CIPD

In today’s business landscape, as new scandals occur with increasing regularity, the concepts of trust and reputation are growing ever greater in importance. Organisations are finding that they must be more transparent and accountable to engage and retain their customers and to attract the best talent. Building trust both outside and within an organisation is now essential to business success. In this first episode of 2019 we explore trust and human connection in today’s workplaces. What benefits can pursuing them bring to a company and what challenges do they present? What role do people professionals play in developing this culture and embedding it throughout their own organisations? And how can they model these behaviours in their own day-to-day work?

The world of business is becoming increasingly complex and as a result businesses themselves are adding complexity to their structures, processes and systems. This can often act as a blocker to the factors of business success like innovation, engagement and ultimately productivity. So how do businesses and their people stay agile in a complicated environment? Many organisations have taken inspiration from the world of tech and increasingly people professionals are using techniques such as agile working, sprints, and scrum or squad working to achieve their goals and complete projects. But is it for everyone? In this episode we talk to three HR and L&D specialists about what it means for an organisation to be ‘agile’ in today’s business world. We discuss the increasing complexity of business structures and look at simple steps for empowering employees to work collaboratively.

Robots aren’t taking over our jobs just yet, but automation is already augmenting many roles. Much of the current discussion on how new technology stands to change the world of work is limited. Debates typically centre on the extent to which humans are going to be ‘replaced’ or which jobs or tasks are most at risk of automation. This narrative is driven by the assumption that all we care about is productivity and since machines are seen to be much more efficient with the potential to make better decisions than humans – it can only lead to one conclusion. But in a world that is more connected than ever before – individuals are increasingly feeling isolated and desire human interaction. This episode explores how people and technologies can augment each other in the workplace, through a series of case studies, providing important food for thought for both organisations and individuals.

As the people profession evolves to meet the needs of a changing business landscape, HR and L&D teams are becoming far more integrated throughout their organisations, working closely with different functions and using their professional skills and knowledge to improve business performance. In this episode we talk to CIPD’s own Director of people, Brad Taylor, as well as Kate Griffiths-Lambeth, HRD at Charles Stanley, along with her CEO and COO, to find out how their teams go about working with a range of different business areas and the importance they place on integrating the HR and L&D functions throughout the organisation.

In the changing context of work, performance and productivity are key considerations for organisations of every size. Today’s L&D teams play a vital role in helping organisations to address these issues. In order to do so, learning must be embedded at the heart of their businesses and this may mean a significant shift in learning culture. L&D teams must seek to revolutionise their approach if they are to drive productivity and performance in their organisations. In this episode we explore the latest research from Towards Maturity which looks at L&D in high performing organisations and how they are able to achieve astounding improvements in their performance and productivity. We discuss the role L&D practitioners, senior leaders and managers play in driving these changes and challenges they may face. And we hear from an organisation that has already implemented many of the recommendations from the research.

Self-directed learning is nothing new. As early as 1840, self-development has been celebrated and today, with the rise of new technologies and social platforms, self-directed learning is more accessible and relevant than ever before. So why are many organisations resistant to the idea of self-directed learning? Self-directed learning represents a move away from traditional, class-room based learning, empowering individuals to take charge of their own learning needs. It allows learners to proceed at their own pace, according to their own needs and in a style that suits them. However, it is not without its challenges. In this episode we explore what self-directed learning looks like in today’s organisations and what challenges and opportunities it offers for both the individuals and their businesses. We ask how L&D professionals can best support self-directed learners and what conditions are necessary for self-directed learning to be successful in an organisation.

The practice of organisational design and development is changing and its profile is growing in the world of work and HR. Organisations are looking to OD experts - and sometimes HR professionals with only limited OD expertise - to help them resolve the many and varied challenges they face. But there's confusion about what OD is and some questionable truths about OD often go unchallenged. Together those issues can create significant organisational risk. In this episode, we talk to OD experts Dr Naomi Stanford, Sadie Sharp, Gary Cookson and Warren Howlett about how OD is changing, what it can do and the role that HR can play.

The business and ethical case for diversity is clear and well established and today we’re seeing notable progress on gender. However, research shows that we’re still not seeing the same pace of change in racial equality at work. While one in eight of the working-age population is from a BAME background, this group still only holds one in sixteen of the top management positions. Despite governmental and business focus we are failing to make a meaningful and lasting impact. So what is holding organisations back? In this episode we hear clips from an event in which senior HR professionals discuss why they believe progress remains slow and why we find it so difficult to talk about race. We also hear from television broadcaster June Sarpong MBE and CIPD’s Membership Director David D’Souza as they discuss what organisations and HR can do to support and encourage change.

Recruitment is a fundamental process for every organisation. Get it right and it can strengthen company culture, improve productivity and performance, and positively impact well-being and diversity. Get it wrong and the negative effects can be far-reaching for individuals, teams and organisations. So how do HR professionals ensure that their recruitment processes are fair and unbiased and so attract the best talent? In this episode we talk to three HR experts about the impact of unconscious bias on recruitment. We look at how unconscious bias can creep into to any decision-making process and offer advice on what HR and managers can do to address the effects of unconscious bias in their organisations, particularly at the point of recruitment.

What is the connection between productivity and engagement? It’s a key question for organisations and much debated in the HR community. Do engaged employees always work harder, smarter or more efficiently? Does a productive worker always mean an engaged worker? Can you measure the relationship between productivity and engagement? In this episode we look at both sides of the engagement/productivity debate. We explore the evidence that links the two and we discuss the many ways in which engagement (high or low) can impact an organisation. We also offer advice for HR professionals on assessing their own companies’ engagement levels and tips on getting a better understanding of the productivity and engagement relationship.

There’s not a week that goes by where the spotlight isn't being shone on corporate governance, from the collapse of Carillion to sexual harassment at work and the latest President’s Club scandal. In the wake of the 25-year anniversary of the Cadbury’s Corporate Governance Code the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched a new consultation on the code. In this episode we ask what’s gone wrong with corporate governance in the UK? How do we create a better system for the future? And what opportunities do we have now to encourage Board practice to be more progressive and ethical in nature – from a human capital governance model, to a new remuneration committee.

In the second part of our cyber security double-bill, we take a closer look at an area of increasing concern: recruitment fraud. Between September 2015 and September 2016 over 1200 instances of recruitment scams were identified, costing victims an estimated £500,000. With individuals losing out, and organisations and the recruitment industry facing increasing reputational damage, we discuss the factors contributing to the rise in these cases. We’ll hear from experts at SaferJobs, Cifas and CIPD on what to look out for and the steps businesses and HR professionals can take to protect themselves and others against recruitment fraud.

The past twelve months have seen enormous changes in the social, political and economic landscapes: new policies and changing market conditions; new ways of working and changing employer/employee relationships; and changing values and demands for accountability and ethical practice. With businesses changing seemingly faster than ever before, the role of HR and L&D professionals has never been more important. In this episode we explore what top HR, L&D and business experts see as the biggest challenges and opportunities facing organisations and people professionals in 2018. We look at leadership, collaboration, technology and organisational agility and how HR and L&D roles in each of these areas contributes to making businesses more productive and ultimately more successful.

One of the biggest challenges for any organisation is managing risk and for HR professionals, their people are at the heart of creating a secure organisation. With up to 96% of cyber security breaches owing to human, rather than technological error, it is imperative that an organisation’s people, its management and its processes are well prepared. In the first of two episodes we look at the cyber security risks facing organisations today – a threat which the UK Government estimates cost £27 billion annually. We’ll hear from representatives from CIPD, Safer Jobs, the Corsham Institute, Cyber Insider and Cifas, the UK’s largest cross-sector fraud sharing database. We’ll be discussing the key role HR professionals play in managing people risk and the steps they can take to ensure their people processes are contributing to maintaining a secure organisation.

Over the past year the issue of performance management has been much debated, largely owing to several high-profile organisations publically abolishing their annual appraisals in favour of more regular systems of feedback. In this episode we’ll be looking at some of the latest trends in performance management from appraisals and smart objectives to performance ratings and employee involvement. We’ll be talking to Jonny Gifford from CIPD, about what the evidence has shown in the field of performance management, James Brook from Strengths Partnership about a strengths-based approach, and Ali Mohammed from Great Ormond Street Hospital about the practicalities of embedding good performance management practice across an organisation.