The latest surging labor organization doesn't negotiate wages, benefits or working conditions with employers. But it does offer its members strength in numbers, plenty of training and professional standards and guidelines designed to make them shine, and get ahead, at work.
The Society for Human Resource Management is the organization, and it is growing rapidly. During a three-day leadership conference in Washington, D.C., SHRM announced that membership topped 285,000 this year — a new record for the group.
During a State of the Society address, SHRM's President and CEO, Henry Jackson said: "In a word, it is 'strong.' That's because we are a growing, thriving community of HR professionals."
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If any group does need a strong advocacy organization, it is HR professionals. Myriad studies have disclosed a lack of respect for the job human resources workers do day in and day out to try to keep the corporation's administration head above water. SHRM clearly provides the tools necessary to improve one's skill set and the deliverables of the internal department.
Example: In January, SHRM began to offer members a certification program after developing a competency model for the profession that laid out standards, and expectations, for members.
Already, Jackson said, some 70,000 HR professionals have obtained SHRM Certification, either through the online tutorial pathway or by successfully passing the exam. This winter, 9,000 more have registered to take the exam to become certified.
Jackson shared other highlights from the past year, including:
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Advisers from SHRM's HR Knowledge Center answered more than 40,000 questions about the workplace, employment law and seasonal topics from SHRM members.
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The 2015 Annual Conference & Exposition was the largest SHRM conference in history, with more than 15,600 attendees from 85 countries and more than 3,500 exhibitors.
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SHRM's Advocacy Team, HR professionals who engage on state and federal legislative issues, grew to 8,000 members.
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SHRM curriculum guidelines were used in almost 400 programs at 300 colleges and universities worldwide.
"The HR profession is at its best when we share our best practices and collective wisdom and continue to raise the standards of our profession together," Jackson told more than 800 HR professionals gathered in Washington, D.C., for SHRM's annual Volunteer Leaders' Summit. "Employers are asking for the SHRM-SCP and SHRM-CP on HR job postings, showing that the business community is accepting the SHRM credential as the next generation of HR certification."
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
