UK

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development · RQF Level 5

CIPD Level 5 Award In Human Resources

You don’t just earn this. You learn to use it, one-to-one, on your own real work.

  • LevelRQF Level 5
  • Total credits3
  • Guided learning15 hours
  • Units in this qualification13

Awarded by Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development · on the Ofqual register

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What you’ll learn

What each unit actually teaches you to do

This qualification gives learners an understanding of core HR functions. It includes exploration of employment law, business issues, and organisation design. It is appropriate for those working in human resources or business management.

These are the units Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development registers against this qualification. It is a catalogue, not a syllabus. Which of them you take depends on the combination the qualification requires, and that is set by the awarding body rather than by us. Every unit here is regulated, and every one you earn is yours to keep.

Business Issues and the Contexts of Human ResourcesReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
This unit covers key contemporary business issues and external factors affecting organisations and their human resources (HR) functions. You'll understand how organisational and HR strategies are shaped and developed, and how to identify and respond to changes in the business environment.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the key contemporary business issues, such as globalisation, technological change, and sustainability, and their impact on organisations.
  • Understand the main external factors affecting different organisations, including economic, political, social, and technological factors, and their impact on HR.
  • Understand how organisational strategies are shaped and developed, including the role of HR in strategy formulation and implementation.
  • Understand how HR strategies and practices are shaped and developed, including the alignment of HR with business objectives.
  • Identify changes in the business environment, including emerging trends and potential threats.
  • Respond to changes in the business environment, including adapting HR strategies and practices to meet new challenges.
Contemporary Developments in Employment RelationsReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
This unit introduces learners to the nature and context of employment relations, including relevant legislation and contemporary developments in employee involvement. You'll also examine conflict behaviours, dispute resolution, and the roles of trade unions and employer associations.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the nature of employment relations
  • Understand the context of employment relations
  • Know about employment relations legislation
  • Understand contemporary developments in employee involvement
  • Understand contemporary developments in employee participation
  • Know about different forms of conflict behaviour
  • Know about different forms of dispute resolution
Developing Professional PracticeReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
You'll develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviours required to perform effectively as HR professionals. This includes understanding employment law, HR practices, communication, problem-solving, and applying continuing professional development techniques to manage personal growth.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand what is required to be an effective and efficient HR professional, including the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviours.
  • Perform efficiently and effectively as an HR professional, demonstrating competence in key HR activities.
  • Apply CPD techniques to construct a personal development plan, identifying learning needs and setting development goals.
  • Implement a personal development plan, undertaking learning activities and gaining new skills and knowledge.
  • Review a personal development plan, evaluating progress and making adjustments as necessary.
Employee EngagementReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
This unit provides learners with an understanding of employee engagement, its components such as commitment and motivation, and its impact on business outcomes. You'll explore how to implement HR strategies to enhance engagement and contribute to positive corporate results.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the concept of employee engagement, including its definition and key characteristics.
  • Understand the components of employee engagement, such as commitment, motivation, and satisfaction.
  • Understand evidence showing the contribution of employee engagement to achieving business outcomes, such as increased productivity and profitability.
  • Understand the importance of employee engagement as a contributor to positive corporate outcomes, such as improved reputation and customer loyalty.
  • Implement HR strategies and practices to raise levels of employee engagement in a specific organisational context, considering factors such as culture, leadership, and communication.
Employment LawReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
You'll gain knowledge of employment law, its purpose, and enforcement in practice. The unit covers lawful management of recruitment, change, pay, and working time, ensuring compliance with regulations and fair treatment in the workplace.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the purpose of employment regulation, including its aims and objectives.
  • Understand the way employment regulation is enforced in practice, including the roles of different regulatory bodies.
  • Manage recruitment and selection activities lawfully, including avoiding discrimination and ensuring fair treatment.
  • Manage change and reorganisation lawfully, including consultation requirements and redundancy procedures.
  • Manage issues relating to pay and working time lawfully, including minimum wage requirements and holiday entitlements.
  • Ensure that staff are treated lawfully when they are at work, including preventing harassment and bullying.
  • Manage performance and disciplinary matters lawfully, including fair procedures and the right to appeal.
Human Resources Service DeliveryReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
You'll understand the factors driving changes in HR service provision and the various service delivery models available. The unit addresses challenges in maintaining HR services, including ensuring consistency, compliance, and meeting organisational objectives.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the reasons behind organisations changing the structure and location of HR service provision, including factors such as cost reduction, efficiency gains, and globalisation.
  • Understand the different HR service delivery models available to contemporary organisations, including centralised, decentralised, shared services, and outsourcing.
  • Understand the challenges involved in maintaining and managing HR services, such as ensuring consistency, quality, and compliance.
  • Know how standards are established and monitored in HR service delivery, including the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs).
Improving Organisational PerformanceReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
This unit covers the concept of high-performance working (HPW) and its role in creating and sustaining high-performance work organisations. You'll examine performance management processes and the role of line managers in fostering a high-performance culture.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the concept of high-performance working (HPW) and its contribution to creating and sustaining a high-performance work organisation (HPWO), including its key principles and benefits.
  • Understand the contribution of performance management to high levels of performance, including setting objectives, providing feedback, and conducting appraisals.
  • Understand the role of line managers in the performance management process, including coaching, mentoring, and supporting their team members.
  • Create and sustain a community of practice to build a high-performance culture, fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
Managing and Co-ordinating the Human Resources FunctionReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
You'll explore the purpose, objectives, and delivery of the HR function within contemporary organisations. The unit covers HR service models, the impact of technology, and methods to evaluate HR’s contribution to organisational performance.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the purpose of the HR function in contemporary organisations
  • Understand the key objectives of the HR function in contemporary organisations
  • Understand how HR objectives are delivered in different organisations
  • Understand how the HR function can be evaluated in terms of value added
  • Understand how the HR function can be evaluated in terms of contribution to organisation performance
  • Understand the relationship between organisational performance and effective HR management and development
Organisation DesignReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
You'll study the historical and theoretical foundations of organisation design, the relationship between organisational elements and business strategy, and key design factors. The unit enables analysis of the implications for managing and developing people and resources.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the historical and theoretical basis of organisation design, including key models and frameworks.
  • Understand the relationship between organisational elements, such as structure, culture, and processes, and the business strategy.
  • Understand the key factors to be considered in the design of organisations, including size, technology, and environment.
  • Understand the implications of organisation design for the management and development of people and resources, including recruitment, training, and performance management.
Organisation DevelopmentReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
This unit covers the organisation development process, including its historical evolution, theoretical frameworks, and practical applications. You'll analyse various organisation development practices, models, and approaches, and understand the value of interventions to business performance and productivity.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the organisation development process from a historical perspective, examining its evolution and key milestones.
  • Understand the organisation development process from a theoretical perspective, exploring relevant frameworks and concepts.
  • Understand the organisation development process from a practical perspective, considering real-world applications and challenges.
  • Understand various organisation development practices, including diagnostic techniques and intervention strategies.
  • Understand various organisation development models, such as Lewin's Change Management Model and Kotter's 8-Step Change Model.
  • Understand various organisation development approaches, including team building, process consultation, and large-scale interventions.
  • Understand the value of organisation development interventions to business performance, including improved efficiency and profitability.
  • Understand the value of organisation development interventions to productivity, including enhanced employee engagement and innovation.
Resourcing and Talent PlanningReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
This unit provides knowledge and skills to manage resourcing and talent planning effectively. You'll analyse labour market trends, undertake recruitment and talent planning activities, and implement strategies to maximise retention and manage dismissal, redundancy, and retirement lawfully.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand key contemporary labour market trends and their significance for workforce planning within an organisation.
  • Undertake talent planning activities to identify future workforce needs.
  • Undertake recruitment activities to attract and select suitable candidates.
  • Understand how to maximise employee retention through effective strategies and initiatives.
  • Manage dismissal, redundancy, and retirement processes effectively and lawfully, adhering to relevant legislation and best practices.
Reward ManagementReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
You'll understand the business context of reward management, including the use of reward intelligence and key reward principles. The unit covers the implementation of reward policies and the role of line managers in making reward decisions to attract, retain, and motivate employees.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the business context of reward
  • Understand the use of reward intelligence
  • Understand key reward principles
  • Understand the implementation of reward policies
  • Understand the implementation of reward practices
  • Understand the role of line managers in making reward decisions
Using Information in Human ResourcesReal unit · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
This unit equips learners with knowledge of the research process and approaches relevant to human resources. You'll critically review information sources, analyse findings, draw conclusions, evaluate options for change, and communicate results effectively in a business context.

What you'll be able to do

  • Understand the research process and different research approaches, including quantitative and qualitative methods.
  • Conduct a critical review of information sources in an area of HR/business practice, assessing their validity and reliability.
  • Analyse the findings from the critical review of information sources, identifying key themes and trends.
  • Draw meaningful conclusions based on the analysis of information, and evaluate options for change within an HR context.
  • Deliver clear, business-focused reports on an HR issue, tailored to the intended audience and purpose.

The honest bit

You’ve started things before

Most courses were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.

There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.

And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.

Your passport

Every credit is a stamp you keep

Level 5 credits are regulated. They don’t vanish when a subscription ends or a website closes. They travel to any employer, and Zavmo keeps the map of what you’ve earned and what’s next.

Business Issues and the Contexts of Human ResourcesContemporary Developments in Employment RelationsDeveloping Professional PracticeEmployee EngagementEmployment LawHuman Resources Service DeliveryImproving Organisational PerformanceManaging and Co-ordinating the Human Resources Function

Each stamp is a real unit registered against this qualification.

Who’d teach you this

The Evidence Evaluator

Assessor

Helps you show what you can actually do, gathering the evidence that proves it as you learn.

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Where this connects

Where these credits take you

A qualification is never a dead end here. See the jobs its credits open, the national occupational standards its units map to, and the future skills they quietly build.

Where this can lead

Organisational Development Specialist

Your journey here is what you make it. We'll give you the tools, the support, and the opportunities to grow, but ultimately, your drive and curiosity will shape where you go next. We're excited to see what you'll achieve.

See the whole journey →
Opens the roleOrganisational Development SpecialistOne of the jobs this qualification is a route intoSee the role →Opens the roleEmployment Law AdvisorOne of the jobs this qualification is a route intoSee the role →Opens the roleAssociate Employment Law AdvisorOne of the jobs this qualification is a route intoSee the role →Opens the roleLead Organisational Design & Learning StrategistOne of the jobs this qualification is a route intoSee the role →Opens the roleOrganisational Development LeadOne of the jobs this qualification is a route intoSee the role →Opens the roleSenior Organisational Design ConsultantOne of the jobs this qualification is a route intoSee the role →Future FluencyAll ten future skillsSee how every unit is contextualised by the tenExplore →

Showing 6 roles, drawn from 170 job records mapped to this qualification.

Skills it covers

What the job actually needs. These are the standards the units are built against, in the words employers and awarding bodies already use for the work itself.

Assess Workforce SupplyContribute to assessing workforce demand and supply

How you’ll actually learn this

One-to-one, on your own real work

A qualification is usually something done to you: sit the class, sit the exam, hope it sticks. Here it’s the opposite. You learn it one-to-one with a companion, on your own real work, and you keep going until you can use it, not just recall it.

One-to-one, on your real workNo lectures, no past-papers. Every unit is practised on the actual tasks your job throws at you, a tutor beside you, not a video in front of you.
Taught to the top, not the testMost courses stop at remembering. Your companion keeps climbing: analysing, judging, creating. That’s the part a machine can’t do for you.
Credits you keep, a map that continuesEvery unit is regulated and yours for good. The day you finish, Zavmo already knows the next role your new credits open.
Business Issues and the Contexts of Human ResourcesLevel 5

Applied to your work in any of these jobs

Which job do you mean?
Organisational Development SpecialistEmployment Law AdvisorAssociate Employment Law AdvisorLead Organisational Design & Learning StrategistOrganisational Development LeadSenior Organisational Design Consultant

This unit covers key contemporary business issues and external factors affecting organisations and their human resources (HR) functions. Learners will understand how organisational and HR strategies are shaped and developed, and how to identify and respond to changes in the business environment.

How the thinking builds
  1. Remember
  2. Understand
  3. Apply
  4. Analyse
  5. Evaluate
  6. Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.
Your PlanIllustration

Built for CIPD Level 5 Award In Human Resources

13 units in this credential, in the order it lists them, awarded by Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

  1. Business Issues and the Contexts of Human Resources
  2. Contemporary Developments in Employment Relations
  3. Developing Professional Practice
  4. Employee Engagement
  5. Employment Law
  6. Human Resources Service Delivery

and 7 more in the full unit list below.

These are the real units of this credential, in its own order. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

One to one, not one to many

No two people run this the same way

A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.

  1. Your actual work Every unit is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
  2. What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
  3. The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
  4. How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
  5. Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.

See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.

Why it sticks

Most courses stop at remembering

There’s a well-known ladder of how deeply you learn something, called Bloom’s Taxonomy. Most courses get you up the first two rungs: you remember some facts, you pass a test, you forget it. Real skill lives at the top. Judging, deciding, creating. And this isn’t a generic ladder: every rung has a named Zavmo tutor who walks you up it.

  1. 6CreateThe Creative Catalyst
  2. 5EvaluateThe Evidence Evaluator
  3. 4AnalyseThe Analyst
  4. 3ApplyThe Coach
  5. 2UnderstandThe Connector
  6. 1RememberThe Builder

Where most courses leave you Where Zavmo takes you

Why this matters: AI can already remember and understand for you. What it can’t do is take your real problem and judge the right call. So the only learning worth paying for is the learning that takes you to the top. That’s exactly what a tutor doing it with you, on your real work, is for.

The value

Why the companion is worth £70 a month

You’re not paying for the units. They’re regulated, and the same wherever you earn them. You’re paying for the one thing that decides whether you actually get there: a companion that makes them stick, on your real work.

That is one-to-one on this qualification, every day, on the work you already do, for £70 a month. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it. Billed monthly, cancel any time and billing stops.

Earned on your own work, taught to the top.

Everything you just read, learned one-to-one on the job you already do. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it.

Build my plan, free

No card. See how this qualification maps onto your role and meet the tutors who’d teach it, free. The learning begins when you subscribe. It’s £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.