Tomorrow I head to Washington D.C. to participate in the SHRM Leadership Conference. One of the topics at the forefront of my mind will be the subject of student certification.
Last year, SHRM and HRCI decided to change the eligibility requirements for the PHR exam for graduating students. Currently, any student can take the PHR exam, and, if they pass, they must complete 2 years of exempt level HR experience over the next 5 years to be able to use the PHR designation. In 2011, students will no longer be eligible to take the PHR exam. They must first earn the two years of exempt HR experience.
With that said, SHRM is currently exploring alternative solutions to the PHR exam.
What should this solution look like? What would/should the alternative exam cover? As a recruiter looking at a recent graduate, what skills, competencies, or certification would give that student "legitimacy" that passing the PHR exam might currently convey?
- 2 comments • Category: certification, HRCI, PHR, SHRM
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2 comments
You're coming to DC tomorrow? The Leadership Conference is actually across from my temporary offices in Crystal City. I might crash or come by for lunch if need be :)
For the student certification, I took it after I graduated and it was tough. Likely a few will get it. My solution is they get any HR job and work in the division for one year (either exempt or non-exempt), and then they can take the exam either they're in school or graduated. In these days, 2 years is a long time and might scare some people away from our profession.
by Tracy Tran on November 18, 2009 at 1:32 PM. #
I've been thinking that the SHRM curriculum might replace the student exemption. Taking a SHRM-approved college curriculum could turn into a selling point for HR majors. I'm interested to see the developments.
by Ben Eubanks on November 19, 2009 at 3:00 PM. #