CIPD's Buddy Transforms 160,000+ Member Experiences Through Conversational Intelligence
Industry _
Membership Organisations
Location _
UK
The challenge _
With 160,000+ members globally, CIPD struggled with disconnected digital experiences, leaving valuable HR expertise hidden from the professionals who needed it most.
Members faced time-consuming content searches across multiple platforms while managing demanding daily roles, creating barriers to accessing critical insights.
The Approach _
CIPD identified an opportunity to transform member experience: busy HR professionals needed instant access to reliable expertise without lengthy website searches—delivered in a way that felt faster, more intuitive, and genuinely human.
In September 2024, we launched Buddy, an AI assistant trained to speak HR. Powered by Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), Buddy intelligently transforms CIPD's existing content into clear, conversational answers, integrating OpenAI's GPT-4o with Optimizely's semantic search capabilities to revolutionise how members access expertise through natural language.
Commercial Impact _
The result?
An intelligent conversational experience that positions CIPD as the innovation leader in professional services.
86%
of members
consider Buddy a valuable professional development tool
49%
improvement
in member perceptions of CIPD as an innovative organisation
97%
of members
easily generate relevant questions
Better
content discoverability
through conversational interface
Enhanced
member retention
through immediate access to expert guidance
Industry-leading AI implementation that strengthens rather than replaces human expertise