HR’s Body of Knowledge evolves with business world

The business world is changing – and the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA) and its member provincial associations are working to raise the standards of the HR profession. Our organizations are also working together to ensure HR professionals are equipped with the skills they need to fill their increasingly important role within the workplace.

Over the last two years, the CCHRA has been reviewing the HR profession’s Body of Knowledge – the knowledge, skills, abilities and other attributes required for an individual working in HR to demonstrate their professional competence in the workplace. The review is crucial to ensure the Body of Knowledge still reflects the profession today.

“Through a national recertification processes, we can ensure that HR practitioners remain current across the country,” says Diane Wiesenthal, Past-President of the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations. “Moreover, the HR profession gains credibility through a solid national designation strategy, one that will help elevate the profession in the eyes of business and the general public.”

The review process sought input from representatives from the HR, business and academic communities, and also included a survey of current CHRPs.

The findings showed that overall, the functions or capabilities of HR had not substantively changed since the Body of Knowledge was first elaborated in the late 1990s. What has changed, however, is the emphasis on some of those functions or capabilities.

“The role of the Human Resources practitioner is changing to meet emerging global marketplace challenges. Organizations are understanding first hand the value that the human resources professional can bring to the strategic table,” says CCHRA President Merrill Brinton.

Based on these findings, the CCHRA’s Independent Board of Examiners (IBE) revised the functional dimensions and the weightings for each dimension in the Body of Knowledge. The updated weightings will be reflected in the National Knowledge ExamTM (NKE) and the National Professional Practice AssessmentTM (NPPA), starting October 2008.

For those preparing to write the NKE, this means that more emphasis in the exam will be placed on professional practice and staffing than before. CHRP Candidates preparing to write the NPPA (or CHRPs who are recertifying by writing the NPPA) will notice that the weightings for Staffing, Total Compensation and Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness have increased.

This means exam-takers will want to alter their study strategies to match the updated weightings. What it doesn’t mean, however, is that the designation will be based on all-new capabilities: The updating of the HR Body of Knowledge is simply reflective of the evolution of the profession.

“Our intent is to keep the exams fresh and relevant to the HR profession and that means there will be ongoing reviews of the RPCs^TM,” says Vic Catano, Chair of the IBE.
Sidebar:

What are the HR Body of Knowledge, the Functional Dimensions and the RPCs^TM?

In Canada, HR’s common Body of Knowledge has been well established and is kept current through CCHRA and its member associations. The Required Professional Capabilities form the Body of Knowledge, and are organized into seven HR-related areas (called functional dimensions).

The RPCs^TM are based on the core capabilities of the HR profession and HR policies and practices used in Canada. They are the foundation of the National Knowledge ExamTM (NKE) and the National Professional Practice AssessmentTM (NPPA). These exams test HR professionals’ academic and experiential knowledge of the RPCs^TM respectively – and lead to the national Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation.

Ultimately, the RPCs^TM – and national exams – cover what an HR professional should know and be able to do while working in the profession. Mastery of the RPCs^TM is what all Canadian HR professionals should strive toward; it is embodied in the CHRP designation.

For more information, please visit the CCHRA website.