SHRM Certification

For more than 65 years, SHRM has served the human resources profession. HR professionals worldwide look to SHRM for comprehensive resources to enhance their effectiveness on the job, to develop their careers, and to partner strategically with business leaders and stakeholders. 

SHRM also works to advance the HR profession as a whole, ensuring that as business evolves, HR evolves to meet business needs. Businesses increasingly understand that effective people management is a strategic imperative. As a result, business leaders expect that HR professionals will demonstrate, in addition to a thorough knowledge of HR concepts and requirements, the behavioral competencies required to effectively apply knowledge in the modern workplace in support of organizational goals.  

To meet business needs, SHRM has established two competency-based certifications, the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP^®) for early- and mid-career professionals and the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP^®) for senior-level practitioners. SHRM regards the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP as the new global standard in certification for the HR profession.

The SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge (SHRM BoCK™) is the foundation for these certifications. The SHRM BoCK—the product of rigorous research involving thousands of HR professionals organizes eight behavioral competencies into three clusters: Leadership (Leadership & Navigation, Ethical Practice), Interpersonal (Relationship Management, Communication, Global & Cultural Effectiveness), and Business (Business Acumen, Consultation, Critical Evaluation). Additionally there are 15 HR knowledge areas that are critical to the success of any HR professional. (See The SHRM BoCK for additional information.)

By incorporating key HR competencies and knowledge into the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams, SHRM’s certifications demonstrate to the global business community that the credential-holder has strong capabilities in both aspects of HR practice—competency and knowledge—that are required for effective job performance.