Guest Article: Which HR Certification is Better? An Analysis of the SHRM-CP and PHR by Ben

Last week I received an interesting question that echoed what I’ve seen from dozens of people around the new year:

I came across this discussion while trying to formulate an argument supporting the value and credibility of the SHRM-CP credential.

I have years years of HR experience and about five years ago, I started looking at HRCI and the PHR certification. Eventually, I hit the experience AND degree requirements to take the PHR, but decided to go with the certification offered by SHRM, thinking that a credential offered directly by the society would hold equal if not more weight.

My immediate supervisor is PHR credentialed. When I announced that I had earned my SHRM-CP credential, the response was underwhelming and I was left with the impression that they are not convinced that it is on par with the PHR credential.

We are in the process of updating a Professional Development policy for our company and I’d really like to be able to present an argument for recognizing the SHRM-CP as equivalent to the PHR. I’ve done a bit of looking online, but have yet to see anything that clearly compares the two credentials.

Over the last few years, the piece I wrote about the PHR vs the SHRM-CP certifications has been seen hundreds of thousands of times. I’ve had dozens of comments and questions from people, and over time my thoughts have changed a bit and have become more clear. Plus, some of the actions of the certifying bodies themselves are changing how I view the world. First, let’s address the question at hand. 

What Do the SHRM-CP and PHR Certifications Cover?

The PHR exam is offered by HRCI and covers some key areas of practice for today’s HR leaders:

• Business Management and Strategy (11% of exam content)
• Workforce Planning and Employment (24%)
• Human Resource Development (18%)
• Compensation and Benefits (19%)
• Employee and Labor Relations (20%)
• Risk Management (8%)

It’s important to look at the weight of each content area, because that’s what HRCI judges are the most applicable areas for early career HR pros. Workforce planning and employment focuses heavily on recruiting and managing workers and the legal aspects surrounding those decisions. The second heaviest area is on employee and labor relations. Despite unions only being present in 10% of U.S. workplaces, this has a heavy weight because it’s something that HR must run point on in the event that collective bargaining is required.

It’s very easy to see in each area what kinds of content you would expect. In HR Development, you’ll find content on training and employee growth. In Risk Management, you’ll find information on safety and security. It’s really straightforward.

Alternatively, the SHRM-CP exam is broken into different types of competencies.

• Leadership: Leadership and navigation, ethical practice
• Interpersonal: Relationship management, communication, and global/cultural effectiveness
• Business: Business acumen, consultation, critical evaluation

Within each of these areas we could touch on a variety of HR facets. Instead of being broken out by functional area, as HR roles often are at larger companies, SHRM looks at the HR profession through the lens of a handful of key qualities that each person should have in order to advance and succeed in the profession.

It’s not as clear at first glance how the competencies actually shake out, though. Let’s take the navigation competency for a moment. The SHRM-CP would test someone’s ability to understand formal and informal work roles leader goals, and relationships between employees. The SHRM-SCP, on the other hand, would look at these same relationships through the lens of an executive, understanding that higher-level insight and interaction. This is just one competency, but it shows how they can vary from the CP to the Senior CP exams.

Which HR Certification is Better?

When SHRM created the certifications, they didn’t necessarily “map” them to the two options already on the table intentionally, but when they created their Pathway tool to help currently certified individuals transfer their certification to SHRM for free, SHRM very much made it clear that they saw the PHR as equivalent to SHRM-CP and the SPHR equivalent to SHRM-SCP in the nature and quality of the certification. 

That said, after talking with students taking both exams, talking with instructors for both exams, and looking at the test prep tools we provide and the students using them to take ALL FOUR exam types (if we don’t include the aPHR, which people often use our courses for), I have started to create a sort of divide in my mind.

• If you want to prove your knowledge and mastery of HR-related business law, an understanding of the general concepts and theories underlying HR, and you work in HR at an organization with under 250 people, the PHR is going to be very helpful to you. This is because we are counted on in these roles (especially at smaller companies) to know the legal aspects and the SHRM exam does not cover them fully.
• If you want to use the SHRM career resources, learn some intangible aspects of HR like leadership, consulting behaviors, and navigating your career, and you work at a larger or mature organization, then the SHRM-CP may be a better bet. That’s because the larger the company, the larger the HR team, and you might not need to be a specialist on HR laws and compliance to excel and move forward.

This is obviously my opinion, but when I look at the content each exam covers and how I have used it in my career (plus the dozens of interviews with HR leaders since the HRCI/SHRM split a few years back), this is the best way I can define the difference in the two exams.

That said, the recertification process also ties in to this discussion somewhat. It’s an area I will touch on very soon because just yesterday I heard more than a dozen angry HR leaders talking about how upset they were about one of the provider’s methods of awarding credits. There’s a hidden battle going on over your recertification credits and you might not even know it’s happening!

These are mine, but what are your thoughts? Is either certification more valuable than the other? What has been your experience? 

Article source:Ben - Which HR Certification is Better? An Analysis of the SHRM-CP and PHR»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Meetings Are Excuses To Fail by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I've attended a lot of meetings in my life. Actually, I've attended several life times worth. As a human resources leader, work is filled with "important" meetings and "critical" meetings and "high impact" meetings and just about every other cliche label for a meeting that you can think of.

And they're all lies.

Meetings Are Excuses to Avoid Work
Almost every meeting I've ever been to has been a complete waste of time.

Let me say that again...almost, every meeting I've ever been to has been a complete waste of time.

Harsh? Out of touch? Sour grapes?
Not at all. I'm not angry. I just don't want to waste so many hours of my life listening to drivel that should be shared in an email. Most meetings are "updates" or "report outs." 

Why in the world are we paying everyone to walk to a conference room, sit and chit chat, listen while every one takes turns giving updates, and then more chit chat, and finally a long walk to another conference room to do it all over again?

What in the world has happened to the modern world of work that we have convinced ourselves that report outs = work? Seriously?

It's All New to Me
I didn't always feel this way. I used to average between 25-30 meetings every week of the year. I thought I was "super busy" and "going hard" each day. What I was actually doing was wasting 20 or so hours each week doing nothing.

Nothing.

NOTHING.

It comes as no surprise to me now as I help organizations take their performance to unimagined levels of success, that the meeting trap always gets in the way. The leaders constantly have to "run to a meeting" that adds zero value to their revenue, expense management, or furthering their culture.

How About You
When was the last time you completely eliminated a long-standing meeting that no longer added value? When was the last time you ensured only one member of your team attended meetings (versus the "key" people who really "should be there"?) When was the last time you said no to a request to attend a meeting? 

Or, is it simply safer to go to meetings and use your busy schedule as an excuse to be a failure?

It's 2018...we're better than that.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Meetings Are Excuses To Fail»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: It’s About The Heart – Why You Should Never Counter Offer by Melissa Fairman

We spend a lot of time talking about retaining our best people. Too many times though, we wait until our star gives us their resignation notice and then we try the worst tactic possible – the counter offer.  Some managers scurry about trying to figure out how to get the employee to stay, they believe […]
Article source:Melissa Fairman - It’s About The Heart – Why You Should Never Counter Offer»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix

Guest Article: The Biggest Sleep Study in History Uncovered this Chilling Fact About Us by Ben

Guest Article: Can a Business Grow Competitively While Doing Social Good? [Podcast] by Ben

The United States is experiencing one of the lowest unemployment rates in history, and a new study from Express Employment Professionals shows that 8 in 10 businesses expect to grow this year. Where will that talent come from, since artificial intelligence isn’t here yet to save us?

For most employers, this means that retention is going to be more important this year than ever before, and this is especially true for employers where turnover in customer-facing roles leads to critical gaps in coverage, performance, and service. We need to be asking ourselves how we can treat the people we hire in such a way that we actually improve their lives. It’s about more than just offering them a paycheck in so many ways.

In the interview below, I speak with Joe DeLoss, Head Fryer and Founder at Hot Chicken Takeover. The question I asked in the title (can a business be competitive while doing social good?) is clearly answered in this interview as we talk about his mission and vision for the company in the context of the social impact it has.

Subscribers, click through to listen to the interview.

Show Notes

Episode link: Listen on the We’re Only Human Podcast page

Customers come first. Time is money. Tie it to the bottom line.

In each of these instances, we think we’re serving the business. But what if we thought first with our heart instead of our head–could we still serve the business just as well? In this interview with Joe DeLoss, Head Fryer and Founder of Hot Chicken Takeover, we will deeply challenge your thinking on that concept.

In this episode, I talk with Joe about the company’s rapid growth, unorthodox hiring strategies, and what happens when you bend from your principles during times of high-pressure growth (hint: not a good idea). Additionally, they discuss tailoring employee benefits to meet the needs of the workers instead of offering a template plan like the competition. Through it all, you’ll hear Joe’s focus is not just on marketing strategy or chicken recipes, but on the employees he serves as the leader of the business.

For more information about Joe and HCT, check out the links below:

• https://hotchickentakeover.com
• http://nbc4i.com/2017/10/19/hot-chicken-takeover-featured-on-megyn-kelly-today/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/reganwalsh/2018/01/14/this-hot-chicken-fueled-social-enterprise-is-changing-lives/#473c75738957

To see all the show archives and learn more about We’re Only Human, please visit https://upstarthr.com/podcast

Article source:Ben - Can a Business Grow Competitively While Doing Social Good? [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Getting Rid of Annual Appraisals Won’t Solve Your Performance Management Problem by Melissa Fairman

The annual appraisal, the culmination of the traditional Performance Management process, is broken, fundamentally flawed and completely irrelevant.  The process of having a formal discussion with someone 2-3 times a year is laughable for a number of reasons: Feedback should be timely. Waiting three months to share with Frank that he messed up the widget […]
Article source:Melissa Fairman - Getting Rid of Annual Appraisals Won’t Solve Your Performance Management Problem»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix

Guest Article: Senior Leaders, Cheap Talk, & Being Present by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"Culture is to recruiting, as product is to marketing."
- Hubspot's Culture Code

Culture, Culture, Culture
The word culture sure gets thrown around a lot, don't you think? For me, it's right up there with values. If I hear one more executive espouse their organization's values, without taking action to prove they matter, I think I might spit.

Every organization obviously has a culture. However, many organizations do not have the culture they claim, or they secretly know in their "heart" that theirs has unlimited room for improvement.

If we all know these things, claim our employees are our most valuable asset, and continue to preach our culture message over and over yet still have major gaps relative to reality, what is the missing piece?

All You Do To Me is Talk Talk
For many leaders, landing that big title or breaking into the executive ranks feels like the end of a long journey, when in fact, it is only the beginning. They often feel as if they can ramble on and on simply because they must be the smartest person in the room, just look at their title!

Think of leaders as the six players on a hockey team during a game. 

Six players, but twenty-thousand fans staring at them...watching every move...hoping for good decisions, and the effort to back up what they say when they are off the ice.

It's the same for us in leadership. There are only a few of us compared to all of the employees who work in our companies. 

They are watching every move...hoping for good decisions, and the effort to back up what we say during meeting after meeting after meeting.

Are you with me?

How About You
Words are incredibly powerful tools for leaders. They inspire, motivate, encourage, reward, hold accountable, recognize and fire up the people around them. But in the absence of action...or follow through...

...the words damage the credibility of that leader. 

It's time to back up the culture talk with culture ACTION!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Senior Leaders, Cheap Talk, & Being Present»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Onboarding: Creating Connections to Coworkers and Culture by Ben

The onboarding process can be one of the most overlooked areas for organizations needing a quick win in the overall employee experience. Instead of leveraging this process as a way to drive engagement and create a lasting impression, some organizations tend to deliver a subpar experience or forego the practice altogether.

Employees want an onboarding experience, but all too often they only get an orientation session and a handful of paperwork to sift through. However, employees should have an onboarding experience that gives them not only deeper insights into the business, but more connectivity into the culture, the people and the history.

According to the ADP Research Institute, the majority of employees want employers to take time to orient new employees to the policies, benefits and culture of the employer, yet many firms don’t make this a priority. This is strange, because from an employer perspective, onboarding was the number one choice in some of my 2017 research into talent acquisition priorities.

Using Onboarding to Highlight Values

Onboarding is considered to be in the top three drivers of talent management ROI. In order to create lasting engagement from the first moments of interaction with new employees, organizations should think about the strategic impact of their onboarding process.

For example, when I began at Pinnacle Solutions years ago, the CEO and cofounder talked about his military background as the foundation for why the company existed and how its values were brought to life. It helped to solidify the “story” every new hire received and made it possible to connect with the emotional aspects as well as the logical ones.

The story not only grounds a new hire in the organization’s mission, but also in the bigger impact and opportunity that exists. This is just one example of an onboarding practice that attempts to connect workers at a deeper level beyond just policies and procedures.

For other examples of how to put this in practice and how to use social connections to drive value for new hires, be sure to check out the rest of my article on the ADP Spark blog.

Is onboarding working well at your company or could it use some work? 

Article source:Ben - Onboarding: Creating Connections to Coworkers and Culture»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: Flowers 'AND' Weeds by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I put a lot of energy into (trying) to be a positive person. I'm talking...fired-up, today is awesome, I love everybody and everything...kind of positive. It's not fake, or insincere. It's who I am.

Being Human
Despite my commitment to being Mr. Positivity, I often do battle with an old nemesis when it comes to maintaining that positive focus:

My brain.

The self-talk machine that we all carry around in our heads can be a powerful foe. It's as if we've been hardwired to "go negative" when things happen. Right?

So many questions...
- Why did this happen?
- What could I have done differently?
- Will this create more problems for me down the road?
- Who is this going to impact?

But, wait a minute here. It's as if our brain is trying to trick us into watering the negative weeds that grow in our heads.

And the 'talk' persists...
- I am a failure.
- I am no good.
- I am embarrassed.
- I am losing it.

When does it stop?!

'AND'
I think the old adage of "powering through" in these moments doesn't really apply here (or anywhere for that matter.) Powering through negative feelings is simply not realistic or healthy.

Perhaps there is another way to reconcile that self-talk? 

AND.

Instead of the self-defeating messages we seem to have playing in a loop, maybe we could try a different approach.

"I made the wrong decision for the team; AND I am still a valuable member of the organization."

"I wish I had said something different in that moment; AND I'm thankful that relationship is still as strong as it ever was."

"When I look back, I can think of so many other things I should have done; AND I recognize that no one gets everything right...I'm human just like everyone else."

AND gives us perspective.
AND shows us a more complete picture of our world.
AND allows us to water those amazing flowers in our lives.
AND changes everything.

How About You
Maybe it's time you added one simple word into your self-talk monologue? It might make a really big difference.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Flowers 'AND' Weeds»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Who was the last? by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

person you complimented on your team?

person you mentored?

person you helped during a tough time?

person you supported to receive a promotion?

person you were courageous enough to give honest feedback to?

person you held accountable?

person you told was a huge influence in your life?

person you noticed struggling and reached out? 

person you told you couldn't do it alone?

How About You
Who was the last person you thanked for everything they've done for you?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Who was the last?»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Where Leaders Go Wrong by Melissa Fairman

Does the thought of issuing orders and having your loyal minions follow those orders without question make you jealous? Do you yearn for the “good old days” when people just did what they were told? There’s nothing wrong with that, if you are the Wizard of Oz or some other kind of dictator. But if […]
Article source:Melissa Fairman - Where Leaders Go Wrong»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix

Guest Article: Will an HR Certification Make Me More Valuable for a Senior HR Role? [Reader Question] by Ben

HR certification questions are often seen as pretty binary: either I get one or I don’t. But in reality there’s a lot of nuance to the decision. Should I get an HR degree or an HR certification? Will this help my career? Can it make me more competitive? How much money can I make?

That’s because certification is tied in with our personal lives in that it supports us financially, if we do it right.

For the sake of the author I’m not sharing the person’s real name. 

Hi, Ben!

I am an HR Generalist in a school district. We only have two HR staff here. The rumor is that there may be an opening for an HR Director. I would love a shot at the job. The issue is that my co-worker has been at the district for a long time and I have only been there about two years even though I have nearly 10 years of HR experience.

I feel taking the PHR exam would possibly give me a shot at the Director’s job. What are your thoughts?

-Nancy

My Response to Nancy

Two questions wrapped into one!

First the easy one: if you want to pursue the PHR then go for it. There’s nothing that forces you to tell everyone at work that you’re pursuing the exam on the off chance you don’t pass, and you could have it as soon as March/April if you decide to jump in with both feet. No time like the present, right? If you’re worried about preparing then I’d highly recommend the courses that we’ve put together simply because they help in ways that no other system does. If you have the budget, the HRCP materials even offer a “pass or money back” guarantee, which is hard to beat.

Secondly, let’s look at the career front. While this is still a rumor you should start thinking critically about what makes you a fit for the role.

• Can you demonstrate your leadership skills now, before the job even exists?
• How can you start positioning yourself as the kind of person that would be a fit for the job in the eyes of those around you?
• What other hard or soft skills do you need to pick up in order to be competitive for the role?

Thinking this through helps because when it comes open, even if it’s a publicly posted opening, you have an edge because some of the local leadership should see you as a strategic player, not just another administrative paper pusher.

Let me know if that helps or if I can offer anything more to support you! I think it’s a good question not only because it’s making you think about certification, but because it’s making you think about yourself in terms of how qualified/ready you might be for a leadership role. This book I reviewed previously might be helpful in guiding you towards ways to be influential as a leader even before you get the “title” to go along with it.

Anyone else have comments or suggestions for Nancy?

If you have your own question you’d like featured here, feel free to shoot it to me at ben@upstarthr.com for consideration. 

Article source:Ben - Will an HR Certification Make Me More Valuable for a Senior HR Role? [Reader Question]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: New Year, Old Challenge by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."
- Amelia Earhart

The start of each year is often filled with self-reflection, motivation to create change, or a list of 'goals' for the months ahead.

Perhaps this year, we should all focus on one simple task in our work lives...

...making decisions.

Indecisive leaders are perhaps the most frustrating, ineffective, and candidly useless members of the team. 

They don't add value, because they never make a decision. 

They don't command respect because no one is really sure where they stand on the issues. 

And, they don't instill confidence in their teams because their employees see the fear of failure in their eyes every single day.

How About You
Which leader in your organization do you need to reach out to this year to help make the decisions required in their role? Go to them today. Have an open and honest conversation...and help them realize their full potential this year.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - New Year, Old Challenge»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Are You The Man (or Woman) Behind The Curtain? by Melissa Fairman

Wizard of Oz Spoiler Alert! The Wizard of Oz is a mysterious and terrifying leader. Sitting atop his castle, he appears to his subjects as a frightening, disembodied head. Only after Dorothy and her motley crew visit, do we realize that the Wizard is actually just a short little man behind a curtain! Unfortunately, the […]
Article source:Melissa Fairman - Are You The Man (or Woman) Behind The Curtain?»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix

Guest Article: Talent Lessons from the Transportation Industry [Podcast] by Ben

How should you structure your talent attraction and retention strategies if you are in an industry where there are sharp declines in talent entering the field, high turnover rates, and a physically and emotionally demanding job description?

That’s what we’re here today to find out.

We hear all the time about driverless cars and automated trucks, but those advances still aren’t a reality yet. At this point we still have a large number of human drivers navigating the roads and keeping the nation and the world economies chugging along. But the trucking and logistics industry also has its troubles–driver shortages. high turnover rates. low engagement. tough work and work environments.

Randy Swart, COO of A. Duie Pyle

Today I speak with Randy Swart, Chief Operating Officer from A. Duie Pyle, to understand some of the impact of this profession on the nation’s economy and how his company has been able to dramatically outperform its peers in the industry with low turnover, high employee engagement, and a phenomenal culture. I highly encourage you to take notes because Randy breaks out his company’s playbook and shares some concrete ideas for how the company accomplishes these feats. Regardless of your industry or company size, the takeaways and insights are really incredible for those employers looking to improve their onboarding, training, or even their employee experience.

Show Notes

We’re Only Human 19 – Lessons on Culture & Engagement from the Trucking Industry

Host: Ben Eubanks

Guest: Randy Swart, COO, A. Duie Pyle

What would you do if you found out that you were facing a drastic shortage in the primary candidates you hire? How would you work to retain the workers you have while simultaneously marketing your business to potential applicants?

In today’s conversation, Ben interviews Randy Swart to answer these very real questions that he deals with every day. As COO of A. Duie Pyle, Swart helps to run the transportation and logistics company through its normal operations. But the challenges the industry faces are anything but normal: turnover is rampant, the workforce is aging, and predictions of shortages continue to be ever more severe.

In the discussion, Swart shares some of the key practices that A. Duie Pyle uses to not only keep workers from leaving, but to actually help them enjoy the work they do at the same time. Regardless of the industry or company, listeners will have some wonderful takeaways from a true business leader on how to create more value for our employees.

For more information on A. Duie Pyle: http://ift.tt/2s4fs4L

For more episodes and information about We’re Only Human: http://ift.tt/2pVTmky

Article source:Ben - Talent Lessons from the Transportation Industry [Podcast]»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: How To Make Better Career Decisions in 2018 by Melissa Fairman

My Advice To You This New Year: Have a Code “You, who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by. And so become yourself because the past is just a goodbye.” -Neil Young “A man must have a code.” – Bunk “Oh, no doubt.” – Omar Many of you are […]
Article source:Melissa Fairman - How To Make Better Career Decisions in 2018»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix