CIPD

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 for key services or having to adapt operations as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, no business remained unscathed. One thing that is abundantly clear is that our working lives will not be returning to ‘normal’. The pandemic presented an opportunity for employees to reconsider how they work and whether it’s conducive to work-life balance. But are organisations prepared to make the necessary changes that contribute towards building a braver, fairer and more equal world?Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests, Neil Morrison, Group HR Director at Severn Trent PLC, Deborah Lee, Group Engagement Director, Compass Group and Brad Taylor, Director of People at CIPD, as we take our first steps into 2021 and explore the key anticipated shifts in people practice as we recover and rebuild better and fairer organisations.

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In the last year or so there has been growing debate and conversation around the benefits of soft skills in the workplace and the essential or core skills we will increasingly need. The events of 2020 have prompted greater shows of empathy, teamwork and problem solving, but can getting these ‘softer’ skills right pay dividends in the long-term and do we need to value these skills more within our organisations?Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests, Rebekah Wallis, Director of People and Corporate Responsibility at Ricoh UK, Phil Lowe, Leadership Development Specialist and Lizzie Crowley, Senior Skills Adviser at CIPD, to unpack how a greater emphasis on nurturing, utilising and measuring the effectiveness of soft skills can benefit your organisation.

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Do you have the right learning culture to nurture your people? What are the tell-tale signs you have developed a strong environment for learning in your organisation? Creating a supportive learning environment is imperative to ensuring employees have the right capabilities to adapt and respond to challenges in the right way. While 98% of learning and development practitioners would seek to do this, CIPD research reveals only a third feel they have achieved this feat.Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests, Gavin McQuillan, NatWest and Mel Green, CIPD, to unpack what you need to do to instil a positive learning culture in your organisation.

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Due to the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic, many organisations feel unprepared for incoming immigration changes brought about by Brexit. Priorities have shifted, and the onset of COVID-19 put workforce planning on the back burner. In what ways can organisations prepare for Brexit, and how will new migration restrictions impact their future plans?Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests, Marina Fernandez-Reino, The Migration Observatory, Ian Robinson, Fragomen and Gerwyn Davies, CIPD, to understand the true cost of post-Brexit recruitment and the importance of workforce planning.

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Over a quarter of people say their alcohol consumption has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. Yet recent CIPD research has found a fifth of businesses don’t offer proactive support to employees for drug and alcohol misuse. So at what point do concerns of drug and alcohol misuse become an issue for employers and how can people professionals and line managers best support their teams?Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests, Professor Dame Carol Black, Simon Jones and Dr Jill Miller, as they look beyond the stigma of alcohol and drug misuse and discuss why organisations need to prioritise it as a health and wellbeing issue.

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Few would argue against the beneficial role technology has played as an enabler of work, especially now, as we continue to face disruption to both work and working life as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But is there a point when the implementation of technology crosses a line? Workforce surveillance and employee monitoring is a topic of contention, but is it something we all just need to get used to?Join Nigel Cassidy and this months’ guests, Edward Houghton, Dr Stephanie Hare and Daniel Sharaiha, to discuss the benefits and risks of employee monitoring and where the boundaries between work and private life lie?

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The global Black Lives Matter movement has shone a stark spotlight on the need for society and organisations to stop, reflect and acknowledge where they need to start making changes. While laws and changing social norms have helped to make overt and blatant racism unacceptable, a shake-up in working practice and systemic culture is required. And that will only happen if we all take ownership of the issue.

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Conflict is an inevitable part of human interaction. At a time when it’s crucial we come together and strengthen our relationships, albeit virtually, inconsequential disagreements or a mishandled conversation can bubble up into unpleasant or even toxic situations. While being able to ‘manage’ conflict is a necessary skill for individuals and the modern workplace, is there a healthy and progressive side of conflict that can be channelled into success?Join Nigel Cassidy and this months’ guests, Amy Gallo, Contributing Editor at Harvard Business Review; Clive Lewis, OBE and CEO of Globis Mediation Group and Rachel Suff, Senior Employee Relations Adviser at CIPD, to learn about the key causes of negative conflict, strategies for diffusing workplace flare-ups and how we can encourage constructive and progressive workplace conflict.

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Before coronavirus struck, mental-ill health was the number one cause of long-term sickness absence among UK workers. Current lockdown restrictions are likely to have exacerbated these conditions for many, and this poses a real challenge for managers who are expected to look after the health and well-being of their teams.Join Andrea Winfield, HR Director at Microsoft, Professor Neil Greenberg, Professor of Defence Mental Health at Kings College, and Rachel Suff, Senior Employee Relations Adviser at CIPD to learn how managers can have confident and sensitive well-being conversations to support the mental and physical well-being of their remote teams, and crucially what employers need to consider as the UK plans for an eventual return to the workplace.

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We have heard many times before that we are operating in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world and few would argue that current developments aren’t case in point. The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) is without question testing businesses on an unprecedented scale. But having a well-designed organisation to respond flexibly and rapidly is only half the battle. Some organisations are having to rework their business models to deliver outside-the-box-offerings, while many others are grappling with the challenge of business continuity. Join Jaimini Lakhani, Director at Lumiere Consulting, David Frost, Director of OD at Total Produce and Peter Cheese, Chief Executive at CIPD to discover how organisations can and should respond to the coronavirus crisis, and vitally, how you can support your workforce through this difficult period.

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