How HR professionals rate 'continuing professional development'

This article describes a research project undertaken with the co-operation of the UK's Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire branch, to investigate members' attitudes to and engagement with ‘continuing professional development’(CPD), and how these correlated with a range of other variables and demographic characteristics. Women held more positive attitudes to the value of CPD than men. The majority of the most popular updating strategies were informal and organisationally located, with less emphasis on courses and qualifications. The most powerful predictor of the perceived value of CPD was professional commitment, while other attitudinal and demographic variables had weaker associations than expected. Valuing CPD did not necessarily translate into participating in it. Implications of this research include guidance for professional institutes on what CPD professionals engage in and why, and what influences this.