CIPD Learner Stories: Steve Evans

With a background in recruitment, Steve Evans enrolled on a CIPD course with DPG to deepen his understanding of the theory behind people management and modern HR practices. 

I enrolled on the CIPD Associate Diploma in People Management with DPG because I had built up a lot of experience over the years but wanted a recognised qualification behind it. 

I have worked in recruitment for around 20 years. Most of that was in agency recruitment, but over the last six years I moved into internal recruitment, working within a HR team and covering talent acquisition, learning and development, and more recently organisational design.  

A lot of what I was doing had been learned on the job, so one of the main reasons for studying was to properly back that up with a formal qualification. I also wanted to understand more of the theory and thinking behind modern HR practice, rather than just relying on experience alone. 

Why I Chose to Study with DPG  

Before enrolling, I looked at a few different qualifications and providers. Through my own work in recruitment, I had seen the CIPD Level 5 Diploma come up regularly on HR CVs, so I knew it was well recognised and respected. It seemed the right level for where I was in my career.  

I also spoke to several providers, but DPG came across well. I had heard good things about them from other HR professionals, and when I spoke to them myself they seemed knowledgeable, professional and easy to deal with. 

My Experiences of Online Learning 

One of the biggest positives for me was the flexibility. Being able to work at my own pace, and study when it suited me, made a big difference. I was fitting it around work and everything else, so having that flexibility was important. I do not think I would have got as much out of it if it had been too rigid. 

The learning platform was good and easy to use. The induction was clear, which helped at the start, and it was interesting to see DPG using AI bots as part of that process. I had not come across that before in a learning environment.  

The course itself was well structured and easy to follow. Each module was laid out clearly, and the content was informative without feeling too dry or overly academic. It introduced new concepts and different ways of thinking, but in a way that still felt practical. 

Tutor support was good as well. One thing I did have to get used to was not expecting an instant response if I raised a query. It could take 24 to 48 hours to hear back, so I had to adapt a bit and plan around that. That is probably just the reality of distance learning, but it is worth knowing. Once I got used to it, it was fine, and the guidance I got back was useful. I also joined some of the workshops and found those genuinely helpful and worth attending. 

How Taking a CIPD Qualification has Helped Me 

The qualification helped me in two ways. First, it gave me some validation for the work I had already been doing. Second, it introduced me to areas and ideas I had not really explored before. I found that particularly useful in things like reward and benefits, promotions, performance, and supporting managers with performance related decisions. Those were probably the areas where I could see the most direct link between the course and the day job. 

The main thing I took from it is that experience does matter, but experience on its own only takes you so far. The qualification gave me more structure around what I was already doing and helped me look at things more critically. 

Would I recommend DPG? 

I would recommend DPG, especially to people who are already working in HR and want to build on the experience they already have.  

My honest advice would be that Level 5 is probably better suited to someone who already has some practical HR exposure. A lot of the assignments are easier to approach when you can draw on real examples from work. I think it would be harder for someone completely new to HR to get the same value from it. 

Overall, I would describe the experience as interesting, thought-provoking and flexible. More than anything, it gave me both the formal recognition I was looking for and some new knowledge that I have been able to apply in practice. For me, it was definitely worth doing.