The benefits of human resources certification

This study examines whether Human Resources (HR) certification is beneficial to HR professionals and organizations and explores the antecedents of HR certification. We surveyed 422 HR professionals from local chapters of the Society of Human Resources Management. The results indicated certified HR professionals received more pay (even after controlling for level of education and years of HR experience) and had higher occupational commitment than uncertified HR professionals. We also found that when organizations provided support for certification, HR professionals were more likely to obtain certification and had higher organizational commitment. Because we did not manipulate any variables, we were unable to make causal inferences. All of the instruments were self-reported measures (mono-method bias). Because we relied on a convenience sample, our sample might not be representative of the HR profession. HR certification may have some positive benefits for professionals such as more pay and employees who are more committed to their occupation. Organizations may want to support their employees’ HR certification efforts because of its positive relationship to organizational commitment. A certified HR professional may invest mental energy, time, and even his or her own financial resources to become and remain certified.