HR People Pod – Ep 50: Volunteers' Week | The Line Manager Conundrum | Controlling Costs

Why It Matters

The discussion links volunteering and mentoring to talent development, diversity and retention, showing how low-cost people investments can strengthen pipelines for senior HR and line management roles. At the same time, the labour-market analysis underscores a strategic tension for employers: needing to invest in people for long-term growth while managing short-term cost pressures.

Summary

Episode 50 of the HR People Pod features CIPD Trust senior program manager Leah Dilva with guests Emma Jane (chief people officer at Kin) and Ela Gr (chief people officer at Ogilvie EMIA). The conversation highlights National Volunteers Week and the value of mentoring programmes like the CIPD Trust’s Aspiring HR Director scheme, with both guests describing reciprocal learning, increased inclusion awareness, and practical benefits brought back into their organisations. The episode also examines the ongoing reluctance to become line managers and unpacks the CIPD’s latest labour market outlook, focusing on how employers are trying to balance future growth ambitions with immediate cost controls. Practical examples and reflections anchor how volunteering and people-practice choices influence talent pipelines and organisational culture.

Original Description

It’s National Volunteers’ Week from the 1 - 7 of June. The impact of volunteering on creating pathways into work and enhancing career opportunities is well known. But what about the benefits and rewards for those who offer their time as voluntary mentors? Plus, a recent People Management Magazine article suggests that only 15% of non-managers find the prospect of becoming a line manager appealing - so how do we prepare the next generation of professionals to embrace line manager roles? Finally, with the CIPD’s Labour Market Outlook Report Spring 2026 demonstrating that 58% of employers are prioritising cost challenges above growth, how can organisations strike the right balance between controlling costs now and protecting their ability to expand in the future?

In this special fiftieth episode of the HR People Pod, we welcome back guest host, Leah De Silva, Senior Programme Manager for the CIPD Trust. Joining her in the studio are Emma Jayne, Chief People Officer at KYN and Elaine Green, Chief People Office (EMEA) at Ogilvy.

Recorded: 30 May 2026

Explore more from this episode:

National Volunteers’ Week:

https://volunteersweek.org/

Volunteering with the CIPD Trust:

https://cipdtrust.org/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/

The CIPD Trust’s latest Impact Report:

https://cipdtrust.org/our-impact/

People Management Magazine:

https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1957879/employees-say-becoming-manager-not-appealing-survey-reveals

CIPD Labour Market Outlook:

https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/reports/labour-market-outlook/