CIPD HR People Pod – Ep 31: Merging HR/IT functions | Oversharing at work | Absence management | Accountability
Aug 27, 2025
Alix Bolton, Chief People Officer at Advantage Smollan, and Mark Pavlika, Chief People and Purpose Officer at Bicycle London, dive into the fascinating merging of HR and IT functions, exploring how technology reshapes workplace culture. They discuss the fine line between healthy openness and oversharing, emphasizing the need for contextual communication. Additionally, they tackle absence management protocols and advocate for a culture of accountability that fosters psychological safety, ensuring everyone can learn from mistakes.
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Merging HR And IT Needs Strategy
- Merging HR and IT is more than structural; it requires cultural and strategic alignment.
- Done well, it can modernise colleague experience and workforce planning rather than create a Frankenstein function.
Humanise Tech Through HR Involvement
- Humanise technology adoption by embedding ethical and people-focused thinking into tech decisions.
- Ensure HR input shapes AI and digital change to protect culture and working practices.
Digital Fluency Is A Core HR Skill
- HR must boost its digital fluency to avoid future accusations of being non-digital or number-averse.
- Building dashboards and basic development skills lets HR shape tools and retain influence over people data.
