests we are losing sight of the richness of varied learning experiences and their role in effective learning transfer. So do learning professionals need to think afresh about designing content that can meet the changing expectations and needs of both the organisa…

Is cultural intelligence (CQ) the ‘secret sauce’ to make your equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives bear fruit? In an increasingly global environment, working effectively with others across different boundaries is critical for a competitive advantage. It requires people who are sensitive to different cultures and perspectives, and can adapt…

Do you know what’s really concerning your people as we enter a new year? As months of crippling industrial action continue, the growing struggle to make ends meet, a new period of recession in the UK and an increasingly tired and burnt-out workforce, what can people professionals – and organisations more broadly – do to support people through the c…

It’s said that affording a little breathing space to reflect on workplace learning can vastly improve its effectiveness and likelihood of achieving behavioural change. But what’s the evidence for this?Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests: Julie Drybrough, Founder and Chief Executive at Fuchsia Blue; Learning and Development Consultant, Fiona …

Please be advised that parts of this podcast cover issues that may be emotionally sensitive.Statistics on men’s health are concerning: men account for three-quarters of premature deaths from heart disease, are twice as likely to die from drug or alcohol abuse and three times more likely to die from suicide. In part, due to unhelpful ideas about wha…

Offering a four-day week could give organisations a competitive edge, as employees seek a better work-life balance. But does it really have the potential to become the norm across a wide range of sectors and businesses? Our experts debate the pros and cons of working fewer days for the same pay.CIPD

Theories encouraging employee learning have evolved considerably over the past decade, most notably in the shift from venue-based learning (while still vitally important) to learning in the flow of work. But what value can ‘adjacent learning’ – off-the-job learning that takes place outside the workplace setting – bring to learning experiences?Join …

Trust is critical for functional relationships and not least when it comes to the case of organisational leaders and their people. With scandals and examples of failed leadership making daily headlines, it is little wonder that trust in organisations may already be at an all-time low. Throw in cases of actual leadership mistakes – does the situatio…

People professionals have stepped up through recent crises to support their organisations and their people. Yet, the perceived value of the profession remains under constant challenge. While some applaud these efforts to take the profession beyond form-filling and compliance, others say HR have exceeded their remit with their public agenda crusades…

Accessible and inclusive experiences are critical to the success of organisational learning. Few would argue against the benefits an accelerated shift to – and adoption of – digital learning has brought to learners, particularly with greater flexibility in terms of access, delivery and coverage. But is the design of your learning drawing out the be…

The benefits of an inclusive and diverse workforce are inarguable – not just because it’s the right thing to do for social justice, but for the benefits it can bring to every business. But despite having the right policies in place, many organisations are still struggling to build inclusive workforces, and progress has been slow or stagnant. It may…

Dealing with stress can place immense demands on employees’ physical and mental health. Our Health and Wellbeing at Work 2022 report emphasises the negative impact stress can have on productivity, with 79% of organisations reporting some stress-related absence over the last year. So, the idea that organisations could purposely generate or allow pre…

Organisations often invest large sums of money in learning and development opportunities for their people, but CIPD research finds that only a small minority are evaluating the wider impact on business or society (8%). Learning transfer – applying newly acquired knowledge and skills to real-life situations in the workplace – should be an integral p…

“We need to cultivate a growth mindset”. It sounds motivating and uplifting, but what exactly does it mean, and just how aware are we of open and fixed mindsets? Research carried out by American psychologist, Carol Dweck, suggests that when organisations embrace and nurture an organisational culture which enables a growth mindset, employees feel mo…

Whether the ‘Great Resignation’ is a phenomenon supported by statistical evidence or not, the pandemic has prompted many to reassess what they want from their jobs. The battle to recruit and retain talent in these challenging times has been well documented, and if a workplace revolution is truly underway, employers need to be tuned in to what emplo…

The rapid uptake of digital technology to deliver organisational learning during the pandemic has changed the L&D landscape forever. But as we move forward, how can organisations capitalise on the momentum to further embrace digital solutions and provide effective, engaging, immersive and safe learning experiences? Join Nigel Cassidy and this month…

Motivation can be defined as a desire or willingness to do something, but would you be able to tell that your team or an individual is struggling with motivation? Many of us may be feeling tired, overloaded and overworked and while the monotony of heading to the kitchen table can equally take its toll, what is the cost of doing nothing when it come…

There is little doubt that social media use can prove valuable for engaging customers and enhancing brand image. But, as the ongoing impact of the pandemic and challenges presented by choppy Brexit waters intensify the competition for talent, can leveraging social media platforms for creative and innovative recruitment practices give your organisat…

Are outdated and ineffective learning models holding your organisation back? CIPD research found that less than half of L&D practitioners are integrating new learning concepts into practice. Theories about effective learning, together with insights from behavioural science and neuroscience, can inform and shape the design of effective and engaging …

Organisations are significant contributors to the causes of climate change with businesses responsible for an estimated 17% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. While averting a planetary crisis is reason enough to act with urgency, there is also a compelling business case for doing so. So, what role must business leaders and people professionals…

Organisations must constantly adapt to an everchanging environment. This may include evolving customer demands, new technologies, increased competition, and even a global crisis. Many have negotiated their way through the pandemic by reflex – adjusting practices on the fly to align with government guidance and the latest developments. But as we loo…

In the face of the global pandemic, learning professionals have had to adjust swiftly to sweeping changes to how people work and connect and critically rethink learning delivery. However, a high level of uncertainty remains about what the future holds, with just 18% of organisations expecting learning strategy, investment, and resourcing to return …

Is the human brain wired for a digital working? Virtual platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams are instrumental in bridging the communications gap between homeworkers, but how can we set healthy boundaries for digital tools, so they don’t fuel harmful working practices? With the expected rise in hybrid working and the impending return to the wo…

The pandemic has accelerated the evolution of the workplace, perhaps years before many organisations were ready to take the leap. But as we begin our recovery from the pandemic businesses will have a big decision to make. Do we want to return to a ‘tweaked’ version of normality or are organisations prepared to map out a bold new vision for how we w…

Are we too busy to learn? Is there a strong case for L&D in a cost-conscious environment? There is increasing demand on organisational departments to justify their spending and deliver measurable value. As a result, there is a steadily growing trend for L&D teams to present evidence-based practice to demonstrate growth and impact. Without tangible …

Is it time to tear up the HR playbook? Should the people profession be less fixated on rules, and instead, lead by principles? We are seeing seismic shifts in the world of work, not just in what our physical workplace looks like, but in what our expectations of work are. But is the people profession – so frequently labelled ‘risk-averse’ – ready to…

Over the past 12 months many organisations in the UK and across the globe switched to survival mode. Whether that was due to a sudden surge in demand for key services or having to adapt operations as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, no business remained unscathed. One thing that is abundantly clear is that our working lives will not be returning …

In the last year or so there has been growing debate and conversation around the benefits of soft skills in the workplace and the essential or core skills we will increasingly need. The events of 2020 have prompted greater shows of empathy, teamwork and problem solving, but can getting these ‘softer’ skills right pay dividends in the long-term and …

Do you have the right learning culture to nurture your people? What are the tell-tale signs you have developed a strong environment for learning in your organisation? Creating a supportive learning environment is imperative to ensuring employees have the right capabilities to adapt and respond to challenges in the right way. While 98% of learning a…

Due to the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic, many organisations feel unprepared for incoming immigration changes brought about by Brexit. Priorities have shifted, and the onset of COVID-19 put workforce planning on the back burner. In what ways can organisations prepare for Brexit, and how will new migration restrictions impact their f…

Over a quarter of people say their alcohol consumption has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. Yet recent CIPD research has found a fifth of businesses don’t offer proactive support to employees for drug and alcohol misuse. So at what point do concerns of drug and alcohol misuse become an issue for employers and…

Few would argue against the beneficial role technology has played as an enabler of work, especially now, as we continue to face disruption to both work and working life as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But is there a point when the implementation of technology crosses a line? Workforce surveillance and employee monitoring is a topic of content…

The global Black Lives Matter movement has shone a stark spotlight on the need for society and organisations to stop, reflect and acknowledge where they need to start making changes. While laws and changing social norms have helped to make overt and blatant racism unacceptable, a shake-up in working practice and systemic culture is required. And th…

Conflict is an inevitable part of human interaction. At a time when it’s crucial we come together and strengthen our relationships, albeit virtually, inconsequential disagreements or a mishandled conversation can bubble up into unpleasant or even toxic situations. While being able to ‘manage’ conflict is a necessary skill for individuals and the mo…

Before coronavirus struck, mental-ill health was the number one cause of long-term sickness absence among UK workers. Current lockdown restrictions are likely to have exacerbated these conditions for many, and this poses a real challenge for managers who are expected to look after the health and well-being of their teams.Join Andrea Winfield, HR Di…

We have heard many times before that we are operating in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world and few would argue that current developments aren’t case in point. The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) is without question testing businesses on an unprecedented scale. But having a well-designed organisation to respond flexibly an…

Traditional organisation development [OD] skills are becoming increasingly embedded within the DNA across all aspects of people profession today – this is highlighted in the new Profession Map from the CIPD. In what way, then, can OD practice be integrated throughout the people practice ecosystem? How can people practitioners adopt traditional OD r…