CIPD

HR People Pod – Ep 39: Rewriting the rules on workplace conflict - with David Liddle

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are traditional grievance and disciplinary processes really delivering fairness at work – or are they creating harm, cost and disengagement? With wo...

Podcast 225: HR’s role in boosting workplace productivity

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Despite technology transforming — and often streamlining — how we work, its impact on productivity has been surprisingly limited. So is productivi...

HR People Pod – Episode 38: UK Budget response | Hiring for potential | Opportunities in 2026

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Apprenticeship funding is up, and tax-free salary sacrifice on pensions will soon be capped. How have our panellists responded to the UK Government’...

HR People Pod – Episode 37: Leading Under Pressure with Professor Kevin Fong

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can people make the best decisions when time is short and the stakes are high? Why is decentralising decision-making critical for organisations wh...

Podcast 224: Is HR ready for ‘renaissance’ of union power in industrial relations?

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 cha...

HR People Pod – Ep 36: Value of the profession | Employment Rights Bill | AI performance reviews

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some consider annual reviews ‘irrelevant’ and a ‘burden’, but how would you feel about AI playing a role in the performance review process? As...

HR People Pod – Ep 35: Slow wage growth | Lifelong learning | ‘Green skills’

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Podcast 223: Beyond learning – Mobilising L&D for organisational change

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Organisations face constant and increasingly complex change, making it critical to bring people along on the journey. But can L&D play a more proa...

HR People Pod – Ep 34: Digital IDs | Grievances against HR | Incentivising social posts

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

HR People Pod – Ep 33: Enabling high performance working: The organisation lens – with Matthew Syed (Episode 2)

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just how important are team dynamics and psychological safety in driving organisational performance? What behaviours do leaders need to model to creat...

HR People Pod – Ep 32: AI and conflict | Eye-rolling | 'Hire-to-retire'| Succession planning

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Should AI be used to resolve conflict in the workplace? Are over-sensationalised stories of ‘eye-rolling’ leading to legal issues masking deeper p...

Podcast 222: Improving organisational outcomes by tackling loneliness at work

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

HR People Pod – Ep 31: Merging HR/IT functions | Oversharing at work | Absence management | Accountability

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

HR People Pod – Ep 30: Enabling high performance working: A growth mindset – with Matthew Syed

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What are the enablers and barriers to high performance working? What factors should individuals and teams consider to improve and achieve better perfo...

Podcast 221: Employee engagement and the evolving psychological contract

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The psychological contract – those unwritten expectations between employer and employee, so fundamental to building trust and engagement at work –...

HR People Pod – Ep 29: Unfair dismissal | Hybrid working | Graduate jobs

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Would capping the qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection at six months be a reasonable compromise for employers? With hybrid working percei...

HR People Pod – Ep 28: Hilary Scarlett special – Neuroscience for organisational change

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When is the right time to communicate organisational change, and how can we strengthen people’s resilience to change? Can a better understanding of ...

Podcast 220: Do leaders establish culture, or are they a product of it?

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is it chicken or egg – does leadership shape culture, or does culture shape leadership? The relationship between the two is complex and either one c...

HR People Pod – Ep 27: Management span | People profession: perceptions, challenges, career prospects

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 d...

HR People Pod – Ep 26: Getting Britain working - UK Employment Minister Alison McGovern

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 doe...

Podcast 219: Dealing with AI use in recruitment and job applications

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

HR People Pod – Ep 25: 'Tinkering with a system that doesn’t work' – Apprenticeships overhaul

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How much should ‘policy compliance’ inform pay and bonuses? Apprenticeships are vital to building talent pipelines, but how welcome are upcoming r...

HR People Pod – Ep 24: International HR Day special

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Podcast 218: Bridging learning and organisational development

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

L&D and OD often operate in silos – one focused on individual learning, the other on strategic and cultural change. But is this separation intention...

HR People Pod – Ep 23: Suggestion boxes | Managing voice | ‘Gamifying’ performance | ‘Job polygamy’

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

HR People Pod – Ep 22: Ethical AI | Future skill requirements | Supporting change | ‘Pleasenteeism’

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

HR People Pod – Ep 21: Juggling core priorities | AI and progression | Communication | Body doubling

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Change and uncertainty seem inevitable. As organisations navigate global tariffs imposed by the US president, what other priorities should the C-suite...

Podcast 217: Willing and able: Unlocking opportunities for prison leavers

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People with past criminal convictions are a proven source of loyal, capable employees. Yet despite clear benefits, stigma – within business and soci...

HR People Pod – Ep 20: Lockdown: five years on | Media scrutiny | ‘Coachbots’ | Gentle leadership

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Five years after the first UK Covid-19 lockdown, many employers are still adapting to the knock-on effects of the pandemic but what has been the lasti...

HR People Pod – Ep 19: Curiosity to learn | Right to switch off | Toxic cultures | Career catfishing

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With plans to introduce a ‘right to switch off’ facing the axe in the UK, do we need formal legislation, or could boundaries be better managed by ...

Podcast 216: Why and how people professionals should prioritise their wellbeing

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

HR professionals play a unique role within organisations but often find themselves in morally challenging or conflicting situations. These challenges ...

HR People Pod – Ep 18: Labour Market Outlook | Managing redundancy | Mini-retirement

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Times are tough; is there an alternative to headcount reductions and hiring freezes? With redundancy intentions at their highest level in a decade, ho...

HR People Pod - Ep 17: Dry promotions | Determining job value | Work ethic | Intelligent failure

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Workers are being afforded more responsibility with no uplift in pay - but how commonplace are ‘dry promotions’? How do we decide the value of a j...

Podcast 215: Are apprenticeships the forgotten key to building talent pipelines?

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If employers were offered a way to meet their skills and workforce needs while also addressing long-term engagement and retention challenges, wouldn’...

HR People Pod – Ep 16: US – UK business relations | AI agents | ‘Snitch tagging’

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How will a new government in the White House and changing business attitudes in the United States affect the UK? Is 2025 the year where ‘AI agents’...

HR People Pod – Ep 15: The Traitors | Business confidence | ‘Corporate catfishing’

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From strategic alignment to establishing a common purpose, what lessons can people professionals learn from the hit TV show ‘The Traitors’? As bus...

Podcast 214: Success starts small - Building sustainable workplace habits

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New Year’s resolutions fail. Surprised? Probably not. But is the high failure rate a reason to avoid setting goals – especially in our professiona...

HR People Pod - Ep 14: Youth employment | 2025 Predictions | Xmas parties | 'Malicious compliance'

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can companies make their festive celebrations fun and risk-free at the same time? Will the new youth guarantee for 18–21-year-olds actually help to ...

HR People Pod - Ep 13: Professor Michael Wooldridge

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are people justified in their resistance of artificial intelligence, or should they accept its power in creating progress in the workplace? Equally, a...

Podcast 213: Skilling up your organisation now and for the future

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The rapid acceleration of change has left many organisations grappling with the most immediate requirements, but people professionals also have an ins...

HR People Pod – Ep 12: Crisis events | Supply chains | Politics at work | ‘Ghost jobs’

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How prepared is your organisation to support employees through a crisis event? Can employers ensure their supply chains are fully ethical? Should poli...

HR People Pod - Ep 11: Workplace wellbeing | Real Living Wage | 'Fauxductivity'

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does a wellbeing-focused work environment really look like, and how involved should employers be to ensure their workforce can live healthy worki...

HR People Pod – Ep 10: Employment Rights Bill special

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The UK Government has proposed the biggest overhaul of workers’ rights in a generation. What will this mean for employers and people professionals? ...

Podcast 212: Creating a culture of psychological safety at work

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s widely recognised that developing a psychologically safe working environment can significantly enhance both individual and organisational perfo...

HR People Pod – Ep 9: RoboCop| Presenteeism | Discretionary effort | ‘Un-bossing’

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are RoboCop-style security guards and AI accountants a glimpse of the future of work? Are longer hours more likely to be the norm, especially if you w...

HR People Pod – Ep 8: Benefits| Location tracking | Shadow policies | Sexual harassment

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is free water really an ‘employee benefit’? Would you track employees' working locations to enforce stricter hybrid working policies? And would yo...

Podcast 211: Evidence-based L&D - Learning at the point of need

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How often have we taken a course or acquired some knowledge, only to have those skills lie dormant, before being forgotten as there was no immediate u...

HR People Pod – Ep 7: ‘Great Retention’ | Organisational vision | ‘Office peacocking’

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tune in to the latest episode of the HR People Pod, where our panel assesses the impact of the so-called ‘Great Retention’ and considers whether a...

HR People Pod – Ep 6: Conflict | AI and CVs | Gender imbalance in HR | ‘Quiet vacationing’

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ha...

HR People Pod - Ep 5: Pay transparency | ‘Workation’ | Bullying and incivility | Social mobility

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 transpar...

Podcast 210: Driving performance with people analytics

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The need to better understand your people is critical to driving better employee and wider organisational performance. Fundamental to that is the need...

HR People Pod - Ep 4: Microsoft IT outage | Elon Musk | Microaggressions | #WorkTok

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As workers turn to TikTok to discuss work issues, should business leaders be paying attention? In this episode CIPD Director of Profession David D’S...

HR People Pod – Ep 3: A new UK Government and a ‘New Deal for Working People’

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Labour Party will form a new government in the United Kingdom. But what can employers expect from its proposed ‘New Deal for Working People’? ...

Podcast 209: What's hampering 'good work'?

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our latest CIPD Good Work Index noted the experience of conflict in the workplace, as correlating with poorer mental health, poorer view of the organi...

HR People Pod – Ep 2: Relationships at work | Mouse jiggling | Therapy dogs | Summer of sport

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do romantic relationships at work need to be disclosed? Can you trust a ‘mouse jiggler’? How do you manage time off or flexibility around major sp...

HR People Pod – Ep 1: Leadership | Privacy | Second Jobs | Disconnecting

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Decisive or divisive, Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s leadership message was definitely bold. Join the chat with David D’Souza, the...

Podcast 208: Is a transactional attitude toward work problematic?

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

CIPD research suggests that work is occupying a less central place in our lives, with an increasing proportion of employees feeling that a job is ‘j...

HR People Pod: Pilot two

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to HR People Pod, the CIPD’s new fortnightly podcast series bringing you expert insight on topical stories impacting the world of work.In ou...

HR People Pod: Pilot one

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 pilo...

Podcast 207: HR's next top operating model

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a world heavily influenced by technology and evolving views on leadership and employee experience, people practice by and large, is still founded o...

Podcast 206: Evidence-based L&D - The gift of artificial intelligence

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Digital innovation has continued to move at an unprecedented pace, and few would argue the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has shifted the m...

Podcast 205: Is your organisation neuroinclusive?

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 org...

Podcast 204: Why should environmental sustainability matter to people professionals?

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s no time to lose in making our businesses environmentally sustainable, but among the myriad of responsibilities falling on the shoulders of p...

Podcast 203: What makes the ideal people professional?

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Podcast 202: Evidence-based L&D - Asking the right questions

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Podcast 201: Embedding a principles-based wellbeing Strategy

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Podcast 200: Has working remotely killed organisational culture?

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How are you balancing new working freedoms with post-Covid realities? For many organisations, remote working was a boon that enabled their businesses ...

Podcast 199: Evidence-based L&D - Overcoming capacity and resourcing challenges

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite increased resources in most organisations, CIPD’s 2023 Learning at Work survey found that over half of L&D teams had intensified workloads o...

Podcast 198: Cybersecurity – Are your people your greatest risk?

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Podcast 197: Are people managers doing too much, or not enough?

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have we over-expanded the remit of people managers? As the world and the workplace have become increasingly complex, management requirements and expec...

Podcast 196: Evidence-based L&D - Re-engage your learners with the unexpected

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do we need to start thinking differently, perhaps more creatively, to reengage your people with organisational learning? For many, a perception exists...

Podcast 195: Is your organisation ready for the ChatGPT of things?

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) itself is not new – many organisations, knowingly or not, already use forms of AI technology within their busines...

Podcast 194: Is pay transparency good for business?

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 inequa...

Podcast 193: Evidence-based L&D - Designing learning for purpose, not trend

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have we become too comfortable and over-reliant on digital learning? CIPD research suggests we are losing sight of the richness of varied learning exp...

Podcast 192: Cultural intelligence - Getting smart to make inclusion work

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is cultural intelligence (CQ) the ‘secret sauce’ to make your equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives bear fruit? In an increasingly global ...

Podcast 191: Look ahead 2023 - What's keeping your people up at night?

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Podcast 190: Evidence-based L&D - The power of reflection

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s said that affording a little breathing space to reflect on workplace learning can vastly improve its effectiveness and likelihood of achieving ...

Podcast 189: Men’s health at work - Are organisations doing enough?

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Please be advised that parts of this podcast cover issues that may be emotionally sensitive.Statistics on men’s health are concerning: men account f...

Podcast 188: Can we make a 4-day week work?

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 potent...

Podcast 187: Evidence-based L&D - Learning off the Job

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Theories encouraging employee learning have evolved considerably over the past decade, most notably in the shift from venue-based learning (while stil...

Podcast 186: What do you do with broken trust?

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trust is critical for functional relationships and not least when it comes to the case of organisational leaders and their people. With scandals and e...

Podcast 185 - What value does HR bring to today's organisations

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

People professionals have stepped up through recent crises to support their organisations and their people. Yet, the perceived value of the profession...

Podcast 184: Evidence-based L&D - One size doesn’t fit all… Or can it?

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Accessible and inclusive experiences are critical to the success of organisational learning. Few would argue against the benefits an accelerated shift...

Podcast 183: Building inclusion... with computers

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 be...

Podcast 182: Harnessing Pressure to Drive Performance

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dealing with stress can place immense demands on employees’ physical and mental health. Our Health and Wellbeing at Work 2022 report emphasises the ...

Podcast 181: Evidence-Based L&D - Measuring Learning Transfer

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Organisations often invest large sums of money in learning and development opportunities for their people, but CIPD research finds that only a small m...

Podcast 180: Adopting a growth mindset: soundbite or science?

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“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 ...

Podcast 179: Is your employee value proposition fit for a new era of work?

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whether the ‘Great Resignation’ is a phenomenon supported by statistical evidence or not, the pandemic has prompted many to reassess what they wan...

Podcast 178: Evidence-based L&D - the rise of virtual learning

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The rapid uptake of digital technology to deliver organisational learning during the pandemic has changed the L&D landscape forever. But as we move fo...

Podcast 177: Motivation - sustaining the energy in your workforce

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Podcast 176: Recruitment In the social media age

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 pan...

Podcast 175: Evidence-based L&D - learning theories

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Are outdated and ineffective learning models holding your organisation back? CIPD research found that less than half of L&D practitioners are integrat...

Podcast 174 - Environmental sustainability

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Organisations are significant contributors to the causes of climate change with businesses responsible for an estimated 17% of greenhouse gas emission...

Podcast 173: Embracing and leading organisational change

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Organisations must constantly adapt to an everchanging environment. This may include evolving customer demands, new technologies, increased competitio...

Podcast 172: Evidence-based L&D - business-not-as-usual

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the face of the global pandemic, learning professionals have had to adjust swiftly to sweeping changes to how people work and connect and criticall...

Podcast 171: Pulling the plug on digital fatigue

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is the human brain wired for a digital working? Virtual platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams are instrumental in bridging the communications gap...

Podcast 170: Building back better post-pandemic

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Podcast 169: Evidence-based L&D - why does evidence matter?

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Podcast 168: 'Nothing ventured nothing gained' - is the profession too risk averse?

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

Podcast 167: From surviving to thriving - key changes facing people practice in 2021

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...