RECENTLY CERTIFIED:

Danielle MacLean PHR
Congratulations!

Fall SPHR/PHR Study Group
When: Thursday evenings- September 4 to November 20, 2008 (for 12 weeks)
Time: 5:30 pm -8:30pm
Location: Olympic College
Cost for class: $150 for chapter members - $200 for non-chapter SHRM members
Participant materials: $425 special discounts if we have 5 people buy SHRM learning materials through the chapter ($595 member cost through SHRM/$695 non-member cost through SHRM). It is expected that every student has the SHRM learning system materials for class.

Registration: Reserve your space no later than Monday, August 18, 2008 To Register email: WSHRMA@ARTANDERSON.COM.

Payments can be sent to WSHRMA c/o Art Anderson, 202 Pacific Avenue, Bremerton, WA 98337.

Please be advised that the WSHRMA study group is not intended to and will not provide the training necessary to learn significant amounts of new material. For more information, email our Certification Director: Tracy Gibson, at tgibson@chapman.edu or telephone at (360) 259-8717.

About the SPRH/PHR Certification

This information shared with you from the HRCI Official website located at www.hrci.org

HRCI Professional Certification

The Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) is the leading independent, internationally recognized certifying body for the HR profession. HRCI certifications require professionals to demonstrate their expertise in the core principles of HR practice and the application of those principles. HRCI's three core certifications meet the needs of nearly every HR professional. 

Certification is a voluntary action by a professional group to establish a system to grant recognition to professionals who have met a stated level of training and work experience. Certified individuals are usually issued a certificate attesting that they have met the standards of the credentialing organization and are entitled to make the public aware of their credentialed status, usually through the use of initials (i.e., PHR or SPHR) after their names.

Certifications differ from certificate programs because certifications include an experience component. Certificate programs, on the other hand, award certificates once a course of study has been completed and do not require previous work experience.

HRCI offers four certifications for HR professionals:

PHR (Professional in Human Resources)

SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources)

GPHRTM (Global Professional in Human Resources) PHR-CA and SPHR-CA (PHR with state certification in California and SPHR with state certification in California)

Recertification
When you became certified-whether it was last month, last year or three or more years ago-you demonstrated not only your support of the HR profession, but your personal commitment to excellence in the field.

Recertification demonstrates your continued dedication to stay up to date with the rapidly changing HR profession. To retain the PHR, SPHR or GPHR designations, HRCI requires all certificants to recertify every three years either by accumulating 60 educational hours through continuing education, instruction, on-the-job experience, research and publishing, leadership activities, or membership in a national or international professional organization such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), or by retaking the examination ("recertification by examination"). This section of the website discusses how to recertify by accumulating continuing education hours. For more information about how to recertify by retaking the exam, please refer to the most recent version of the GPHR or PHR and SPHR Certification Handbook. The cost to recertify by documenting 60 credit hours of continuing education is $100. The cost to recertify by retaking the exam is the same as for candidates attempting to certify. To download a PDF version of the recertification application form, please click here Recertification Application Form.

HRCI PHR/SPHR Exam Information

- Please contact www.HRCI.org for exam application details or to register for the exam -

HRCI Testing and Application Schedule:

2008 Exam Schedule
Exam: PHR/SPHR
Testing Window Duration: 8 weeks
1st Testing Window: May 1 - June 30, 2008
2nd Testing Window: Dec. 1, 2008 -- Jan. 31, 2009

HRCI Certification Exam Requirements: The PHR and SPHR are generalist exams and assess knowledge of the entire domestic HR field. If you have never been an HR generalist or do not plan to become one, please evaluate whether these exams are right for you

Certification is intended for professionals who have at least two years of exempt-level (professional) HR work experience. To be eligible to take either exam, candidates must demonstrate that:

At least 51 percent of their daily activities are within the human resource function;

Those activities are at the exempt (professional) level (described below).

The exams reflect current HR practices. Although the two years of exempt-level (professional) HR work experience need not be current or sequential, more recent experience is more likely to coincide with the exam's content.

Choosing the Appropriate Exam - PHR or SPHR?

You should choose the exam that best represents your mastery of the HR body of knowledge. http://www.shrm.org/learning/ HRCI has found that appropriate exempt-level HR work experience and educational background contribute significantly to success on the exams.

PHR:

Required exempt-level (professional) HR experience: 2 years
Recommended exempt-level (professional) HR experience: 2-4 years

The ideal PHR candidate:

Focuses on program implementation.

Has tactical/logistical orientation.

Has accountability to another HR professional within the organization.

Has two to four years of exempt-level generalist HR work experience, but because of career length may lack the breadth and depth of a more senior-level generalist.

Has not had progressive HR work experience by virtue of career length.

Focuses his or her impact on the organization within the HR department rather than organization-wide.

Commands respect through the credibility of knowledge and the use of policies and guidelines to make decisions.

SPHR:

Required exempt-level (professional) HR experience: 2 years
Recommended exempt-level (professional) HR experience: 6-8 years.

The ideal SPHR Candidate:

Designs and plans rather than implements.

Focuses on the "big picture."

Has ultimate accountability in the HR department.

Has six to eight years of progressive HR experience.

Has breadth and depth of HR generalist knowledge.

Uses judgment obtained with time and application of knowledge.

Has generalist role within organization.

Understands the effect of decisions made within and outside of the organization.

Understands the business, not just the HR function.

Manages relationships; has influence within overall organization.

Commands credibility within organization, community and field by experience.

Possesses excellent negotiation skills.

Success depends on mastery of the HR body of knowledge as reflected in the test specifications.

Candidates should carefully assess their qualifications, using the guidelines stated above, before selecting the level of certification desired. Please see the HRCI Handbook for more detailed eligibility requirement information. Handbook