Cause the Effect You Want in Your Organization Apply What You Learn in SHRM Education Programs to Improve Your Workplace By JEANNE L. MORRIS and NANCY A. WOOLEVER, SHRM-SCP
As an HR professional, your actions—big and small—ripple outward, far beyond the moment. HR has the power to empower others, change lives, drive productivity and value for our companies, improve society, and perhaps have an impact on people we may never even meet. Each day at SHRM, we lead by example and work to cause better workplaces by sharing knowledge, expertise, and tools and by helping our customers succeed in disruptive times. Through our work, we positively impact the lives of over 115 million workers and their families around the globe. SHRM offers two valuable pathways that allow HR professionals to develop and ultimately influence a better workplace. One avenue is developing through SHRM’s broad educational offerings available, particularly through its Specialty Credential programs. The second occurs by earning and maintaining either the SHRM-CP or the SHRM-SCP certification. And, combining these two options exponentially increases your opportunities to develop, grow, contribute and cause the effect through positive change in your workplace. Let’s explore each option. Development Pathway #1: SHRM’s Specialty Credential Programs To continuously elevate the workplace and people in the workplace, SHRM presents a professional development curriculum that extends across all career levels and provides a learning journey that allows professionals to build their credibility and enhance their growth and development in alignment with to their individual goals. It is critical that SHRM provides broad and vast learning experiences with myriad program deliveries to help HR professionals and people managers accomplish two things: improve their workplace by leveraging what they learned in professional development programs and stand out by differentiating themselves in a competitive market. The SHRM Specialty Credential program also serves two purposes. It is a way for professionals who might not yet qualify for the SHRM Certification exams to upskill, build their credibility and focus on a specific area of expertise. These programs are designed so professionals have access to a flexible and agile learning experience. They attract both those who might not be ready for the commitment and rigor of preparing for SHRM Certification and SHRM-Certified professionals who want to advance their education to earn professional development credits toward recertification. SHRM’s Specialty Credentials (SC) target a specific competency or function and dive deep. They address different professional development and job support needs. In fact, we’ve learned that folks use the SC learning experience as a great way to build their muscle and confidence for taking the next step toward the exam. Those who are already certified leverage the learning outcomes of the programs to complete a project using what they learned in the program to improve their workplace. The programs also make it possible for SHRM to reach specific areas of the profession and address their development needs. An example of this is meeting the professional development needs of Talent Acquisition/Recruiting professionals who may not know that SHRM provides the tools and resources to help them excel and build credibility in this focused area of study. As a program participant recently attested: 28
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“As a new member to the HR world, I don’t yet have the experience to take the SHRM-CP exam. The SHRM Talent Acquisition Specialty Credential was a wonderful opportunity for me show my employer that I am passionate and committed to continuing my education as a talent acquisition professional.” —Jen Ellms Talent Acquisition Specialist The California Law HR Specialty Credential is another example of how SHRM provides value and credibility for a very specific area of study. "California employment laws are among some of the most complex in the world. A strategic career investment in the SHRM California Law HR Specialty Credential program provides the California professional expertise that distinguishes them from others in the field, and adds exceptional value to California business" —Michael Letizia, SHRM-SCP, president of Letizia HR Solutions, Inc. Other SHRM Specialty Credentials address needs of unique groups of HR professionals and focus on specific HR functional areas that align with the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge—the framework for the SHRM Certification exams. Examples include HR Department of One Specialty Credential, the Inclusive Workplace Culture Specialty Credential, the People Analytics Specialty Credential, the Total Rewards Specialty Credential, the U.S. Employment Immigration Specialty Credential, and the Workplace Investigations Specialty Credential. Each of these unique programs focuses learning and learning outcomes to support the specific interests of HR professionals in these targeted content areas. Completing a program earns each HR professional not only the specialty credential, but also a substantial amount of PDCs toward recertification of a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP in the Advance Your Education recertification credit category. More information is presented below that shows you how to apply what you learned in each program to also earn PDCs in the Advance Your Organization category, by applying what you learn to complete workplace projects Earning a SHRM Specialty Credential is an investment in your continued career development and can be accomplished by engaging in content-specific, competency-based education and achieving a successful score on an online assessment. While there is no “recertification” component, learners can re-earn the credential every three years. Development Pathway #2: Earn Your SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP Today What better way to cause a positive effect in your organization than becoming SHRM-certified? Our latest research study revealed interesting data about why HR professionals are motivated to earn SHRM certification, but it also revealed feedback from executives about becoming SHRM-certified. Consider this evidence as you consider whether now is the time for you to move achieving a SHRM-CP or a SHRM-SCP from your to do list to your today list.
