Many people in the HR fields are considering whether a PHR Certification is right for them.  This is one of several HR credentials that is offered by the HR Certification Institute.  They are the recognized organization that certifies for the human resources profession and has been in existence since 1976.  Here, we take a closer look at what you need to know about the certification process.

A PHR Certification or Professional In Human Resources Certification is designed for HR professions who help implement programs where they control tactical or logistical organization of their HR group.  It is not designed for those with advanced training in HR but those who are up and coming.  It also is geared towards those who work within an HR group rather than those who are applying systems to the organization as a whole.

They also recommend the training be started after at least 2 years of work experience.  This is designed to help ensure you get more out of the training as you will be able to draw on your own personal experience.  However, the actual requirements to take the exam require one of the following:

1.       A year of professional HR training along with a Master’s degree or higher,

2.       2 years of professional HR Training with a Bachelor’s degree or

3.       4 years of professional HR Training with less than a Bachelor’s degree.

To get the PHR certification, you will need to pass the certification exam.  It is a 225 multiple choice question exam that lasts 4 hours.  The exam itself will key on 7 different topic areas: Strategic Business Management, Workforce Planning and Management, Human Resource Development, Total Rewards, Employee and Labor Relations, and Risk Management.  These topic areas are developed from the PHR/SPHR Body of knowledge.  The actual cost of the exam is currently $300.

There are also different versions for the exam which cuts down the risk of cheating.  The odds are that the people next to you will be taking a different exam.  The exams are given at two periods during the year: May-June and Dec-Jan.  To properly train for this exam, most people take a course offered by a number of organizations like the Society For Human Resources Management or online and offline colleges.  The actual length of the courses can vary depending on the program offering the course.  However, you can reasonably expect to spend anywhere from 2 to 6 months training.  The cost too will vary depending on the organization offering the course.

Now, to keep the PHR Certification up-to-date, you will need to recertify every 3 years.  To get recertified, all you will need to complete some continuing education classes.  This is pretty standard for most certifications to have to complete some continuing education courses.  This is actually a benefit to practitioners as it helps keep you abreast of any recent changes to popular topics and practices.

By keeping all these different things in mind, you should have a better understanding of the process to getting a PHR Certification.  Many people have found this certification to provide them with a number of bneefits that has helped them with their current job and overall career path.  Maybe it is time that you added your name to the list.