The CIPD supported Iarnród Éireann to create a bespoke People Standards Framework and expand access to CIPD resources, helping its people team strengthen capability, embed consistent practice and focus on professional growth.
To deliver its people strategy, Iarnród Éireann needs a people team capable of shaping workforce capability, inclusion and organisational change. With this in mind, the organisation partnered with the CIPD in 2025 to assess its people function’s current capability, define clear development priorities and create a bespoke People Standards Framework aligned to the CIPD Profession Map.
Through this framework and the introduction of a CIPD Group Affiliate Subscription, Iarnród Éireann’s people professionals now have access to practical guidance, learning resources and career development tools, supporting consistent practice and ongoing development. Together, these initiatives are helping the people team strengthen its impact across the organisation and contribute directly to strategic priorities.
Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail's 2050 People Strategy sets out the organisation’s commitment to being an employer of choice by building a skilled, motivated and inclusive workforce, supported by modern policies, systems and clear career pathways. To deliver this strategy, the people team must be able to actively support workforce capability, inclusion and organisational change, while also preparing for future skills needs and workforce agility.
HR Director Ciaran Masterson recognised that the team lacked consistent professional standards, clear development pathways and a shared understanding of good people practice, which limited its impact across the organisation. To address these gaps, he wanted a clear, evidence-based view of current capability and future readiness across the function. This insight would allow the team to focus development on the areas that mattered most and ensure initiatives directly supported organisational priorities.
Strengthening the credibility and visibility of the people function was also a priority for Iarnród Éireann’s people team. To achieve this, they needed to align people practice with recognised professional standards. Without a shared framework, expectations varied across teams, making it difficult to build capability consistently or demonstrate the value of people practice to the wider organisation.
Iarnród Éireann turned to the CIPD to provide the structure and professional expertise needed to address these challenges. We provided clear, evidence-based insight into current practice, internationally recognised professional standards and practical learning resources, enabling the people function to strengthen its practice and increase its impact across Iarnród Éireann.
“Our Rail2050 People Strategy sets out ambitious goals for workforce capability, inclusion and organisational change. But to achieve them, we need a people team with consistent professional standards and the capability and confidence to lead these initiatives.”
We worked in partnership with Iarnród Éireann to put a clear, structured approach in place to strengthen people practice across the organisation.
We began by supporting the people team to use our People Impact Tool to gather structured feedback from people professionals, leaders, managers and employees. This gave Ciaran and his team a shared, evidence-based view of current capability and future readiness. We worked with them to explore and interpret the findings, which they then used to set clear development priorities for individuals and teams, covering areas such as change management, technology, inclusive working and resourcing.
Using this insight, we supported the team to develop a bespoke People Standards Framework, aligned to the CIPD Profession Map. More than 50 professionals across grades and specialisms contributed through development workshops, ensuring the framework reflected their real-life operating context and future needs. By working with the CIPD, Iarnród Éireann benefited from guidance on applying the Profession Map in practice, constructive challenge and facilitation of workshops by our expert consultants.
We formally endorsed the framework in September 2025. Following the launch, we supported Iarnród Éireann to introduce a CIPD Group Affiliate Subscription, extending access to CIPD resources beyond existing professional members. This gives people professionals across the function access to practical guidance, learning content and career development tools, supporting consistent practice and ongoing professional development.
Partnering with the CIPD has helped Iarnród Éireann’s people team focus development where it matters most and build a shared understanding of priorities across the function. Co-designing the People Standards Framework gave people professionals a direct role in defining expectations for knowledge, skills and behaviours, strengthening commitment to consistent practice and collaboration across teams.
The Group Affiliate Subscription has made practical guidance and learning resources widely available, supporting ongoing professional development. People professionals now have tools to improve day-to-day practice, plan their careers and work towards professional recognition, while contributing directly to organisational priorities such as inclusion, workforce capability and change management.
“Involving colleagues in co-designing the People Standards Framework made it relevant and practical for our day-to-day work. This gave everyone a sense of ownership over how we strengthen practice across the function.”
Iarnród Éireann will continue integrating the People Standards Framework into the design of new roles, development planning and career pathways, ensuring expectations are clear and consistently applied.
The organisation also plans to grow CIPD membership across its people function, using learning, experience assessment, qualification pathways and future apprenticeship programmes. By continuing to work with us, the people team can further professionalise its practice, strengthen collaboration and ensure that its work continues to support strategic priorities across the organisation.
Alongside this, Iarnród Éireann has recently been recognised as a CIPD People Development Partner. Its commitment to professional standards and investment in development provides a strong foundation for this next stage. This significant milestone reflects Irish Rail’s strong commitment to developing its people, fostering a culture of lifelong learning, and continuously strengthening organisational capability. Achieving PDP status highlights the organisation’s leadership in people development and its strategic investment in professional excellence.
“Iarnród Éireann’s people team is taking a structured, evidence-based approach to professional development. Their commitment will strengthen capability across the function and improve the impact of people practice on the organisation’s priorities. It has been a pleasure working with the team at Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail on achieving PDP status a real recognition of their leadership and commitment to building a strong learning culture.”
To find out how the CIPD can support you in bringing consistent standards to your people function, get in touch.