becoming PHR certified.

HappyJ · June 2011

Is SHRM the only vendor that offers PHR certification?

ACU Frank · June 2011

Technically, it is HRCI, which is a SHRM subsidiary I believe. Yes - they invented it, and it is their cash cow.

joannie · June 2011

I think proper terminology would be SHRM affiliate rather than subsidiary. And, I wouldn't call SHRM a vendor; they are a professional membership organization.

I know, Frank, to may toe, to mah toe.:)

ACU Frank · June 2011

I'm not sure what the legal connection is now, but HRCI was actually created by the American Society of Personnel Administration, which later changed its name to SHRM. Either way, I think it probably makes boatloads of money for what is essentially a marketing company (HRCI, not SHRM). Just my 2 cents, as an SPHR.

joannie · June 2011

You really feel that HRCI is a marketing company? That leads me to ask, have you not found your SPHR to be valuable?

ACU Frank · June 2011

I think HRCI's primary objective is to create the perception that having an SPHR on staff is desirable for the employer... thus, creating an incentive for HR professionals to pay HRCI for the SPHR designation. That is marketing at its finest - find a void, create demand, profit from supply.

Has my SPHR been valuable to me? Yes, it got me a bigger pay raise when I certified. For that, I am grateful to HRCI for their effective marketing campaign. When the day comes that I look for another job, I'm sure my SPHR will be valuable. And I will be grateful to HRCI again.

Still Need Coffee · June 2011

Frank, I definitely see your point, and I think there's some legitimate merit to it, but I will also say that the training I received while studying for my PHR (no, I'm not as cool as you SPHR guys), and the ongoing training I have to do to keep my certification has been very valuable, and I do believe it makes me a better HR professional.

While the creation of the HRCI may have been a strict marketing decision, I feel the end result has been to create a product that ends up being highly beneficial to the professional and to the organizations they serve. At least, that's how I feel.

joannie · June 2011

Coffee, you know we SPHRs are not all as cynical as my good friend, Frank.

Brad Forrister · June 2011

A bit more clarification: The certification (PHR, SPHR, GPHR, etc) is from HRCI, which formulated the standards and administers the tests through which one gains the certification. Many universities and others provide courses to prepare you for the tests. And once you get certification, you must periodically be recertified, usually by attending HRCI-approved training events. HRCI approves many providers for that training, including us.

mandrews · June 2011

Well said Brad, without HRCI and SHRM's involvement in formulating a maintaining the HIGH standards of Human Resource body of knowledge we all would still be trying to fight to even have a voice within our organizations. I am sure all you PHR's and SPHR's would agree that the exams for these certifications wasn't easy; and maintaining the requisite CEUs is very informative and keeps us all sharp. Although HRCI and SHRM likely profit from this, they are no different than say all our State's who formulate and maintain the standards for say licensed attorneys and set CLE requirements for them. I still think that HR Professionals should be licensed just like attorneys - after all we delve into many facets of labor law (both federal and state) every single day. And being licensed would mean holding to ethical standards as a requirement of that license (and the law) and that would only elevate the importance of the work we do and support acceptance of HR as a strategic partner in business.

HappyJ · June 2011

OK. So, to recap, SHRM is the only vendor that offers testing. Once certified you can obtain CE credits through HRCI certified courses. Thank you for the discussion. I have the go ahead from my employer to become certified, now I am looking for the best way to do it.

Sharon McKnight SPHR · June 2011

To HappyJ,

Go to [URL="http://www.hrci.org/"]www.hrci.org[/URL] to learn about certification requirements. You'll find a myriad of resources for training as well as scheduling the exam. You can also download the 2011 Certification Handbook. It contains everything you'll need to know about the certification process.

Also, contact a local college to see if they offer exam prep classes. I took the prep classes offered at a college near me and it really helped me be better prepared for the PHR exam. I also took the classes again a couple of years later for the SPHR exam. It made all the difference. Given that only about half the people to take the SHPR exam pass it, I think the classes were well worth the investment.

Good luck with your certification.

Sharon

becoming PHR certified.

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