learning & development

In this podcast Dr John McGurk, CIPD Adviser on Learning, and Talent Development, Peter Butler, Director of Learning at BT, Nicky Taylor, Learning and Development at Ginsters and Alan Fletcher, Business Development Manager for KMI, discuss the latest trends in learning and development.

Podcast 42: Pushing the boundaries of learning and development

Is learning and development mostly about science or is it more of a strategic business discipline? Three experts with differing perspectives discuss:  Dr Itiel Dror, Principal Consultant, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Bill Parsons, VP for HR at ARM Holdings UK, and Vice President L & D at the CIPD and Martyn Sloman , L&TD academic, consultant and practitioner 

Podcast 66: Learning and development: Science or strategic business disciline

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 of Inclusive Diversity at Alvarez & Marsal. 

Recorded: 30 May 2025

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

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 People Officer at One Advanced — as we explore whether the growing number of organisations banning AI use by candidates are right to do so, or whether there is a more nuanced approach to consider?

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

Bringing you more highlights from one of our most talked-about sessions at the CIPD Ireland Annual Conference – The CEO View on the people agenda for the future.

In this powerful panel conversation chaired by Professor Gina Quin, President National College of Ireland; Gillian Chamberlain (MD, Capita), Bernard Gloster (CEO, HSE), and Eamonn Crowley (CEO, PTSB) share honest insights on what it takes to lead organisations through rapid transformation, disruption, and opportunity.

From the fast pace of AI and tech adoption to the importance of trust, transparency, and adaptability, our panellists unpack the evolving role of leaders and the workforce in shaping a future-ready, mission-driven culture. With 160,000 employees under his remit, Bernard Gloster highlights the importance of clear communication and the impact of tech as an enabler – not a threat. Gillian Chamberlain calls for a mindset shift and openness to change, while Eamonn Crowley emphasises the direct link between employee engagement, trust and customer experience.

Tune in to hear this interesting dialogue of business leaders.

CIPD Ireland Podcast - The CEO View on the people agenda for the future

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 Director of Profession, David D’Souza, is joined by Alison McGovern, Minister for Employment.

Recorded at CIPD Festival of Work: 12 June 2025

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

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 Blackburn, Managing Director of David R. Blackburn Consulting.

Recorded: 27 June 2025

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

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 adviser, Andy Ayim – as we investigate how leadership and culture relate to one another and what organisations can and should do to cultivate the best of both.


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

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. 


Podcast 103: Aligning L&D With Business Objectives and emerging practices

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. 

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

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, OD Consultant at Distinction Business Consulting; and Alison Hodgson, Market Director – CIPD Ireland.

Recorded: 25 July 2025

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

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 Manager at Advantage Smollan – as we explore what happens when these evolving expectations go unmet, and how a breach, whether real or perceived, impacts employee engagement. 

Podcast 221: Employee engagement and the evolving psychological contract

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.

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

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.

Podcast 117: Future L&D

In his best-selling book, The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge outlines the concept of the ‘learning organisation’. These organisations would be agile, innovative and highly competitive. They would emphasise continual learning and work from a shared vision for all employees. Senge was certainly ahead of his time and 27 years after publication, organisations are still seeking (and often struggling) to embody these ideas. 

In this episode we discuss new research from Towards Maturity into the New Learning Organisation, and we chat to learning professionals from Virgin Media, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and British Heart Foundation to find what becoming a learning organisation has meant for them and what steps they’ve taken to put learning at the heart of their business.

Podcast 126: Learning to learn - a new take on Senge's learning organisation

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Podcast 117: Future L&D

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