Why Employers Prefer Candidates with HR Certification
The behaviour of employers around the world is changing and with it, the recruitment & selection process has also changed as nowadays certifications are being considered as an advantage by the applicants in landing a job. If we specifically talk about the field of human resources management, we can see that recent trend shows us that majority of hiring’s that are taking place around the world is highly focused on selecting those candidates which have some sort of certification in the field of human resources management. So, here the question arises is that what is special in HR certifications that compel the employers to give importance to the candidate that has one?
The field of human resources management along with several other fields has advanced and with the inclusion of new concepts and constant researches have made it one of the fastest growing fields. In order to keep up with the rapid pace, people related to the field of human resources management prefer certification as one of the best ways to acquire the updated knowledge of the field. So, how do so many changes happen and why do people prefer certifications whereas there is also an option of a formal degree program? It is a very common question and people are frequently asking these sort of questions around the world and the answer is quite simple as “it depends from person to person” meaning that every person has different needs and demands and people always prefer to go for that option which suits them best because ultimately it would help them in achieving their future goals.
Before getting to the point of reasons, there is a common misconception in the general public about the difference between degree programs and certification programs and it is important to clear it. Following are some of the key points that distinguish one from another; Degree programs are detailed oriented long duration programs in which there is comprehensive list of subjects and knowledge related to the field is provided whereas certification programs are different in a way that their duration is very brief and less than the degree program and it focuses more on specialized topics or concepts of the field to which the certification is based on. There are several pros and cons of each program and it is quite difficult to say which one outweigh other in terms of overall return on investment as each of them is different than the other. So, the best way to compare the find out which one is better than the other is to analyze the recent trend to see what people are generally preferring around the world. So, you must have been thinking about should the person of human resources field focuses on getting a certification instead of a formal degree program if the certifications are that much important nowadays? It is not fair to compare the certification with the degree program as both are entirely different and each of them has their own advantages. Formal education is an entirely different thing whereas certifications only focus on particular field subject. People often get confused and mixed all of the things, certifications generally comprises of selected topics and last for a brief duration whereas the formal degree programs are more detailed oriented and comprise of several things with detailed explanations.
Well, it is obvious that it depends on the field such as if the person is related to the field of information technology then the dynamics would be entirely different. If we specifically talk about the field of human resources management then the perspective and trend would be entirely different. It is a fact that the field of human resources management has changed significantly over the years but the human resources department importance can never be underestimated in any way as it is the backbone of every business or organization whether it is public or private. There is a famous saying that if you really want to check how well your company or business is performing, you better start checking it from the human resources management department as it is responsible for each and every employee well-being in the organization and without proper workforce management, no organization can survive the today`s working environment.
So, back to the point which was the question that why people related to the field of human resources management are preferring the certification and why it is the hot field? If we look at the advantages that generally people look for when opting for the certification is the career growth. Career growth is an entirely different thing, when it comes to career growth there are several things that matter but when there is a certification to back you then things become quite easier. A certified person is more likely to get a promotion or achieve career growth than the one without it as employers know that a certified person has the right amount of knowledge and skills which would eventually help the entire organization to achieve its goals.
So, to give you a better inside about the key points of the importance of HR certifications below are some of the key aspects of certification which are one of the reasons why HR certification is so valuable for both employers and employees, the first and most important advantage that certifications bring to a personal profile of individual is an increase in practical skills which helps a lot in focusing on the job and in human resources professionals job description they need to be aware of the organizational dynamics and to get a better realization certification in the field of HR helps a lot. HR certified person gained the right amount of market insight information which helps in strategizing and implementing policies within the organization. For example, if there is a case that an employee of the organization is misleading the coworkers by spreading bad words about the organization then it is critical for the HR department to identify and handle the situation properly without having to complicate the matter further. The fortune 500 companies have a very strong system implemented in their organization related to monitoring and controlling and the human resources department manages all of that. The reason for their success is also that they always have a plan for situations and these sort of skills are usually obtained through the certification programs.
During the interview, the key point that compels the employer to select the candidate and present it with the offer is the level of understanding and planning skills it possessed. Senior professionals related to the field of human resources management shares that to be a successful person in the field of human resources management you have to constantly adapt to the changes in the field and obtain that latest skills and knowledge. Handling with challenging situations is the routine work for the human resources department professionals and every successful organization focuses highly on providing their teams of professionals with learning and development opportunities such as training programs and organizing of skill development workshops. It is obvious that obtaining certification does not guarantee success or securing a job but it opens up the door of opportunities and increase the chances of professional growth as well. If we look at the third world countries we can easily see the HR functions and culture is slightly different from what actually is through other countries. In the small-scale organization, employers do not give value or any importance to their HR department which is among one of the reasons why they are left behind and do not find growth. There are multiple NGO and other organizations that are helping the government of poor countries to develop the system of check and balance in their respective countries to enhance the standard of living in the country by ensuring that the local organizations are following regulation and laws when it comes to dealing with employees and labours.
It is also a buzz in the market that the employers around the world specially in the west or developed countries are creating stereotypes by giving preference to the certified applicants during the recruitment and selection phase which is indeed not true as after reading this article you also must have a pretty good idea of the importance of HR certifications and how it helps the organization in achieving the targets. The employer’s biggest concern is that the non-certified persons take time to develop an understanding of the organizational culture and how to handle the things properly whereas a certified person went through the specified learning process in which the required information and skills have already gained by the person which eventually helps the organization and save time and resources. As the world economy is changing to more and more information technology-oriented every day, it is now important for individuals out there who want to enter in the field of human resources management that certification could become a necessary thing in the coming days due to constant advancements in the field.