Five Years In and What a Ride It’s Been!
Why SHRM Certification Matters More than Ever
By Alexander Alonso, PhD, SHRM-SCP, chief knowledge officer, Society for Human Resource Management
If someone had asked me about creating a certification program five-and-a-half years ago, I would have bellowed with a loud guffaw, thinking there was no way we could make competency-based certification the new standard for HR. In full candor, part of me would have wondered how the profession might receive competency-based certification, having focused on other approaches for nearly four decades. The other part of me embraced the notion, thinking about the impact it could have FOR the profession. I stand completely in awe after seeing where we are five years later, and all we have accomplished to impact the future of the HR profession.
Where are we, you ask? Consider the following statistics to demonstrate where competency-based certification has taken our profession:
- More than 135,000 professionals have earned a SHRM credential since 2014 (that’s more than the attendance of any college football game EVER);
- Over 3,000 organizations have joined the largest educational network dedicated to HR professional development, offering more than 140,000 ways to earn recertification credits;
- Nearly 29,000 individuals will sit for a SHRM credentialing exam this year;
- Supervisors of SHRM credential holders report increased operational efficiency and coordination among their teams, and best of all;
- SHRM credential holders report higher pay and promotion potential than their uncertified counterparts.
While all of these are remarkable, perhaps more meaningful are the individual accomplishments I learn about during one-on-one interactions with SHRM-certified professionals—the personal achievements that have real meaning to their individual lives. Take for instance, the newly minted HR business partner at a well-known airline who shared her family’s elation at the career possibilities never dreamed of before. Or the vice president of talent acquisition at a central Florida hospital who credited her SHRM-SCP with preparing her for a much broader role in her organization. Or the HR generalist who, in 2016, said it was his familiarity with the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge (SHRM BoCK) that helped him prepare for the hardest part of his job when responding to a workplace violence incident. Each of these stories represents something special that I couldn’t have foreseen five years ago. Each one shows the enhanced value of a profession driven not to serve but to lead.
While many credential holders will boast about the various accomplishments associated with earning their SHRM credentials, and my SHRM colleagues celebrate the vast impact across industry, I focus on something different. I sharpen my gaze on our biggest accomplishment—positioning the HR profession for what it really is. It is not a profession supporting the business. We are not business partners. We are the business. Talent is no longer a cliched saying printed on Lucite trinkets around the office. Talent is the core of the business—so much so that I dare you to find a CEO who doesn’t lose sleep at the thought of losing talent. CHROs know this better than anyone. Now, the rest of the profession follows. I want all SHRM credential holders to take a bow as you celebrate your achievements. But most of all, take a bow as you take your rightful place as business leaders with HR expertise driving organizations toward one mission—making better workplaces for a better world.
Chief Knowledge Officer
Society for Human Resource Management