• People Management

Organisational Learning and Development

This unit focuses on how applying core professional behaviours such as ethical practice, courage and inclusivity can build positive working relationships and support employee voice and well-being. It considers how developing and mastering new professional behaviours and practice can impact performance

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace (November 2022)

Promoting and delivering EDI in the workplace is an essential aspect of good people management. To reap the benefits of EDI, it’s about creating working environments and cultures where every individual can feel safe, a sense of belonging and is empowered to achieve their full potential. Whilst legal frameworks vary across different countries, in the UK the Equality Act 2010 provides legal protection for nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.  However, an effective EDI strategy goes beyond legal compliance and seeks to take an intersectional approach adding value to an organisation, contributing to the wellbeing and equality of outcomes and impact on all employees. This includes: accent, age, caring responsibilities, colour, culture, visible and invisible disability, gender identity and expression, mental health, neurodiversity, physical appearance, political opinion, pregnancy and maternity/paternity and family status and socio-economic circumstances amongst other personal characteristics and experiences. This factsheet explores what workplace equality inclusion and diversity (EDI) means, and how an effective strategy is essential to an organisation’s business objectives. It looks at the rationale for action and outlines steps organisations can take to implement and manage a successful EDI strategy, from recruitment, selection, retention, communication and training to addressing workplace behaviour and evaluating progress.

Ethics at work: an employer’s guide (February 2024)

Ethical values provide the moral compass by which we live our lives and make decisions: ‘doing the right thing’ because it’s the right thing to do. However, there are several reasons why unethical behaviour continues to happen in the workplace, from individual actions and choice to industry-wide indiscretions and compromising decisions.

In this guide, we discuss the red flags to watch out for, along with practical tips and resources to safeguard your organisation and people against ethical breaches and misconduct. The guide draws on – and complements – the latest CIPD research, and features nine areas of action employers can prioritise to ensure they behave ethically. If you’re an employer or manager looking to foster and encourage ethical behaviour in your organisation, you’ll find the practical advice you need in this guide.

1. 1.   Understand the purpose and value of the people profession.

Q: With reference to the CIPD Profession Map, appraise what it means to be a people professional. (AC 1.1)

1. 2.   Know own personal and ethical values and apply these consistently in their (people practice) work. 

Q: Discuss your personal and ethical values (one of each), with examples of how these are evident in your work. (If you have yet to work in people practice, explore how you believe your values would inform your work.)  (AC 1.2)  

1. 3.   Know the importance of people professionals contributing to discussions in an informed, clear and confident way to influence others.

Q: Discuss reasons why this is important and the consequences of people practitioners not being willing or able to influence others. (AC 1.3)

1. 4.   Know when and how to raise matters that might be unethical or illegal.  

Q: Discuss, with examples, when and how you would react to both unethical and illegal matters (one of each). (AC 1.4)

1. 5.   Be able to make use of related theory and thinking, to argue the human and business benefits of people feeling included, valued, and fairly treated at work.

Q: Demonstrate your ability to do this with a written argument, which poses different theoretical perspectives, as well as your own. (AC 2.1)

1. 6.   Know how to design people practice initiatives to be inclusive and how to check inclusivity after an initiative has been implemented.

Q: Discuss, with examples, how you have, or would, achieve both of these (AC 2.2)

1. 7.   Be able to work inclusively with others and build positive working relationships.

Q: Using a combination of your own reflections and feedback from at least one other person, discuss your ability to work inclusively and positively with others. (AC 2.3)

There is no requirement to include evidence of the use of references to wider reading for AC 2.3

1. 8.   Understand how the people practitioner role is evolving and the implications this has for your ongoing professional development.

Q: Demonstrate your understanding of this with a written response and related entries in your CPD Plan. (AC 3.1)

1. 9.   Be able to assess (own) strengths, weaknesses and development areas, based on own considerations and feedback from others. 

Using a combination of your own conclusions and feedback from at least one other person, assess yourself against a specification of your choice (such as a role/job description or any two of the core behaviour areas of the CIPD Profession Map (associate level). Briefly explain the outcome of your assessment (strengths, weaknesses and development areas) and the information that informed your conclusions. (AC 3.2)

There is no requirement to include evidence of the use of references to wider reading for AC 3.2

10.Be able to formulate a range of appropriate CPD options to support ongoing learning.

Following on from your self-assessment, identify a range of formal or informal development activities and add these to your CPD Plan/document. Provide a brief explanation as to why you have selected these activities. (AC 3.3)

There is no requirement to include evidence of the use of references to wider reading for AC 3.3

11.Be able to reflect on and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of development activities.Reflect on three development activities, already undertaken, that have had an impact on your work behaviour or performance, explaining how they have impacted you. (Your reflections should be presented within your CPD Record document.) (AC 3.4)

 There is no requirement to include evidence of the use of references to wider reading for AC 3.4