Should the person running your HR department have a degree or certification in human resources, and should they be a member of SHRM?

A certification is a very-nice-to-have but not really necessary as long as the person is knowledgeable from work experience on policy and the rights of the employees and the employer.

They should at the very least pay the $180 a year for SHRM membership. It’s kind of like the daily news for everything related to employment law, Human Resources best practices as well as white pages on everything from the ADA to company dress code. A certification is a very-nice-to-have but not really necessary as long as the person is knowledgeable from work experience on policy and the rights of the employees and the employer. I have a PHR certificate and make no mistake, the exam is grueling. You have to know basically everything from an academic side to an in practice side. Questions cover everything - COBRA administration, unemployment laws, laws that differ from state to state and country to country, immigration hiring and that whole set of laws and guidelines. It’s a lot. But if you pass the 4-hour exam it does show that you committed yourself to learning it all and know your stuff. Finally a degree in HR is also great but not needed. I’ve spent my 22 year career in HR and I have a bachelors degree in communications.