Hundreds of employers turn to the CIPD to help professionalise their people functions

At the end of its financial year in June 2020, the CIPD had worked with more than 16,400 people professionals across 425 organisations, helping them to professionalise their HR, L&D and management capabilities. 

This year that included a variety of organisations in the UK, Ireland, Asia and the Middle East. These organisations employ millions of people across sectors including public services, healthcare, finance, utilities, logistics and oil and gas. 

A year in numbers: building professionalism at an organisational level  

• 91 HR, reward and L&D practitioners at the BBC took part in the CIPD’s 360 assessment programme this year, to assess team and individual capability.
• The CIPD supported more than 80 people practitioners at Tesco to become professional members of the CIPD over the past three years.
• 82% of HR practitioners at HM Revenue and Customs hold a CIPD qualification.
• The CIPD worked with more than 3,000 HR professionals in Singapore’s Public Service Division.
• We assessed 18 HR business partners at Chalhoub Group in the Middle East against the new Profession Map.
• The CIPD delivered 124 days of live virtual training to 200+ public sector HR students in Saudi Arabia.
• Our workforce planning and job redesign training programme received endorsement from the Singapore Government, meaning other organisations wishing to adopt the programme will receive special funding. 

CIPD People Development Partners 

2019 also saw the launch of the CIPD People Development Partner (PDP) accolade. This accolade was developed to recognise those organisations going above and beyond in developing the next generation of people professionals. It recognises an organisation’s sustained dedication to raising the capability, credibility, professionalism and impact of their people functions. 

Tesco, a company employing more than 400,000 people nationwide and with a people team of 800 was the first organisation to receive this accolade in summer 2019. Learning and professional development is a high priority for Tesco and over the last three years it has supported more than 80 colleagues through the CIPD’s Experience Assessment, the process by which busy people professional use their experience to become CIPD members. Tesco has also been working closely with the CIPD to develop an evidence-based approach to learning, creating new, innovative, practical learning on areas including neuroscience and human behaviour. 

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) followed Tesco and was both the first civil service department and the first public sector organisation to receive PDP status. Employing more than 65,000 people, and with a people team of around 1,500, it has worked on professionalising its HR function with a view to meeting future strategic challenges and becoming leaders for the HR profession. HMRC has also focused heavily on learning, bringing in new development programmes covering topics such as employee relations, strategic workforce planning and organisational development. 

Adam Stanbury, Head of Employer Solutions at the CIPD, commented:

‘The key to success for any organisation is how they attract, develop and retain their people. It’s vital that organisations have the very best HR capabilities and talent working for and supporting them.  This year I’m delighted that we’ve had the opportunity to partner with some great organisations who have been trailblazers in building the skills and capabilities needed for HR now and in the future.

Tesco and HM Revenue & Customs were the first to come on board and more recently we’ve seen other government departments follow suit with the Ministry of Defence and Civil Service HR. All of these organisations and departments have been leading the way in professionalising and upskilling their people professionals, recognising the changing purpose and impact required of the profession’.

To gain and retain People Development Partner status, employers must also demonstrate a commitment to giving back to the profession, by contributing to the CIPD’s research and policy work, volunteering, or sharing their insights and expertise at conferences. 

PDPs also support CIPD research projects by providing examples of good practice and advising of the challenges they face with their people strategies. This enables them to better describe, and affect, the world of work.

Many organisations have indicated that they are keen to work with the CIPD towards the statement of commitment to professionalism and we’re delighted that two new civil service departments have recently been awarded the accolade, Ministry of Defence and Civil Service HR. Over the next few months, we can expect to see many more organisations across the public and private sectors becoming PDPs. Find out more about People Development Partners and how your organisation can get involved.  

The CIPD’s last financial year ran from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.