It's official, the Society of Human Resource Management is in the certification business. The recent announcement has sent shock waves through the Human Resources community. HR Professionals are in equal parts confused and excited over what was and what will be their future employment qualifiers.
Hank Jackson has delivered a bold message:
Certification should amplify an applicable professional skill set. It should not include memorization and regurgitation for the sake of qualification.
Here are 2 very-well written blogs to inform the subject:
SHRM Certification, It's Personal to Me by Bette Francis, SPHR
Crocodile Tears for all the Certified HR Folks Out There by Lance Haun
It appears as though the long-term affiliation between SHRM and HRCI has ended with a challenge of epic proportions. The two associations will lock horns to determine the preferred education track for our organizational educators. I am not interested in obtaining certification at this point so I don't have a dog in this fight. I have, however, never been shy to offer a perspective from the fringe.
Are We Proving Stereotypes?
HR has long been classified as risk adverse. If the profession is pushing back on SHRM's entree into the world of certification are we validating the aforementioned stereotype? HRCI has enjoyed a spacious lane on the unoccupied highway of HR Certification. Does SHRM's toe dipping ripple uncharted waters?
Confusion over which organization to trust to qualify your occupational destiny may be a troubling matter. The unsettling nature that comes along with choice may indeed make the tidy house of HR a little messy. The whole thing smells of Capitalism. If you are willing to admit that uncertainty freaks you out, are you casting yourself away to the sea of the less-ambitious?
The Potential Impact
For years we have been arguing that HR needs a seat at the proverbial table. Now, SHRM is putting their money (and yours) where their mouth is. We asked for bold leadership and we got it. We asked for more opportunity and we got it. Our feedback has been collected and analyzed... and (believe it or not) action has been taken....!
Now What?
Much like the reality of one achieving a job promotion; the process is over and it's time to put the work in.
Think More Like a Sales Person
Each day I face the unenviable reality of my job being one part Human Resources and one part Business Development. These competing ideologies that exist within me require two core skills :
1. Flexibility.
2. The ever-present need to consider the other side of the argument.
As a sales person, I achieved my greatest success when I stopped listening to my peers and started listening to my customers. I was threw going to sales training events so I started attending HR events. I wanted to sit with the people to whom I was providing a service. I've identified my life's mission:
Make the world a better place by building companies that love their employees
Sales Professionals should listen to their customers (not always agree with their peers). HR Professionals should follow suit. The ability to think more like a revenue producer will be of maximum benefit to HR Professionals (because you are revenue producers).
The SHRM Certification Competency Model focuses on the following:
* Relationship Management
* Ethical Practice
* HR Expertise
* Business Acumen
* Critical Evaluation
* Global & Cultural Effectiveness
* Leadership & Navigation
* Consultation
* Communication
Are You Ready to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?
As we gear up for #SHRM14 you can bet there will be heated debate over the future of the HR profession. It's going to be fun to watch... from the fringe!
Don't Forget to Remember!
Dave
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