Everything You Need to Know about SHRM Certification

SHRM certification. You’ve heard people talk about it, seen the letters following other HR pros’ names, and may have noticed events or webinars touted as “SHRM accredited,” but aside from that, you might be feeling a little bit out of the loop.

Well, fret not. We’re here to tell you everything you need to know about SHRM certification in a nutshell, from the big picture of what it is and whether you need it to the details of how to get it and what it costs. Ready? Let’s go!

What Is SHRM and What Is SHRM Certification?

The Society for Human Resources Management, or SHRM, is a 501(c) nonprofit professional membership organization devoted to promoting, educating, and connecting human resources professionals with each other. It has three main functions:

• Offer education and certification in human resources
• Act as a networking hub for the HR industry
• Lobby Congress on behalf of human resources and labor management interests

SHRM has been around since 1948 and has over 300,000 members, which gives it some serious clout in the HR industry.

The SHRM Certifications

SHRM offers two paid education certifications to its members: SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP. Certificate holders often append these initialisms to their names, and since SHRM offers recertification credit through events, webinars, and other HR learning initiatives every year, it’s hard to be in HR and not hear about them.

SHRM-CP

SHRM-CP is the first level of SHRM certification. The CP stands for Certified Professional, and the certification is targeted at the operational level of human resources. It includes training on foundational HR elements, such as policy implementation, technology and data collection, disciplinary action, and compliance.

SHRM-SCP

SHRM-SCP stands for SHRM Senior Certified Professional and is the more advanced certification intended for senior and executive-level HR roles. It focuses more heavily on strategic elements of HR like engagement and retention, as well as workforce planning and policy creation for entire organizations.

How Important Is SHRM Certification? Do I Need to Be SHRM Certified?

If you’re wondering if you’re required to have a SHRM credential to work in the HR industry, the answer is no. The HR industry is not overseen by a licensing body like accounting, law, or medicine, and you don’t need a SHRM certificate or any other HR certification in order to practice HR.

However, you don’t always need an undergraduate or graduate degree to work in many fields (including HR), yet both are viewed favorably by employers. One of the main selling points of getting an HR certification is that it can improve your chances of getting hired, and with 34 percent of HR professionals having at least one certification to their names, it’s certainly something worth considering.

Becoming SHRM certified does take time and effort; it’s not just an expensive rubber stamp.  The organization has a solid reputation in the HR industry, and a SHRM certification shows that you have gained core competency in human resources. It’s something employers recognize easily, which might make the difference between moving to the next round of interviews, negotiating a higher salary, or achieving that long-awaited promotion.

What’s the Difference Between SHRM and HRCI Certification?

The Human Resources Certification Institute, or HRCI, is another well-known HR education organization offering instructional courses and certification to HR professionals. The main difference between SHRM and HRCI certification is that while SHRM offers two certificates, HRCI has eight different certifications that target a slightly broader audience, including brand-new HR professionals, international HR, and California-based human resources pros.

HRCI Certificates

The eight certifications HRCI offers are:

aPHR, aPHRI

Associate Professional in Human Resources is the first level of HRCI certification, aimed at students and those just beginning a career in human resources. The aPHRI certification provides similar entry-level training but with a focus on international (non-US) HR practice.

PHR, PHRI, PHRca

Professional in Human Resources is the next level of HRCI certification. To apply, candidates must have some professional experience in HR, or a combination of experience plus an HR-related graduate or undergraduate degree. PHRI and PHRca are the international and California-specific versions, respectively, of the PHR certificate.

SPHR, SPHRI

Senior Professional in Human Resources is the HRCI senior-level certification that focuses on strategic and organizational development. These certifications require significant prior experience in HR, and they’re aimed at HR executives and HR pros who are either seeking advancement into a management role or already in one. SPHRI is the international version of the SPHR certification and leans slightly more on HR service delivery and data analysis as a result.

GPHR

Global Professional in Human Resources is another senior-level certification offered by HRCI, in this case targeted at HR executives in multinational organizations. It takes the SPHRI certification a step further by covering the intricate challenges HR executives face when managing HR teams and employees in multiple countries.

In the world of HR certifications, HRCI is the Pepsi to SHRM’s Coca-Cola; in fact, they’re even more closely tied, since HRCI used to administer certifications through SHRM until SHRM developed its own certification program. But both institutions are widely respected, and when it comes to choosing one or the other, it’s more a question of how their certification offerings match your career path than which one is preferred by employers. That said, if you’re just getting started in HR and you feel you need a certification in order to get a leg up in the hiring pool, the fact that HRCI has an associate-level certification with no entry prerequisites makes them a good choice.

How to Get SHRM Certification

Obtaining SHRM certification is relatively straightforward. The steps to getting SHRM certification and maintaining your SHRM certification are as follows:

1. Determine Your Eligibility

Before you decide which SHRM certificate you’d like to acquire, you have to know which SHRM certificate you’re eligible for.

In order to apply for SHRM-CP certification, you must have at least one of the following combinations of education and experience:

• An HR-related bachelor’s degree (in progress) and three years of experience working in HR
• A non-HR related bachelor’s degree (in progress) and four years of experience in HR work
• An HR-related bachelor’s degree (completed) and one year in an HR role
• A non-HR-related bachelor’s degree (completed) and two years of experience working in HR
• An HR-related graduate degree and current employment in HR
• A non-HR-related graduate degree and one year in an HR role