Laurence Clair

The Power Of Post-Nominals

Laurence Clair on November 28, 2023

The ultimate statement of education and professional standing are Post Nominals, also known as letters after your name. Displayed on your CV, business card, email signature or professional social media, post nominals neatly signal your educational qualifications, honours, membership / grade of professional body and more.

Take my name for example. On its own, it doesn’t tell you anything about me. However, if I add educational qualifications and memberships to professional bodies, it reads “Jessica Saunders BSc (Hons), MSc (Hons), MBPsS, FInstL, FInstCPD”.

This tells you that I have a science graduate degree (BSc), a science master's degree (MSc). In addition, it also tells you that I am a member of the British Psychological Society, and also, a Fellow of the Leaders Institute and the CPD Institute.

In a business context, this gives a public statement of my achievements, and communicates to people (that I may not have met) that I have invested and achieved both academically and professionally. It also provides an insight into my occupation and my commitment to CPD.

By far, the most popular post nominals in use today are those issued by professional bodies and regulators. With over 2500 institutes in the UK, achieving a professional licence, certification or membership grade comes with the ability to publicly state your professional standing.

As a member of the CPD Institute, you are able to add Post Nominals to your name and title, to publicly demonstrate your CPD and lifelong learning achievements. In a post-pandemic, Brexit world, this has never been more critical. Employers and colleagues want to be able to source talent easily, and Post Nominals are a passport to advertising your creedence.

Are Post Nominals in Fashion?

As the number of people completing university studies has grown, so has an indifference to advertising your educational post nominals. In certain industries, it is almost seen as pretentious to state your achievements academically. However, it is important to make clear that this trend only extends to educational qualifications.

Post nominals that indicate your professional standing have a completely different standing. It is widely accepted that your CV, resume or biography is more impressive to employers and peers if your name has post nominals.

They are an immediate signpost that you have invested time and energy to develop your professional status and are serious about your career ambitions.

Professional bodies and institutes are quite stringent on the number of individuals they offer post nominals, and the size of the community that ‘wears their badge’. Hence being part of a professional body, such as the CPD Institute, shows that you are one of the select few who have been publicly awarded to display this professional status.

The Power is in Your Hands

The awarding of post nominals is a proud proactive statement of your professional achievements. In a noisy digital world, your CV or social media bio is immediately strengthened by those crucial letters after your name.

Successful applications and membership with the Institute of CPD awards post nominals. Our ongoing research demonstrates that there is a direct link between post nominals and your employability opportunities. In essence, you are more likely to be promoted, or successfully apply for a new role, if you are actively using letters after your name.

Find out more about how you can apply for the membership of the CPD Institute and achieve post nominals of FInstCPD for Fellow level, MInstCPD for Member level and AInstCPD for Achiever level.

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Laurence Clair on November 28, 2023

• Skill sets for jobs have changed by around 25% since 2015. By 2027, this number is expected to double, says LinkedIn

• Two-thirds of workers say it is likely they will leave their employer because there are not enough opportunities for skills development, according to Workplace Intelligence

• 70% of UK employees would be happier in their current role if they had more opportunities for personal development, according to GoodHabitz

When you hear the term ‘CPD’, what comes to mind? For some, it is a tick-box activity that must be squeezed in around day-to-day tasks. For others, it is part of a healthy learning and development strategy – something which, according to recent reports, is now more important than ever.

From employee retention to customer satisfaction to business resilience in the face of change, a solid learning and development strategy can have far-reaching positive effects. In this article, we explore why such a strategy should be a priority right now, and we look at a quick-win action that businesses can take today.

Keep up with change by increasing business agility

“Tackling tough problems requires new and better skills, and learning is the way through.”

LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2023

In today’s uncertain climate, organisations face upheaval and challenges on numerous fronts. Whether due to global events, political agendas at home or the constantly shifting technology landscape, there is plenty to occupy the minds of business leaders.

Time and again, experts offer the same advice: to weather today’s tough environment, businesses must have the right skills in place. Sometimes, of course, it is not possible to predict what those skills will need to be. So, organisations must be agile – able to move quickly as they respond to new situations. Both LinkedIn and Udemy highlight ‘agility’ as a core focus in their 2023 workplace learning reports, and for good reason. With businesses facing so many pressures in today’s fast-paced world, the ability to adapt in a timely manner is vital.

What does ‘getting the right skills in place’ look like in practice? It means prioritising learning and development. LinkedIn’s report recognises that ‘large upskilling and training programs take time’, but that organisations can move quickly by inspiring ‘more skill building at the individual level’. Most immediately, for example, this might mean more support for existing CPD activities. These are activities already being undertaken, within a structure that is already in place. Some extra recognition of their importance might be all that is needed – perhaps by ring-fencing time within company calendars, providing extra funding for courses or leading by example at the very highest levels. Over time, these small but significant actions will help to shape the company’s wider culture.

Stay relevant for staff by creating a culture of learning

‘A varied learning and development package can help to retain employees by improving engagement and making them feel valued.’

Dr Sarah Pass, Senior Lecturer in HRM at Nottingham Business School

Employee retention is a concern for many UK businesses currently. According to the CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook report, ‘vacant jobs are plentiful but available workers are scarce’. Hard-to-fill vacancies are a particular issue, says the report. Meanwhile, it appears that even pay rises are not enough incentive for some workers in the current climate. Jonathan Boys, senior labour market economist at the CIPD, recently summed up this issue: ‘Regular pay growth of 6.7 per cent would normally be a welcome sight for workers, but in the face of inflation running at 10.5 per cent, this increase won’t stop living standards from falling for most working people.’ What is the answer? Boys suggest that employers must consider the ‘whole package’.

Research from learning technology company Docebo, published at the end of last year, reveals the importance of learning and development as part of this ‘package’ for employee retention. Nearly two thirds of respondents said they would consider quitting their job within twelve months if learning opportunities to help with career development were cut or not offered at all. Meanwhile, when it came to job hunting, 8 out of 10 reported that they would be more likely to choose an employer who prioritised continuous learning and development.

The answer to employee retention and engagement, of course, goes beyond sending teams on training courses. For maximum impact, Udemy and LinkedIn both advocate making learning and development a core part of an organisation’s culture.

Creating a culture of learning is about championing learning at every level, both internally and externally. It is about embedding a mindset and philosophy within a company at its core. This may be a long-term project. However, businesses can get ahead in the meantime by making more of the learning – the formal and informal CPD – that employees are already doing.

Take action with this quick win

“Business leaders who embrace learning for everyone are creating an environment where their employees are resilient, prepared, and ready to drive business impact, regardless of the challenges they face.”

Udemy Workplace Learning Trends Report 2023

By reframing and embracing CPD as crucial to employee satisfaction and business impact, an organisation can build on existing foundations. This is a ready-made opportunity to upskill and ensure agility and resilience within the workforce.

One quick way to signal to employees, and to the wider world, that continuous learning is a priority for your business is through the Institute of Continuing Professional Development (iCPD).

For over twenty-five years, the Institute has stood for a philosophy of going ‘over and above’ with learning and development. Through corporate membership, businesses can outwardly show their commitment to learning. Employees, customers and the wider public will visibly see the company’s dedication, and – ultimately – can enjoy the reassurance that this brings.

Find out more

{Sources}

Workplace Intelligence in partnership with Amazon, Upskilling Study

https://workplaceintelligence.com/upskilling-study

CIPD, Labour Market Outlook: Winter 22/23

https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/trends/labour-market-outlook

Jonathan Boys quotes

https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1813289/pay-struggles-match-inflation-data-reveals-l-d-key-attracting-talent

Docebo, employee workplace learning research

https://www.docebo.com/learning-network/blog/employee-workplace-learning-research/

Goodhabitz, ‘The current state of Personal Development at Work’

https://www.goodhabitz.com/en-gb/inspiration/downloads/the-current-state-of-personal-development-at-work/

Dr Sarah Pass quote

https://www.thehrworld.co.uk/learning-development-engagement/

LinkedIn, Workplace Learning Report 2023

https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/learning/en-us/pdfs/workplace-learning-report/LinkedIn-Learning_Workplace-Learning-Report-2023-EN.pdf

Udemy, Workplace Learning Trends Report

https://business.udemy.com/2023-workplace-learning-trends-report/