There are two
basic types of standardized certification for HR
Professionals. One requires the HR person to
successfully complete a course of study and thereby
receive recognition in that field of study. Another
involves both successful results during standardized
testing with or without a formal completion of a study
course, plus a component of proven experience in the HR
field as part of the credentialing. In this latter
type, periodic recertification is typically required also.
CERTIFICATION REQUIRING BOTH HR EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE
The Human Resource
Certification Institute (HRCI) oversees the nationally
recognized standards set by individuals working in the HR
profession. HRCI currently offers testing and
application requirements to achieve certification as a
Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional
in Human Resources (SPHR) or Global Professional in Human
Resources (GPHR). As of November 2005, 4 professionals
in NC had earned their GPHR;1269, their PHR; and 1128, their
SPHR. At that time almost 80,000 HR Professionals had
achieved Certification.
The
PHR examination is appropriate for HR professionals with two
to four years of exempt-level HR work experience and the SPHR is
appropriate for those with at least six years of exempt-level HR
experience. The PHR exam consists of HR generalist information at
the operational/technical level. The SPHR exam addresses HR generalist
information at the strategic and policy level. For professionals
with experience in developing/implementing global HR
strategies, managing operations overseas and international assignment
management, the GPHR exam is available. The
HRCI web site
has extensive information about the PHR, SPHR and GPHR
certifications, including a
Frequently
Asked Questions page.
Recertification is required every three years to retain
the designations. Recertification is accomplished through
either accumulating and documenting "60 educational hours
through continuing education, instruction, on-the-job
experience, research and publishing, leadership activities,
or membership in a national or international professional
organization such as the Society for Human Resource
Management (SHRM), or by" re-examination.
Preparing
for your Certification Exam
Our association leadership can assist you in finding training to prepare you
for testing. Please contact:
Karol Dewitt, SPHR
HR Manager
Dole Fresh Vegetables
220 Southridge Pkwy.
Bessemer City, NC 28016
Phone: (704) 629-0035
karol.dewitt@dole.com
Examples of other CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRING A COURSE OF
HR STUDY
WorldatWork
is a not-for-profit professional membership association
focusing on "knowledge leadership in compensation, benefits
and total rewards. More than 250 WorldatWork faculty (practitioners in the field,
consultants, and educators) teach courses worldwide,
including in the United States, Canada, Finland, Russia,
Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Israel, Hong Kong,
Singapore, Australia, United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
WorldatWork offers three professional certifications to its
members." They have more than 14,500 HR professionals
worldwide that have earned certifications.
- Certified
Compensation Professional - CCP®
-
Certified Benefits Professional - CBP®
- Global
Remuneration Professional - GRP®
- Work-Life
Certified Professional - WLCP®
International Society of Certified Employee Benefit
Specialists
(ISCEBS)
Provides information to
professionals interested in
earning the Certified
Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS),
Group Benefits
Associate (GBA), Retirement Plans Associate
(RPA) and
Compensation Management Specialist (CMS)
designations.
