In March, our profession reached a major milestone when SHRM awarded its 100,000th certification—just two years after launching the SHRM-SCP and SHRM-CP program. Practitioners who hold these credentials are the advance team for tens of thousands more who will pursue SHRM certification—and, importantly, recertification—in the coming years.
As the number of SHRM certification-holders grows, so will the expertise, reputation and prestige of our profession. Our organizations will also benefit greatly from competency-based HR as we make the transition to a 21st century workplace and an economy where people are the competitive differentiator.
SHRM certification demonstrates that an HR professional has done more than master technical knowledge and facts. As one certified SHRM member told us, it means being the “what if” person at their organizations: “If it works well here, what will happen if we apply it there?”
In this way, certification verifies mastery of specific behaviors that allow professionals to apply their knowledge on the job, in real time. And that’s what makes SHRM certification different: It focuses not only on what professionals know, but also on what they can do.
In addition, our research shows that HR professionals who have the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP earn more each year than those who don’t—$5,000 and $17,000, respectively, on average—and a majority believe that their certification was a factor in their getting promoted. Organizational leaders are telling us they count on the enhanced capabilities that SHRM credentials bring to the table, and employers are increasingly seeking out people who hold these certifications.
It bodes well for businesses that there is a growing, global community of 100,000 HR professionals with the competencies needed to lead their organizations—taking charge of organizational strategy, talent acquisition, innovative workplace practices, and more. And when they ask themselves and their organizations “what if,” they are truly shaping the future of business, work and our profession
Hank Jackson is the President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management.
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