NEW FROM HRCI:
Introducing the Human Resource Standards Institute By AMY DUFRANE
As the premier HR credentialing and learning organization for more than 45 years, HRCI® continues to set the global standard for HR expertise and excellence. We do so through our commitment to the development and advancement of our world-class learning, as well as the administration of eight global certifications, helping professionals achieve new competencies that drive business results. Building on our success in the global HR community, HRCI is proud to announce our new subsidiary, the Human Resource Standards InstituteSM also known as HRSI.SM By way of our association with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), we have come to appreciate that global standards help organizations align business goals with consensus-based global practices for greater understanding of – and continual improvement in – HR processes and practices. HRSI will allow us to share that commitment to excellence in HR practices, via organizational certifications built on the ISO standards, the first of which is 30415:2021: Human Resources Management – Diversity and Inclusion. This and subsequent HRSI organizational certifications will help ensure that organizations’ HR activities adhere to consensus-based, international HR standards and align around business goals. HRSI organizational certifications also allow for comparisons of practices on objective bases with other organizations across national boundaries and industry sectors. What is ISO, and why should your company care about its standards? ISO is an independent, non-government body that represents 167 countries around the world. Its mission is to develop systematic frameworks and guidance for regulators, governments and companies to facilitate continuous improvement. For more than a decade, ISO has been examining Human Resource Management (HRM), and, in 2011, ISO convened HR experts from thirty-one (31) countries to participate in a Technical Committee (TC) to create HRM standards. Referred to as TC 260, these standards offer guidance for the optimization of organizational performance, improved value creation, sustainable development and higher levels of workforce productivity, satisfaction and engagement. In May 2021, HRCI was appointed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as the International Secretariat for the ISO TC 260 on HRM. 20
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What is the value of the HRSI organizational certification process? Good question. I do not need to tell you how the role of HR has morphed into far more than we ever imagined. Today’s HR professional combines business strategist, data analyst, brand ambassador and workforce mediator into what was already a full-time job. There is an increased need to attract, retain, develop and advance talent, and HRSI organizational certification is a clear signal of quality. The certification empowers both business and HR leaders to ensure their processes and practices are aligned with organizational goals and standards, with further validation of being in line with global standards. By earning the badge and seal of excellence after being validated by HRSI, HR is elevating its role as creators and drivers of real business value. What is an example of how HRSI certification can advance business outcomes? HRSI organizational standards are designed to help organizations evaluate and improve processes to meet a specific ISO standard to show the marketplace they are aligned with the best practices and committed to continual improvement. In its first certification, which will help organizations earn recognition for best practices in diversity and inclusion (D&I), HRSI and ISO recognize that D&I practices evolve and are a continual learning process. Having standards that support consistency helps ensure equity and inclusion for employees. As job seekers, customers, investors and governmental agencies increasingly demand that business relationships are informed by D&I principles, this is an imperative for organizations and why HRSI started its “org cert” initiatives with a focus on D&I. This era of the “great resignation” has illuminated how profoundly employees are rethinking their relationship with work and re-evaluating their purpose, making D&I more important than ever.
