In a tight labour market and amid rapid skills change, organisations face growing pressure to retain critical capability and reduce reliance on external hiring. Yet many employees still can’t see a future inside their organisation, and unclear progression continues to drive attrition. Could strengthening routes for internal mobility provide the strategic response needed to address these challenges? Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests — Laura Ibbotson, Interim Head of HR at The Green Spark...
Jan 21, 2026•32 min
2026 is set to be another challenging year for organisations and the people profession. As economic uncertainty continues and AI adoption accelerates, where should the profession focus its efforts? How can job design and management capability drive productivity without increasing burnout? And what skills do people professionals need to navigate the year ahead. CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by a trio of leading HR podcasters, Fay Wallis, career and leadership coach and host ...
Jan 14, 2026•36 min
Are traditional grievance and disciplinary processes really delivering fairness at work – or are they creating harm, cost and disengagement? With workplace conflict estimated to cost organisations billions each year, how can HR move beyond legacy, retributive systems towards a more people-centred and performance-focused approach to justice? CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by David Liddle, Founder of The TCM Group and author of People and Culture, to explore how organisations ...
Dec 17, 2025•31 min
Despite technology transforming — and often streamlining — how we work, its impact on productivity has been surprisingly limited. So is productivity misunderstood? We talk about boosting it, measuring it and even “unlocking” it, but what does it really mean in modern organisations, and what role should the people profession play in driving workplace productivity? Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests — Sharon Benson, founding director of Colleague Central; Lu McKay, founder and lead consult...
Dec 09, 2025•35 min
Apprenticeship funding is up, and tax-free salary sacrifice on pensions will soon be capped. How have our panellists responded to the UK Government’s Autumn Budget and what does it mean for employers and the workforce? Has the pressure and drive for instant productivity squeezed out hiring for potential? Could organisations be doing more to create routes for internal mobility? And finally, crystal-ball gazing: what opportunities should the people profession lean into in the year ahead? CIPD Trus...
Dec 03, 2025•33 min
How can people make the best decisions when time is short and the stakes are high? Why is decentralising decision-making critical for organisations who want to move decisively? And how can the people profession strike the right balance between innovation and risk mitigation when adopting and implementing AI? CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by science broadcaster, author and emergency medical doctor, Professor Kevin Fong, to explore the profession’s risk appetite and how it ca...
Nov 19, 2025•21 min
A new CIPD report revealed that 62% of employers believe the UK is entering a more unstable period of employee relations. With potential new legal changes arriving soon, those wishing to build positive industrial relations will need to have a transparent approach, underpinned by shared expectations and behaviours. So, what role must people professionals and employers more broadly play in establishing shared expectations and behaviours, strengthen partnerships with trade unions, and create effect...
Nov 11, 2025•31 min
Some consider annual reviews ‘irrelevant’ and a ‘burden’, but how would you feel about AI playing a role in the performance review process? As media scrutiny continues to question the impact and growing influence of HR, we reflect on the value the profession brings to workplaces. And finally, we ask: trick or treat, when it comes to the Employment Rights Bill? CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Transformation Leader and HR Consultant, Katherine Watkins, and Danny Mortimer, Ch...
Nov 05, 2025•33 min
What does loyalty look like in 2025? In a climate of low wage growth, how can you keep employees motivated and engaged? As warnings come of retirement ages potentially rising above 70 years old, how can employers foster opportunities for skills development for older workers? And are organisations missing a vital growth opportunity by not investing enough in ‘green skills’? CIPD Reference Content Manager, Holly Ivins, is joined by Chief People Officer at Caxton, Jane-Emma Peerless; Head of People...
Oct 22, 2025•38 min
Organisations face constant and increasingly complex change, making it critical to bring people along on the journey. But can L&D play a more proactive role in enabling successful transformation by fostering buy-in, anticipating resistance, and building change capability? How can learning professionals go further than training, positioning themselves as strategic and operational partners who build change capability across the organisation? Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests – Melanie...
Oct 14, 2025•32 min
Is the introduction of digital ID cards using a ‘nut to crack a sledgehammer’ in the effort to curb illegal work, and what impact might this have on UK employers? Are grievances against HR simply an occupational hazard, and how can HR professionals best manage the emotional and personal toll – especially when they’re in the firing line? Finally, is it reasonable for employers to incentivise employees to use their personal social media to promote the company? CIPD Trust Senior Programme Manager, ...
Oct 08, 2025•36 min
Just how important are team dynamics and psychological safety in driving organisational performance? What behaviours do leaders need to model to create an environment of high performance? In the second and final episode, CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by best-selling author and broadcaster Matthew Syed to explore the role of organisations in driving and enabling high-performance. Recorded: 11 August 2025 Listen back to the first episode with Matthew Syed here: https://www.ci...
Sep 24, 2025•24 min
Should AI be used to resolve conflict in the workplace? Are over-sensationalised stories of ‘eye-rolling’ leading to legal issues masking deeper problems in the workplace? Does ‘lifelong learning’ apply from hire-to-retire for employees? And what lessons can we take around succession planning from a messy football transfer saga? CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Founder and Managing Director at Haylo HR and CEO of Resolution at Work, Trish Hewitt, and Chief People Officer at...
Sep 10, 2025•28 min
Is loneliness at work the hidden crisis no one is talking about? The CIPD’s Good Work Index 2025 report revealed that more than a third of working adults say they sometimes, often, or always feel lonely at work — a feeling that carries serious consequences for organisations. But what can be done? Is it an inevitable by-product of modern working life, exacerbating feelings of isolation, or can organisations take meaningful action? Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests – Caroline Woolland, Di...
Sep 02, 2025•32 min
Are we seeing a trend in the merging of HR and IT functions, and how could this reshape the role of the profession? Where’s the line between healthy openness and harmful oversharing in the workplace? Do we still need hard-and-fast, rigid rules for triggering absence management conversations? How do we make accountability a collective standard, rather than a top-down directive? CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Alix Bolton, Chief People Officer, Europe at Advantage Smollan, a...
Aug 27, 2025•33 min
What are the enablers and barriers to high performance working? What factors should individuals and teams consider to improve and achieve better performance outcomes? In the first of two episodes exploring these questions, CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza investigates with best-selling author and broadcaster Matthew Syed the type of mindset that needs to be embraced and the kind of culture that supports people on that journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 13, 2025•27 min
The psychological contract – those unwritten expectations between employer and employee, so fundamental to building trust and engagement at work – has dramatically shifted. Once based on the promises of security and long-term service, employees now expect the contract to more closely reflect their values, offer flexibility, and align with a deeper sense of purpose. Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests – Trish Hewitt, Founder and Managing Director at Haylo HR, and Nelli Rowsell, People Mana...
Aug 05, 2025•27 min
Would capping the qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection at six months be a reasonable compromise for employers? With hybrid working perceived to have a negative impact on managers’ ability to lead teams effectively, what could organisations be doing differently? And what impact is AI having on the prospects of the latest wave of graduates entering the labour market for the first time?CIPD's Amy Crutchfield, is joined by Beth Samson, People Director at Investors in People; Garin Rouch...
Jul 30, 2025•35 min
When is the right time to communicate organisational change, and how can we strengthen people’s resilience to change? Can a better understanding of neuroscience help manage and implement the change process more effectively? CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza, is joined by author, international speaker, and consultant in the field of neuroscience and change management, Hilary Scarlett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 16, 2025•31 min
Is it chicken or egg – does leadership shape culture, or does culture shape leadership? The relationship between the two is complex and either one could be the critical ingredient in organisational success. But to what extent can leaders truly set the culture they want or will culture ultimately shape the kind of leadership an organisation produces. Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests – Beth Samson, People Director at Investors in People; and thought leader, entrepreneur and leadership ad...
Jul 08, 2025•30 min
What is the ideal ‘span of control’ for a manager and are there obvious warning signs that they might be overstretched? Also in this episode, we discuss results from a new CIPD survey revealing the current perceptions of and the challenges within the people profession, as well as what practitioners have said about their career development prospects. CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza, is joined by Janet Campbell, Director at Restoration & Renewal Delivery Authority, and David Blackbur...
Jul 02, 2025•33 min
The Get Britain Working white paper outlines a bold vision to tackle economic inactivity and raise the UK employment rate to 80 per cent. But what does this mean for the people profession? In this episode of the HR People Pod, we put key questions from the CIPD Community to Alison McGovern, Minister for Employment. We explore the UK government's plans to transform Jobcentres, support people on long-term sick leave to return to work and deliver on the promise of a new ‘youth guarantee’.CIPD Direc...
Jun 18, 2025•25 min
A third of organisations are already using some form of AI or machine learning in recruitment and onboarding. As employers increasingly make use of AI to craft job specifications, screen candidates and streamline processes, what about job seekers? Is it unreasonable for job seekers to use the same technology to improve their chances?Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests—Katie Noble, Talent Strategy Director at Omni RMS; Natalie Sheils, Founder and CEO at Talenaut; and Katie Obi, Chief Peopl...
Jun 10, 2025•37 min
How much should ‘policy compliance’ inform pay and bonuses? Apprenticeships are vital to building talent pipelines, but how welcome are upcoming reforms? Is rule breaking essential to breaking into new levels of performance? And how can you best manage the impact of long-term absences on the rest of your team? CIPD Head of Learning, Steve George, is joined by Alix Bolton, Chief People Officer, Europe at Smollan, Kevin Green, Chief People Officer at FirstGroup plc, and Francisca Beloso, Director ...
Jun 04, 2025•32 min
What’s the state of AI adoption across different regions around the world, and how are people professionals reacting to it? Where does the onus lie when it comes to skills development? How can people professionals support and develop employee resilience? And finally, what should be done about the rising trend of ‘stress bragging’?CIPD Director of Profession, David D’Souza, is joined by Dr Adrian Waite, Head of Talent, Leadership and Organisation Effectiveness at Boehringer Ingelheim, in Dubai, a...
May 20, 2025•33 min
L&D and OD often operate in silos – one focused on individual learning, the other on strategic and cultural change. But is this separation intentional, and can they truly be effective apart if they share the same goals for organisational growth and adaptation?Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests—Natal Dank, Author of Agile L&D and Executive Director and Principal Consultant at PXO Culture; Jaimini Lakhani, Director at Lumiere; and Steve George, Head of Learning at CIPD — as we expl...
May 13, 2025•33 min
Could the humble suggestion box make a comeback as the key to acquiring honest, off-the-cuff feedback? What risks do organisations face by ignoring or mismanaging employee voice? Is a gamified approach to performance management the future? And are employees staying faithful or taking part in ‘job polygamy’?CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Caroline Roberts, HR director at The King’s Fund and associate non-executive director at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University NHS T...
May 07, 2025•35 min
As we look ahead to some of the key themes for International HR Day 2025, this episode — recorded at the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition 2024 — explores what organisations need to be doing in practical terms to ensure AI becomes a force for good. How are skill requirements expected to evolve over the medium to long term? What role should the profession play in helping organisations navigate change? And finally, is ‘pleasanteeism’ really a thing?CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is ...
Apr 23, 2025•33 min
Change and uncertainty seem inevitable. As organisations navigate global tariffs imposed by the US president, what other priorities should the C-suite address? How might an overreliance on AI affect career progression? Is it time to rethink effective workplace communication? And should we consider adopting body doubling to boost productivity?CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Chief People Officer at One Advanced, Katie Obi, and Head of People and Culture at Hastings Hotels Gr...
Apr 07, 2025•34 min
People with past criminal convictions are a proven source of loyal, capable employees. Yet despite clear benefits, stigma – within business and society – continues to prevent many from finding meaningful work. Our research shows only 17% of prison leavers can secure a job within a year of release. So, what can employers do to offer a second chance and bring more prison leavers safely into our workplaces?Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests—Jacob Hill, Managing Director and Founder of Offpl...
Apr 01, 2025•33 min
