The Certification Choice

Are you certified in Human Resources, but you're not sure how to recertify? Have you let your certification lapse? Are you interested in certification, but don't know where to start? Do you believe you don't need to be a certified HR business professional? Not to worry, below is an overview of HR certification that I hope will answer your questions.

Why do Human Resources professionals become certified? In an informal survey of the members of PhiladelphiaSHRM's Certification Study Group, answers included:

• being certified shows their employers their commitment to the HR field;
• it is necessary to stay on top of all of the changes taking place in HR;
• studying for the certification exam and subsequent recertification requirements provide a broader knowledge of HR disciplines; and
• certificationt is the "cherry on top."

In a unanimous response, the group noted that unlike working toward a Master's' degree, studying for the certification exam requires thinking about the practice of HR and applying our experiences to what we learn. For certification, we must learn and answer questions about HR theory, strategy, compensation, risk management, and so many other areas of HR that does not require writing, but reflecting on both our experience and our knowledge. Certification continually provides a broad range of HR knowledge to all who are certified.

Why do others not certify? I believe that many of you don't really know much about certification--what it is, its eligibility criteria, how to become certified, what is involved in being certified or that is just not important to you or your career. Another reason may be that in these economic times, employers are choosing not to reimburse their HR employees the cost of preparation or for certification exam. Nor do they see the value the attendance of their HR employers at HR related educational sessions.

In her article, Spice Up Your Knowledge (HRGumbo.com), Karen Goodlet, SPHR, describes her understanding of the importance of certification.

Through the entire certification process--preparing for the exam, taking the exam and earning recertification credits--you gain a comprehensive knowledge of HR that will allow you to better perform your job. You will also get to know other HR professionals who will study with you, share recertification experiences and support you throughout the process. You will have professional connections you can network with and use as resources throughout your HR career.

In a constantly evolving HR world, you certify to ensure you have the knowledge needed to be an HR professional in today’s market. When you receive your... certification, you have shown that you can apply that knowledge to be an HR professional in the 21st century! Making the commitment to pursue certification offers you the opportunity to challenge yourself and more fully expand your knowledge of the HR profession. When you receive that certification, you’ve shown you take your professional development seriously enough to invest hours and hours of study and class time to prepare yourself to sit for the exam. Knowing you have to recertify every three years, you are making a career-long commitment to the human resource profession.

I would like to note another good reason for being certified. That is the increasing number of open positions for human resources requiring not just an undergraduate and graduate degree, but also a certification (usually PHR or SPHR). This is a trend that will continue to grow.

Although an increasing number of HR professionals over the past few years are seeking to become certified, there are still many more who are not.

Certifications

The Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) develops the criteria for HR certifications. Those are:

• Professional in Human Resources (PHR)

This is designed for HR professionals whose primary responsibilities are tactical rather than strategic, who focus on HR program implementation rather than creation and who function primarily within the HR department rather than organization wide.

• Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

This certification is designed for HR professionals whose primary responsibilities involve designing and planning HR policies and practices and whose decisions have an impact both within and outside the organization.

• Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR)

This is for HR professionals with cross-border responsibilities who develop and implement international HR strategies that affect international HR assignments and operations.

• PHR-CA and SPHR-CA

Designed for HR professionals with job responsibilities in the state of California. Applicants must have a current PHR or SPHR to qualify.²

As stated in the HRCI certification handbook, "Each exam measures a candidate’s mastery of a specific HR knowledge base."

How to Become Certified

Certification exams are conducted twice a year; but before you decide to sit for a certification exam, you must determine which certification is most appropriate for you and if you meet the its eligibility requirements. You should then review the Bodies of Knowledge³ for each certification. Once you have decided on the certification you desire, you can schedule your exam.

To prepare for the exam, you will need to reserve enough time to study. Preparation requires at least one hour of study per day beginning at least three months before your exam date with more time needed in the two or three weeks preceding the exam.

The most popular content used for studying for certification is the SHRM Learning System.⁴ If you'd like, you can select to use books from another provider or author, since and HRCI and SHRM are not affiliated and HRCI does not require you to use one set of preparation books over the other.

There are a few methods of exam preparation study from which to choose. In our area, Villanova University runs its Human Resources certificate course in partnership with Philadelphia SHRM in ten area locations. These instructor led classes have been developed to help you prepare for the exam. You may want to join the Philadelphia SHRM Certification Study Group. As one of the facilitators of this group, I can tell you that it is a very effective method to get ready for the exam. Facilitators assist the group participants study for the exam, and the participants discuss with the group their own experiences concerning the topics being studied, which adds to the applicable knowledge of all group participants. We always make the study group interesting and fun by use various study methods.

You are free to study on your own, but you must remember that the exam in not just knowledge based. It also covers your own HR experiences. Accordingly, relying on textbooks alone will not prepare you for the exam.

The exam contains 225 questions, and approximately 50% of those who take the exams pass. Don't let this discourage you. As long as you commit to a regular study schedule and can reach out to your study network, you should do very well. Both the Villanova course and our study group have a very high pass rate for their participants.

Recertification

After you pass the certification exam, you will need to recertify every three years. You will get most of that recertification activity through conferences, seminars and webinars that have been approved by HRCI for recertification credit. In addition, our Certification Committee will soon add a page to the Philadelphia SHRM website which explains the process of recertification and includes a list of recertification opportunities (one or two of which are discounted for our members). All Philadelphia SHRM programs are HRCI certified, so attending them is an excellent way to add to your recertification credits. SHRM also offers an economical package of courses for recertification purposes. Starting soon, we plan to send periodic emails to registered certified chapter members about upcoming accredited programs that they may not know about otherwise.⁵

HRCI also allows you to take the certification exam every three years instead of recertifying with credits. However, doing so really defeats the purpose of becoming certified. This is, by choosing to recertify through educational and practice methods, you will keep current in all disciplines of HR throughout the three year renewal period. Conversely, retaking the exam requires that you condense your updated HR knowledge into a three-or four month window at the end of the three year certification period. Fortunately, only a minority of those certified in HR choose the exam method for recertification.

Organizations and HR Certification

It is becoming more and more common for organizations to require its HR job applicants to be certified. This shows that those employers recognize the extra value of HRCI certification. However, many companies choose not to financially provide support for their HR professionals to obtain and maintain their certifications. The HR business disciplines are in constant flux, and it is to every organization's advantage, including HR best practices and legal compliance, to provide their HR employees with the means to serve their employers better through their certifications.

As you can see, HR certification is a valuable component of your overall Human Resources intelligence quotient. I will be addressing each step in the certification/recertification process in more detail in upcoming Certification Committee blogs, so stay tuned.

You will find the topics I mention here and the answers to many of your questions about certification on HRCI's website (www.hrci.org). If you would like to discuss certification further, contact me at our committee's email, phillyshrmstudygroup@gmail.com.