HRCI Certification
You may be familiar with M.D., Ph.D., and L.S.W., but did you know that there are human resource credentials as well? Human resource professionals who have met the standards of the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) advertise their credentialed status by displaying PHR, SPHR, or GPHR after their names. As of January 2007, over 87,000 HR professionals held credentials from HRCI. In the HR world, certification is held in high regard.
There are three levels of certification: Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR). Job postings for human resource positions often require or prefer a college degree or certification. To many, certification is viewed as highly as having a college degree.
A person with certification has demonstrated a working knowledge of all aspects of human resources. This includes but is not limited to strategic planning, international business issues, compensation, benefits, HR development, employee rights, and emerging HR issues. Certification also shows a commitment to stay educated on new developments in the HR field, and recertification is required.
The GPHR credential is for those professionals with an international HR body of knowledge and is intended for HR professionals who develop and implement global HR strategies, manage HR operations overseas, and those who oversee international-assignment management.
An assessment test may be taken for a fee prior to applying for the exam to become a credentialed human resources professional. It is a good idea to take the assessment test first to get a feel for the questions that will be asked and to help you decide if you are ready to take the exam.
Interested candidates who apply to take the exam must meet the eligibility requirements. Two years of exempt-level human resource work experience is required and must be proven; however, it is recommended that SPHR applicants have six to eight years of experience. The position must be exempt, as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This work experience does not need to be current or sequential. The HRCI Web site provides a list of position codes that meet the work-experience requirement.
Workers at an exempt-level status who perform HR duties during at least 51 percent of the workday may qualify to take the exam. Passing the exam isn't easy. In December 2006, 63 percent of entrants for PHR certification passed, 55 percent for SPHR, and 56 percent for GPHR.
Students and recent graduates may qualify to take the PHR exam only. In this category, candidates must not have two years exempt work experience and must take the exam no earlier than twelve months before their graduation date and no later than twelve months after graduation.
In 2007, the nonrefundable application fee to take the exams was $75. Exam fees for members of the Society for Human Resource Management were $175 ($225 for nonmembers) for the PHR exam and $300 ($350 for nonmembers) for SPHR or GPHR. The fee for qualified students taking the PHR exam was $45.
The exams are broken down into the areas of strategic management, human resource development, total rewards (benefits and compensation), employee and labor relations, and workforce planning and development.
Once you are a certified human resource professional, you will be required to apply for recertification every three years after attending sixty credits of qualified HR-related continuing-education classes and/or by documenting professional development activities. Some choose to take the exam again, which is another, less popular, option. Recertification credits are available through online courses, seminars, workshops, and college campuses. To upgrade your certification, (e.g., you have PHR certification and feel ready to upgrade to SPHR certification) it is required that you take the exam for that classification.
