cipd

HR functions

Experts and practitioners talk about their experience of talent management in this CIPD podcast, the last in a series of four.

Podcast 4: Talent management

As the nature of organisations changes to become less insular and more networked, strategic business partnerships are on the rise and HR’s role in these partnerships is critical This podcast looks at HR’s role in business partnerships and the key considerations that should be made when approaching business partnerships. We speak to to Paul Sparrow, Director of the Centre for Performance-led HR and Professor of International Human Resource Management at Lancaster University Management School about why business partnerships are on the rise, the concept of mutual benefits and the three overaching themes that his research has identified as affecting the outcome of partnering arrangements; risk and capability, governance and sharing knowledge and learning beyond your own organisation.

This podcast will be followed up by the February episode where we speak to Shell and Rolls Royce to learn about their experience of HR’s role in the success of their business partnerships.



Podcast 96: HR's role in business partnerships - part 1

Times are tough; is there an alternative to headcount reductions and hiring freezes? With redundancy intentions at their highest level in a decade, how can HR professionals manage the mental load of implementing redundancies and can there ever be a ‘best’ way to deliver news about job losses? Finally, is there such a thing as a ‘mini-retirement’?

In this episode CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Mel Steel, former HR director and interim people and transformation leader; and David Blackburn, Managing Director of David R. Blackburn Consulting.

Recorded: 21 February 2025

---

CIPD HR30 Nominations

Time to recognise excellence in HR! The CIPD HR30 celebrates the top 30 HR leaders driving innovation, shaping workplace culture and making real impact. Do you know someone who’s making a difference, leading change and driving the profession forward? This is your chance to highlight their achievements and contribution. Visit cipdhr30.co.uk before 26 March to find out more and submit your nomination.

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

HR professionals play a unique role within organisations but often find themselves in morally challenging or conflicting situations. These challenges may include balancing business needs—such as managing large-scale redundancies—while also supporting individuals through deeply personal difficulties and absorbing the emotional weight that entails. Over time, this toll can increase the risk of exhaustion, ultimately leading to burnout.

Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests—Amy McKeown, an award-winning health, mental health, and wellbeing strategist and consultant, and Rachel Suff, Senior Policy and Practice Adviser for Employee Relations at the CIPD—as we explore the often-hidden emotional burden of working in HR and why setting boundaries is essential for maintaining wellbeing in the profession.

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

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 Trust, and Sarah Mason, chief people officer at SThree.

Recorded: 2 May 2025

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

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 explore how greater alignment between L&D and OD can enhance collaboration and help future-proof workforce capabilities. 


Podcast 218: Bridging learning and organisational development

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, and Alison Hodgson, Market Director – Ireland at CIPD.

Recorded: 16 May 2025

HR People Pod – Ep 24: International HR Day special

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

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

Dr Mark Cole, Head of L&D at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation, Catherine Noel, L&D Manager at Cannon and Jennifer Wrigley, L&D Manager at Discovery Networks International discuss how they tackle line manager training and how L&D professionals could better support and engage with their line managers to increase the success of their learning and development plans. 

Podcast 114: Training Line Managers

The CIPD Podcast and episodes of the HR People Pod are now hosted on Acast.

Be sure to subscribe to The CIPD Podcast on your preferred platform so you never miss an episode. Alternatively, you can listen via the CIPD website: https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/podcasts/

---

We’re the CIPD — the professional body for HR and people development. We are the voice of a worldwide community of more than 150,000 members committed to championing better work and working lives.