Demand for HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®) credentials is on the rise, including a significant year-over-year increase in applications for HR-professional (i.e., PHR® and SPHR®) and non-HR certifications (i.e., aPHR™) from HRCI.
"We began to see HRCI certification applications rise at the end of 2017 and we’ve had a significant year-over-year uptick in applications so far in 2018," says HRCI CEO Amy Schabacker Dufrane, Ed.D., SPHR, CAE.
"Certification activity has especially been high for the SPHR®, including from PHR® credential holders who have gained new job experience and seek to earn the SPHR to demonstrate more strategic talent management abilities that are more closely linked to business outcomes."
Eight out of 10 executives say they now view HR as a strategic priority, according to research from HRCI and Dow Jones Customer Intelligence. Seven out of 10 say their organizations would benefit from professionals with HR certifications.
“Professional human resource certifications provide a widely recognized way to demonstrate your HR knowledge and training," advises All Business Schools, a website that helps professionals find the right business programs.
Not all certifications, however, are created equal. HRCI is the only organization with credentials that are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). In job and talent searches, HRCI also leads. HRCI certifications remain the most recognized and respected for HR positions. A CareerBuilder/Emsi study of online job postings — on job boards and company sites — found that job seekers were four times more likely to see openings that specify an HRCI certification versus its nearest competitor.
"The HRCI vision is to provide learning and assessment options that help people and organizations excel," Dufrane says. "That starts with core values of trust, collaboration and innovation.”
Such values have made HRCI an innovative learning and assessment leader with year-round testing, ongoing review of certification exams by experts in the field, the introduction of aPHR™ for HR newbies and non-HR professionals as well as an expanded suite of international credentials.
This week, HRCI announced its latest innovation, HRCI upSkill. HR upSkill will provide HR and non-HR professionals with a suite of self-paced, on-demand modules to help them enhance their people management skills and be recognized for people management excellence. The suite launched Tuesday with the HRCI Workforce Analytics upSkill: the application of data analytics to make better business and talent decisions.
"HRCI upSkill will help align HR practices with team goals and organizational goals with HR-driven business objectives," Dufrane says. "This is a powerful way to integrate HR and day-to-day people management."