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. But how can learning professionals support the building of new capability at pace and scale, when many organisations still struggle to see what skills exist in the workforce, to what level of expertise, or to move that capability to where it's needed most?

Join Nigel Cassidy and this month's guests – Shona Marshall, Founder of The ASM Difference; Laurell Hector, Managing Director at McManus HRD; and Andrew Jacobs, Learning Strategist and Founder of Llarn Learning – as they explore L&D's role in supporting the shift to becoming a skills-based organisation.

In this episode, our panel explores:

• Why L&D is critical to enabling skills-based transformation, by responding to business priorities and driving the performance they require
• How skills intelligence, taxonomies and internal marketplaces can inform smarter, workforce planning, internal mobility and learning investment.
• What must change in how learning is designed and delivered – moving away from linear, one-off training programmes towards continuous, skills-led development that keeps pace with changing skills landscape.

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Your next listen:

CIPD Podcast 231: The journey to a skills-based organisation

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.