CIPD level 3CO04 Foundation Certificate in People Practice Assessment Brief

3CO04 Essentials of people practice

This unit introduces the fundamentals of people practice, ranging from the employee lifecycle to policies, regulation, and law. It further explores a diverse array of specialist subjects such as recruitment, talent management, reward and learning and development, essential to a career in people practice. Importantly, this unit enables practitioners to apply their knowledge and skills, building their confidence and ability to practise progressively. 

CIPD’s insight

We provide you with this information from our website to connect you with our research and insights on the topic, so you can explore our latest thinking.  It is not intended to replace the learning and formative assessment provided by your Study Centre.

Performance management: an introduction (January 2025)

Helping employees perform well is a central role of line managers and people professionals. People are the greatest creators of organisational value, so effectively managing their performance is critical for success. Employees need to understand what’s expected of them, and must be managed so that they are motivated, have the skills, resources and support they need to succeed, and are accountable for their work. This factsheet describes core aspects to get right in performance management and recent shifts in thinking. It summarises the main tools used, including objective setting, performance ratings, appraisals (or reviews), feedback, learning and development, and performance-related pay.

https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/performance-factsheet/

Recruitment: An introduction (November 2024)

Good recruitment is vital, especially when labour markets are tight. It ensures that the workforce has the relevant skills and abilities for the organisation’s current and future needs. Effective resourcing is not just about filling an immediate vacancy but about impacting the long-term success of the business, using workforce planning data to understand the skills needed for organisational performance. This factsheet looks at what recruitment and resourcing involves and outlines the UK law affecting recruitment activities. 
https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/recruitment-factsheet/

Selection methods (November 2024)

Selecting staff has two main stages: shortlisting and assessment. In both stages employers should ensure that their selection methods treat candidates fairly, without discrimination or bias, and that selections are made based on the candidate’s ability to perform the role, contribute to the organisation and their potential for development. This factsheet focuses on the assessment stage of the selection process for the employer and candidate, including the methods of interviewing, psychometric testing, skill-based assessment tasks and assessment centres.

https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/selection-factsheet/

Talent management (October 2024)

Talent management means implementing processes to attract, identify, develop, engage, and retain individuals valuable to an organisation. To be effective, these processes need to align with strategic business objectives. Strategic talent management has several benefits: it creates a high-performing workplace; it fosters a learning climate; it adds value to the employer brand, and it improves diversity.  For these reasons, people professionals consider talent management to be a key priority. The CIPD Profession Map recognises talent management as one of the specialist knowledge areas within the people profession and sets out the expected standards to follow. This factsheet looks at the context of talent management and its compelling benefits.
https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/talent-factsheet/

Preparation for the Tasks: 

• make sure you understand your Study Centre’s instructions on how to complete and submit your assessment.
• watch the supporting video for this unit: Link to follow.
• read the CIPD’s word count policy which your Study Centre will provide for you. Remember that your work will be referred if you go over the unit word count.

Task one – Written answers (recruitment and selection)

Q1. Create a diagram that shows stages in the employee lifecycle. After reading all the tasks in the assessment brief, annotate each stage to explain how people professionals at Jemijo could contribute to the stages in your diagram. (AC 1.1)
Q2. Explain how job analysis can help to create an accurate job description and person specification, for the role of a claims handler, at Jemijo’s call centre (AC 1.2)
Q3. Jemijo advertise vacancies though their website and on commercial jobs boards. Explain each of these recruitment methods and explain why these methods are appropriate for advertising call centre vacancies. (AC 1.3)
Q4. Explain why the content of the copy used in the job adverts on Jemijo’s website could vary compared to the content of copy on commercial jobs boards. (AC 1.4)
Q5. Explain why structured interviews and assessment centres are appropriate selection methods for call centre roles at Jemijo. (AC 2.1)
Q6. Explain what records from the structured interviews and assessment centres at Jemijo should be retained. (AC 2.4)
Q7. Using an AI tool of your choice, create templates for a letter of appointment and a letter of non-appointment for the call centre customer service role. Once you have created the templates, critically review each template, and explain which elements you would keep and why, and which elements you would remove or change and why. (AC 2.5) 

Your evidence must consist of:

Written answers for questions 1-6 – with reference to the case study, approximately 1500 words, (+/- 10%), refer to CIPD word count policy.
The AI generated letter templates and written critique. (Not included in word count)

Task two – Simulated interview 

You work in the People team at Jemijo as a People Advisor. One of the People Assistants has recently resigned and will be replaced. Your task is to: 
Q8.  Devise selection criteria for the post of People Assistant using the job description already written (Appendix A). Use the selection shortlisting matrix (Appendix B) to shortlist applications against the selection criteria to determine candidates to be interviewed.  You must use the completed, sample application forms provided in Appendix C (AC 2.2) 
Q9.  Interview one applicant and decide whether they meet the criteria for the post. The interview could be a panel of no more than three learners from the same centre, or one-to-one interview (as determined by your centre). The interview could be conducted face-to-face or by web conferencing (as determined by your centre). (AC 2.3) 
[If working as a panel, it is essential that each member of the team actively takes part in devising the criteria, shortlisting, interviewing and decision-making.

A copy of CIPD STARR Model Interview Questions (Appendix D) has been included, that can be used when developing interview questions.]

Your evidence must consist of:

• The selection criteria that you devised, individually or as part of a panel. (Not included in word count).
• Your notes from the shortlisting process or a skills observation feedback form completed by your assessor as to your part in shortlisting. (Not included in word count).
• A video recording of the interview (minimum 20 minutes). Each interviewer must state their name and CIPD learner number before the interview starts. Each learner must be clearly visible throughout the video recording. 
• A skills observation feedback form completed by your assessor about your role in the interview (Not included in word count).
• Either a video of the subsequent decision-making process or your notes from the decision-making process. (Not included in word count).

Note to assessors

Please ensure that all video recordings are retained and, if selected for moderation, uploaded to ROGO along with other materials for 3CO04. Please ensure that each learner is identified by name and CIPD learner number in the recording.

Please ensure that an individual skills observation feedback form (Appendix E) is completed for each learner regardless of whether an individual or panel interview is carried out. If a panel interview is conducted, individual contributions must be clearly and uniquely identified through comments on the skills observation feedback form. Each panel should comprise no more than 3 panel members.

Task three – Written answers (legislation and employment relations)

Q10. Explain, with reference to legislation, why it is important that call centre staff at Jemijo, working on the 24/7 claims hotline, have adequate periods of rest between periods of work and do not work excessive hours. (AC 3.1) 
Q11. Briefly explain what is meant by the term wellbeing and explain why wellbeing is important in Jemijo’s call centre. (AC 3.2) 
Q12. Henry, a call centre manager at Jemijo, is keen to attract and select young people to work in the call centre and suggests advertising vacancies for 18- to 21-year-olds. With reference to discrimination legislation, summarise why this approach presents a legal risk. (AC 3.3)
Q13. Explain how the terms diversity and inclusion differ and why diversity and inclusion are important in Jemijo’s call centres. (AC 3.4)
Q14. Henry advises you that Megan, a Jemijo employee with five years’ continuous service, swore at a customer who was frustrated about the time taken to deal with their insurance claim. Henry informs you that he has not taken any action yet but will dismiss Megan in a meeting today and asks whether there is a form that they need to fill out for this to ensure Megan is not overpaid. You are relieved that Henry has contacted you, but you are concerned about his proposal and the legal risk of his approach.  

Explain why Henry’s approach is likely to be viewed as an unfair dismissal and how the approach differs to the approach needed for a fair dismissal. (AC 3.5)

Your evidence must consist of:

Written answers to questions 10-14 (approximately 1250 words, (+/- 10%), refer to CIPD word count policy). 

Task four – Written answers (performance management and reward)

Q15. The CIPD factsheet, ‘Performance management: an introduction’, states that performance management includes the following activities:  

• Establish objectives
• Improve performance
• Hold people to account 

Explain how these activities could assist in the performance management of call centre staff at Jemijo. (AC 4.1) 

Q16. Explain how the level of skill and level of motivation of call centre staff at Jemijo could impact their performance. (AC 4.2)
Q17. At present, call centre staff at Jemijo have annual appraisals with their manager. Explain whether continuous reviews could be more beneficial than annual reviews (AC 4.3)
Q18. The CIPD factsheet, ‘Strategic reward and total reward’ (February 2025) sets out a range of elements that could form part of total reward. Explain why, ‘Access to professional and personal development’ and ‘meaningful work’ could be valued by call centre customer service advisors at Jemijo. (AC 5.1) 
Q19. With reference to at least one motivation theory, explain how non-financial reward could support good performance in the call centre at Jemijo. (AC 5.2)
Q20. Explain why it is important that pay for call centre staff at Jemijo is equitable and consistent. (AC 5.3)

Your evidence must consist of: 

Written answers to questions 15-20, approximately 1500 words, (+/- 10%), refer to CIPD word count policy.   

Task five – Written answers (learning and development)

Call centre staff deal with a wide range of customer queries relating to insurance products and insurance claims. To ensure that all new call centre staff have the relevant knowledge and skills to perform competently in their role, they attend a six-week training programme. The training programme covers: 

• knowledge of Jemijo’s insurance products and systems 
• how to communicate with customers and how to understand their needs 
• empathy 
• regulatory requirements 

Q21. Explain the benefits to new starters and Jemijo of the call centre’s basic training programme. (AC 6.1) 

Q22. All new starters in the call centre at Jemijo undertake the basic training programme. Describe different types of learning needs that might arise once the basic training is complete and describe why they might arise. (AC 6.2)
Q23. Provide a brief summary of how face-to-face training can be used to develop managers at Jemijo, and briefly summarise how blended learning, facilitation, coaching, and mentoring could also be used to develop management skills. (AC 6.3) 
Q24. As successful completion of the basic training programme is essential for new starters, explain how Jemijo can ensure that the basic training programme is inclusive and accessible for all new starters. (AC 6.4)
Q25. Discuss a range of metrics that could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the basic training for call centre staff at Jemijo (AC 6.5)

Your evidence must consist of:

Written answers to questions 21–25, approximately 1250 words, (+/- 10%), refer to CIPD word count policy). 

Answer Checklist

You may find the following checklist helpful to make sure that you have answered all the questions. You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to.

Declaration of Authentication 

Declaration by learner

I can confirm that:

1.this assessment is all my own work.  
2.where I have used materials from other sources, they have been properly acknowledged and referenced.
3.I have not used Artificial Intelligence tools to generate content for my assessment. (except where I have been explicitly instructed to do so in task one, question 7)
I understand the consequences of malpractice and accept that any violation of this agreement may result in disciplinary action.
Learner name:      
Learner signature: 
(This must be a true signature, so a handwritten signature, or a photo or scan of a handwritten signature, or an e-signature. A typed signature is not acceptable.)
     
Date of submission*
Date of first re-submission (if applicable)*
Date of second re-submission (if applicable)* 
*This should be the date on which you submit your assessment for marking