The CIPD has teamed up with internationally recognised experts from seven universities across the UK to translate cutting-edge evidence on workplace wellbeing and performance into practical tips and tools for businesses. 

The recently launched PrOPEL hub will take both new and existing research evidence, cut through the academic jargon and turn it into practical lessons, toolkits and guides to help businesses of all sizes and sectors explore new ways of working. 

The CIPD and its members will play a key role in both shaping the content and putting it into practice. The evidence-based insights will also inform CIPD guidance and resources, as well as the new Profession Map. 

The hub will focus on five key areas that are likely to be crucial for people professionals and line managers to deal with in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic:

• Managing people
• Boosting innovation
• Improving wellbeing
• Engaging employees
• Supporting diversity

Professor Graeme Roy, Director of the PrOPEL Hub, commented in a recent CIPD Lab article: ‘As the fallout from the COVID-19 lockdown continues to cause havoc across the economy, using evidence to inform the crucial decisions that you take over the coming weeks and months has never been more important. To ensure the Hub delivers not just what we think is useful and interesting, but what is most relevant to businesses; we want to hear about your experiences, the challenges you face, and what works well.’

Edward Houghton, the CIPD’s Head of Research, adds: ‘We’re excited to be part of this ground-breaking initiative, which will bring together expert academics and leading practitioners to learn from one another and co-create new solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing UK business. This is an exciting opportunity to really bring evidence into practice in a way that can directly support people practitioners and their stakeholders.’

The PrOPEL Hub (Productivity Outcomes of workplace Practice, Engagement and Learning) is funded by the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council).