CIPD

HR People Pod – Ep 53: Progression conversations | ERA 2025: Probation | Relationship building
What's the real cost when organisations avoid honest career progression conversations? As the qualifying period for unfair dismissal drops from two years to six months under the Employment Rights Act 2025, how ready are managers to really make probation periods count? And with managers stretched thinner than ever, has building real relationships with their people become an afterthought?

CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Cheryl Samuels, co-founder of #InclusiveHR; Vilma Nikolaidou, Director of People and Culture at the British Film Institute; and Marc Weedon, Executive Coach, HR Consultant and Owner of excelHR.

Recorded: 10 July 2026

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Additional resources:

Tracking law changes: Employment Rights Act 2025

Guidance: Effectively managing probation

Your next listen:

CIPD Podcast 226: Closing skill gaps from within: the case for internal mobility

HR People Pod – Ep 39: Rewriting the rules on workplace conflict – with David Liddle
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What does courageous leadership really look like when the pressure is on? How can leaders move beyond assumptions and opaque messaging to create genuine clarity? And why is humility one of the most important pillars of good leadership?

CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by author, leadership coach and founder of Courageous Leadership Consultancy, Diana Osagie, to explore how leaders can transform thinking, build better organisational habits and create the clarity and confidence to have the conversations that matter.

Recorded: 10 June 2026

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Additional resources:

Article: Diana Osagie on the foundations of courageous leadership (People Management)

Explore more from Diana Osagie on courageous and empowered leadership

Your next listen:

CIPD Podcast 214: Success starts small – Building sustainable workplace habits

HR People Pod – Ep 44: Crisis leadership | Impact of employee benefits | Friction-maxxing at work

HR People Pod – Ep 37: Leading under pressure – with Professor Kevin Fong
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For decades, jobs have helped organisations structure work, allocate responsibilities and make decisions about people. But as business priorities shift, skills shortages intensify and technology changes the nature of work, organisations need a clearer view of the skills and capabilities they have — and how to deploy them where they can create the greatest impact.

Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests – Simone Carroll, CHRO and Director; Stephen Findlay, Head of Organisational Development at Skills Development Scotland; and Alex Boulting, Global OD & HR Transformation Leader at Ebbnflow – as they explore what it means to become a skills-based organisation.

In this episode, our panel explores:
•What it means to become a skills-based organisation, and how skills can complement rather than replace traditional job and role structures
•How people professionals can identify current and future skills needs, connect skills to business impact, and rethink recruitment, workforce planning, performance and development
•Why skills-based transformation is not just an HR project, but a people strategy requiring co-creation, trust, cultural change and the right use of skills data and technology

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Your next listen:
CIPD Podcast 207: HR’s next top operating model
HR People Pod – Episode 48: Leadership reflections | Skills visibility | Workload creep

More from this episode:
Guide – Skills matching: Using and deploying people’s skills effectively in the workplace
Analysis – How L&D can create value: Focussing on skills development
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As agentic AI moves beyond being a tool and starts to act with greater autonomy, how should organisations think about trust, oversight and accountability? If entry-level roles are changing — or even shrinking — what does that mean for young people trying to take their first step into work, and for employers hoping to build future capability? And which pivotal career moments can change how HR professionals think about their work, their leadership and their impact?

CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza, is joined by Jo Carlin, Chief People Officer at Effective Energy Group, and Andy Stephenson, Director at Dove Nest Group.

Recorded: 11 June 2026

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Additional resources:
Case studies: AI in the workplace
https://www.cipd.org/en/topics/artificial-intelligence-workplace/

Guide: How people professionals can develop, deploy, and use AU in an ethical, legal and sustainable way
https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/guides/people-professionals-ai-use/

Skills for the future: Why investment in early talent is crucial for workforce success
https://www.cipd.org/en/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/insight/investment-early-talent/

Your next listen:
CIPD Podcast 228: The missing first rung: Are we sleepwalking into a talent crisis?
https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/podcasts/missing-first-rung-are-we-sleeping-into-a-talent-crisis/

CIPD Podcast 229: From AI experimentation to AI maturity
https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/podcasts/from-ai-experimentation-to-ai-maturity/

HR People Pod - Ep 43: Inside Davos - AI, work and the future of identity - with Allyn Bailey
https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/podcasts/hr-people-pod/#:~:text=on%20benefits%202026-,HR%20People%20Pod%20%E2%80%93%20Ep%2043%3A%20Inside%20Davos%20%E2%80%93%20AI%2C%20work%20and%20the%20future%20of%20identity%20%2D%20with%20Allyn%20Bailey,-Duration%3A%2000%3A34

HR Coffee Time with Fay Wallis - Episode 155
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zi4ib2ER6g
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It’s National Volunteers’ Week from the 1st to the 7th of June. The impact of volunteering on creating pathways and enhancing career opportunities both into and within the workplace is well known. But what about the benefits and rewards for those who offer their time as voluntary mentors? Plus, a recent People Management Magazine article suggests that only 15% of non-managers find the prospect of becoming a line manager appealing, so how do we prepare the next generation of professionals to embrace line manager roles and the challenges that come with that? Finally, with the CIPD’s Labour Market Outlook Report Spring 2026 demonstrating that 58% of employers are prioritising cost challenges above growth, how can organisations strike the right balance between controlling costs now and protecting their ability to expand and remain competitive in the future?

In this special fiftieth episode of the HR People Pod, we welcome back guest host, Leah De Silva, Senior Programme Manager for the CIPD Trust. Joining her in the studio are Emma Jayne, Chief People Officer at KYN and Elaine Grell, Chief People Officer (EMEA) at Ogilvy.

Recorded: 30th May 2026

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Explore more from this episode:

National Volunteer’s Week
Volunteer opportunities - CIPD Trust
Impact and guidance - CIPD Trust
Most employees say becoming a manager is not appealing, survey reveals
Labour Market Outlook | CIPD
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