CIPD

As organisations face mounting cost pressures and AI absorbs many entry-level responsibilities, there is a growing risk that entry-level pathways will disappear by default rather than by design. But what are the unintended consequences of hollowing out the roles where future capability, judgement and innovation are built?

Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests — Orianne Whiteman, Emerging Talent Director at Arm; Craig Pattison, Founder of Elevate Executive Coaching; and Lizzie Crowley, Senior Skills Policy Adviser at CIPD — as they examine how organisations must redesign work, opportunity and progression, before capability gaps begin to surface in talent pipelines, performance and long-term organisational resilience.

In this episode, we explore:
- Why shrinking entry-level opportunities – and the erosion of the first rungs of the career ladder – could become a critical organisational risk
- The consequences when organisations stop creating and developing talent and instead become net consumers of talent
- How organisations must redesign roles, routes into work and progression pathways to protect future capability and sustain healthy talent pipelines
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In a world of uncertainty and constant disruption, what does an effective and human response to crisis really look like? Are employee benefits creating real impact – or are too many organisations offering perks without a clear sense of what they’re for? And as technology promises ever-greater efficiency, are employees starting to resist the pressure to optimise everything in pursuit of something more meaningful?

CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Sasi Venables, HR Business Partner at the University of Worcester and founder of The HR Confidence Club and Rob Worrall, Chief People Officer.

Recorded: 06 March 2026

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Explore more from this episode:

HR People Pod – Ep 12: Crisis events | Supply chains | Politics at work | ‘Ghost jobs’

Report: Reward Survey: Focus on benefits 2026
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What really happens at the World Economic Forum in Davos? And what are global leaders saying about the future of work? Are organisations simply layering AI onto existing systems, or are they facing a fundamental re-engineering of work itself? If intelligence becomes infrastructure, what happens to how we define value and professional identity? And if entry-level roles decline, what does that mean for the strength of our future talent pipeline?

CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Allyn Bailey, Senior Director Corporate Narrative and Communications at SmartRecruiters.
Recorded: 20 February 2026

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Read more from Allyn Bailey at the World Economic Forum

Davos 2026: the key takeaways for HR on AI, skills and workforce reinvention
https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1946227/davos-2026-key-takeaways-hr-ai-skills-workforce-reinvention
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Does sustained performance depend less on the learning event itself and more on the environment in which it is applied? In modern workplaces – shaped by inbox overload, operational pressures and competing demands for attention – employees often return from training motivated and well-intentioned, yet without the time, permission or support to put new skills into practice. Without the right conditions, learning quickly fades and performance remains unchanged.

Join Nigel Cassidy and this month’s guests — Aglaia Economou, HR Learning Development & Change Manager at Hertfordshire County Council; Fergal Connolly, Learning Transfer Specialist and Founder of Multiply Transfer; and Steve George, Head of Learning at CIPD — as they examine what it really takes to ensure learning translates into measurable performance.

In this episode, we explore:

- The organisational conditions required for learning to translate into sustained performance, beyond the design and delivery of formal training.
- The pivotal role of managers, accountability and workplace culture in giving people the permission and space to apply what they have learned.
- How to diagnose performance challenges effectively — and avoid defaulting to training when the root cause lies elsewhere.
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As volatility becomes the default rather than the exception, what does it really mean for organisations to be ready for change? When it comes to ‘peanut butter’ pay rises, does spreading reward evenly strengthen trust and fairness, or quietly undermine the idea that performance and capability matter? And just how decisive can small moments be — how have acts of trust, stretch or recognition shaped the careers of our guests?

CIPD Director of Profession David D’Souza is joined by Alix Bolton, Chief People Officer, Europe at Smollan; and Alison Hodgson, Market Director – CIPD Ireland.

Recorded: 6 February 2026
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