CIPD 5CO03 Assignment Answers : Professional Behaviours And Valuing People

Overview of 5CO03 

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Tasks

Referring to the case study, about the purpose and values of the people professional, your answers should respond accurately to the questions and should be informed by wider reading from key academic texts and articles and relevant publications. For the second task, you will conduct a professional review of your own strengths from key points.

You must complete two tasks. The first one requires you to answer 6 questions, referring to the case study, about the ‘purpose and value of the people professional’. Your answers should respond accurately to the questions and should be informed by wider reading from key academic texts, articles and relevant publications.

For the second task, you will conduct a professional review of your own strengths, weaknesses and development areas.

Please ensure that your work is presented clearly, typically using sub-headings or AC references to link your responses to the questions, and that your work complies with the wordcount requirements stated at the end of the assessment brief. If you exceed the word count by more than 10% your work will be referred. References should be included within your answers (unless the question specifically states that these are not required) and full details presented in a reference list at the end of your assessment.

Task One - Case Study

You have recently taken up a new position as HR/L&D Adviser at Nexxobyte, a rapidly growing software development company. Nexxobyte was established two years ago by Kit, the only Director until recently joined by his new business partner, Aisha. The organisation has grown quickly and organically and currently consists of 23 software engineers (in three teams), three team managers, two administration staff and the two directors. Since joining Nexxobyte, the second director, Aisha, has been concerned about the way things are being run and has brought you in to help her make improvements.

Aisha’s main concerns are the lack of standard procedures and the lack of management capabilities (none of the three team leaders had management training or experience before being informally allocated their roles by Kit). With Kit fully occupied in marketing and promoting the business, the team managers have been free to recruit and manage their teams as they choose, calling on the administration staff for support when needed.

Consequently, the teams have been managed quite differently, leading to inconsistent practice (e.g., different working arrangements and different access to paid L&D), several employee complaints and the loss of some valuable staff.

Q1. As part of her actions to improve systems and procedures at Nexxobyte, Aisha has established monthly on-site Management Team meetings to be attended by her, Kit, you and the three Team Leaders. She would like you to make a short presentation at the first meeting, explaining what it means to be a people professional, and some of the ways you can contribute at Nexxobyte.’

Provide a written response covering the points you would include in this presentation. (AC 1.1)

NOTE: There is no requirement to ‘present’ anything for this question - only to provide a written response.

Answer: 

As a people professional, I am expected to assist and nurture the people in an organisation through the advancement of fairness, inclusion, and good practice. It is the knowledge of the employment law, ethical values and how to establish good working environments. A people professional can make sure that the employees feel important, appreciated, and encouraged to do their best.

As a people professional in Nexxobyte, I would assist in enhancing the organisation by:

• Coming up with effective and standard HR practices so that everybody understands what to expect and is treated equally.
• Encouraging the team leaders to develop their management capabilities by training and coaching.
• Promoting the dialogue among teams and management about issues in an early stage.
• Ensuring equal opportunity for learning and development for the entire staff.
• Assistance in developing a positive culture where employees feel respected and motivated, which decreases complaints and employee turnover.
• Advising Aisha, Kit, and team leaders on people issues to help facilitate decision-making based on best practices.

Concisely, I would play a role in the expansion of Nexxobyte by ensuring that its employees are properly controlled, motivated and with the necessary support to thrive. This will result in a more stable and equal working environment, which will make the business achieve its objectives. The approach aligns with professional values specified in the CIPD Profession Map, and they are ethical practice, valuing people, and developing capability.

Q2. You are excited by your new role, and whilst you can see that there is a lot to do, you feel ready for the challenge.

Discuss two of your personal or ethical values that you believe will help you in your new role, and how consistently applying these will inform your people practice work at Nexxobyte. (AC 1.2)

Answer:

Two of my personal values, which will enable me to be successful in my new position at Nexxobyte, include fairness and integrity.
Fairness entails treating all equally and ensuring that decisions are free of any bias and are open. Through fairness, I will gain the trust of the employees and leaders as the policies and procedures will be practical to promote an inclusive and respectful workplace. This will be used to deal with the existing imbalance within the teams and establish a more favourable, inspired atmosphere.

Integrity presupposes honesty, morality and responsibility in everything one does. Working with integrity will guarantee that I give honest advice to the management and conduct sensitive matters in a responsible manner. It will facilitate effective decision-making and professionalism, which is required in assisting to enhance leadership skills and responding to the complaints of the employees.

These values combined will drive the practice of my people at Nexxobyte by encouraging ethical conduct and respect toward all the staff, and assist in strengthening the organisation and aiding its expansion.

Q3. Aisha has emphasised that she wants you to be a ' firm voice for people practice at Nexxobyte’. This means communicating with the management team in an informed, clear and confident way to convince them of the need for change and new ways of working.

Consider why it is important to communicate in this way and two potential consequences (one for you and one for Nexxobyte) if you are unable to do so. (AC 1.3)

Answer:

The manner of communicating as a people professional is important to communicate confidently, clearly and informally since this will help establish trust, credibility and influence with the management team. With good communication, there is an ease to clarify the reasons behind change, buy-in, and foster the adoption of new policies and practices, which are financially advantageous to the organisation and people. 

Effective communication also minimises resistance and misunderstandings, which are usually barriers to change.

One of the possible outcomes that may happen to me is the loss of credibility and influence in the management team in case I fail to communicate confidently and clearly. This may prove difficult in guiding people-associated initiatives and emerging as an advisor with reliability. 

In the case of Nexxobyte, the impact may be the perpetuated inconsistency of management practices, absence of standard operations, and unaddressed staff problems. This would probably result in decreased staff morale, increased turnover and reduced growth and success of the company.

To conclude, assured communication is sufficient in making sure the change is effective, professional leadership, and instigates positive results in my life and that of Nexxobyte.

Q4. During a conversation with the two administration staff, you learn more about some of the problems that have been at Nexxobyte. Some of these involved unethical behaviour (one manager regularly approving attendance at expensive training events and conferences for his ‘favourite’ team members, whilst consistently refusing similar requests from others) and even some illegal activity (a former employee using Nexxobyte work time and equipment to operate his own separate business).

Explain how, if you had been at Nexxobyte and aware of these two situations when they existed, you would have approached and raised them (AC 1.4)

Answer:

Had I known of the unethical and illegal practices at Nexxobyte when they happened, I would have approached them with caution and professionalism.

In the case of the unethical behaviour of the manager who favours some of the team members by sending them to costly training, I would first seek to collect evidence and capture certain instances to make sure that the issues raised are factual. I would then discuss the issue privately with the top management, in this case, Aisha and Kit, and how this practice is unjust, has been de-motivating the employees and goes against the values and policies of the organisation regarding fairness and learning opportunities.

In the case of the employee who has entered into an illegal involvement of using work time and equipment in the pursuit of his own business, I would also gather any evidence and hand it to the top management immediately because this may either put Nexxobyte at a legal disadvantage or violate company policies. I would advise that a formal investigation should be done to ensure that the facts are established and suitable disciplinary measures are taken in order to safeguard the organisation.

In both instances, I would make sure that I act in accordance with company procedures, keep it confidential, and define professional integrity in such a way that a just and legal workplace is facilitated.

Q5. You are pleased that your presentation at the manager’s meeting (see Q1) was well received. However, one manager has since commented in the Manager Chat group, “We don’t really need to change anything - the company is doing well financially, and anyway people work much harder when a load of feel-good policies and procedures does not protect them.” You want to respond to this comment in a professional and informative way that may help change these views.

With reference to research or theory, argue the human and business benefits of people feeling included, valued, and fairly treated at work. (AC 2.1)

Answer:

It has good human and business advantages, and research supports the fact that a feeling of inclusion, being valued and fairly treated at work is beneficial. Employees are more likely to have increased job satisfaction, engagement, and commitment when they feel included and treated fairly, and this results in an enhanced overall performance. In one case, work dignity and inclusion have been indicated to enhance job performance through conducive work environments where employees feel honoured and inspired to give their best.

In business terms, inclusiveness makes a difference with a decrease in turnover and absenteeism, and increased creativity and innovation. When they feel valued, the employees will be more willing to remain in the company and ensure they do more than the necessary job requirement, which has a positive effect on productivity and growth of the company.

Simply put, policies that support and embrace people are not merely a feel-good action, but they result in healthier workplaces that people desire to work and contribute to, which in the end brings company success.

Therefore, the company might have a good financial performance at the moment, but the more sustainable foundation of long-term success and sustainable growth depends on the investments in fair and inclusive people practices.

Q6. Following several of the complaints about unfair practice in relation to staff training, Aisha has asked you to devise a fair Staff Learning & Development Policy, which will include all staff members and will set out factors such as: allowable paid time for development activities, individual training budgets, type of learning activities that can be included, etc.

Discuss the steps you will take
to make your design of the initiative fair and inclusive
to check, after three months of implementation, that the initiative is as inclusive as you have intended.

NOTE: There is no need to devise a policy here, only to discuss how you will design it to be inclusive and how you will check inclusivity after three months. (AC 2.2)

Answer: 

To create an equitable and participative Staff Learning and Development Policy at Nexxobyte, the steps that would be used are as follows:

• Engage the different staff groups in policy formulation by consulting them on their learning requirements and challenges by use of surveys or meetings. This is to make sure the policy is accommodating of different needs and voices.
  
  
• Establish strict and transparent limits on permissible paid development time and specific training budgets, and ensure that they are equally available to all the staff, irrespective of team or position.
  
  
• Provide a broad range of learning activities, including formal courses, on-the-job training, mentoring, and e-learning as a result to meet the different learning styles and personal situations.
   
  
• Use inclusive terms and think about accessibility so that everyone can benefit from the development opportunities.
  
  
• Publish the policy and encourage the line managers and employees to implement it consistently and fairly.
  To monitor inclusiveness in three months:
  
  
• Gather feedback from the employees in all teams via anonymous surveys or focus groups to evaluate whether they believe that the policy is equitable and attainable.
  
  
• Follow up on the participation data to determine whether all groups are receiving an equal amount of benefits, and locate any loopholes or tendencies of exclusion.
  
  
• Hold a meeting with the managers to get their feedback on the effectiveness of the policy and the problems they are having.
  
  
• Gather this information to make timely, regular changes to the policy or the way it is applied to enhance inclusiveness and equity ongoing basis.
  
  
• Such tactics form a learning atmosphere in which employees feel appreciated and enabled, which results in improved interaction and growth results.
  

Task two - Professional Review

Note: This task is not related to the Task 1 Case Study. It is just about you and your awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses and development areas.

To complete the task, you must complete all five activities below.

Q7. Using a combination of your own reflections and feedback from at least one other person, review your own behaviour against the six Associate-level standards for ‘Working inclusively’ in the CIPD Profession Map.

Summarise your conclusions from this activity, along with a brief explanation of who you involved and how their feedback informed your review. (AC 2.3) You don't need to provide a reference or in-text citation for AC 2.3.

Answer:

The following is a professional evaluation of my behaviour based on the six-level standards of Associate-level standards of Working inclusively under the CIPD Profession Map:

1. I exercise respect and empathy through actively listening to the various opinions, as well as knowing the experiences of my colleagues. This can assist me in building a culture in which all people will feel acknowledged and listened to.
   
2. I also facilitate teamwork by stimulating teamwork and embracing different ideas, as I know that this results in more effective decisions and better outcomes.
   
3. I confront prejudice and discrimination because I know my own assumptions and comment on them when I observe the occurrence of unfair treatment or exclusion. This helps me to maintain fairness in work.
   
4. I can embrace diversity by acknowledging the differences in background and abilities, and experiences, and I also advocate policies that promote equal opportunities.
   
5. My style of communication and approach is flexible enough to accommodate the needs of different people so that all people can understand my messages.
   
6. I continuously self-reflect on my personal beliefs and behaviours to get feedback and learning to work inclusively.
   

In general, I feel that I am an inclusive leader as I respect other people, uphold fairness, and constantly learn to improve my actions to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

To sum up, the reflection activity has heightened my self-awareness with regard to my approach to inclusive work in accordance with the CIPD six standards at the Associate level. I engaged one of my fellow employees whom I can trust to deliver honest feedback regarding how I portray respectful communication, promote collaboration, confront bias, and embrace diversity.

Their observations made me understand the fact that I possess strengths that I sometimes overlook, and allowed me to see the way in which I can become a better person by enhancing my competencies in managing difficult unconscious bias. My personal impressions and outside assessment help me understand that I am determined to work inclusively, and also help me shape my further personal growth in this crucial field. This review demonstrates that constant reflection and feedback can be significant in terms of professional development and successful people practice. 

 

Q8. Research and identify two ways the people practitioner role (generalist or any specialist) is evolving. Summarise these two developments and the implications they have for your ongoing professional development. (AC 3.1)

Answer:

The people practitioner role is currently undergoing two changes:

Adoption of digital technology and data analysis: People practitioners are adopting the use of digital technology and data analysis as a form of supporting decision-making and enhancing HR practices. This involves the application of workforce analytics to determine trends, learning outcomes, and employee development programs. The increasing eHealth data analytics in the medical CPD are a part of a more general shift toward evidence-based and outcome-oriented people management operations.

Going beyond traditional HR to become change champions and employee advocates: Practitioners are assuming more strategic functions as change followers in organisations, contributing to the development of leadership and culture to contribute to wellbeing and an inclusive work environment. They play the role of an employee advocate, which fosters equity, diversity, and involvement in the transforming world of work.

The implications for my personal professional development in the future are that I should improve my level of digital literacy and analytical skills to be able to operate with people's data. I should also enhance my change management and leadership capabilities to promote transformational programs and employee advocacy so that we can make a difference in a good and diverse workplace environment. This implies that one has to constantly learn and adjust to new technology and changing people to be effective.

Q9. With reference to your reflections and feedback at Q7, and your research at Q8, assess your current strengths, weaknesses and development areas in relation to people practice.

(AC 3.2) You don't need to provide a reference or in-text citation for AC 3.2.

Answer:

When looking at my behaviour in relation to the CIPD standards and feedback provided to me, my strengths at the moment are demonstrated in the form of demonstrating respect and empathy, promoting teamwork, and tailoring my communication to the needs of various individuals. I am an active listener who encourages inclusion, and this aspect enables the development of desirable working relationships. I am open to feedback, and I also believe in life-long learning.

One weakness that I have recognised is the consistent tendency to challenge unconscious bias, which, at times, I have failed to speak up, particularly in challenging circumstances. In this area, there is a need to be more confident and assertive to ensure that fairness is upheld.
As my research on the changing roles of people practitioners indicates, I will have to learn to be more digitally literate and effective in data analysis to apply people data. I also understand that I have to enhance my change management and leadership skills to be more effective in assisting organisational transformation and advocating for the employees.

Altogether, my development plan consists of attention to enhancing my confidence in addressing bias and mastering the skills in working with digital tools and strategic change to remain relevant and efficient in my people practice profession.

Q10. Following on from your self-assessments, identify two development activities you will undertake (or commence) in the next six months. Provide a brief explanation of the activities you have selected, along with your reasons for choosing them. (AC 3.3) You don't need to provide a reference or in-text citation for AC 3.3

Answer: 

I will be learning the following two development activities in the upcoming 6 months:

Digital Skills Training: I will get admission in a course that enhances my HR analytics and improves my knowledge of using digital tools that are useful for people management. This course will help me in upgrading my ability to analyse data that is related to the workforce, and help me in using the recent technology efficiently and effectively in decision-making. This will make sure that I can address the evolving role of the people practitioner in today’s time, and this will also ensure that I remain up to date in technology.

Confidence and Assertiveness workshops: I will start participating in the workshops or in coaching sessions so I can build my confidence. This will help me in beating the bias that I have and communicate better in difficult conversations. This will help me in conquering my weakness and will make me act strong and become an ethical voice that stands for fair and right decisions.

These trainings and courses will make me gain the essential skills that will enhance my efficiency and effectiveness. 

Q11. Shifting your focus to development activities you have already undertaken within the last two years, reflect on the two activities (formal or informal) that you consider had the greatest impact on your behaviour and performance.

Answer:

Here is a reflection of the two development activities that I took to conquer my weaknesses. These two development activities that I took in these last two years had a really life-changing impact, as they impacted my behaviour and even my performance.

• Leadership and Management Training course: 
  This was formal training that was all about developing my skills that are related to leadership, mainly focusing on communication, conflict resolution and managing people. With the help of this course, I was able to gain knowledge related to practical techniques that helped me become more confident in team management and in handling difficult conversations. What made me grow these skills was actively listening, providing valuable feedback and working in collaboration. This course was not beneficial for me only for an HR job, but even for my personal life, as now I know how I can positively influence others. 
  
• Mentoring Relationship with a Senior HR Professional:
  This was an informal development activity that I went through, in which there were regular mentoring sessions for a year. In this activity, my mentor used to provide me with valuable feedback and guidance, which challenged my common assumptions and helped me change my personal values. Under their guidance, I was able to strengthen my self-awareness and focus on continuous learning. This even helped me in expanding my ethical practices and inclusive behaviours. All this guidance, upgrade in my skills and way of thinking has made me focus on how I approach as a people professional. 
  

Both of these development activities have helped in growing my leadership abilities and in understanding the importance of ethical behaviour and inclusive practice in people management. These development activities have helped me in not just growing career-wise but also in my personal life, as now I’m able to have ethical thinking. After going through these activities, I’m able to connect with others and direct them in making a positive and fair workplace culture.