We talked to HRCI to discover the truth on whether HR certification requirements are getting harder
The HR Certification Institute has refuted allegations that the auditing of certification applications has increased in recent years.
Two weeks ago, a Reddit post appeared discussing HR certifications, and an anonymous commenter made an intriguing allegation about the application process, saying that over the last few years, the HRCI has increased auditing applicants' claimed experience, eliminating those who did not actually have the years they claimed.
But HRCI spokesperson Margaret Brown said that wasn’t the case.
“I don’t know that anyone’s being audited,” she said. “It might be that an application might be flagged if it doesn’t fit into the prescribed requirements…or if you have a job title that doesn’t fit with the conventional terms like recruiter or generalist.”
According to Brown, the main reason people don’t achieve their certification is that they underestimate the preparation required for the examinations.
“We’ve heard many, many times that they felt like they just knew HR because they do it every day, so they didn’t need to study,” she said, “but what they find when they take the test is that they get tested for a lot of different areas. So if you’re a recruiter, you may be tested on labor relations.”
The regular registration period for testing for Professional in Human Resources, Senior Professional in Human Resources, Global Professional in Human Resources, and California certifications will close on Wednesday, April 30.
Do you know if anyone’s been audited for experience? Tell us in the comments.
