Human Resources Certifications And Why They Matter

What Is HR Certification

Simply put, human resources certification is a credential that attest to the superior knowledge of the holder. It demonstrates the holders dedication, credibility and mastery of the relevant principles of human resources. The human resources certification serves notice of competence on your employers, clients, members of staffs and professional peers around the world. Therefore, to be HR certified means that you are a better candidate than the next candidate who is not certified no matter his years of experience. This is because the candidate who knows new and innovative ways to get things done is often, if not always favoured over the experienced candidate lacking the knowledge of the current status quo. Because the certification is not mandatory for practice, candidates tend to dispense with the importance of the training.

Are HR Certifications Worth It

A comparison is often drawn between licensed professions like Law and Medicine and certification. To be practitioner of medicine or law, for instance, one must of necessity secure a license from the state. The singular reason for licensing is to protect members of the public from incompetent practitioners. But for non licensed professions, like HR, a professional body or organization that represents the profession creates a certification to show that the credential holder is able to meet certain standards and prerequisites of professional practice. Yes certification is not required to practice, but it is recognized across the field globally as an indicator of professionalism. Because of the dynamic nature of our world today best practices change. New methods emerge often and the proof that you have learnt them is the certification credential. Organizations know this and often require human resources certification as a criteria for employment. It is a global fact that the holder of the credential has the edge over others. Since it is an established fact that human resource professional certification is a big value adder, next is a look at what HR certification program is right per time.

Top 4 Human Resource Certification Programs to Upscale Your Career

1. aPHRi Certification: Associate professional in human resources international is a course designed for young professionals just starting their HR career journey. aPHRi exam topic includes HR operations, recruitment & selection, employee relations, compensation & benefits, human resource development & retention, health, safety & security. Eligibility for aPHRi is a high school diploma or its global equivalent. No HR experience is required to take this course since this is a knowledge-based credential for starters.
2. PHRi Certification: Professional in human resources international demonstrates the mastery of generally accepted technical and operational human resources principles independent of geographic region. The relevant topics applicable to this certification are talent acquisition, HR administration & shared services, talent management & development, compensation, benefits & work experience, employee relations & risk management, and HR information management. Eligibility for PHRi certification is either of the following. At least one year of experience in a professional-level HR position plus a master’s degree or its global equivalent. Or at least two years of experience in a professional-level HR position plus a bachelor’s degree or its global equivalent. Lastly, at least four years of experience in a professional-level HR position plus a high school diploma or its global equivalent.
3. SPHRi Certification: This certification is mainly focused on strategy and policy making with more stringent experience requirements. The exam topics for this certification are business leadership, talent Development & management, HR service delivery, and measurement & analysis. To be eligible, candidates must have one of the following. At least four years of experience in a professional-level HR position coupled with a Master’s degree or higher. Possess at least five years of experience in a professional-level HR position coupled with a Bachelor’s degree, Or have at least seven years of experience in a professional-level HR position coupled with a high school diploma.
4. GPHR Certification: The global professional in human resources is the HRCi certification that validates your expertise of multinational HR. The relevant topic for this course are strategic HR management, talent & organizational development, global talent acquisition & mobility, global compensation & benefit, and workforce relations & risk management. Eligibility for this certification demands that you meet one of the following requirement. Have at least two years experience in a global professional-level HR position coupled with a Master’s degree or higher. Possess at least three years of experience in a professional-level HR position (at least two in global HR) coupled with a Bachelor’s degree. Or have at least four years of experience in a professional-level HR position (at least two in global HR) plus a high school diploma.

HR Certification Cost

The certification cost for aPHRi is about $400, while that of PHRi is $495. $595 and $620 are the fees for SPHRi and GPHR respectively. Certification Edge however offer discount of up to $140 dollars to candidates .

Human Resources Certification In Lagos

In Lagos, HR certification is done by HRCI approved centers. Many executives from various industries attests to Certification Edge as an awesome place to get certified. Manned by second to non tutors in the industry and with an awesome siren environment in Lekki and Ikeja, she is equipped to make the process easier.

Benefits of Professional HR Certification

How is human resources certification important to you and your young or growing career? Much have been said about how this credential benefits you but lets look at the highlight of personal benefits of HR certification. According to the Value of Certification study by HRCI, when HR professionals were asked about the benefits from achieving certification, this top 10 advantages emerged:

• Differentiates me from non-certified HR professionals
• Increases my chances of getting a better job outside my organization
• Strengthens my résumé
• Provides me personal satisfaction
• Helps me be more successful in my role as an HR professional
• Gains me respect from my organization (e.g. colleagues, superiors)
• Allows me to have a greater impact on my organizations business success
• Increases my earning potential
• Helps prove my worth/value to my employer
• Improves my career advancement opportunities within my organization.

Additionally, the Human Resource Certification Institute commissioned an independent research company to conduct a study in 2010 (Cited by humanresourcesedu ). The Study detailed the value of professional certification in human resources and revealed that:

• Certification is the second most valued credential after graduate degrees
• Perceptions of professional certification are far more positive than those of management certificate programs
• Professional certification is perceived as the best opportunity for professionals looking to continue their education
• Professional certification is considered a highly valued and quality-based credential by all HR professionals
• Professional certification is seen by employers as an opportunity to advance the positioning and growth of their organization
• Professional certification was the only type of credential that employers showed a “high willingness” to pay for.

In conclusion, human resources certification is a very valuable credential to everyone holding it. And it is common sense to deduce that the economic value is greater when done early. This is because opportunities abounds and luck is nothing but preparedness meeting with opportunity. With it, You separate yourself from others, whether in your current organization, or when seeking better opportunities in some other 500 fortune companies. You can contact us for any question you may have concerning HR certification or ask in the comment section below.

 

Some HR Certifications Frequently Asked Questions