HR Certification
Gain and Maintain Your SHRM Credential with Recertification
The HR profession is constantly changing and evolving. It is important for certified professionals to continually update their HR competencies and knowledge. Achieving certification as a SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM is the first step. Recertifying demonstrates your commitment to the profession, to your organization, and to yourself through lifelong education and professional development.
HR professionals may maintain their SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential by engaging in professional development activities that relate to the Behavioural Competencies and Functional Areas of Knowledge identified in the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge™ (SHRM BoCK™). The incorporation of competencies into the SHRM BoCK greatly expands the range of activities that will qualify for
Professional Development Credits (PDCs). To recertify, you must earn 60 PDCs every three years, or retake the certification exam.
SHRM created three avenues by which SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP credential holders can earn PDCs:
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Advance Your Education through continuing education activities such as conferences, seminars, webcasts, e-learning, chapter programs and more.
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Advance Your Organization through supervisor-endorsed work projects that support organizational goals and demonstrate capabilities in one or more of the HR Competencies.
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Advance Your Profession through thought leadership and volunteer activities that contribute to the development of the HR profession and the community.
For detailed descriptions of what activities qualify for PDCs, refer to the SHRM Recertification Handbook.
To start the recertification process, visit the Recertification Portal.
HRCI Certification Program
The HR Certification Institute works to define the HR body of knowledge and assesses candidates on their mastery of that body of knowledge. HR certification is a career-long commitment that shows peers, employees and employers that a human resource professional has mastered core HR principles and that he or she is dedicated to staying current in the HR profession. Certified HR professionals must meet strict professional experience and educational requirements before taking the certification exam. To remain certified, HR professionals must recertify every three years to make sure that you stay current in the HR profession. Your certification is displayed by putting the credentials after your name.
Compared with certificate programs, certification has three main advantages:
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typically requires specific experience and education
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requires recertification, which makes sure that you stay current in the HR profession through continuing education
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allows you to put the letters after your name
In other words, certification typically consists of the three “E”s: education, experience and an exam.
The HR Certification Institute offers four certifications that cover all HR disciplines:
For more information about certification and recertification, please click here to access the Human Resource Certification Institute's website.
The HR Certification Institute
PHR Eligibility
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1 year of demonstrated professional HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher
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2 years of demonstrated professional HR experience with a Bachelor’s degree
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4 years of demonstrated professional HR experience with less than a Bachelor’s degree
SPHR Eligibility
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4 years of demonstrated professional HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher
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5 years of demonstrated professional HR experience with a Bachelor’s degree
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7 years of demonstrated professional HR experience with less than a Bachelor’s degree
GPHR Eligibility
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2 years of demonstrated global professional HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher
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3 years of demonstrated professional HR experience (with 2 of the 3 being global HR experience) with a Bachelor’s degree
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4 years of demonstrated professional HR experience (with 2 of the 4 being global HR experience) with less than a Bachelor’s degree
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