10+ Best HR Certifications For Beginners & HR Professionals

If you are an aspiring HR or already an experienced professional, go through this list and comparison of some of the best HR certifications for beginners as well as HR professionals:

Human Resources refers to the workforce equipped with a company, in order to handle its tasks. But then arises a need for a professional, who can direct the workforce, track their performance and find the best talents for the company, in order to bring about the best results.

The demand for HR professionals has increased many folds in the last few years.

In a study by Zippia, it was found that 67.5% of the HR managers are females and the average annual salary of a Human Resources Manager is $80,699.

How To Become An HR Professional

If you aspire to become an HR professional, you can opt for a graduate program, then a Master’s level degree in Human Resource Management. You can even become an HR professional without having a degree in HR.

You can start as a fresher and you will ultimately learn professional HR skills in some time. Going for an HR certification can also be extremely fruitful in many ways.

Why you should go for an HR certification?

An HR certification course has many merits, which can be stated as under:

• It is usually more affordable, as compared to a graduate or postgraduate program.
• It is less time-consuming.
• You can opt for a role-specific certification course.
• It can make you more productive and efficient in your role by making you learn about modern, improvised techniques.
• There are several highly affordable and beneficial courses for beginners as well.

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In this article, we will give you a list of HR certifications and detailed information about them. You can also go through the comparison table to find the one which is best for you.

List Of The Top HR Certifications

Enlisted below are some popular human resource management certificates:

1. HRCI Certification PHR
2. SHRM Certification
3. HRCI Certification SPHR
4. AIHR Organizational Development
5. CPLP-Certified Professional in Learning & Performance
6. AIHR Strategic HR Leadership
7. upstartHR Entry Level HR Course
8. eCornell Human Resources Certificate Program
9. Golden Gate University Human Resource Management Certification
10. Human Capital Institute

Comparing Top Best Human Resource Certifications

Detailed reviews:

#1) HRCI Certification PHR

Best for being a highly reputed certification for HR professionals.

HRCI is one of the best Human Resource certification platforms, which has been rendering its services for more than 45 years. It offers 6 different certifications for beginners and experts. The PHR certification remains valid for 3 years. Then you need to retake the exam or earn recertification credits.

Who can do this certification?

HRCI offers HR certifications for beginners as well as experts in the HR field. PHR certification is for HR professionals only.

Fees: $395 (Examination fee) + $100 (Application fee).

Duration: You just need to give an exam. The exam duration is 2 hours.

Exam details: The exam for PHR certification comprises the following topics:

• Employee and Labor Relations
• Business Management
• Talent Planning and Acquisition
• Total Rewards
• Learning and Development

They also provide exam preparation material. The exam consists of 90 (mostly multiple choice) questions and 25 pretest questions. You can give the exam online, either from your home or from the office.

Eligibility: For the Professional in Human Resources certifications, you should either have a Master’s or higher degree in HR + one year of experience, or a Bachelor’s degree with 2 years of experience, or an experience of at least 4 years in a professional-level HR position.

URL: HRCI Certification PHR

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#2) SHRM Certification

Best for HR professionals at a strategic or operational level.

SHRM offers two credentials, namely, SHRM-CP (Certified Professional), which is for the HR professionals at the operational level, as well as SHRM-SCP (Senior Certified Professional), which is for the HR professionals at the strategic level.

They have been providing their certification programs for 70 years. Their certifications help you in advancing your career by making you learn and get prepared for business challenges.

Who can do this certification?

Only HR professionals can do this certification. You can still apply if you do not have an HR degree. But the experience of at least a year in an HR role is a must.

Fees: Fee structure is as follows:

Exam details:

The exam can be given from your home. They also let you practice for your exam with the help of some learning resources they offer. These resources are in the form of self-study material, webinars, and instructor-led learning.

Eligibility: The eligibility criteria for applying for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification are as follows:

URL: SHRM Certification

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#3) HRCI Certification SPHR

Best for experienced HR professionals or leaders who want to get more command over their roles.

SPHR or Senior Professional in Human Resources is a highly trusted certification offered by HRCI.

They help in the advancement of the people in business. Professionals from more than 100 countries opt for HRCI for credentials.

Who can do this certification? You can do this certification even if you do not have a degree in HR. But you need experience of at least 7 years as an HR professional (if you do not have even a graduation degree).

The required experience is lesser if you have a master’s or a bachelor’s degree.

Fees: $100 Application Fee + $495 Exam Fee.

You can also opt for SPHR Second Chance Test Insurance by HRCI at $250.

Duration: The exam duration is 2 hours and 30 minutes. Answer 115 questions (mostly multiple-choice) + 25 pretest questions.

Exam details: The examination covers the following topics:

• Leadership and Strategy
• Employee Relations and Engagement
• Talent Planning and Acquisition
• Learning and Development
• Total Rewards

They provide paid preparation resources for the exam.

Eligibility: You can be considered as eligible for SPHR certification if you qualify according to any one of the following criteria:

• You should have a Master’s or a higher degree, plus you should have experience of at least 4 years, as an HR professional.
• A bachelor’s degree with at least 5 years of experience as an HR professional.
• An experience of at least 7 years, as an HR professional.

URL: HRCI Certification SPHR

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#4) AIHR Organizational Development

Best for beginners.

AIHR Academy offers a certificate program for organizational development. The program is aimed at uplifting the skills and the expertise of your workforce. The best part about the program is that it is self-paced, which means that you can learn from the resources whenever you want.

Who can do this certification?

Anyone who wants to develop their HR skills.

Fees: The fee structure is as follows:

• Single: $997 (One certificate program)
• Full Access: $1,797 (10 Certificate Programs)
• Team: $2040 (10 Certificate Programs)

Duration: It’s an online, self-paced program. You need to give three hours per week, to finish the program in 10 weeks. They include 31 video lessons, assignments, and quizzes.

You can take as long as 12 months to complete one program.

Exam details: You do not need to pass any exam for the certification. You just need to complete the video lessons, assignments, and quizzes for certification.

Eligibility: You do not need to have any prior HR experience to enroll.

URL: AIHR Organizational Development

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#5) CPLP-Certified Professional In Learning & Performance

Best for HR professionals who want to uplift their professional capabilities.

CPLP, which is now known as CPTD-Certified Professional Training Development, is offered by ATD- Association for Talent Development. It acts as proof of your Complete Talent Development skills.

In a survey, it was found that 75% of HR professionals who had got certified by CPLP say that the employers have appreciated their skills of producing bigger results in less time.

Who can do this certification?

You must be an HR professional having experience of at least 4-5 years, in order to do this certification. Plus, you must have attained a professional development or talent development certification.

Fees: $900 (For members) & $1250 (For non-members).

Duration: The exam duration is 3 hours, in which you have to answer some multiple choice and some case management questions.

Exam details: The exam is computer-based and is held at testing centers, located worldwide, or at a secure location of your choice, with the help of remote proctoring.

The exam covers the following domains:

• Professional capabilities.
• Personal capabilities.
• Organizational capabilities.

Eligibility: The eligibility criteria is as follows:

• You should have experience of at least five years, as an HR professional in talent development or a related field.
• You must have completed 60 hours of professional development within the last 5 years.

OR

• An experience of at least 4 years as a professional in talent development or related fields.
• You must have earned an APTD-Associate Professional in Talent Development certification, with a good standing.

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#6) AIHR Strategic HR Leadership

Best for HR professionals who want to improve their skills in business administration, organizational design, or lean management.

The Strategic HR Leadership program run by AIHR aims at developing important skills in HR professionals, for example, organizational design, business administration, lean management, and more.

You can get a pdf file of the detailed curriculum on their website.

Further Reading => List of the Best Google Career Certificates

Who can do this certification?

Anyone who wants to uplift his HR skills.

Fees: The fee structure is as follows:

• Single: $997 (One certificate program)
• Full Access: $1,797 (10 Certificate Programs)
• Team: $2040 (10 Certificate Programs)

Duration: The program is online. You can attend the video lessons whenever you want. Complete the whole program in less than 12 months.

Exam details: There is no examination in the process. You need to complete 41 video lessons, some assignments, and some quizzes.

Eligibility: No prior experience is required to enroll.

URL: AIHR Strategic HR Leadership

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#7) upstartHR Entry Level HR Course

Best for absolute beginners who want to get the basic knowledge about the HR field.

upstartHR Entry Level HR Course is for the Newbies in the HR field. The course teaches you networking skills, interviewing skills, salary negotiation, professional development, and more.

They give you lessons. Each lesson consists of an article and a video. They also offer free eBooks to help you learn about HR operations.

Who can do this certification?

The newbies in the HR field.

Fees: $37

Duration: You can complete the course in as much time as you want.

Exam details: No exam

Eligibility: No experience is required.

URL: upstartHR Entry Level HR Course

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#8) eCornell Human Resources Certificate Program

Best for beginners, HR practitioners as well as experienced professionals.

The faculty from Cornell University’s LR school has developed 15 online, instructor-led HR certification courses. The courses focus mainly on real-world application. They offer HR certifications for beginners, HR practitioners as well as HR leaders.

Who can do this certification?

Different certifications are offered for beginners as well as professionals.

Fees: Fees structure is available on request.

Duration: There are 15 HR certifications courses offered. Each one is designed to be completed in a different time duration.

For example, a Human Resources Management program completes in a duration of 4.5 months, and a ‘Recruiting and Talent Acquisition’ program completes in 3 months.

Exam details: Details are available on request.

Eligibility: Details are available on request.

URL: eCornell Human Resources Certificate Program

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#9) Golden Gate University Human Resource Management

Best for HR aspirants.

Founded in 1901, Golden Gate University is a well-known and reputed institution. It offers an undergraduate Human Resource Management certificate. This program aims at teaching the students about the real challenges in today’s human resource industry.

Who can do this certification?

Those U.S. citizens or PR holders who have achieved an aggregate of at least 2.0-grade points in their community college, college, or university. There are separate rules for foreign students.

Fees: The fee structure is:

Duration: Details are available on request.

Exam details: Details are available on request.

Eligibility: If you want to apply for an undergraduate program at Golden Gate University, you must have achieved an average of at least 2.0 in community college, college, or university. Plus, you must have scored more than or equal to 12-semester units of previous transferable credits.

If you come from a non-native English-speaking country, then you should also submit a test report of the English Language Proficiency Admission Requirement.

URL: Golden Gate University Human Resource Management

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#10) Human Capital Institute

Best for beginners as well as established professionals who want to master a specific HR role.

Human Capital Institute offers various human resource certification programs including Leadership Development and Succession, Coaching for Engagement and Performance, Strategic Talent Acquisition, Strategic Workforce Planning, Strategic HR Leadership, Strategic HR Business Partner, People Analytics for HR, and Change Management for HR.

Their classes are available virtually as well as in-person

Who can do this certification?

Human Capital Institute offers certifications for HR professionals who want to polish their skills, as well as for those who want to be HR professionals in the future.

Fees: $1,995 for each course, except for Strategic HR Business Partner Certification, which costs $2,795.

Duration: The online certification programs last typically for 1.5 – 2 months. The in-person certification programs usually last for approximately 3 months.

Exam details: You need to pass a multiple-choice-based examination with at least 80% marks.

Eligibility: There are no specific eligibility criteria. The courses are meant for you if you are an established or an aspiring HR professional.

URL: Human Capital Institute

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Other Notable HR Certificate Programs

#11) Udemy Administrative Human Resources for Beginners

Best for being an affordable HR certification for absolute beginners.

The Administrative Human Resources course offered by Udemy, for beginners, guides you on how to find good talent, how to write interview questions, and introduces you to the roles and duties of an HR professional.

The course is affordable and is suitable for anyone who is a beginner in HR or any related field.

Fees: $13

URL: Udemy Administrative Human Resources for Beginners

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Conclusion

It is now clear that HR certificate programs can play an important role in making you more efficient in your role and thus uplifting your career.

With time, technology changes, and more improvised, modern techniques come into practice, which persuades you to be more active on the side of learning. Thus, an HR certification can undoubtedly be a highly beneficial option for an established HR professional as well as an aspiring one.

If you want to do an HR certification online, you can choose from any one of the above-listed HR certifications. Due to the pandemic, each one of them is giving virtual, online classes, or learning resources, which can be accessed from anywhere. The exams that are conducted at the end are also usually computer-based.

HRCI, SHRM, AIHR are some of the well-reputed names, whose credentials are widely accepted everywhere.

• Time taken to research this article: We spent 10 hours researching and writing this article so you can get a useful summarized list of tools with the comparison of each for your quick review.
• Total tools researched online: 15
• Top tools shortlisted for review: 11