Feb 14, 2022 | Barry Lawrence, HRCI Staff Writer

Only 10 percent of Certifications, Including HRCI Programs, Are Accredited

When choosing to join the ranks of credentialed human resource management practitioners through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®), you probably wondered: Is this certification legit, fairly awarded and credible as a true demonstration of my competencies and value as an HR professional?

The answer to those questions is where accreditation comes in, and it’s why HRCI works diligently to meet the accreditation standards of the Institute of Credentialing Excellence (ICE) and its accreditation body, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

Accreditation “enables credentialing organizations to demonstrate to the profession it represents, and to the general public . . . that [the] program has met the stringent standards set by the credentialing community,” according to ICE.

ICE has just published a new video, Value of Accreditation to help professionals and the public learn more about the importance of program-wide accreditation to ensure:

Continued quality improvement of the certification program.
Security and confidentiality.
Sound governance and operations.
Financial and resource stability.
Transparency and fairness to the profession and public.
Rigor and validity in assessments.
Appropriateness of the certification for the industry.
Program maintenance to accreditation standards.
Continued competence requirements.
Ethical conduct.
Public and stakeholder representation.
Visibility and recognition for professionals.
Value provided to credentialed professionals and their customers and clients.

It’s a long list of important and rigorous requirements of a credible certification, one of the many reasons that only 10 percent of personnel certification programs today have earned third-party accreditation through NCCA. HRCI is proud to say it is the only HR certification organization that provides the HR profession with HR generalist certification programs that meet NCCA’s requirements for quality, validity and reliability.