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International certificate hr. International certification of HR specialists

When reviewing requirements for human resource management jobs it soon becomes evident that HR certification is quickly moving from being preferred to being required. This is a telltale sign that organizations, whether in the for-profit or non-profit sector, are viewing professional certification with an increasing level of respect.

In fact, HR certification is now seen as a fundamental addition to any HR professional’s resume, particularly as today’s professionals in human resource management face complex challenges such as a lack of qualified talent and the globalization of business.

FEATURED PROGRAMS

Understanding the Value of Professional Certification in Human Resources

Professional certification is generally identified as an exam-based credential that requires work experience and educational eligibility. Certifying bodies generally supply students with exam prep material that is created using a professionally developed and validated knowledge base.

Recertification requires the completion of professional development courses and experience in the field. Recertification is viewed as valuable among human resources professionals and employers, as it:

Keeps the HR professional’s knowledge current
Continues education
Sharpens skills
Keeps certification relevant and valid

The HR Certification Institute’s survey found that the majority of HR professionals (96 percent) believed that professional certification is important.

The survey also found that for U.S. human resources employers, professional certification in HR:

Demonstrates an employee’s commitment to the HR profession
Adds validity and credibility to the HR department
Assures that the employee possesses current and up-to-date knowledge
Provides opportunities for development

U.S. employees, according to the survey, cite the following advantages of professional certification:

Being seen as more valuable to the company
Having an advantage when applying for a new job
Being able to demonstrate their commitment and understanding of the HR profession
Being able to show their dedicated to continuing their education

Employees named the following as personal benefits for professional certification:

To increase my knowledge: 55 percent
To strengthen my resume: 58 percent
To ensure that my HR knowledge is up to date: 57 percent
To demonstrate my commitment to HR: 51 percent
To increase my confidence in my ability to do my job: 36 percent
To demonstrate my commitment to lifelong learning/development: 39 percent

Employers named the following as benefits for professional certification to the organization:

It increases the employee’s knowledge: 77 percent
It ensures the employee’s HR knowledge is up to date: 72 percent
It demonstrates the employee’s commitment to HR: 68 percent
It demonstrates the employee’s commitment to learning: 61 percent
It’s good for the reputation of the organization: 55 percent

From the editors of HRM: I remind you that you can use our free service How much am I worth on the market? , in order to find out how much your salary is in the market

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION FOR HR. WHERE AND HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED HR SPECIALIST.

There is a growing interest among HR people in global professional communities and institutions and, in particular, in the opportunity to undergo their certification and receive a professional HR certificate. This is a natural interest - we are increasingly integrating into the global community - so let's try to figure out where, how and why you can become a certified HR specialist.

Let's start with the question “Why?” Certification is not yet widespread in our country, but why do Western HR people take certification exams (prepare, pay money for it, and then maintain their certification)? There are several reasons.

First, they have to consider the fact that the further they progress in their careers, the more they will compete with certified peers. Especially in large cities and large organizations, having a professional certificate regularly appears as one of the job requirements in job descriptions. Small and medium-sized organizations are less likely to state the need for certification, describing it as an additional, but not mandatory condition.

Secondly, according to statistics, certified HR specialists earn more. Certified HR Professionals Earn Significantly, According to Payscale.com Research more money than their non-certified counterparts. For those who are just starting their career in the field, the difference may not be so noticeable, but the further they go, the more significant it becomes.

For example, employees with the SPHR (Senior Professional) certification earn 93% more overall than those without the certification and 49% more than those who settle for the PHR (Professional) certification.

For all HR employees: average wages with PHR is $59,100, with SPHR is $87,900 and $45,600 for non-certified professionals.

Finally, HR professionals who are certified also receive more promotions and move up the career ladder faster than their non-certified counterparts.

For example, the percentage of HR employees receiving promotions increases significantly with certification. When promoted from specialist level to managerial positions, 63% have a certificate and from managerial level to HR-generalist - 57%.

Who certifies HR people and where?

The HR Certification Institute (HRCI) issued the most certificates in the world. The organization has been around for four decades, and as of last year, more than 140,000 HR professionals were certified through HRCI. The most common are the Professional Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certifications we already mentioned. HRCI recently added APHR: Associate Professional HR for College Students.

HRCI has long been affiliated with the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), the largest and perhaps most respected HR organization in the world. Their interaction was so close that many HR people perceived SHRM standards and programs as official preparation materials for HRCI certification exams, although this was not the case.

That alliance dissolved in 2014 when SHRM developed and launched a competing certification program. SHRM has created two programs: SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) for entry-level and mid-level professionals and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) for advanced level professionals.

In addition, there are additional certification programs offered by professional associations in areas such as compensation management. The Association for Talent Development (ATD) offers Certification in Learning Practices (CPLP).

Those who simply want to obtain a general HR certification will likely have to choose between certifications from HRCI or SHRM. Which one should you prefer? But today this is almost a “million dollar question”.

Professional certificate in HR: HRСI vs. SHRM

A large number of HR professionals who have HRCI certifications have also received corresponding certifications from SHRM over the past two years - the community simply issued them their certifications based on those they previously received from HRCI. And most people are now wondering what to do with two certificates? Which of the two certifications will be more prestigious in the future, and therefore worth maintaining now? There are no answers to these pressing questions yet, but we will try to describe the pros and cons, as well as the details of both - perhaps this information will help someone make a decision.

So, HRCI certification is recognized as a standard and is proven to bring in more money. SHRM certification does not yet provide enough value to companies and HR professionals. This could change very quickly, but it has not yet been proven or tested.

Also, keep in mind that HRCI certifications are accredited and recognized by government agencies and many institutions and organizations, while SHRMs are not. SHRM is trying to achieve accreditation, but it is not a quick process, requiring several years.

HRCI's competitive marketing efforts also include discounts on test fees and a new $100 “second chance” insurance option for people who fail the test the first time.

On the other hand, many professionals say that the SHRM exam is much more reflective of the role of HR today than what they remember about the HRCI exam.

Meanwhile, SHRM reported that approximately 60,000 HR professionals have earned the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certifications by completing their online training course in last year. And it appears that the SHRM test was not as difficult as the HRCI exam.

SHRM says 69% of people who attempted the SHRM-CP exam in May passed. This is much higher than the 57% pass rate in the latest batch of HRCI PHR exams.

For higher-level HR professionals, exam scores were similar—53% for the SHRM-SCP exams and 54% for the HRCI SPHR exam.

Difference between certificates

The differences between the four acronyms are the amount of relevant work experience and level of training. SHRM-CP and PHR are basic certifications with similar levels of experience, while SHRM-SCP and SPHR are senior level certifications. Candidates must meet specific requirements for each type of certification.

Below are typical candidate profiles.

SHRM-CP Certificate Candidate:

Serves as a point of contact for staff and all interested parties;

Performs operational functions of personnel management;

Implements company policies and strategies;

Has at least three years of experience in an HR role if the candidate's education is less than a bachelor's degree;

Professionals with a bachelor's degree in a human resources related field must have at least one year of experience in the profession;

Specialists with higher education must have at least one year of experience in the field of personnel management, if their education is not related to HR;

Understands SHRM (BoCK) competencies and knowledge.

SHRM-SCP Certificate Candidate:

Develops personnel management strategies;

Performs leading HR functions;

Analyzes performance indicators;

Aligns HR strategies with organizational goals;

Has three to seven years of HR experience;

Has an understanding of SHRM competencies and knowledge (BoCK).

PHR Certificate Candidate:

Performs activities aimed at implementing company programs;

Performs tactical tasks;

Reports to another HR professional in the organization;

Has two to four years of experience in HR, but does not have the breadth and depth of understanding of the function;

Focuses influence on work within the department rather than the entire organization.

SPHR Certificate Candidate:

Projects and plans, not tools;

Focuses on the “big picture”;

Has the maximum number of accountable employees in the HR department;

Has six to eight years of progressive HR experience;

Has a breadth and depth of knowledge about a person;

Has judgment gained through time and application of knowledge;

Plays a universal role in the organization;

Understands the impact of decisions made inside and outside the organization;

Understands the business, not just the HR function;

Manages relationships;

Influences the organization as a whole;

Enjoys trust in the organization and professional community;

Has excellent negotiation skills.

Certified individuals are typically issued a certificate indicating that they have met the certifying organization's standards and are authorized to inform the public of their status, usually through the use of an acronym (i.e., SHRM-SCP, SPHR) after their name.

Exam format and duration

PHR/SPHR from HRCI:

Computer testing;

Exam time: 3 hours;

Exam cost*: $395 + application fee: $100 US

*Once an exam application has been approved, no refunds will be provided (in case the candidate does not wish to take the exam for any reason) because the HRBoK access code cannot be cancelled.

The “exam fee + preparation materials and insurance” package can be purchased at a lower total cost.

Testing is available year-round, subject to availability at the Prometric center of your choice.

SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP:

Computer testing;

Exam time: 4 hours.

Exam fee*: for SHRM members - $300 US, for non-members - $400 US.

*Includes a non-refundable $50 application fee.

Testing is available at certain times of the year.

Certification is valid for three years after testing.

SOFIA DANILKINA, Chairman of the VKK - National Union of Personnel Officers

The National Union of Personnel Officers announced the launch of voluntary certification in the field of personnel management. Most HR professionals will probably be interested in this information. Please tell us more about the certification system and the idea of its implementation.

I am pleased to announce that it will now finally become available for Russian personnel officers to obtain the status of a certified specialist, which in any professional field is a factor that increases the cost and authority of a representative of the profession.

The voluntary certification system was developed by the National Union of Personnel Officers - an all-Russian association of specialists in the field of personnel management, which has been operating for 7 years and represents our country in the European HR Association. The certification became effective on July 1, 2009. This is a significant event. And I don’t just mean the appearance of a certificate from a national professional organization, which serves as recognition and guarantee of a high level of specialists.

It is important that by creating the certification system itself, we have made a colossal leap forward in the professionalization of Russian personnel management. Among the main tasks of any professional organization is to create conditions for strengthening the authority of the profession and forming a positive attitude towards it in society and the business environment and to ensure a high level of training of specialists. Since the very foundation of the Union, we have been moving in this direction and understand perfectly well that only active actions and only the common efforts of all Russian personnel officers will lead us to our goals.

Our work involves not only members of the NSC, of whom there are now more than 8,000 throughout the country, but also many times more specialists who support the activities of the Union. The personnel officers themselves took the initiative to develop the Standards professional activities in the field of personnel management, which were approved in 2007 and became the first step towards the creation of a certification system. The standards were designed to solve, in particular, problems such as the lack of criteria for assessing the qualifications of HR specialists and the isolation of professional education from practice.

Thousands of specialists took part in the preparation of standards, including research projects, in their discussion at different stages. At the same time, the NSC acted as a coordinator of actions and consolidated forces for the implementation of all important undertakings of the professional community. While working on the standards, we for the first time compiled a systematic description of the profession, identified and recorded areas of activity, skill levels, and a set of necessary knowledge, skills and abilities. Then a mechanism was needed to determine compliance with the specified requirements and a document that would be a clear confirmation of a certain professional level of the specialist. The foundation had already been laid. On its basis, we were able to begin the formation of a system and procedures for assessment and certification, which became a logical continuation of the work begun.

We actively cooperate with foreign personnel associations, where certification systems are well established and have been in operation for a long time. For HR associations in most countries, this is a normal practice of confirming the level of representatives of the profession. The introduction of a certification system is one of the ways for us to show not only Russian employers, but also the whole world that we are not inferior in professionalism to our Western colleagues. The bar we set when developing the certification system is quite high, but we are confident that Russian specialists fully comply with it, and the certificates received will confirm this.

To whom will certificates be issued? Is membership in the NSC required to receive them? Will the specialist’s experience, area of work, and position level be taken into account?

Certificates can be obtained not only by members of the Union, but by every specialist who wants to confirm their knowledge and experience in the field of HR management with a document from a reputable professional organization. There are several certificates available. In accordance with the Standards of Professional Activity adopted by the members of the NSC, there is a level gradation in the certification system. The first stage is the operational level. On it, certificates differ by specialization: human resources administration or human resources management. At the next, tactical level, a certificate in personnel management is issued.

Certification at the highest level of standards - strategic - has not yet been carried out. But it is in the plans. The principles of its construction and implementation will differ significantly, and preparations are already underway. The specialist himself chooses for himself the level to which he is applying. There is only one condition. If applicants for obtaining a certificate at the operational level have sufficient secondary specialized or vocational education, then at the tactical level they also need at least three years of experience in personnel management. At the same time, regardless of your experience, diplomas, certificates of advanced training, in order to obtain a professional certificate, you must successfully pass the certification exam.

What is the certification exam?

It was important for us to make the certification system democratic and the opportunity to pass certification tests accessible. These principles can be fully observed by organizing the exam in the format of computer testing. Such a system will allow examination events to be carried out centrally, according to a single scheme with a common assessment procedure in all regions of Russia. Specialists from different parts of the country who want to undergo certification will not have to travel, for example, to Moscow. Testing will be possible in your city, in a specially equipped classroom with computers, online. Data about the results will be transmitted to the Certification Center, where they are recorded and processed.

The developers of the certification system have formed a database in which there are more than 300 thousand control and test tasks that check general and special lore, abilities and skills of the candidate for obtaining the certificate. For each, a unique version of the test is compiled - a set of tasks is generated by random sampling from the database in nine thematic blocks: organizational development, legislation, personnel administration and personnel records, internal communications, personnel selection and adaptation, training and development, personnel assessment, motivation and incentives, organization and remuneration.

The degree of difficulty of the questions is determined by the level declared by the candidate. The system takes into account the difference in knowledge requirements at each level and, based on this, evaluates the answers. Based on the points received for each answer, in accordance with a given algorithm, the final result is given - whether the test was passed successfully or not. If the result is negative, the candidate is given the opportunity, having prepared, to take the certification exam again. There are no restrictions on the number of attempts.

That is, the answers are checked not by people, but by a computer system? Who compiled the tasks, and how objective, in your opinion, are the certification tests and their assessment?

Yes, examiners are not involved in checking test assignments, and at least for this reason, subjectivity in checking is excluded. Computer testing ensures unbiased assessment - this is another advantage of this format. If we talk about the content of the tasks themselves, then it’s just the opposite: the guarantee of their correctness, fullness of factual material, validity and objectivity is the authority, experience and knowledge of professionals - those who participated in the development.

Based on the Institute professional development The NSC established a coordination center, which included a scientific group to create an algorithm and methodology for the system, as well as a working group that developed control and evaluation procedures. The scientific and working groups included leading practitioners in the field of personnel management and labor relations, well-known people in the professional community. All experts have many years of experience in personnel management in Russian and international companies, teaching or consulting practice. Information about the developers of the Voluntary Certification System for specialists in the field of personnel management is publicly available on the website standards.kadrovik.ru . There, by the way, anyone can get acquainted with the detailed characteristics of the levels and the corresponding knowledge, skills and abilities provided for by professional standards and the certification system.

What is the practical benefit of certification - not only from the point of view of forming a civilized professional community, but directly for each specialist?

In any field, the status of a certified specialist, certified by a professional association, influences authority among colleagues and helps to establish oneself in the labor market as a competent professional. As the experience of our foreign colleagues, which we carefully studied, shows, with a thoughtful, detailed and objective system, as well as with a competently organized process of obtaining a certificate, it becomes one of the most authoritative signs of trust in a specialist. Considering that in our country vocational education in the field of personnel management is still developing, the “weight” of various diplomas higher education is not the same, and many specialists generally learned exclusively from their own experience - the introduction of an assessment system based on uniform, generally accepted, objective criteria is especially important.

Now our certification system is just beginning to work, but in the future, we are confident that the competitiveness of specialists in the labor market will depend on the availability of certificates. The certificate will be an additional advantage in the eyes of potential employers, a guarantee of the candidate’s professional level and ability to solve assigned tasks.

In addition, passing the exam for a certificate is an opportunity to streamline and expand your stock of knowledge and skills, and determine a program for further development. After all, obtaining a certificate is usually preceded by a preparation stage, during which existing knowledge is structured and consolidated and new ones emerge. And official confirmation of professionalism increases self-esteem and gives additional confidence in one’s own abilities.

We consider the voluntary nature of certification testing to be a fundamental point. In many countries, obtaining the status of a certified specialist for HR managers is considered mandatory. Without this, it is extremely difficult to get a job and you cannot count on career growth. The approach of the National Union of Personnel Officers to the certification system is different. It becomes a necessary element of professional and career development when you yourself see its benefits and can choose whether to receive a certificate or not.

Certification of specialists in the field of personnel management is now only taking its first steps. How do you see its prospects, and are there any plans for further development of the certification system?

It is still difficult to calculate the growth rate of the number of certified HR managers. But I can say that applications are already being received. Russian personnel officers have a need for certification, which is why, in fact, the NSC began its development and implementation. And the certification system will, of course, develop. The database of control and test tasks will be replenished and updated. The technical component can also be further improved.

Our immediate plans include expanding the geography - organizing certification centers in as many Russian cities as possible. As mentioned above, the development of methodology, algorithms and certification procedures for specialists whose level corresponds to the strategic level of professional standards has begun. So there is still a lot of work to be done.

If an HR manager decides to take certification testing, where can he do it? Where should he go?

Testing is carried out on the basis of the Institute of Professional Development of the National Union of Personnel Officers. Now you can only pass it in Moscow. In the future, after successful testing of the system, specialists from other cities will have the opportunity to take certification tests in their region. Applications for participation in testing are accepted both from specialists themselves and from companies that want to evaluate and certify their personnel officers. By calling the NSC or going to the websites www.kadrovik.ru and standards.kadrovik.ru , anyone can receive complete information about the procedure for submitting an application, the dates and testing procedure.

Certification has started! I would like to wish success to everyone who is already preparing to take the test, the first candidates for the Certificate of Specialist in Human Resources Management.

The Russian professional community became interested in the issue of international HR certification relatively recently. There are several of its models, which differ quite greatly from each other.

Perhaps, the first systematic discussion about HR certification was in 2000 at the annual international conference held by the Professional Personnel League. Then, at the request of League members, presentations were made by representatives of two world-recognized certification systems for HR specialists: the British Chartered Institute for Personnel Development (CIPD) and the American Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). The speakers, talking about the features of certification models, announced their imminent appearance on the Russian market. The British system, unfortunately, has not yet come to Russia, although the program they offer would certainly be interesting and useful to our HR managers.

So, what are the different international certification models? I would like to clarify that in this article we do not consider the issues of obtaining membership in the above organizations, which is not always directly related to obtaining international certification.
In the UK, this is the Chartered Institute for Personnel Development (CIPD), an organization that brings together all HR professionals and has 116,000 members in England and Ireland and a small number of overseas representatives.

Let's start with the fact that training according to the British model, as a rule, takes much longer than the American one. In the UK they take their nationalities extremely seriously. qualifying exams Therefore, the most common way to obtain certification is long-term training at several levels and passing the relevant exams.

There are three levels of HR training at the CIPD:

Support Level (elementary level)

Practice Level
- Advanced Practice Level

For each level, a national standard is clearly defined for the number of certificates a specialist needs to obtain. (Description national standards entire volumes are devoted, and British HR managers take them as seriously as possible) For the service level, it is enough to obtain three certificates, for practitioners and advanced practitioners - four. Training programs at all levels are quite complex and time-consuming.

However, if the applicant for the certificate has five years of experience in the field of HR, and in the position of a manager or top manager, then he can be admitted to the national certification exam after a special interview. It should be noted that even at the first level only specialists with at least two years of experience in HR can study.

National exams are held in Britain twice a year: in May and November. For them, applicants fill out a large number of tests according to prescribed training standards. One exam lasts 2-3 hours. At the same time, not only knowledge is assessed, but also the ability to solve practical problems (cases). It will be difficult for a person who does not have practical experience working in an HR service to pass such tests.

It is worth noting that the British national HR standards are not only drawn up in great detail, but also have a serious scientific basis. (As you know, the British Psychological Society is one of the leading and world-recognized institutions that sets the tone in the HR community.) Obtaining CIPD certification is also difficult because licenses to train and issue certificates are currently granted to only a small number of educational institutions However, in the last year, there has been an increase in the number of such licenses.

Let us now turn to the American certification model, which was created by the famous SHRM association. Society for Human Resources Management is an association of HR managers that originated in the USA, then became international and today has about 300 thousand members, including a significant number of foreign ones. SHRM has significant financial resources, is active in publishing and organizes large-scale events for HR specialists. This allowed SHRM to create its own institute - the Certification Human Resources Institute (CHRI), which, in turn, organized a test center where standards for the professional activities of HR managers were developed. Unlike the CIPD, these standards are focused more on practical experience. SHRM also produced six excellent teaching aids, which are constantly being improved. Like the CIPD, American model involves participation in the training of HR specialists with at least three years of experience in the field of human resource management at two levels of certification:

Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

Professional in Human Resources (PHR)

How to obtain international certification through CHRI? In 2001, CBSD, fulfilling its promises, organized a six-month distance course(Preparation Course) with small face-to-face sessions conducted by American teachers. The interest of our HR managers in this course slowly but steadily increased.

Obviously, successful learning was possible only with fluency in English. The training program is the same for both levels of certification.

Mastering the educational material was not easy because the manuals contained a lot of information about the specifics of labor law in the United States and Canada.
This was a fairly strict requirement of American experts. In no country in the world do they make concessions on this issue and do not consider local labor legislation. (By the way, CIPD also includes British in its course labor law). Despite the differences labor legislation Russia and America, the knowledge gained was very useful and allowed us to compare the practice of permitting labor disputes and conflicts.

Upon completion of training, CHRI invites trainees to its licensed training facilities to take an examination. Just like the CIPD, these exams are held twice a year: in May and December. The duration of the exam is 4 hours. During this time you need to answer 225 test questions! The specificity of the tests is that even if the question takes no more than two lines, it is formulated as a mini-case that needs to be solved. Moreover, none of the proposed four alternative answers is the ultimate truth. This is why practical work experience is a prerequisite for admission to these training programs. As for the two levels of certification, the tests for each of them are different, while for the highest level the emphasis is on strategic personnel management issues, for the professional - on personnel technologies.

How useful is it for a Russian HR manager to undergo such training and receive a SHRM certificate? Today, the presence of an international certificate in the field of HR, be it the American or British model, for a Russian human resources specialist is in no way connected with instant career growth, as it might seem at first glance. Even some Western companies knowledgeable in the field of HR have not heard of such certification. Most likely, the top officials of large Russian structures showed greater interest in this issue, which is probably due to the entry of our companies into the global market and the attraction of strategic investors. In my opinion, an international certificate in HR, like an MBA degree, will cause conflicting feelings among top managers for some period. It will probably take some time for the market situation to stabilize. One thing is certain - completing this training systematizes and structures existing knowledge and skills in the field of HR, and, in addition, enriches you as a professional with experience best companies(best practices) that you will use throughout your life.