CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management

About this unit

This unit extends understanding of the interaction between the commercial business environment and likely future developments in the world of work, employment and the management of people. It discusses the range of people practices that are growing in importance, including those relating to ethics and sustainability, technology, employee wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion.

What you will learn

You will focus on major ways in which leaders and managers working in people practice are responding to globalisation and its significance for work and employment. You will investigate the current and future thinking within organisations around technological developments and how new agendas are evolving. You will evaluate social, demographic and economic trends and how developments in public policy affect people practice. Effective leadership of change, innovation and creativity, including the key interrelationships between ethics, sustainability, diversity and wellbeing will be covered in this unit. Finally, you will critically analyse policy, practice and corporate social responsibility and the ways in which people professionals can apply and promote them for organisational productivity.

About this unit

This unit focuses on the ways in which people management professionals and the people management function in organisations create value and make a strategic contribution to the achievement of organisational objectives in different sectors and scenarios. It stresses the importance of evidence-based, outcomes-driven and principles-led practice in support of the core purposes of the people management profession.

What you will learn

You will understand and be able to explain the advantages and benefits of aligning people practice strategies with organisational objectives and learn about the ways in which organisations integrate people practice with culture, brand and values, including the evaluation of data sources aimed at shaping people practice. You will develop an understanding of contemporary strategic people practice in the core fields of resourcing, performance management, learning and development, reward management, employment relations, employee engagement and organisational design, as well as equality, diversity and inclusion. Understanding the role and influence of people professionals is a key part of your learning for this unit and you will debate the merits of the different and varied ways in which people practice is organised and structured in organisations. You will critically evaluate the practical and ethical challenges presented by data analytics and technological developments in people management work and be able to develop your thinking about how best to evaluate the work of people professionals. Finally, you will explore the different agendas and challenges faced by people management professionals in different sectors as well as internationally.

About this unit

This unit is about supporting successful workers and promoting effective and ethical behaviours to champion better work and working lives and develop business acumen. The theories and concepts that underpin this subject are essential for promoting inclusiveness and influencing others through fair and transparent behaviours. Through core skillsets such as influencing and decision-making, this unit will promote understanding of how actions and inclusive behaviour impact on ethics and the organisation.

What you will learn

You will critically assess different ethical standpoints in people practice and how ethical behaviour maintains high standards. You will consider business improvement in relation to working lives, evaluating the promotion of voice within organisations as well as the benefits and costs of collaborative methods, both internally and externally across a variety of business boundaries. You will learn how to achieve and maintain challenging business outcomes through an understanding of the business, and self-awareness and improvement to support your career progression. Additionally, you will justify the benefits of maintaining a passion for learning, evaluating the need for continuing professional development and the merits of evidence-based critical thinking. Finally, you will demonstrate behaviours associated with effective influencing and decision-making as well as assessing the benefits of networking.

About this unit

This unit contains the components to enable a systematic approach to define, design and undertake a business research project in people practice. It focuses on developing ability to produce an integrated report based on evidence and to include own recommendations and critical reflection.

What you will learn

You will identify a people focused business issue and plan a business research project to address this and to add value to the organisation. A research aim and set of objectives will be determined to set the parameters of the study, with a critical review of relevant published literature to establish a set of research questions and to inform the project outcomes. You will learn how to write a research methodology that explains and justifies the research design, considers the potential limitations of this and how to address them, plus the ethical issues associated with your data collection. You will determine how to most effectively analyse and present your data, discussing the overall findings of the study and their implications for the organisation. From this you will draw conclusions and develop business focused recommendations, recognising the need to support these with an action plan for implementation along with a strategic cost benefit analysis to help present a persuasive business case. Finally, you will engage with critical reflection of the project completion, to identify how you could improve future project design and completion, as a part of your CPD.

About this unit

This unit focuses on different perspectives of employment relations and the cooperation and conflict that varies between workplaces. There is a key role that institutions beyond the workplace play in shaping people management policy and practice within organisations, and a wide variety of models to emerge, meaning that outcomes are less predictable and relationships must be handled with great care.

What you will learn

You will critically evaluate different perspectives on employment relations and the cooperation and conflict that varies between workplaces, including employer strategies towards trade unions and their fitness for purpose. You will analyse the growth of low-quality jobs and the decline of highquality roles in different parts of the economy and how to support voice that will contribute to improved levels of organisational performance and employee outcomes. You will also critically analyse the role of collective bargaining in determining pay, and review the advantages and disadvantages of arbitration, conciliation and mediation and their role in the resolution of work disagreements. Finally, you will examine the design and implementation of grievance and disciplinary procedures to help mitigate risk and resolv

About this unit

This unit focuses on the day-to-day practicalities and the longer-term strategic issues associated with resourcing organisations appropriately, ethically and fairly and to maximise the performance of staff and the organisation. These activities take place in a competitive context in which different employers aspire to recruit and retain the most talented and experienced people.

What you will learn

You will cover the impact of the business environment on resourcing and talent management and the significance for strategy and practice, explaining and debating the relevance to organisations and presenting advice on workforce and succession planning. You will evaluate attraction and retention, comparing ways in which organisations build and maintain positive reputations in key labour markets. Additionally, you will learn about which technologies can be used to improve attraction and selection, and critically evaluate approaches to employee induction. Measures designed to reduce employee turnover and support retention will also be considered. Finally, you will focus on approaches to improving individual and team performance, referencing legal compliance and staff underperformance in organisations

About this unit

The unit focuses on the role of strategic reward in attracting, motivating and retaining people at work in order to direct the actions and behaviours of individuals, teams and the organisation towards the achievement of organisational goals. Different financial and non-financial benefits will be applicable depending on the organisational context, but these must always be fair and equitable. The unit contains the elements required to design, introduce, manage and evaluate effective and fair reward strategies and how the associated policies and practices link and impact on other people practices.

What you will learn

You will examine the key factors that influence the design of reward policy. Understanding of organisational strategy and variables is key and you will critically justify the value of benchmarking and reward strategy choices. You will develop in-depth understanding of the total rewards approach and the impact of base and incremental pay and benefits in attracting and motivating employees. You will assess the benefits and challenges of performance appraisal and its links to pay progression. Finally, you will examine the ethical issues that may arise from forms of reward and how the principles of transparency and equity are the cornerstones of responsible and effective approaches to reward.

About this unit

This unit focuses on the principles of organisational design and development. It examines the impact of change on organisational forms and deliberates the process of change through which adaptations are made to the ways in which structure, process and people work; the success of each is dependent on each other. It also examines the impact of change on working lives and the strategies for engaging employees and wider stakeholders in successful implementation. The unit also encourages reflection on the personal skills, techniques and behaviour that support effective organisational design and development work.

What you will learn

You will critically evaluate theory and concepts in relation to organisational design and development in order to understand the general principles and key issues that underpin them. You will examine the meaning and value of organisational design and development and review the rationale for and the complexity of organisational design, considering a range of organisational forms and discussing the contextual relevance of these within an environment demanding increasing flexibility and agility. You will also develop understanding of different methods and approaches to organisational development and how these align with organisational goals. Additionally, you will explore the role of people professionals in the creation of new organisational forms. Finally, you will examine responses and approaches to change, including strategies for employee engagement.