The Society for Human Resource Managements new HR certification program is the best way to advance the profession, the organization says, despite concerns from the HR Certification Institute.
The new SHRM designation, set to launch next May, is a competency-based model that will look at nine primary areas everything from managing leadership to effective communication skills. HR professionals, whether new to the field or seasoned veterans, will also be evaluated on four different professional levels.
The difference between this certification and current certifications on the market is that current certifications validate knowledge that you have read a book and you can regurgitate that knowledge, says Hank Jackson, SHRM president and CEO.
SHRM plans to offer its first competency-based certification in May 2015, with the registration starting as early as next January.
Current well-known programs include those offered by the HR Certification Institute, which include the Professional in Human Resources, the Senior Professional in Human Resources, as well as the Global Professional in Human Resources.
The HCRI has said it has not been involved with SHRMs newly proposed yet-unnamed certification. Even as SHRM promises to release further information at its annual conference next month, Clarissa Peterson, chief human resource officer for Abt Associates and the HRCI board chair, notes in a statement that HRCIs exams are tested, proven and accredited as competency-based and professionally relevant.
The range of certifications offered by HRCI will continue to be regarded as the highest marks of professional distinction among HR professionals, says Peterson, who holds both the SPHR and GPHR designations. We have been here for 38 years. We are staying.
Bette Francis, vice president and director of human resources at Wilmington Trust, a SPHR certification holder and SHRM board chair, says that the door is open for HRCI to join the process of developing the new certification.
So many of our members, and just HR professionals across the spectrum, are in very similar situations, Francis says, while noting that the new program can demonstrate to employers that an individual with this type of certification should add the value that the business community has come to expect from the profession.
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SHRM explains that the transition to the new certification, even if you currently hold a HRCI accreditation or are currently studying for one, will be at no cost to the individual and that HR professionals will be able to grandfather in current certifications through an online tutorial.
The goal is not just the exam, its to elevate the profession and give individuals the tools they need to be proficient HR professionals, Jackson explains.
Following a three-year analysis of data from 30,000 HR professionals involved in pilot programs at several companies, SHRM found that its competency model worked to help grow organizational performance. SHRM says it sought to establish a consistent and core body of knowledge to evaluate the HR profession as it continues to evolve.
The new program, however, is not motivated by SHRM greed to grab hold of the HR certification process, Jackson explains.
The motivation is for the profession. Its the right thing to do, he says. If there was some way of partnering with HRCI, and continuing that relationship and including competencies, that would be my choice by a long shot.
Despite hinting that a recent resignation of a HRCI board member indicated that the certifying organization did not want to move forward with SHRMs certification plans, Jackson explains that consensus of the HR profession is toward these new standards at least thats what data and discussions have indicated.
Im not sure how we could continue to promote something if we know there is something better for the profession, Jackson says. Its our responsibility to promote the profession and business results.
