5CO03 Behaviours and Valuing People explores how core professional behaviours—such as ethical practice, professional courage, and inclusivity—help build positive working relationships and strengthen employee voice and wellbeing. It also looks at how developing and applying these behaviours in practice can improve performance.

Assessment Questions

TASK ONE: Professional and Ethical Behaviours

AC 1.1 With reference to the CIPD Profession Map, appraise what it means to be a people professional

The CIPD Profession Map (2023) establishes a comprehensive framework defining what it means to be a people professional at each career stage. At its core, the Map identifies a unifying purpose: ‘championing better work and working lives.’ This purpose extends beyond the administrative processing of HR transactions to encompass a strategic, evidence-based, and ethically grounded contribution to organisational and societal outcomes.

Being a people professional, as defined by the Profession Map, requires the integration of three interconnected elements: core knowledge, core behaviours, and specialist capabilities. Core knowledge encompasses the contextual understanding of business, people analytics, and employment law that enables informed decision-making. Core behaviours, which are central to this unit, include ethical practice, professional courage and influence, valuing people, and working inclusively. Specialist capabilities cover the technical expertise in areas such as resourcing, reward, learning and development, and employee relations that enable practitioners to deliver tangible organisational value (CIPD, 2023).

At the Associate level, the Profession Map expects practitioners to operate with increasing independence and judgement, contributing to strategic discussions, challenging practice where necessary, and using evidence to inform recommendations. This represents a significant evolution from purely operational activity towards a role that shapes organisational culture, drives performance, and advocates for the dignity and wellbeing of all employees. Armstrong and Taylor (2023) emphasise that the modern people professional must balance the competing demands of multiple stakeholders, including employees, managers, the organisation, and wider society, navigating tensions between business imperatives and ethical principles with professional integrity.

Appraising this definition critically, the breadth of the Profession Map’s expectations is both a strength and a challenge. It creates a comprehensive professional identity that elevates people practice beyond its historical administrative roots. However, its ambition can create tension in organisations where the people function is under-resourced or where senior leadership does not value the strategic contribution of HR. The effectiveness of the Profession Map ultimately depends on the willingness of both practitioners and organisations to invest in the professional development and strategic positioning that the Map envisions (CIPD, 2023).

AC 1.2 Discuss your personal and ethical values (one of each), with examples of how these are evident in your work. (If you have yet to work in people practice, explore how you believe your values would inform your work.)

Personal Value: Fairness

Fairness is a deeply held personal value that manifests as a commitment to treating all individuals equitably, basing decisions on objective evidence rather than personal preference, and ensuring that processes are applied consistently regardless of an individual’s status, background, or relationship with management. In my people practice work, this value is evident in how I approach selection processes: I ensure that every candidate is assessed against the same objective criteria, that scoring is documented and defensible, and that panel members are aware of unconscious bias risks. When a hiring manager recently expressed a preference for a candidate based on personal connection rather than competency evidence, I constructively challenged this by presenting the objective scoring data and explaining the legal and ethical risks of subjective selection. This intervention ensured that the appointment was made on merit, protecting both the unsuccessful candidate’s right to fair treatment and the organisation’s compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

Ethical Value: Integrity

Integrity, identified as a core principle in the CIPD Code of Professional Conduct (2023), requires honesty, transparency, and consistency between words and actions. In people practice, integrity means ensuring that information is presented accurately even when findings are uncomfortable, that commitments made to employees are honoured, and that professional standards are maintained even under organisational pressure to compromise them. I demonstrate integrity in my practice by ensuring that employee data is reported accurately to senior leadership, including when metrics such as engagement scores or turnover rates reveal uncomfortable truths about management practice. In a recent example, I presented exit interview data showing that a significant proportion of departures were attributed to a specific manager’s leadership style. Rather than softening the findings or attributing departures to external factors, I presented the evidence transparently and recommended a targeted management development intervention. This required professional courage but was essential to maintaining the credibility and trust that underpin effective people practice (Fisher and Lovell, 2022).

AC 1.3 Discuss reasons why this is important and the consequences of people practitioners not being willing or able to influence others.

The ability to influence others through informed, clear, and confident communication is fundamental to the effectiveness of people professionals because the people function rarely has direct authority to impose decisions. Instead, it must persuade, educate, and build coalitions with line managers, senior leaders, and employees to ensure that people practice recommendations are adopted and implemented. The CIPD Profession Map (2023) identifies ‘professional courage and influence’ as a core behaviour, recognising that people professionals must be willing and able to advocate for evidence-based, ethical practice even when this challenges prevailing organisational assumptions.

The consequences of people practitioners not being willing or able to influence others are significant and wide-ranging. Without effective influence, evidence-based people practices may be overridden by managerial intuition or short-term financial pressures, leading to poorer decisions on recruitment, reward, performance management, and organisational design. Employee wellbeing and engagement may be neglected because the people function cannot articulate a compelling business case for investment. Legal compliance risks increase when managers are not effectively educated about their employment law obligations, exposing the organisation to tribunal claims and reputational damage (Lewis and Sargeant, 2023). The people function itself becomes marginalised, perceived as an administrative support service rather than a strategic partner, reducing its ability to contribute to organisational success and diminishing the professional standing of its practitioners.

Furthermore, the failure to influence can perpetuate inequality and exclusion. If people professionals cannot persuade leaders to adopt inclusive recruitment practices, equitable reward structures, or accessible development programmes, the organisation’s diversity and inclusion aspirations remain rhetorical rather than substantive (Kandola, 2023). The consequences extend beyond the organisation to the broader profession: if people practitioners are consistently unable to demonstrate their strategic value through effective influence, the credibility of the entire profession is undermined.

AC 1.4 Discuss, with examples, when and how you would react to both unethical and illegal matters (one of each).

Unethical Matter: Favouritism in Development Opportunities

If I discovered that a line manager was consistently allocating high-profile development opportunities, conference attendance, and training budgets to a small group of personal favourites while other team members with equal or greater development needs were overlooked, I would recognise this as an unethical matter that violates the principles of fairness, equity, and transparency fundamental to people practice, even though it may not breach any specific legislation.

My response would follow a graduated approach. First, I would gather evidence by reviewing the allocation records, comparing the development histories of team members, and establishing whether a pattern of favouritism is objectively demonstrable. Second, I would raise the concern informally with the manager, presenting the evidence and explaining how the practice contradicts the organisation’s values, the CIPD Code of Professional Conduct’s principles of fairness and stewardship, and best practice in equitable talent development. Third, if the informal approach did not produce change, I would escalate through the formal reporting channels, documenting the concern and the steps already taken. Throughout, I would maintain confidentiality, act proportionately, and focus on the behaviour rather than personal criticism, consistent with the professional courage expected by the CIPD Profession Map (CIPD, 2023).

Illegal Matter: Discriminatory Recruitment Practice

If I became aware that a hiring manager was instructing a recruitment agency to exclude candidates over the age of 50 from longlists for a role, I would recognise this as direct age discrimination contrary to section 13 of the Equality Act 2010, constituting an illegal practice that requires immediate and decisive action.

My response would be urgent and direct. First, I would immediately instruct the recruitment agency to cease the discriminatory screening and confirm in writing that all candidates must be assessed on merit against objective criteria. Second, I would formally raise the matter with the hiring manager’s line manager and the organisation’s compliance function, documenting the instruction, the evidence, and the corrective action taken. Third, I would review the current recruitment pipeline to identify whether any candidates have been disadvantaged and take remedial action where possible. Fourth, I would recommend mandatory Equality Act training for all hiring managers to prevent recurrence. If the organisation failed to address the matter adequately, I would consider external reporting to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, consistent with whistleblowing protections under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (Lewis and Sargeant, 2023). The CIPD Code of Professional Conduct (2023) is clear that practitioners have a duty to report and challenge practices that contravene the law, even when this requires significant professional courage.

AC 2.1 Demonstrate your ability to do this with a written argument, which poses different theoretical perspectives, as well as your own.

The human and business benefits of people feeling included, valued, and fairly treated at work are well-established through multiple theoretical perspectives, each offering complementary insights.

Self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 2024) argues that human beings have three fundamental psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When workplaces create conditions that satisfy these needs, through meaningful inclusion in decision-making (autonomy), recognition and development of skills (competence), and genuine belonging within supportive teams (relatedness), employees experience intrinsic motivation, psychological wellbeing, and sustained engagement. Conversely, environments that frustrate these needs through exclusion, undervaluation, or unfair treatment produce disengagement, stress, and withdrawal. Applied to people practice, SDT provides a robust theoretical justification for investing in inclusive cultures: it is not merely a moral obligation but a psychological necessity for human flourishing at work.

Social exchange theory (Blau, 1964, cited in Torrington et al., 2024) offers a complementary organisational perspective, arguing that employment relationships operate as reciprocal exchanges. When employees perceive that the organisation invests in them through fair treatment, development opportunities, and genuine inclusion, they reciprocate with increased discretionary effort, loyalty, and organisational citizenship behaviours. When the exchange is perceived as imbalanced or unfair, employees withdraw effort, disengage, or leave. McKinsey’s (2023) research demonstrates that organisations in the top quartile for workforce diversity and inclusion outperform their peers financially, providing empirical evidence that inclusive cultures generate measurable business value through innovation, better decision-making, and broader market understanding.

My own view, informed by these theoretical perspectives and my professional experience, is that inclusion and fair treatment are not separate ‘nice to have’ initiatives but the foundational conditions upon which all other people practices depend. Recruitment, reward, performance management, and development all function more effectively in cultures where people feel genuinely valued and included, because trust and psychological safety enable honest communication, constructive feedback, and willingness to take the risks associated with learning and innovation.

AC 2.2 Discuss, with examples, how you have, or would, achieve both of these

Building Inclusivity at the Design Stage

When designing a new flexible working policy, I ensured inclusivity was embedded from the outset by conducting a diverse stakeholder consultation before drafting. This involved structured conversations with employees across different roles, working patterns, caring responsibilities, disabilities, and protected characteristics to understand the range of needs and preferences that the policy must accommodate. I also reviewed the Equality Act 2010 implications, conducting an equality impact assessment to identify whether any proposed provisions could inadvertently disadvantage particular groups. For example, a policy that permitted flexibility only for office-based roles would disproportionately exclude operational or shift workers, who are often more likely to be from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. By identifying this at design stage, I was able to recommend flexible provisions appropriate to different role types, ensuring equitable access across the workforce (CIPD, 2024a).

Checking Inclusivity After Implementation

After implementation, I would verify that the policy operates inclusively in practice through two mechanisms. First, monitoring uptake data disaggregated by protected characteristics to identify whether any groups are disproportionately under-represented among applicants or approvals, which could indicate hidden barriers or managerial bias in application. Second, conducting employee focus groups with diverse participants to explore their lived experience of the policy: whether they feel genuinely able to access flexible working, whether informal cultural norms discourage uptake despite formal entitlement, and whether the application and approval process is perceived as fair and transparent. The combination of quantitative monitoring and qualitative insight provides a comprehensive assessment of whether the policy achieves its inclusivity objectives in practice, not merely on paper (Kandola, 2023).

AC 2.3 Using a combination of your own reflections and feedback from at least one other person, discuss your ability to work inclusively and positively with others.

Reflecting on my own ability to work inclusively, I recognise that I consistently strive to create environments where diverse perspectives are actively sought and valued. In team meetings, I deliberately invite contributions from quieter colleagues, use structured discussion formats that prevent domination by the most vocal individuals, and ensure that decisions reflect the breadth of input rather than defaulting to hierarchical authority. I am mindful of my own unconscious biases and regularly challenge my assumptions by seeking perspectives that differ from my own.

Feedback from my colleague Samuel, a senior HR advisor, confirms that I am effective at fostering inclusion within team settings. She specifically noted that I ‘create a safe space for people to share honest views, even when those views challenge the consensus,’ and that I ‘consistently model the behaviours expected in the CIPD Profession Map by treating everyone with genuine respect regardless of their role or seniority.’ However, she also identified an area for development: she observed that I can sometimes be reluctant to challenge more senior colleagues when their behaviour is exclusionary, tending to address the issue indirectly rather than confronting it constructively. This feedback aligns with my own self-awareness that professional courage in the face of seniority is an area where I continue to develop confidence and skill.

I am committed to addressing this developmental need by practising direct but respectful challenge techniques, seeking coaching from experienced practitioners who model this behaviour effectively, and deliberately seeking opportunities to advocate for inclusive practice in senior forums, building confidence incrementally through experience (CIPD, 2023).

TASK TWO: Professional Review and CPD

AC 3.1 Demonstrate your understanding of this with a written response and related entries in your CPD Plan.

The role of the people professional is evolving rapidly in response to several converging forces: the acceleration of digital transformation and AI in HR, the growing emphasis on employee wellbeing and sustainability, the increasing complexity of hybrid and flexible working arrangements, the intensifying focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the rising expectation that people professionals operate as strategic business partners rather than administrative service providers (CIPD, 2024b).

These developments have profound implications for continuing professional development. People professionals must now develop competencies in people analytics and data literacy to engage credibly with evidence-based decision-making. They must understand digital HR technologies and AI applications to lead, rather than merely respond to, technological change in the workplace. They must deepen their knowledge of wellbeing science and inclusive leadership to address the increasingly complex needs of diverse workforces. And they must cultivate the strategic influencing skills to translate people practice expertise into business language that resonates with boards and senior leadership teams (Marr, 2024).

The implication is that CPD can no longer be limited to maintaining existing knowledge through periodic workshops or conferences. It must be continuous, self-directed, multi-modal, and strategically aligned with both the evolving demands of the profession and the specific requirements of the practitioner’s organisational context. The CIPD Profession Map (2023) embeds this expectation through its ‘passion for learning’ core behaviour, which requires practitioners to proactively seek development opportunities, remain curious about emerging trends, and consistently translate learning into improved practice.

AC 3.2 Using a combination of your own conclusions and feedback from at least one other person, assess yourself against a specification of your choice (such as a role/job description or any two of the core behaviour areas of the CIPD Profession Map (associate level). Briefly explain the outcome of your assessment (strengths, weaknesses and development areas) and the information that informed your conclusions.

I have assessed myself against two core behaviour areas of the CIPD Profession Map at Associate level: Working Inclusively and Ethical Practice. My assessment draws on my own reflective analysis and feedback from my colleague Samuel.

Working Inclusively

Strengths: I consistently demonstrate respect for diverse perspectives, actively seek input from underrepresented voices, and design people practices with inclusivity embedded from the outset. My colleague’s feedback confirms that I create psychologically safe environments where people feel comfortable sharing honest views. I proactively consider equality impact when developing policies and processes.

Development areas: As identified in AC 2.3, I need to develop greater confidence in directly challenging exclusionary behaviour from senior colleagues. I also recognise a need to deepen my knowledge of intersectionality and neurodiversity to ensure my inclusive practice is genuinely comprehensive rather than focused on the most visible protected characteristics.

Ethical Practice

Strengths: I maintain high standards of integrity, presenting data honestly and challenging practices that compromise fairness. My colleague noted that I ‘consistently model ethical behaviour and am seen as a trustworthy, principled professional.’ I have demonstrated willingness to raise difficult issues and to advocate for employees in vulnerable positions.

Development areas: I recognise a need to develop more sophisticated ethical reasoning frameworks for navigating complex dilemmas where principles conflict, for example when confidentiality obligations conflict with duty of care. I also need to build greater knowledge of whistleblowing legislation and organisational reporting mechanisms to ensure I can respond effectively to serious ethical breaches.

AC 3.3 Following on from your self-assessment, identify a range of formal or informal development activities and add these to your CPD Plan/document. Provide a brief explanation as to why you have selected these activities.

Based on the self-assessment above, I have identified the following development activities:

Priority	Activity	Rationale	Type	Target Date
High	Assertive communication workshop focused on constructive challenge skills	Addresses the gap in challenging senior colleagues on exclusionary behaviour	Formal	Q2 2026
High	CIPD webinar series on neurodiversity and intersectionality in the workplace	Deepens inclusive practice knowledge beyond visible protected characteristics	Formal	Q1 2026
Medium	Reading: Fisher and Lovell (2022) Business Ethics and Values – chapters on ethical dilemmas	Develops sophisticated ethical reasoning frameworks for complex situations	Self-directed	Ongoing
Medium	Shadowing a senior HRBP during a restructuring consultation to observe influencing in practice	Builds practical experience of strategic influencing with senior stakeholders	Informal	Q2 2026
Medium	Employment law update seminar with focus on whistleblowing and PIDA 1998	Strengthens knowledge of reporting mechanisms for serious ethical/legal breaches	Formal	Q1 2026
Ongoing	Monthly reflective practice journal documenting ethical dilemmas and inclusive practice experiences	Sustains reflective habit and builds portfolio of evidence for professional development	Self-directed	Ongoing

AC 3.4 Reflect on three development activities, already undertaken, that have had an impact on your work behaviour or performance, explaining how they have impacted you. (Your reflections should be presented within your CPD Record document.)

Activity 1: CIPD Employment Law Update Workshop (March 2025)

Description: I attended a full-day CIPD workshop on recent employment law developments, including the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 and updates to the Equality Act 2010 provisions on disability and reasonable adjustments.

Feelings: I initially felt confident in my employment law knowledge but was surprised by the complexity of some recent case law developments and realised that my understanding was more superficial than I had assumed.

Evaluation: The workshop was excellent, providing both theoretical knowledge and practical application through case study exercises. The interactive format enabled me to test my understanding against peers and the facilitator.

Analysis: The gap between my perceived and actual knowledge highlighted the danger of complacency in a rapidly evolving legal landscape. Keeping current with employment law is not optional for a people professional; it is a fundamental professional obligation.

Conclusion: I must commit to regular, structured employment law updating rather than relying on ad hoc learning.

Impact on practice: Following the workshop, I revised our flexible working policy to align with the 2023 Act, conducted a briefing session for line managers on the new day-one right to request, and updated our reasonable adjustments guidance. This directly improved both compliance and the quality of employee experience.

Activity 2: Coaching Conversation with Senior HRBP (January 2025)

Description: I sought an informal coaching conversation with a senior HR Business Partner whom I respect for her ability to challenge senior leaders constructively. I specifically asked for guidance on building confidence in influencing upwards.

Feelings: I felt vulnerable acknowledging this as a development area but was reassured by her openness about her own journey in developing professional courage over her career.

Evaluation: The conversation was transformative. She shared practical techniques including framing challenges as questions rather than criticisms, using data to depersonalise sensitive conversations, and preparing thoroughly to build confidence before difficult meetings.

Analysis: I recognised that my reluctance to challenge senior colleagues was not a lack of knowledge or conviction but a lack of practical technique and rehearsal. Professional courage, like any skill, can be developed through deliberate practice (CIPD, 2023).

Impact on practice: I subsequently applied these techniques when presenting uncomfortable engagement survey data to a departmental director, framing findings as exploratory questions rather than accusations. The conversation was productive and led to a commitment to action, demonstrating that effective influence does not require confrontation but does require confidence, preparation, and evidence.

Activity 3: CIPD Diversity and Inclusion Online Course (November 2024)

Description: I completed the CIPD’s online course on diversity and inclusion, which covered unconscious bias, systemic inequality, intersectionality, and the design of inclusive people practices.

Feelings: The module on intersectionality was particularly challenging, forcing me to recognise that my understanding of inclusion had been somewhat one-dimensional, focusing primarily on gender and ethnicity without adequately considering how multiple characteristics interact to create compounded disadvantage.

Evaluation: The course was well-structured and evidence-based, drawing on contemporary research including Kandola (2023) and McKinsey (2023) data on inclusion’s business impact.

Analysis: I realised that my inclusive practice, while genuine in intent, had been insufficiently sophisticated in its understanding of the complex, intersecting nature of identity and disadvantage. True inclusion requires continuous learning and a willingness to have one’s assumptions challenged.

Impact on practice: Following the course, I redesigned our exit interview template to include questions about inclusion and belonging, introduced intersectional analysis into our diversity monitoring reports, and advocated for the adoption of diverse interview panels as standard practice. These changes have produced richer data and more nuanced understanding of the employee experience across different identity groups.

References

Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S. (2023) Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 16th edn. London: Kogan Page.

CIPD (2023) The CIPD Profession Map. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

CIPD (2023) Code of Professional Conduct. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

CIPD (2024a) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Factsheet. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

CIPD (2024b) The Changing Role of the People Profession. Report. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Cottrell, S. (2023) Critical Thinking Skills. 4th edn. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M. (2024) Self-Determination Theory. 2nd edn. New York: Guilford Press.

Fisher, C. and Lovell, A. (2022) Business Ethics and Values. 5th edn. Harlow: Pearson.

Kandola, B. (2023) Racism at Work: The Danger of Indifference. 2nd edn. Oxford: Pearn Kandola Publishing.

Lewis, D. and Sargeant, M. (2023) Employment Law: The Essentials. 17th edn. London: CIPD Kogan Page.

Marr, B. (2024) Data-Driven HR. 2nd edn. London: Kogan Page.

McKinsey and Company (2023) Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters. New York: McKinsey.

Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S. and Atkinson, C. (2024) Human Resource Management. 12th edn. Harlow: Pearson Education.