SHRM Foundation 2022 Accomplishments

At the SHRM Foundation, we strive to lead positive social change benefiting work, workers, and the workplace by mobilizing the power of HR. Our donors’ generosity directly supports innovative programs and initiatives of the Foundation that address some of the most critical issues plaguing today’s world of work. 2022 was a banner year of accomplishments, breaking down barriers, and challenging HR professionals to join us in our mission of a world of work that works for all.

Incremental Impact:

May: Employing Abilities at Work Certificate Program Launch

Our new “Employing Abilities at Work” Certificate offers tools to recruit, hire, and retain individuals with disabilities. This accessible program aims to educate HR professionals, people managers, and business leaders about the benefits of providing more equitable, diverse workplaces for individuals with disabilities.

Disability representation in the workforce offers tangible benefits to the workplace– creating an environment of openness, transparency, and belonging. Those who have taken this certificate program have learned how much organizations stand to gain by ensuring disability inclusivity in the workplace.

September: The Rise of Skilled Credentials

With support from Walmart, the SHRM Foundation launched a new campaign, “The Rise of Skilled Credentials,” to lead the movement to underscore the value people with nondegree credentials bring to the workforce. This campaign is our proclamation to HR professionals, hiring managers and employers across the globe that skilled credentials are no longer just an “alternative” to traditional ones— but rather, a new imperative to building an interdisciplinary workforce. This is particularly vital given the continuing global crunch for talent.

Refreshing the narrative of “alternative” to “skilled” credentials was vital. Subsequent research showed the word “alternative” may indicate that employers consider candidates with these credentials as a different, lesser option. As such, we re-released our reports with updated titles to highlight the importance of diverse credentials in talent acquisition.

October: Visionaries Summit & Tharseō Awards

In conjunction with the SHRM Executive Network, the SHRM Foundation held the second annual Visionaries Summit in Chicago, bringing together 400+ HR leaders to explore how belonging and mental health are vital to a successful and productive workplace— no matter industry, sector, or organization size.

Alongside the Visionaries Summit, we also hosted the exquisite Tharseō Awards Gala at Chicago’s Field Museum, recognizing three leaders who demonstrate the vision, courage, and business acumen to transform the workplace and strengthen the connections between employees and company purpose. During the gala, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. held a compelling conversation with April Simpkins, HR leader and mother of the late Cheslie C. Kryst, on mental well-being. Cheslie was a dear friend to the Foundation and served as emcee at our inaugural Tharseō Awards gala in 2021. In Cheslie’s honor, we were delighted to award two promising students with $10,000 memorial scholarships to help them continue their studies in HR with a focus on mental wellbeing thanks to the support of ManpowerGroup.

Continuous Projects in 2022:

Our Push for Workplace Mental Health & Wellness

The SHRM Foundation underscores the business case for developing, curating, and navigating best in class solutions and resources for HR professionals to tackle one of the most challenging issues of our time – the mental health and wellness of their employees. Our work towards mentally healthy workplaces extends far beyond May’s recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month:

In April, SHRM Foundation launched Mental Health in America: A 2022 Workplace Report. More than 3,400 human resources professionals, across a variety of industries, in U.S. organizations with 10 or more employees participated in the survey. About one in five (21 percent) of employee respondents say their organizations don’t have the resources to address mental health, while another 21 percent of respondents believe it’s too expensive to act.

In June, the SHRM Foundation continued its work to equip HR and people managers with the resources to understand critical mental health topics and identify appropriate approaches to help by adding the Workplace Mental Health Ally Certificate to the SHRM Store. The certificate was developed by Psych Hub, the world’s largest mental health education platform, in partnership with SHRM and the SHRM Foundation. The Workplace Mental Health Ally Certificate delivers evidence-based training with shareable resources and is eligible for seven professional development credits (PDCs).

What’s next? In early 2023, we will release a new playbook: “Mental Health in Your Workplace: From Evaluation to Action.” This playbook will serve HR professionals in organizations and industries of all sizes and sectors. It is meant to help HR leaders to create and implement a mental health strategy to reflect their unique workplace. To create this playbook, our team collected insights from workplace mental health experts. We have listened to the challenges they face, the challenges their teams face, and the needs of their workforce.

Scholarships & Mentoring

In 2022, the SHRM Foundation provided over $500,000 in scholarships, grants, and awards to 300+ individuals preparing for their first job in HR or studying to fast-track their existing career in human resources.

And finally, SHRM Foundation has continued to expand its newly launched Mentorship Experiences with national events, local events, and skill building sessions to help mentors and mentees expand their professional network. Over 600 students and professional members engaged and shared the value they gained from their experiences.

Our incredible accomplishments of 2022 would not be a reality without the support of our investors and partners who have supported our work over the last year. Thank you for helping us to create inclusive workplaces where employers and employees thrive together, one step at a time.