SHRM Certification: Are YOU Ready to Meet the New Expectations for HR?
SHRM certification. You’ve heard people talk about it, seen the letters following other HR pros’ names, and may have noticed events or webinars touted as “SHRM accredited,” but aside from that, you might be feeling a little bit out of the loop. We’re here to tell you everything you need to know about SHRM certification in a nutshell, from the big picture of what it is and whether you need it.
Ready? Let’s go!
What Is SHRM?
The Society for Human Resources Management, or SHRM, is a 501(c) nonprofit professional membership organization devoted to promoting, educating, and connecting human resources professionals with each other. It has three main functions:
- Offer education and certification in human resources
- Act as a networking hub for the HR industry
- Lobby Congress on behalf of human resources and labor management interests. SHRM takes a “Policy over Politics” approach when it comes to working with Congress.
SHRM has 300,000+ HR and business executive members in 165 countries and impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally.
What Is SHRM Certification?
SHRM offers two paid education certifications to its members: SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP. Certificate holders often append these initials to their names, and since SHRM offers recertification credit through events, webinars, and other HR learning initiatives every year, it’s hard to be in HR and not hear about them.
SHRM-CP is the first level of SHRM certification. The CP stands for Certified Professional, and the certification is targeted at the operational level of human resources. It includes training on foundational HR elements, such as policy implementation, technology and data collection, disciplinary action, and compliance.
SHRM-SCP stands for SHRM Senior Certified Professional and is the more advanced certification intended for senior and executive-level HR roles. It focuses more heavily on strategic elements of HR like engagement and retention, as well as workforce planning and policy creation for entire organizations.
What’s the Difference Between SHRM and HRCI Certification?
The Human Resources Certification Institute, or HRCI, is another well-known HR education organization offering instructional courses and certification to HR professionals. The main difference between SHRM and HRCI certification is that while SHRM offers two certificates, HRCI has eight different certifications that target a slightly broader audience, including brand-new HR professionals, international HR, and California-based human resources pros. A list of HRCI’s certifications can be found at HRCI - Our Certifications.
In the world of HR certifications, HRCI is the Pepsi to SHRM’s Coca-Cola; in fact, they’re even more closely tied, since HRCI used to administer certifications through SHRM until SHRM developed its own certification program. But both institutions are widely respected, and when it comes to choosing one or the other, it’s more a question of how their certification offerings match your career path than which one is preferred by employers. That said, if you’re just getting started in HR and you feel you need a certification in order to get a leg up in the hiring pool, the fact that HRCI has an associate-level certification with no entry prerequisites makes them a good choice.
Prepare for the SHRM Exam
You have a choice of two methods when it comes to preparing for your upcoming SHRM exam.
Self-Study: You can purchase the study materials (or as they refer to it, the SHRM Learning System) and prepare for the exam on your own.
Instructor-Led: Depending on your schedule and budget, you can also take an instructional course led by a SHRM expert. Also check with your local SHRM chapter as many in Wisconsin coordinate study groups in the fall and spring.
Whether you choose to study on your own or take one of the SHRM courses, the material you will be studying is the same. The SHRM Learning System contains four learning categories based on the SHRM Body of Competency & Knowledge, or BoCK. More details on how to prepare can be found at SHRM-Prepare.
How Important Is SHRM Certification? Do I Need to Be SHRM Certified?
If you’re wondering if you’re required to have a SHRM credential to work in the HR industry, the answer is no. The HR industry is not overseen by a licensing body like accounting, law, or medicine, and you don’t need a SHRM certificate or any other HR certification in order to practice HR.
However, you don’t always need an undergraduate or graduate degree to work in many fields (including HR), yet both are viewed favorably by employers. One of the main selling points of getting an HR certification is that it can improve your chances of getting hired, and with 34 percent of HR professionals having at least one certification to their names, it’s certainly something worth considering.
Becoming SHRM certified does take time, money and effort; it’s not just an expensive rubber stamp. The organization has a solid reputation in the HR industry, and a SHRM certification shows that you have gained core competency in human resources. It’s something employers recognize easily, which might make the difference between moving to the next round of interviews, negotiating a higher salary, or achieving that long-awaited promotion.
Once you have passed your SHRM certification exam, you’ll be officially SHRM certified and can add your SHRM credentials to your name. To maintain your SHRM credentials, you need to recertify within three years of your certification. You can either earn 60 recertification credits, known as Professional Development Credits or PDCs, by participating in or attending various SHRM-authorized activities and events.
If you decide not to collect the 60 PDCs required for recertification, you can also recertify by reapplying, scheduling, and paying to retake the SHRM exam at any time in the last year of your three-year certification lifespan.
To learn more about SHRM certification, visit Certification section of shrm.org.
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