Short references should be added into your narrative below. Please remember to only list your long references in the reference box provided at the end of this section. 

Word count: Approximately 400 words

Appraising Professional Behaviours

Being a people professional requires embodying behaviours that foster trust, collaboration, and respect.

Valuing People- Valuing people mean recognising and appreciating the diverse contributions of individuals within an organisation. It it involves the process of establishing such relationships with one’s colleagues at the workplace to create a special atmosphere in which all people work with full utilisation of their potential. People professionals apply this behaviour to maintain fairness and make certain that employees are not privileged while others are neglected or their welfare is not well considered (CIPD, 2020).

Working inclusively- Working inclusively means respecting people’s differences and ensuring that everyone feels welcome and valued. That means giving everyone a voice and an opportunity to be involved in decision-making processes as well as eliminating all barriers and prejudices employees may face. Together, these behaviours help people professionals create organisations that are diverse, fair, and promote higher worker productivity and organizational success (CIPD, 2020).

Appraising Professional Activities

Employee Experiences:  Specific important activities of professionals also clarify the position of people professionals. People professionals enhance employee experience as a process of designing memorable and engaging interactions with their employees when acquiring service, using it, and, ultimately, when they are no longer employees (CIPD, 2023). This includes cultivating development culture, feedback and organizational-environmental fit between organisational needs and employees’ development plans.

Workforce Planning: Workforce planning, on the other hand, focuses on aligning talent with business needs, analysing future workforce requirements, and implementing strategies to bridge gaps. These activities show how people professionals are involved in managing the capability, engagement and relevance of the workforce and establishing connections between the workforce and organizational performance and future viability as evidenced by CIPD (2023a).

The Value of People Profession Roles to Organisations

The people professional enhanced the value of organisations through engaging workers, promoting organisational culture, and integrating human capital with organisational strategy. They are representatives of the workers and defenders of the organisational culture, a link between employers and subordinates (‌CIPD 2024a). That way, they contribute toward the creation of a diverse environment that drives innovation. Moreover, due to their knowledge of planning workforce and talent management, organisations are ready for challenges. All these improvements have a direct bearing on those factors that define an organization, specifically those that relate to productivity, staff turnover, and the organisation’s ability to attract and retain the best talents.

Short references should be added into your narrative below. Please remember to only list your long references in the reference box provided at the end of this section. 

Word count: Approximately 400 words

Ethical Value: Integrity

Integrity is the commitment to honesty, transparency, and doing what is morally right, even when it is challenging as evidence by ‌McCombs School of Business (2013). It sustains mutual confidence between members of the organization and equals the basic standard of ethical conduct and decision making.

Examples:

In my line of work as a people practitioner, integrity can be observed in the following two aspects. First of all, I ensure the truth is told to the candidates applying for positions which means that they get correct information about the position and organizations. This comprises of answering pertinent questions concerning challenges the organization may encounter in future as well as ensuring that every new comer to the company feels comfortable to speak the truth about any issue that may be of concern to him or her. Secondly, employees also have rights to their own records, so data integrity is my approach to the records. I respect employee’s privacy and follow data security procedures that would guarantee no violation of employees’ privacy. Here I claimed to embody some of the values of fairness and respect for the privacy of individuals.

Personal Value: Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, fostering meaningful connections and creating a supportive environment (Reid, 2022). This one enables me to have empathy in dealing with issues, thus being able to relate to the feelings and outlooks of other people.

Examples:

Empathy influences my day-to-day work in two ways. Firstly, while conflict solving within the workplace, I give full attention to both individuals, and let them express what they have to say and make sure that I understand their point. This helps me moderate well and present solution that would make both parties benefit out of it, and also see things from their point of view. Second, instead of criticism during the performance discussions, I try to have a growth mindset. Thus, based on the personal problems or work overload, that the employees may encounter, I offer support and training for them. Thereby making the employees understand they are wanted and that Individual responsibility and capability should be improved.

Both integrity and empathy are integral to how I build relationships at work. Integrity fosters trust, while empathy ensures meaningful connections. These values define the way I approach communication, making the process respectful, honest, and efficient.

Short references should be added into your narrative below. Please remember to only list your long references in the reference box provided at the end of this section. 

Word count: Approximately 400 words

Communicating in an informed way ensures that professional’s contributions are based on accurate data, research, or relevant insights (Lumen Learning, 2024). This ensures they build trust and customers are convinced you are knowledgeable in any given topic during discussions. For example, when planning to start an employee recognition program, statistics of how such programs enhance engagement can encourage managers to approve, such an idea. A sample approach includes pre briefing, use of comparative data or information, and getting updated with existing HR trends which makes your communication informed.

 Clear Communication 

Clear communication ensures that professional message is easily understood, reducing the risk of misinterpretation or confusion (‌O’Hagan, 2023). For instance, when pitching the concept of hybrid work ecosystem, using simple, short words and phrases while using graphs or tables to illustrate the increase in productivity enhances the chances of change. Measures such as sequentially presenting information, using simple language, and offering a brief conclusion aid in message clarity.

 Confident Communication 

Confidence demonstrates conviction in your ideas, encouraging others to take your suggestions seriously (Rivera, 2023). For example, passionately supporting a mental health program during a leadership meeting can influence the stakeholders to commit resources to the program. Such strategies as the proper positioning of the body, eye contact, and even the rehearsed answers to the questions that might be asked promote effective communication.

Consequences of Ineffective Communication

 Missed Opportunities for Influence

Lack of contribution in an informed, clear, confident manner also means a lack of input in the decision-making processes that play out for which one is responsible. For instance, if you are in a meeting discussing changes for the structure of your organization and you are unprepared or not so sure of what you are saying then you may not be given a chance to input and this may lead to structural changes that may not be sensitive to the employees.

 Damage to Professional Credibility

Ineffective communication can damage one’s reputation as a people professional. If a professional appears unsure or unclear, employees and superiors may doubt one’s competence or capability as a professional (Grossman, 2023). This could be disadvantageous because they may not be able to add much in subsequent discussions of lead subsequent discussions or initiatives. For instance, practitioners might get low credibility of your recommendations, such as using talent management recommendations where they are generic or have little evidence to support them.

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Word count: Approximately 350 words

In a hypothetical workplace scenario, a manager routinely allocated the most favorable shifts to a select group of employees while leaving less desirable shifts for others, regardless of performance or seniority. This favoritism led to employee dissatisfaction and a perception of inequity, breaching the ethical principle of fairness.

Observing this, I documented instances of biased shift allocation and gathered informal feedback from affected employees. As a professional approach, I discussed the problem with the manager in a closed session and presented statistics of the work and their effect on motivation among the team. With an aim of fairness, I proposed that there be a rotation of the task in a way that is very much visible to everyone. When the manager failed to respond I took the matter to HR through the organisational grievance procedure. This included providing a documented report with substantiation and maintaining privacy all through the process.

Addressing a Legislative Breach

In a real-life example, an organization failed to provide employees with written employment contracts within two months of starting, violating the Employment Rights Act 1996, which requires written statements outlining terms of employment (Legislation, 2024). This allowed number of issues regarding the rights and responsibilities of employees to remain ambiguous, which may result in a conflict.

Recognizing the breach, I reviewed organizational policies and confirmed the requirement under the legislation. I discussed this with my line manager noting the legal repercussions and the effect on workers’ integrity. In this case, I wrote on the issue and reported it under the whistleblowing policy because it was an organisational issue. My written report described the legislation violation, number of employees involved, and possible redress may contain revamping the HR procedures to deliver the contracts on time.

Both situations revealed the need for combating unethical or unlawful practices would have called for proper well-developed steps and procedure to be followed in order to safeguard employees’ rights and the company’s legal compliance.

Short references should be added into your narrative below. Please remember to only list your long references in the reference box provided at the end of this section. 

Word count: Approximately 400 words