Need SHRM/HRCI recertification credits? I have FREE information for you!

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Being an Independent Consultant and not an employee of a corporation for the past 17 months has been satisfying and stressful. I became an HR Pro to Go because of the rising stress levels related to handling human resources constant issues, problems, and the lack of understanding from senior leadership.  However, the burn out started at least 2 years prior to that.  So, you can imagine my level of concern when October 2018 snuck up on me and quickly realized my SHRM-CP and PHR certifications were expiring! Recertification is necessary and I need to get busy on that task – no time to waist!

My goodness, October was busy and stressful for me:

1. NKOTB Cruise – first and foremost (check out last years fun HERE)
2. Aging Up – those of you in running circles will understand that
3. In 2018 – 1 week extended vacation after the cruise – much needed

What I completely lost sight of was the fact that SHRM-CP (Certified Professional) and PHR (Professional HR) credentials expire three years from when I was recertified (last day of your birthday month). It’s been three years already? WOW have I done enough?

Panic

Panic mode ensues. I know I have done several webinars and conferences in the past three years. Did I have all of the information necessary to recertify?  My recertification information is always forwarded to my personal email from work so I hope I have at least half of what is necessary for this recertification. I did but still needed MORE!

Here are three sites I recommend for FREE HRCI/SHRM Recertification Credits AND great content:

Biz Library

Many of my last minute webinar credits have come from this website. This site is not only great for free webinar credits but an awesome tool for training! There are so many Learning Management Systems out there and I have used many. Biz Library is actually another tool that I would look into when researching LMS Systems – just because of the webinars that I have viewed.   I have done many webinars during my 3-year recertification cycle and I can say these are current and dare I say refreshing!  Easy to register for – if you miss one you can view on demand – and FREE!

HR Daily Advisor

This site is powered by BLR (Business & Legal Resources), it is their FREE daily source of HR tips, news, and advice, which includes awesome webinars! I just signed up for two upcoming webinars as I started to write this section.  This is a totally FREE resource for HR professionals and has so much information related to many important areas we are involved in every day: HR Management, Compensation, Benefits, Strategic Information, Leave Management, and Compliance. I highly recommend this site for all of the FREE benefits they provide. They partner with many awesome companies for their webinars…bambooHR is one of them!

Workology

I first learned of Workology during my last recertification process over 3 years ago. At that time, I participated in a couple of different webinars, which earned HRCI credits that got me over the required 60. I very much enjoyed not only the webinars but also my interaction with founder Jessica Miller-Merrill.  Today the site is a bit different and while still focused on recertifications, I learned of a new tool:  LEARN by Workology. This is membership-based HR learning with different levels: Learn-Free/Learn-Individual/Learn-Individual PRO/Learn-Team.  While I am currently a consultant with a non-consistent work pattern, I opted for the FREE membership, which allowed me to attend a couple of podcasts and webinars and receive credit for them.

What happened??  RESULTS!

HRCI (Human Resources Certification Institute)

On October 30^th, I submitted my PHR recertification application along with a $150 fee. My last recertification process was audited and there was a lot of work I needed to do to prove my credits. I know from that experience I needed to upload all of my certificates. I also asked my previous managers to write letters confirming projects that I had developed so that there was proof of all credits I was submitting. It was refreshing to hit the ‘submit’ button but concerned that I didn’t do enough.

On November 17^th, I received an email from HRCI:

HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®) has reviewed and approved your Recertification Application for your current cycle ending 10/31/2018.

Our warmest congratulations on your successful recertification! Your new cycle dates are: 11/1/2018 – 10/31/2021

SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)

On October 30^th, I submitted my SHRM-CP recertification application through the portal along with a $100 fee. This was my first time doing recertifying for SHRM. It was necessary to review the SHRM BoK (Body of Knowledge) several times to ensure my credits met the requirements.  One concern was the inability to upload documentation proof to the SHRM recertification site. This concerned me very much based on my HRCI experience.

On October 30^th, immediately after I submitted my application and fee, I received the following email from SHRM:

Congratulations, you have successfully completed your recertification for your SHRM-CP® credential!

Your next recertification period is from 11/1/2018 to 10/31/2021 11:59 PM.

I wasn’t sure the email was real – after all, I only just submitted my application. Is SHRM seeing an abundance of re-certifications based on the preliminary roll-out of the SHRM certification program three years ago? Perhaps.

That same email stated the new Recertification certificate will be sent at the end of the quarter. Guess I will have to wait until January for that!

Recertification tips:

• DO NOT WAIT to attend webinars, seminars, conferences, etc. Yes, you have three years to do everything necessary to get recertification credits. However, you may find yourself panicking at the end when you don’t need too.  Plan on attending a certain number of webinars each year. Attend a couple of HR conferences/seminars during the 3-year period. By planning and having goals, you will be where you need to be!
• Always attend MORE than you need too!
  • SHRM-CP recertification requires 60 PDC (personal development credits). These should connect to the SHRM Body of Knowledge (BoK). There are different categories and limits on what can be submitted.  click here for more information.
  • PHR recertification requires 60 total credit hours and just like SHRM, there are different categories and limits to what counts. click here for more information.
  • Be sure to familiarize yourself with the SHRM BoK as well as the HRCI recertification process because they are different. What may count for one recertification may not count for the other and limits may be different.
• Don’t forget about projects/policies/training you have researched/developed/educated employees on. I was lead on union negotiations for the first time in my HR career and that counted for a lot! Realized that counted after I had already panicked on not having enough credits.  Creating brand new policies aslo counts!

I hope you find this information helpful! Please comment below and let me know!

all the best… *judean*

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