SHRM Competencies

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STUDENT MATERIALS
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Acknowledgments
SHRM acknowledges the contributions of its volunteer leaders and staff members who have
served as subject matter experts for the SHRM Learning System for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP.
Subject matter experts

Brad Boyson, CHRP, HRBP, HRMP, SPHR, GPHR
Executive Director, SHRM MEA
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Todd Brodie, Ph.D., FCIPD, CHRP, SPHR, GPHR, HRMP

Global HR and Leadership Development Consultant
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Paul Chiames, SPHR

Chief Human Resources Officer
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)
Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Margaret Andreeff Matejkovic, Esq.

Matejkovic Law LLC
Richfield, Ohio, U.S.
Tom O’Connor, JD, GPHR, HRMP

HR Consultant
Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.
Nina E. Woodard, SPHR, GPHR

President and Chief 'N' Sights Officer
Nina E. Woodard & Associates
Oceanside, California, U.S.
Alejandro Zeballos, GPHR, PMP

Americas Training Lead, Accenture
Santiago, Chile
Legal compliance
Elizabeth Owens Bille, Esq., SPHR
Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Society for Human Resource Management
Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Christine V. Walters, MAS, JD, SPHR

Independent Consultant
FiveL Company
Westminster, Maryland, U.S.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Section 1: The SHRM Learning System® for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP
The SHRM Learning System
Learning System Development
Learning System Components
Using the Learning System
Section 2: The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Certifications

HR Certification
Should I Take the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP Exam?
SHRM Certification Exams
Exam Development Process
SHRM Certification Commission
Exam Experience
How Do I Register for the Exam?
Preparing for the Exam
Section 3: The SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge TM

Excerpts from the SHRM BoCK
Organization of the SHRM BoCK Document
Behavioral Competencies
HR Expertise (HR Knowledge)
Section 4: HR Competencies in Action

The Eight Behavioral Competencies
Leadership and Navigation Competency
Ethical Practice Competency
Business Acumen Competency
Relationship Management Competency
Consultation Competency
Critical Evaluation Competency
Global and Cultural Effectiveness Competency
Communication Competency
Bibliography
Introduction
Welcome to the SHRM Learning System® for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP. This Learning System
represents a significant investment in your career. Whether you are using it to prepare for the SHRM
Certified Professional (SHRM-CP™) or SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP™)
certification or to advance your professional development, you will find that the Learning System is
comprehensive, complete, and easy to use.
The SHRM Learning System for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP materials and exams are based on the
SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge™ (SHRM BoCK™), which reflects SHRM’s significant
research study of the HR profession.
This HR Competencies module includes four sections:
Section 1, “The SHRM Learning System for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP,” describes the Learning
System’s components, its development, and how you should use the Learning System to prepare
for the certification exam.
Section 2, “The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Certifications,” describes what the certification
exams are like and how they are developed and maintained to ensure their integrity, security, and
confidentiality. The section also covers the testing experience and how to decide which
certification to pursue.
Section 3, “The SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge,” includes excerpts from SHRM
BoCK describing the eight Behavioral Competencies and one Technical Competency (made up of
15 Functional Areas) that reflect the expertise HR professionals must possess.
Section 4, “HR Competencies in Action,” discusses and illustrates the eight Behavioral
Competencies included in the SHRM BoCK. It will help you more fully understand the
competencies as they apply to HR.
Section 1: The SHRM Learning System for
SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP
The SHRM Learning System
The SHRM Learning System for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP is developed by the Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM) and is intended to cover the SHRM Body of Competency and
Knowledge tested by the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certification examinations.
Each section in the Learning System’s People, Organization, Workplace, and Strategy
modules begins by stating the responsibilities and knowledge topics from the SHRM BoCK that
are addressed in that section.
However, the Learning System does not “teach the test.” There may be some content in the Learning
System not covered by the certification exams, and conversely there will be content tested in the
exams that is not covered in the Learning System. SHRM makes no warranty that use of the Learning
System guarantees passage of the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP examinations.
Neither the SHRM Certification Commission nor SHRM Certification staff have any involvement in
the SHRM Learning System. SHRM Learning System subject matter experts and instructors have no
access to actual exam questions.
Learning System Development

The SHRM Learning System is the market leader for HR certification preparation, and one of the
reasons for its success is the careful process used to develop and maintain the program.
SHRM begins pre-project planning by assembling a development team to work on the Learning
System product. The development team includes SHRM staff, subject matter experts (SMEs) who are
themselves certified, and an instructional development firm that includes content and software
developers, legal counsel, and editing and production specialists. Each member of the team brings a
special perspective and talent to the development effort. Together, the development team creates the
Learning System and updates it every year. The result is a living, breathing product that keeps pace
with the changes in the HR profession.
Learning System Components

The Learning System is a feature-rich product that allows you to learn in the way in which you feel
most comfortable. You may be using the Learning System to study on your own, or you may be part of
a chapter or corporate study group or college or university class. In any case, you will want to be
sure to use all of the Learning System components to maximize your study efforts.
Learning System Modules
There are five modules in the SHRM Learning System for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP. They include this
HR Competencies module and four modules that correlate to the knowledge domains that comprise
the HR Expertise competency: People, Organization, Workplace, and Strategy.
In addition to the content, the People, Organization, Workplace, and Strategy modules contains a
variety of helpful tools, including:
Progress check questions that are interspersed throughout the module. These help you to check
your mastery of the content as you progress.
Glossary terms that appear in boldfaced text when they are first used. Terms are defined at the
back of the module.
An index that quickly directs you to key topics.
A bibliography that provides a list of resources related to the module.
Icons that call your attention to key content. These icons appear as follows.
Throughout the People, Organization, Workplace, and Strategy modules, brief scenarios describe
how the Behavioral Competencies listed in the SHRM BoCK apply to the Functional Area under
discussion. The scenarios are titled, for example, “Leadership and Navigation Competency in
Action” and are identified by the following competency icons.
Learning System Software (at learnhrm.com)
A significant component of the SHRM Learning System for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP is the online
software. You should begin and conclude your studies with the tools in the software. We encourage
you to use all of the software features.
Using the Learning System

Approach the Learning System in the following way:
1. Take the assessment to gauge your current knowledge.
2. Use the SmartStudy tool to create your study plan and approach.
3. For each learning module:
Read and study the content presented in the module.
Study the flashcards for the module. The flashcards (in a printable or online/mobile format)
are located in the online Resource Center.
When you have completed a module, take the module test(s).
4. When you have completed studying all of the modules, visit the Resource Center and explore the
additional resources there, including HR updates, “Ask the Expert,” related links, links to
provide feedback on the Learning System, additional resources, and flashcards.
5. Take the post-test to demonstrate your learning, practice your timing, and prepare for the online
exam.
The SHRM Learning System for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP is not a textbook; it is a learning

process. Be sure that you use all of the components of the Learning System. This will help you
become well-versed in the key domain areas that make up the SHRM Body of Competency and
Knowledge.
Together the components help you to learn and retain key content and prepare for the
certification exam. Make use of both the online tools at learnhrm.com, which include the testing
software, and the learning modules, which include embedded progress check questions.
Regardless of the exam that you plan to take, for more opportunity to prepare and practice, you
can utilize both the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP levels of the software. It is always helpful to
study both levels and get as much practice as possible in answering multiple-choice and
Situational Judgment Test (SJT) questions.
Section 2: The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP
Certifications
HR Certification
Many of you have already made the decision to sit for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification; others
may be considering whether certification is valuable at this point in their career.
There are many reasons to consider certification. For instance:

Professional certification establishes credibility. Earning the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential
shows that a person has mastered the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge and has
remained current on HR developments through the recertification process.
Certification recognizes professional achievement. It is a visible reminder to coworkers and
senior management of the holder’s expertise.
Certification elevates the status of the HR profession. As the number of certified HR professionals
grows, so does the status and prestige of the certification.
Certification allows you to make a greater contribution to your organization’s success. The
knowledge and visibility you gain provide you with an opportunity to make a difference in your
organization.
From a practical standpoint, there are other individual advantages:

Certification provides a sense of personal satisfaction based on having undertaken and succeeded
in a difficult endeavor. Many newly certified HR professionals say, “I did it for myself.”
A highly valued certification gives you a distinct advantage in the job market. Similarly, when you
are hiring, certification gives you an extra measure of confidence in a candidate.
Certification is portable across different companies and positions. It moves with you as you
change companies and careers. And, for many federal employees, certification helps make the
transition from the public sector to the private sector.
Should I Take the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP Exam?

Determining whether to seek the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential is a significant decision, with
multiple factors worthy of consideration. To ensure a successful test-taking experience, assess your
eligibility first and then compare your core responsibilities with their descriptions in the SHRM
BoCK. This will help you make the most appropriate choice for attaining success as the test taker.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility to sit for an exam depends on several factors, as summarized below:
Level of certification you are seeking
Level of education you have completed
Type of educational degree attained—whether it focused on HR or on another area of
specialization
Years of experience in an HR role
Eligibility Requirements for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Credentials
While eligibility to take either certification exam is based on one’s years of experience and
level of education, choosing the certification level that is right for you requires that you assess
the type of professional experience you have acquired. The competency-focused (SJT) items in
particular may require perspective and judgment that are acquired only through experience in
more advanced HR roles. (The SJT items are described later in this section.)
Choosing the Appropriate Certification Level

Both the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certifications are based on the SHRM BoCK, which itself draws
on the SHRM Competency Model. The associated exams assess the knowledge, skills, and abilities
defined by the eight Behavioral Competencies as well as the technical knowledge contained in the
HR Expertise (HR Knowledge) competency.
To help you choose the appropriate certification level, read in the SHRM BoCK about the key
behaviors characterizing the Behavioral Competencies and the responsibilities associated with the 15
Functional Areas that comprise the HR Expertise (HR Knowledge) competency. You will note that
some behaviors and responsibilities apply to all HR professionals, while some apply to advanced
professionals. (Excerpts from the SHRM BOCK including this information can be found in Section 3
of this module.)
In general, advanced HR professionals:
Make key decisions. They make decisions about priorities for resource investment. They set
goals for HR initiatives. They are responsible to the organization’s senior leaders for HR
outcomes but not necessarily for day-to-day implementation of programs and processes.
Act in a strategic manner and with a view to the needs and goals of the entire organization, not
just HR. While all HR professionals are mindful of their role in implementing the organization’s
and HR’s strategies, advanced professionals are involved in creating those strategies, at the HR
level and often at the organizational level. They are familiar with the organization’s business
needs and with the needs of its individual divisions or functions. They have developed
relationships with functional leaders throughout the organization and with external stakeholders,
such as community leaders and government or agency representatives.
Provide guidance, often based on their experience in HR and the breadth of their understanding of
the organization.
Are more concerned with long-term trends and outcomes. To act in a strategic manner,
advanced HR leaders view their activities within a broader time frame. They look further into the
future to predict emerging needs and to assess the eventual effects of current practices.
If these characteristics do not describe your present HR role, you may want to consider applying for
the SHRM-CP certification.
And remember that once you earn your SHRM-CP designation, you cannot lose it unless you fail to
meet the recertification requirements. If you have a SHRM-CP designation and you decide to pursue
the SHRM-SCP designation, you will retain your SHRM-CP designation even if you do not achieve
the SHRM-SCP.
SHRM Certification Exams

You will see two types of items on the SHRM certification exams:
Knowledge items test mastery of the HR Expertise competency, including all four domains
(People, Organization, Workplace, and Strategy). The exam presents four possible answers, but
only one is correct.
Situational Judgment Test (SJT) items assess attainment of the eight Behavioral Competencies.
These items are connected with incidents based on the real-life experiences of HR professionals
(including advanced professionals). Each incident has multiple SJTs. The items require those
taking the test to apply the experience and skills they have acquired to assess actions that have
been taken in the incident or choose next steps. Each item presents four possible answers. One is
the best response, one is a good but not best response, and two are unacceptable responses. You
will receive full credit for selecting the best option and half credit for selecting a good but not
best option. You will receive no credit for choosing unacceptable answers.
Candidates for the SHRM-CP exam will have three to three and one-half hours to answer a total of
160 questions (90 knowledge/40 situational judgment/30 “field test” items). Candidates for the
SHRM-SCP exam will have three and one-half to four hours to answer a total of 180 questions (90
knowledge/60 situational judgment/30 “field test” items). Both exams will contain knowledge- and
competency-based questions.
“Field Test: Questions

Both the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP exams will contain 30 “field test” questions, which will not be
scored. These items will be interspersed randomly in the exams so that candidates will not know
which questions are “field test” items. Candidates’ answers to “field test” questions will not count
toward their final exam scores.
Field testing gathers data on a question’s effectiveness before the question is included on future exams
as a scored item. This process facilitates SHRM’s efforts to continuously assess and improve all
aspects of its certification program.
Weighting of Questions
To ensure accurate measurement of competencies and knowledge, the Behavioral Competencies and
the Technical Competency (the four Knowledge Domains) are covered by a specified percentage of
items on the test. Because competencies and knowledge vary with experience and job characteristics,
SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams vary as to the score weightings (and number of items) for the
Behavioral Competencies and Knowledge Domains.
The chart below illustrates the differences in the weightings for each exam. The SHRM-CP
weightings apply to the 130 scored items; the SHRM-SCP weightings apply to the 150 scored items.
If you are taking the SHRM-SCP exam, you can expect that half of your scored items will be SJT
items.
Score Weighting for Each Subject Area in the Certification Exams

Exam Development Process
Development of the examination is facilitated by and uses technology from a professional testing
service that has worked with major institutions and associations.
Their process and technology provides:

Careful evaluation of items to ensure the integrity of the assessment.
Security of test information, rigor in ensuring that items meet exam standards and test forms meet
exam specifications, and confidentiality of applicant data.
Item development for the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams consisted of three major phases: training,
development, and review/validation.
The first phase consisted of training over 60 item writers worldwide on the proper format and
conventions of item writing.
The second phase consisted of a ten-week item-writing period to develop draft items for review
and validation.
The final phase consisted of three stages of review—editorial proofreading, substantive editing
for subject matter by technical editors, and review and validation by a panel of item writers to
ensure that scoring rationales and rubrics were valid.
Upon successful completion of this review process, items were selected for exam form inclusion.
The flowcharts on the next page show the process of building knowledge items and SJT items.
SHRM Certification Commission

A new governance body, the SHRM Certification Commission, has been established to serve as a
technical advisory committee for the certifying activities of SHRM. The Commission is responsible
for ensuring the quality and impartiality of the SHRM certification program, which is designed to
meet the highest standards in the industry.
The Commission oversees all technical aspects of the certification program, including the overall
development of the exam, eligibility requirements, and issuance of recertification. Its responsibilities
include review and approval of such aspects as candidate eligibility, exam specifications, and
scoring; ensuring impartiality in certification activities; and due consideration of appeals and
complaints.
Process of Building Knowledge Items
Process of Building SJT Items
The Commission is made up of volunteers who have extensive HR and business expertise from
industries and organizations around the world. Members and the Commission chair serve two-year
terms. They are not financially compensated for their involvement with the Commission but are
reimbursed for fair and reasonable expenses that are directly related to Commission business.
Exam Experience
The SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP certification exams will be administered by computer by SHRM’s testing
delivery vendor, Prometric, which offers the following advantages to test takers:
There are a variety of testing dates within two annual testing windows: May 1 through July 15,
2015, and December 1, 2015, through February 15, 2016.
There are a number of testing centers. Prometric has more than 8,000 test centers in 160 countries.
Test results are sent by postal mail to the primary address in the candidate’s online account,
approximately six to eight weeks after closure of the exam window. To protect confidentiality, results
will not be provided by e-mail, phone, or fax.
Candidates who pass the exam will receive an official score report plus a credential certificate.
The testing centers offer a tutorial prior to the exam that will prepare you for the features and
functionality in the exam. The tutorial does not count against the time allotted for the exam.
Most Prometric test centers are open Monday through Saturday, and many have evening
hours as well. SHRM shares Prometric test centers with many other certification and licensure
programs, so apply for and schedule your exam well in advance of the testing date. The earlier
you apply, the sooner you may be able to schedule your exam for the date, time, and location you
prefer.
How Do I Register for the Exam?

To apply online:
1. Visit shrmcertification.org.
2. Create a user account.
3. During an open registration window, select SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP Certification, based on
your eligibility.
4. Complete the application form with your eligibility, job, and demographic information.
5. Sign the affirmation statement agreeing to abide by the:
SHRM Code of Ethics.
SHRM Privacy Policy.
Policies and procedures outlined in the Certification Handbook.
6. Pay for your certification exam.
7. Upon verification and/or audit, you will receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) letter via e-mail
within ten business days.
8. Schedule your exam at prometric.com/shrm or call +1.888.736.0134.
Preparing for the Exam

SHRM recommends that candidates planning to take the SHRM certification exams:
Review the BoCK thoroughly. The SHRM BoCK is the primary source of information for the
certification exams. Candidates should study all of its aspects and content, including the items
listed in the “References” and “Additional Resources” sections. Such information could prove
relevant to questions on the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams.
Review the “Score Weighting for Each Subject Area in the Certification Exams” chart above,
paying particular attention to the percentage of test questions covering each major topic area.
Candidates less familiar with certain topics, especially areas covered by a significant proportion
of test questions, are advised to allow for additional study time.
The Learning System’s software and learning modules provide you with more than 1,000
multiple-choice and Situational Judgment Test questions to test your knowledge and
competencies. Use these questions to hone your test-taking and reasoning skills. The more you
practice answering questions, the better you will become at testing. The questions emulate the
style of the questions in the exam and are based on the SHRM Body of Competency and
Knowledge, but you should not expect to see these exact questions on the exam.
The Learning System software also contains a post-test that emulates the exam format and that
will help prepare you for the certification exam.
Once you know as much as you can about the test, you can begin to prepare for the test itself and
engage in appropriate study habits. It is important for each individual to take charge of his/her own
study plan. However, there are a few characteristics that underlie effective studying:
Set study goals and a study time line. Plan and allocate time in your schedule for studying.
Study regularly. Research has shown that retention of lectures or the reading of text material
without periodic review results in:
47% forgotten in 20 minutes.
62% forgotten in one day.
75% forgotten in 15 days.
78% forgotten in 31 days.
Relate the material you are studying to what you already know.
The ideal preparation for tests is spaced reviews and interaction with and reinforcement
from others. A single encounter with a piece of information is not enough to ensure the type of
long-term learning that is necessary for success on the exams.
Section 3: The SHRM Body of Competency
and Knowledge
Excerpts from the SHRM BoCK
This section includes excerpts from the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge describing the
eight Behavioral Competencies and the 15 Functional Areas of the HR Expertise (HR Knowledge)
Technical Competency.
The BoCK drives the certification process, the certification exams, and this Learning System. It is
a complex document, but you should familiarize yourself thoroughly with it. The complete SHRM
Body of Competency and Knowledge can be found online at shrmcertification.org/SHRMBOCK.
Organization of the SHRM BoCK Document
The HR competencies and knowledge that will be assessed on the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams
are detailed in the SHRM BoCK, which includes the following sections:
Behavioral Competencies. This section describes how HR professionals utilize the eight
Behavioral Competencies to perform effectively in the workplace. Each Competency includes a
definition; a broad summary of the primary actions associated with that Competency; and key
behaviors indicative of proficiency in that Competency. The section identifies behaviors relevant
to all Professionals, and those relevant only to advanced Professionals.
Please note that some of the key behaviors relevant to all HR professionals reflect transactional
tasks in which advanced HR professionals may not be specifically proficient; nonetheless,
advanced HR professionals should understand the concepts behind these tasks and their strategic
importance. (For example, an advanced HR professional may not be required to perform the key
behavior/transactional task of daily consultation with a hiring manager; nevertheless, an advanced
HR professional should be able to ensure that such a key behavior aligns with the strategic
direction of the organization, and to mentor and develop this behavior in a junior employee.)
HR Expertise (HR Knowledge). This section covers the single technical Competency of HR
Expertise (HR Knowledge). Several introductory paragraphs explain how this Competency is
organized into four broad Knowledge Domains (covering People, Organization, Workplace, and
Strategy), divided among 15 HR Functional Areas. A subsection on each Functional Area follows,
and includes: (1) a Definition summarizing the key concepts associated with the Area; (2)
Responsibility Statements relevant to all HR professionals, and those relevant only to advanced
HR professionals; (3) pertinent illustrative Sample Applications of Competencies; and (4) key
Knowledge Topics in the Area.
See the print materials for a more easily readable version of the graphic illustrating the “SHRM Body
of Competency & Knowledge.”
Behavioral Competencies
Behavioral Competency #1: Leadership and Navigation

Definition: Leadership and Navigation is defined as the ability to direct and contribute to initiatives
and processes within the organization.
Effective leadership is associated with numerous positive employee outcomes (Barling, Christie, and
Hoption, 2011), in such areas as work attitudes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment) (Burke,
Sims, Lazzara, and Salas, 2007; Judge and Piccolo, 2004), decreased turnover, and increased job
performance (Barling et al., 2011). HR professionals at every level can demonstrate proficiency as
leaders and navigators. Early-career professionals can behave in ways consistent with organizational
culture and foster collaboration with coworkers. Mid- and senior-level HR professionals can
develop strategies to implement HR initiatives and support others’ initiatives. Executives can
establish a vision for HR initiatives, work to obtain buy-in from relevant stakeholders, serve as
transformational leaders to implement change, and lead the organization in the face of adversity. In
sum, the Leadership and Navigation Competency recognizes an important role for HR professionals
by describing needed attributes.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Leadership and Navigation for all HR professionals
include:
Exhibiting behaviors consistent with and conforming to organizational culture.
Fostering collaboration among stakeholders and team members.
Understanding the most effective and efficient ways to accomplish tasks within the parameters of
organizational hierarchy, processes, systems, and policies.
Developing solutions to overcome potential obstacles to successful implementation of initiatives.
Demonstrating agility and expertise in leading organizational initiatives or supporting the
initiatives of others.
Setting the vision for HR initiatives and building buy-in from internal and external stakeholders.
Leading the organization through adversity with resilience and tenacity.
Promoting consensus among organizational stakeholders (e.g., business unit leaders, employees,
informal leaders) when proposing new initiatives.
Serving as a transformational leader for the organization by implementing change.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Leadership and Navigation for advanced HR

professionals include:
Leading HR staff in maintaining or changing organizational culture.
Working with other executives to design, maintain, and champion the mission, vision, and strategy
of the organization.
Identifying the need for and facilitating strategic organizational change.
Developing the organizational strategy for achieving the human capital vision and mission.
Ensuring alignment between the human capital vision, mission, and organizational business
strategy.
Serving as the influential voice for HR strategies, philosophies, and initiatives within the
organization.
Managing risk, opportunities, and gaps in business strategy.
Overseeing critical large-scale organizational changes with the support of business leaders.
Ensuring appropriate accountability for the implementation of plans and change initiatives.
Setting tone for maintaining or changing organizational culture.
Championing the HR function and organizational mission and vision.
Building buy-in for organizational change with agility across senior leadership.
Behavioral Competency #2: Ethical Practice
Definition: Ethical Practice is defined as the ability to integrate core values, integrity, and
accountability throughout all organizational and business practices.
As it is for all employees, it is important that HR professionals to be ethical, to consider the core
values of their organization and act with integrity. Beyond adhering to rigorous ethical standards
themselves, HR professionals are often tasked with creating ethical HR systems or reinforcing an
organization’s ethical climate. These efforts serve several purposes. Most notably, implementing a
strong ethical climate can help protect an organization from adverse employee behavior. Ethical HR
systems are essential to organizations because they are associated with higher levels of organizational
performance (Lado and Wilson, 1994).
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Ethical Practice for all HR professionals include:
Maintaining confidentiality.
Acting with personal, professional, and behavioral integrity.
Responding immediately to all reports of unethical behavior or conflicts of interest.
Empowering all employees to report unethical behavior or conflicts of interest without fear of
reprisal.
Showing consistency between espoused and enacted values.
Acknowledging mistakes.
Driving the corporate ethical environment.
Applying power or authority appropriately.
Recognizing one’s personal bias and the tendencies of others toward bias, and taking measures to
mitigate the influence of bias in business decisions.
Maintaining appropriate levels of transparency in organizational practices.
Ensuring that all stakeholder voices are heard.
Managing political and social pressures when making decisions.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Ethical Practice for advanced HR professionals include:
Empowering senior leaders to maintain internal controls and create an ethical environment to
prevent conflicts of interest.
Maintaining contemporary knowledge of ethics, laws, standards, legislation, and emerging trends
that may affect organizational HR practice.
Establishing oneself as a credible and trustworthy resource to whom employees may voice
concerns.
Challenging other executives and senior leaders when potential conflicts of interest arise.
Withstanding politically motivated pressure when developing strategy.
Setting the standard as a role model of ethical behavior by consistently conforming to the highest
ethical standards and practices.
Balancing organizational success and employee advocacy when creating strategy.
Developing HR policies and internal controls to minimize organizational risk from unethical
practice.
Creating HR strategy that holds employees accountable for their actions.
Making difficult decisions that align with organizational strategies and values.
Communicating the vision for an organizational culture in which espoused and enacted values
align.
Maintaining a culture that requires all employees to report unethical practices and behavior.
Aligning all HR practices with ethics, laws, and standards.
Behavioral Competency #3: Business Acumen
Definition: Business Acumen is defined as the ability to understand and apply information with
which to contribute to the organization’s strategic plan.
HR professionals often serve in a consultative role for other organizational members and business
units, developing and carrying out HRM practices that support and are aligned with business
strategies and goals. In other words, successful HR professionals develop HR systems that positively
contribute to organizational success (Becker and Huselid, 2006). To do this effectively, HR
professionals need a well-developed proficiency in Business Acumen. This includes understanding
business operations and core functions, how HRM practices contribute to them, and the organization’s
external environment. It also means recognizing how internal and external factors interact to influence
organizational performance (e.g., the external competitive environment, internal personnel resources).
Last, it requires being able to make the case for HR management to other business professionals—that
is, marketing HR within the organization, showing how it can have a direct impact on organizational
performance.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Business Acumen for all HR professionals include:
Understanding the strategic relationship between effective HRM and core business functions.
Being capable of understanding the business operations and functions within the organization.
Using organizational resources to learn the business and operational functions.
Understanding the industry and the business/competitive environment within which the
organization operates.
Making the business case for HR management in terms of efficient and effective organizational
functioning.
Marketing HR both internally (e.g., return-on investment/ROI for HR initiatives) and externally
(e.g., employment branding).
Understanding organizational metrics and their correlation to business success.
Using organizational metrics to make decisions.
Leveraging technology to solve business problems.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Business Acumen for advanced HR professionals

include:
Ensuring that the ROIs for all HR initiatives add to organizational value.
Assessing risks/SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) of business initiatives
as they pertain to human capital, ROI, and shareholder accountability.
Aligning HR strategy, goals, and objectives to overall business strategy and objectives.
Demonstrating fluency in the language of business administration as used by senior leaders.
Developing solutions with analysis of impact on ROI, utility, revenue, profit and loss estimates,
and other business indicators.
Examining all organizational problems in terms of for integrating HR solutions to maximize ROI,
profit, revenue, and strategic effectiveness.
Evaluating all proposed business cases for HR projects and initiatives.
Benchmarking the competition and other relevant comparison groups.
Communicating direction on local and global labor market and their relation to organizational
success.
Maintaining expert knowledge of business lines and products/services, as well as the competitive
market.
Developing HR business strategies to drive key business results.
Maintaining expert knowledge of economic factors and the impact of the economic environment
impact on industry and organization operations.
Evaluating critical activities in terms of value added, impact, and utility derived from a cost-
benefit analysis.
Maintaining expert knowledge of key industry and organization metrics—that is, ‘knowing the
business.’
Setting HR and business technology strategy to solve business problems and needs.
Serving as a strategic contributor to organizational decision-making regarding fiscal,
product/service lines, operations, human capital, and technological areas.
Influencing government policy and proposed regulations.
Developing business strategy with top leaders of the organization.
Defining strategy for managing talent within the confines of the labor market.
Behavioral Competency #4: Relationship Management
Definition: Relationship Management is defined as the ability to manage interactions to provide
service and to support the organization.
Because HR professionals regularly interact with clients and stakeholders, job success is a function
of an HR professional’s abilities to maintain productive interpersonal relationships and to help others
do the same—to display competency in managing relationships. Research has documented positive
outcomes associated with productive and healthy interpersonal relationships in the work environment
(Reich and Hershcovis, 2011). Positive formal relationships (e.g., between employee and supervisor)
are associated with such beneficial outcomes for employees as improved feelings of belonging and
inclusion in the workplace (Alvesson and Sveningsson, 2003), more salary, increased promotions,
greater career mobility, and other rewards (Allen, Eby, Poteet, Lentz, and Lima 2004). Positive
informal relationships are associated with greater job satisfaction, involvement, performance, team
cohesion, and organizational commitment, positive work atmosphere, and lessened turnover intentions
(Berman, West, and Richter, 2002).
Employees who have better interpersonal relationships with coworkers and supervisors also may
perceive the organization as more supportive (Wallace, Edwards, Arnold, Frazier, and Finch, 2009),
may be more committed to the organization, and may experience increased perceptions of fitting in
with the organization (Kristof-Brown, Zimmerman, and Johnson, 2005). In sum, healthy interpersonal
relationships at an organization contribute positively to both employee and organizational success.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Relationship Management for all HR professionals

include:
Establishing credibility in all interactions.
Treating all stakeholders with respect and dignity.
Building engaging relationships with all organizational stakeholders through trust, teamwork, and
direct communication.
Demonstrating approachability and openness.
Ensuring alignment with HR strategy for delivering services and information to the organization.
Providing customer service to organizational stakeholders.
Promoting successful relationships with stakeholders.
Managing internal and external relationships in ways that promote the best interests of all parties.
Championing the view that organizational effectiveness benefits all stakeholders.
Serving as an advocate when appropriate.
Fostering effective teambuilding among stakeholders.
Demonstrating the ability to effectively build a network of contacts at all levels within HR and the
community, internally and externally.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Relationship Management for advanced HR

Designing strategies for improving performance metrics for relationship management.
Networking with and influencing legislative bodies, union heads, and external HR leaders.
Championing organizational customer service strategies and models.
Negotiating with internal and external stakeholders to advance the interests of the organization.
Designing strategies to ensure a strong customer service culture in the HR function.
Creating conflict resolution strategies and processes throughout the organization.
Overseeing HR decision-making processes to ensure consistency with HR and business strategy.
Developing strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Fostering a culture that supports intraorganizational relationships (e.g., silo-busting).
Designing strategic opportunities and venues for building employee networks and relationships.
Proactively developing relationships with peers, clients, suppliers, board members, and senior
leaders.
Behavioral Competency #5: Consultation
Definition: Consultation is defined as the ability to provide guidance to organizational stakeholders.
HR professionals often act as internal consultants or experts on human capital issues within their
organizations. In this role, HR professionals can help business units address such challenging issues
as staffing, training and development, employee performance, and employee relations (Combs, Liu,
Hall, and Ketchen, 2006). To be a successful human capital expert, HR professionals must possess
requisite knowledge about HRM practices and have the ability to guide internal stakeholders. The
most effective HR professionals use a process of engagement and interaction to translate complicated
information into actionable recommendations for end users. HR professionals must be able to analyze
business challenges, generate creative solutions, and provide accurate, timely guidance based on best
practices and research that account for the organization’s unique internal and external environments.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Consultation for all HR professionals include:

Applying creative problem-solving to address business needs and issues.
Serving as an in-house expert on workforce and people management.
Analyzing specific business challenges involving the workforce and offering solutions based on
best practices or research.
Generating specific organizational interventions (e.g., change management, culture change,
restructuring, training) to support organizational objectives.
Developing consultative and coaching skills.
Guiding employees as to specific career situations.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Consultation for advanced HR professionals include:

Creating talent management strategies by utilizing innovative business solutions that align with and
drive business strategy.
Listening to business leaders’ challenges.
Developing visions for critical solutions to organizational human capital challenges.
Identifying opportunities to provide HR and business solutions that maximize ROI for the
organization.
Using appropriate analytical tools enabling other leaders to provide input on strategic decisions.
Identifying creative solutions for the organization and its business units.
Supervising HR investigations together with legal counsel.
Recognizing excessive HR liabilities and providing proactive strategic guidance for remediation.
Coaching executives on people-management issues.
Designing strategic HR and business solutions.
Behavioral Competency #6: Critical Evaluation
Definition: Critical Evaluation is defined as the ability to interpret information with which to make
business decisions and recommendations.
HR can enhance the effectiveness and usefulness of human capital programs by using appropriate data
to inform their development and monitor their success. One example of this data is human capital
metrics, which quantify such items as the time to fill a position and the cost per hire. HR functions that
collect and properly utilize HR metrics to inform HR activity not only add value to the role of HR in
organizations, they are seen as more reliable strategic partners (Lawler, Levenson, and Boudreau,
2004). The rise of data-based HRM practices (such as the increasingly frequent use of “big data” by
HR departments) is clearly evident. HR professionals are currently being asked to inform their
decisions with data, and this trend is likely to continue and expand in the coming years.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Critical Evaluation for all HR professionals include:
Making sound decisions based on evaluation of available information.
Assessing the impact on organizational HRM functions of changes in the law.
Transferring knowledge and best practices from one situation to the next.
Applying critical thinking to information received from organizational stakeholders, and
evaluating what can be used for organizational success.
Gathering critical information.
Analyzing data with a keen sense for what is useful.
Analyzing information to identify evidence-based best practices.
Delineating a clear set of best practices based on experience, evidence from industry literature,
published peer-reviewed research, publicly available web-based information, and other sources.
Identifying leading indicators of outcomes.
Analyzing large quantities of information from research and practice.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Critical Evaluation for advanced HR professionals

include:
Maintaining expert knowledge in the use of data, evidence-based research, benchmarks, and HR
and business metrics to make critical decisions.
Maintaining expert knowledge and ability to interpret data and make recommendations.
Making decisions with confidence based on analysis of available information to drive business
success.
Setting the direction of HR and the organization through evaluation of risks and economic and
environmental factors.
Seeking information in a strategic, systematic manner for use in decision-making.
Analyzing information necessary for evaluating and using data and additional information to make
effective decisions.
Sponsoring initiatives for process improvement using evidence-based solutions.
Communicating the impact on organizational strategy of relevant and important findings from data
analysis.
Applying findings to build effective and creative polices within an organizational context.
Utilizing one’s awareness and experience of external/environmental factors in decision-making.
Challenging assumptions and critically examining all initiatives and programs.
Providing a strategic view to direct and prioritize decision-making.
Behavioral Competency #7: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
Definition: Global and Cultural Effectiveness is defined as the ability to value and to consider the
perspectives and backgrounds of all parties in global business.
Diversity within a team or organization can facilitate success by fostering creativity, promoting
healthy working relationships, and equipping the organization with an opportunity to connect with a
wider audience (Jayne and Dipboye, 2004). In light of the proactive attempts of many organizations to
increase the diversity of their own workforces in the context of today’s increasingly global
workforce, HR professionals must be able to effectively and respectfully interact with colleagues,
customers, and clients of varying backgrounds and cultures.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Global and Cultural Effectiveness for all HR
Having a strong set of core values while adapting to particular conditions, situations, and people.
Maintaining openness to others’ ideas and making decisions based on experience, data, facts, and
reasoned judgment.
Demonstrating nonjudgmental respect for others’ perspectives.
Working effectively with diverse cultures and populations.
Conducting business with understanding and respect for the differences in rules, customs, laws,
regulations, and business operations between one’s own culture and all cultures.
Appreciating the commonalities, values, and individual uniqueness of all human beings.
Possessing self-awareness and humility, to learn from others.
Embracing inclusion.
Adapting one’s perspectives and behaviors to meet the cultural context.
Navigating the differences between commonly accepted practices and laws when conducting
business in other nations.
Operating with a global, open mindset while being sensitive to local cultural issues and needs.
Operating with a fundamental trust in other human beings.
Taking the responsibility to ensure inclusion by teaching others about the differences and benefits
that multiple cultures bring to the organization.
Incorporating global business and economic trends into business decisions.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Global and Cultural Effectiveness for advanced HR
Setting the strategy to leverage global competencies for competitive HR advantages.
Using a global economic outlook to determine impacts on the organization’s human capital
strategy.
Maintaining expert global and cultural knowledge/experience.
Maintaining expert knowledge of global economic trends.
Understanding global labor markets and associated legal environments.
Fostering the organization’s cultural norms.
Proving the ROI of a diverse workforce.
Managing contradictory or paradoxical practices, policies, and cultural norms to ensure cross-
cultural harmony and organizational success.
Integrating perspectives on cultural differences and their impact on the success of the organization.
Setting the vision that defines the strategic connection between employee diversity and
inclusiveness practices and organizational success.
Building cross-cultural relationships and partnerships.
Behavioral Competency #8: Communication
Definition: Communication is defined as the ability to effectively exchange information with
stakeholders.
Effective communication is one of the building blocks of personal and career success (Showry and
Manasa, 2012). This is particularly true for HR professionals. HR professionals at junior career
levels may need to field employee grievances, conduct investigations, and intervene to resolve
employee interpersonal challenges. Senior-level HR professionals are often required to interact with
a variety of stakeholders—to develop, interpret, and distribute policy and initiative information to
employees, and to collaborate with other organizational units in addressing business challenges from
a human capital perspective. Especially at senior and executive career levels, effective
communication is essential for describing the leader’s vision, the organization’s mission, new
initiatives, goal-setting, and progress. When HR information is communicated well, employees better
understand the purpose and value of policies and practices. For example, employees whose managers
effectively communicate HR practices and policies to them perceive the organization’s HRM to be
more effective, which in turn positively affects employee satisfaction and business unit performance
(Den Hartog, Boon, Verburg, and Croon, 2013).
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Communication for all HR professionals include:

Providing clear, concise information to others in verbal, written, electronic, and other
communication formats for public and organizational consumption.
Listening actively and empathetically to the views of others.
Delivering critical information to all stakeholders.
Seeking further information to clarify ambiguity.
Providing constructive feedback effectively, treating it as a developmental opportunity.
Communicating proactively.
Ensuring effective communication throughout the organization.
Providing proactive communications.
Demonstrating an understanding of the audience’s perspective.
Welcoming the opportunity to discuss competing points of view.
Helping others consider new perspectives.
Leading meetings effectively and efficiently.
Helping managers communicate on issues other than HR.
Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Communication for advanced HR professionals include:

Articulating the alignment between organizational HR initiatives and organizational strategy.
Communicating the corporate mission and vision to other stakeholders.
Creating strategy to develop a culture that fosters efficient and effective interactions and decision
making.
Crafting messages to be delivered to stakeholders on high-visibility organizational issues.
Negotiating with stakeholders to reach the best possible outcomes.
Soliciting feedback and buy-in from executive-level stakeholders.
Developing strategy for organizational communication systems.
Delivering strategic messages supporting HR and business.
Building support through clear communications.
Communicating HR vision, practices, and policies to other stakeholders.
Comfortably communicating with audiences of all sizes.
Today’s employers require HR professionals to demonstrate competency in HR behaviors, as outlined
above, as well as knowledge of HR topics, which is outlined here. The need for practical as well as
technical expertise is a business reality for the modern practice of HR that is reflected in the SHRM
BoCK by the Technical Competency HR Expertise (HR Knowledge). As with the eight Behavioral
Competencies in the SHRM Competency Model, this Competency was developed and validated
through extensive research with HR professionals. This section is focused on describing the
Knowledge Domains and HR Functional Areas that comprise the HR Expertise (HR Knowledge)
Competency.
What Are HR Functional Areas of Knowledge?

In the SHRM BoCK, HR Expertise (HR Knowledge) has been grouped by common themes into four
broad Knowledge Domains: People, Organization, Workplace, and Strategy. These four Domains
are associated with HR Functional Areas of knowledge: the knowledge required to perform a
specific HR activity (e.g., Talent Acquisition and Retention, Employee Relations).
There are 15 HR Functional Areas of knowledge—what HR professionals need to know to perform

their job responsibilities. The HR Functional Area of Business and HR Strategy forms its own
Knowledge Domain of Strategy; the remaining 14 HR Functional Areas form the remaining three
Knowledge Domains of People, Organization, and Workplace.
This part of the SHRM BoCK outlines the specific content of each Functional Area listed above.
Each subsection contains a four-part description of the Functional Area under discussion (all of
which will be tested on the certification exam):
Definition: The types of activities associated with the Functional Area, and how they add value to
the organization.
Responsibility Statements: The specific actions indicative of proficiency in that Functional

Area. This includes responsibilities applicable to all HR professionals, and responsibilities
applicable only to advanced HR professionals (six or more years of experience). While the latter
responsibilities are generally more strategic in nature, advanced HR professionals should be
familiar, at a strategic level, with the concepts related to all responsibility statements.
Sample Application of Competencies: Examples of the behavioral and technical KSAs that are
relevant to the Functional Area, and are closely associated with professionals who demonstrate
proficiency in that Area. All Competencies are relevant to each Functional Area. While every
Functional Area requires the Technical Competency of HR Expertise (HR Knowledge), effective
practice also requires the application of Behavioral Competencies. The same Competency may be
required in multiple HR Functional Areas, but will manifest itself differently in each Area through
the distinctive application of KSAs.
Knowledge Topics: The information required to perform the responsibilities in the Functional
Area. The same topic may appear in multiple Areas. (For example, the knowledge topic “metrics”
is listed in almost every Functional Area.) More specific topics are relevant only to certain Areas.
(For example, expertise in the Behavioral Competency of Communication covers knowledge
topics as diverse as “coaching and counseling,” listed in the Employee Engagement Functional
Area, and “social media usage,” listed in the Corporate Social Responsibility Functional Area.)
Functional Area #1: Talent Acquisition and Retention
Definition: Talent Acquisition and Retention encompasses the activities involved in building and
maintaining a workforce. HR demonstrates value by developing, implementing, and measuring the
individual and organizational success of activities and programs for sourcing, recruiting, hiring,
onboarding, orientation, and retention.
Responsibility Statements:
Key responsibilities for all HR professionals include:
Identifying and selecting appropriate interview and selection techniques that best demonstrate a
candidate’s technical skills, organizational fit, and competency alignment.
Seeking and utilizing a wide variety of talent sources to recruit, screen, and evaluate applicants.
Implementing and utilizing technology to support effective and efficient approaches to sourcing,
recruitment, evaluation, and selection.
Conducting effective background investigations.
Understanding sponsorship and visa requirements for foreign nationals.
Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Developing strategies for acquiring and retaining a high-performing workforce, using internal and
external resources.
Analyzing staffing levels to make decisions as to workforce allocation.
Assessing workforce readiness against organizational needs.
Designing job descriptions to meet organizational resource needs and to attract qualified
candidates.
Establishing an employer value proposition and employment brand that supports organizational
success.
Designing and implementing strategies for sourcing, recruiting, candidate evaluation, and
retention.
Sample Application of Competencies:

Business Acumen—The ability to understand the organization’s strategy and translate it into a
robust plan that attracts and retains high-performing individuals.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to interpret staffing plans, market data and other external PEST
(political, economic, social, and technological) data, and make sound business decisions and
recommendations at the initial phases of the employee lifecycle.
Consultation—The ability to provide guidance on planning and structuring the workforce, based
on current and future needs of the organization and key stakeholders.
Knowledge Topics:
Employee lifecycle phases
Employee retention techniques
Employer value proposition techniques
Employment branding approaches
External labor market PEST factors
External and internal recruitment approaches
Evaluation techniques
Formal assessment methods and tools
Identification of bona fide occupational qualifications (BFOQs)
Interviewing techniques
Job analysis, evaluation, and design of job descriptions
Job offer contingencies
Metrics (e.g., cost per hire, days to fill)
Recruitment approaches
Selection approaches
Sourcing approaches
Staffing projection approaches
Functional Area #2: Employee Engagement
Definition: Employee Engagement solidifies the connection among employee, manager, and the
organization’s mission, vision, values, and goals. HR demonstrates value by understanding and
leveraging the employer-employee relationship from both individual and organizational perspectives,
developing effective strategies to address appropriate expectations for performance and behavior
from employees at all levels.
Developing and implementing employee and workplace policies.
Investigating workplace harassment and misconduct.
Understanding requests for workplace accommodations and engaging key stakeholders to
determine appropriate responses.
Conducting due diligence when consulting on workplace disputes.
Designing and implementing workplace policies, handbooks, and codes of conduct.
Consulting on satisfactory employee performance and on approaches to performance management.
Designing and implementing appreciation and recognition programs.
Consulting on important workplace issues with key stakeholders.
Managing employee onboarding and assimilation processes.
Designing, conducting, and analyzing employee surveys.
Consulting with managers on how to supervise difficult employees, handle disruptive behaviors,
and respond with an appropriate level of corrective action.
Participating in the resolution of workplace disputes.
Identifying and using appropriate alternative dispute resolution techniques.

Evaluating and influencing workplace cultures and norms that allow for collaboration and
effectiveness.
Identifying appropriate conduct and behaviors that support organization cultural success.
Establishing strategies to address workplace retaliation and violence.
Developing strategies to determine the effectiveness of performance management systems.
Applying best practices for workplace flexibility to improve organizational effectiveness.
Developing infrastructure to support cultural norms and values.

Communication—The ability to ensure effective communication between the employee and the
organization, using a variety of methods and approaches.
Relationship Management—The ability to engage and retain employees through positive
interactions that support the mission, vision, values, and goals of the organization.
Consultation—The ability to effectively provide guidance and influence decisions that balance
organizational with individual needs.
Knowledge Topics:
Alternative dispute resolution techniques
Analysis of organizational culture and climate
Coaching and counseling
Cognitive biases (e.g., halo bias, similar-to-me bias)
Complaint resolution procedures
Conflict management theory and approaches
Disciplinary procedures and approaches
Employee recordkeeping and retention
Investigation techniques
Management of people
Metrics
Motivational theories
Organizational culture influences
Organizational change management
Performance management systems
Principles of effective performance appraisal techniques (e.g., goal-setting, giving feedback)
Principles of survey creation, administration, and evaluation
Recognition approaches
Retaliation prevention approaches
Workplace flexibility
Functional Area #3: Learning and Development
Definition: Learning and Development aligns organizational business needs with employees’
competencies, knowledge, and skills, effectively closing the gap between them. HR demonstrates
value by identifying and creating learning opportunities that increase employee capability and
organizational knowledge.
Developing staff capabilities using state-of-the-art learning and development strategies.
Planning for internal or external resources to deliver appropriate development interventions to
target internal audience.
Creating a forum of internal social networks for effective sharing of knowledge among employees.
Developing programs to promote the transfer of knowledge to and from experienced and junior
employees.
Advancing organizational learning and development, knowledge management, and the exchange of
information about practices and innovations.
Consulting and providing resources and processes to facilitate experiential learning and
development.

Consulting on and guiding the identification and development of critical competencies.
Designing approaches for resolving competency deficiencies in current and emerging leaders.
Creating long-term strategies to develop organizational talent.
Creating strategies to ensure the retention of organizational knowledge.

Business Acumen—The ability to understand how measures of organizational success are
positively influenced by the retention of and increase in individual knowledge, skills, and
competencies.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to analyze organizational and training needs assessments, so as
to determine the most effective learning and development solutions supporting achievement of
individual and organizational goals and objectives.
Relationship Management—The ability to manage relationships to determine appropriate
learning and development interventions supporting the achievement of organizational goals and
objectives.
Knowledge Topics:
Career development techniques
Career management philosophies
Change management approaches
Coaching styles and approaches
Competency models
Knowledge-sharing techniques
Learning evaluation approaches
Mentoring options
Metrics
Organizational intervention design and implementation approaches
Leadership development techniques
Learning theories
Needs assessment techniques (e.g., organizational, training)
Skill and competency development approaches
Training design and implementation (e.g., ADDIE model)
Training and development techniques and solutions
Functional Area #4: Total Rewards
Definition: Total Rewards encompasses direct and indirect remuneration approaches that employers
use to attract, recognize, and retain workers. HR demonstrates value by designing and administering
systems and programs (e.g., base pay, benefits, incentive pay, leave, perquisites, retirement) that
support recruitment and retention efforts.
Designing and implementing appropriate pay, benefit, incentive, and separation/severance systems
and programs.
Complying with compensation and benefits practices, laws, and regulations.
Performing accurate job analyses and evaluations.
Differentiating between government-mandated, government-provided, and voluntary benefit
approaches.

Designing organizational compensation and benefits strategies and plans that align with the
organization’s mission, vision, and values.
Designing and implementing executive compensation approaches that directly connect individual
performance to organizational success.

Business Acumen—The ability to understand organizational strategy and, in turn, create the best
balance of monetary and non-monetary payment and rewards offered to employees.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to interpret remuneration surveys, market data, and other
external PEST data, in order to make sound business decisions and recommendations about the
design, delivery, and success of a total rewards program.
Knowledge Topics:
Accounting practices and principles
Benefits (e.g., disability insurance, domestic partners, education, employee assistance programs,
families, life insurance, retirement plans, unemployment insurance, wellness programs, workers’
compensation)
External labor markets PEST factors
Fiduciary responsibilities
Income replacement programs
Job analysis, job design, job descriptions
Metrics
Perquisites
Pay practices, policies, approaches, systems, and issues (e.g., base pay, minimum wage
determinations, pay compression, pay equity, pay increases, pay levels and banding), and special
provisions (e.g., overtime)
Remuneration data analysis (collecting, analyzing, making recommendations)
Time-off plans and approaches (e.g., paid and unpaid leave, vacation/holiday)
Functional Area #5: Structure of the HR Function
Definition: Structure of the HR Function encompasses the people-related processes, theories, and
activities used to deliver HR services that create and drive organizational effectiveness. HR
demonstrates value by selecting the appropriate delivery model (e.g. Center of Excellence/COE,
generalist, shared services) with an understanding of stakeholder needs and the impact of decisions
on the overall workforce.
Understanding business lines and products/services (including revenue generation, profitability,
and the competitive market).
Implementing solutions based on analysis and understanding of the impact on the organization of
leading and lagging financial, customer, operations, and learning indicators.
Designing and implementing the appropriate servicing model (centralized versus decentralized).
Demonstrating partnership capabilities with non-HR business leaders to capitalize on
organizational success or to solve organizational issues.
Serving as the HR point-of-service contact for key stakeholders within a division or group.
Providing workforce consultation to all levels of leadership and management.
Delivering HR services and support that demonstrate one’s business knowledge and acumen
contributing to organizational success.
Analyzing data and performance indicators to ensure the effectiveness of the HR organization.

Supporting the communication, understanding, and implementation of the organization’s mission,
vision, values, and strategy.
Designing and implementing the HR operational structure to ensure efficient and effective delivery
of services.
Developing appropriate measures and metrics (e.g., balanced scorecard) to demonstrate the value
of HR activities in supporting organizational success.

Business Acumen—The ability to understand and apply organizational strategy, mission, vision,
and values in developing and implementing an HR strategy and tactical plan.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to interpret workforce and employee information and data to
drive recommendations and decisions concerning people and business.
Consultation—The ability to provide balanced and thoughtful guidance to organizational
stakeholders on matters related to people and business.
Knowledge Topics:
Balanced scorecard philosophy
Centralization versus decentralization
Defined approaches to roles and functions for generalists and specialists
Due diligence methodologies
HR organizational structure and design
HR functional integration approaches
Negotiation and influence techniques
Stakeholder analysis techniques
Strategy design and implementation
Structural model approaches to HR (e.g., Center of Excellence/COE, HR business partner, shared
services)
Functional Area #6: Organizational Effectiveness and Development
Definition: Organizational Effectiveness and Development deals with the overall structure and
functionality of the organization—that is, measuring the effectiveness and growth of people and
processes from long- and short-term perspectives, and leading necessary organizational change
initiatives. HR demonstrates value by aligning the organization’s vision, mission, and goals with day-
to-day operational activities, including organizational design, development, performance measures,
and standards.
Ensuring that workforce activities are accurately reflected in job descriptions and other key
documents (e.g., applicant tracking systems, job postings, performance management systems).
Creating and monitoring metrics to assess organizational development and effectiveness.
Recognizing and eliminating barriers to organizational development and effectiveness.
Planning for internal or external resources to deliver appropriate short-term development
interventions and activities.

Consulting on, planning, and designing organizational structures that align with the effective
delivery of activities in support of the achievement of organizational strategy.
Assessing organizational needs to identify critical competencies for operational effectiveness.
Consulting on, developing, and designing performance standards and assessment metrics.

Business Acumen—The ability to understand organizational strategies and apply this knowledge
to create a plan for effective growth.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to interpret organizational information and performance data to
ensure the implementation of effective and efficient business solutions.
Relationship Management—The ability to manage interactions with key stakeholders and
provide appropriate recommendations and solutions based on in-depth organizational knowledge
and expertise.
Knowledge Topics:
Business solution and performance analysis
Change and culture metrics
Change management theories and approaches
Consulting techniques
Design approaches for a motivational work environment
Design approaches for work activity
Group dynamics
How employees learn culture
How organizational cultures are created
Influence techniques
Knowledge management approaches (e.g., organizational storytelling techniques)
Labor supply and demand analysis
Motivational theories
Organizational behavior theories
Organizational culture versus national culture
Organizational design structures and approaches (e.g., customer, functional, geographic, matrix,
program)
Organizational learning approaches
Organizational needs analysis techniques
Performance management theories, structures, and approaches
Project management approaches
Roles and responsibilities (e.g., chain of command, span of control)
Strategic-tactical alignment
Types of cultures (e.g., authoritarian, dominant cultures, mechanistic, participative, subcultures)
Understanding individual differences and perceptions
Functional Area #7: Workforce Management
Definition: Workforce Management enables the organization to meet its talent needs and close
critical skill gaps using data-driven processes (e.g., workforce planning, succession planning) that
inform HR initiatives. HR demonstrates value by facilitating financial and operational growth,
continuity, or stability.
Implementing approaches (e.g., “buy or build”) to ensure that appropriate workforce levels exist
to deliver on organizational goals and objectives.
Planning short-term strategies to build individual skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies
that support organizational bench strength.
Implementing strategies for restructuring the organization (e.g., acquisition, downsizing).
Implementing succession plans for optimizing organizational growth and effectiveness.
Designing and implementing programs and solutions for management and retention of
organizational knowledge.

Consulting on and initiating strategies to create a robust workforce plan that addresses current and
future organizational needs, including workforce size and structure.
Initiating and designing strategies (e.g., leadership development, succession planning, training) to
address organizational gaps between current and future employees’ competencies, knowledge,
skills, and abilities.
Designing and implementing strategies to retain organizational knowledge.
Designing strategies for restructuring the organization (e.g., acquisition, downsizing).

Business Acumen—The ability to understand the organization’s evolutionary stage (introduction,
growth, maturity, or decline) and ensure that the strategic plan addresses the unique needs of each
stage, in terms of size and structure.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to interpret growth or retraction patterns and data, in order to
make decisions and recommendations as to organizational size, structure, and reporting
relationships, as well as the acquisition (internally developed or externally obtained) of
competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Relationship Management—The ability to manage interactions with key stakeholders and
provide appropriate recommendations and solutions that address current and future organizational
gaps.
Knowledge Topics:
Communication techniques
Employee development techniques and approaches
Knowledge management, retention, and transfer techniques
Learning theories and philosophies
Needs assessment techniques (e.g., organizational, training)
Restructuring approaches
Succession planning techniques
Workforce planning techniques and analyses (e.g., gap and solution, implementation and
evaluation, supply and demand, workforce profile)
Functional Area #8: Employee Relations
Definition: Employee Relations refers to any dealings between the organization and its employees
regarding the terms and conditions of employment. HR demonstrates value by ensuring that the
appropriate framework, mindset, and practices are in place to embrace or react or respond to the
employment relationship, including relationships with employee representatives.
Managing union/employee representative interactions.
Engaging in appropriate and lawful union-management practices.
Representing the organization’s interests in union-management activities.
Managing the collective bargaining process, when appropriate.
Resolving workplace labor disputes internally.
Managing arbitration and mediation processes.
Participating in or facilitating alternate dispute resolution processes.
Understanding and making recommendations to respond to other types of employee representation
(e.g., government, legal).

Consulting on and developing an effective labor strategy (i.e., avoidance or acceptance) with the
desired impact on the organization and its workforce.
Educating employees, managers, and leaders at all levels about the organization’s labor strategy
(i.e., avoidance or acceptance) and its impact on the achievement of goals and objectives.

Ethical Practice—The ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriate levels of transparency
in ways that balance the needs of employees and the organization.
Relationship Management—The ability to manage interactions that balance organizational and
employee needs.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to interpret labor activity information and data for making
appropriate decisions about the organization’s response to employee concerns or third-party
representation.
Knowledge Topics:
Alternative dispute resolution techniques
Causes of strikes, boycotts, and work stoppages
Child labor
Collective bargaining process
Communication approaches
Contract administration techniques
Contract negotiation approaches
Disciplinary techniques
Employee engagement approaches
Governmental labor parties and party relations by nation
Grievance, complaint, and conflict resolution techniques
Industrial relations
International Labor Organization (ILO) core labor standards
International labor practices
Labor economics
Labor environments (e.g., pluralism, radicalism, unitarianism)
Labor rights
Living and fair wage concepts
People-management techniques
Positive union/management relations approaches
Recognition approaches
Service award approaches
Social movement unionism, new unionism proletariat
Socialism, syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalism
Standard workday
Strike actions, secondary actions, general strikes, sit-down strikes, work-to-rule
Survey techniques
Trade unions by nation
Trade union federations
Unfair labor practices
Union acceptance and avoidance approaches
Union attractiveness
Union membership
Union structures
Unionized labor history
Works councils structures and approaches
World Trade Organization
Functional Area #9: Technology and Data
Definition: Technology and Data deals with the use of tools, technologies, and systems that support
the gathering, analysis, and reporting of workforce information, as well as effective and efficient
collaboration and communication throughout the organization. HR demonstrates value by developing
knowledge about technology uses, trends, and innovations applicable to HR’s strategic goals.
Consulting on effective policies and approaches to address technology use in the workplace (e.g.,
collaboration, communication, networking, social media).
Identifying, analyzing, and implementing appropriate technology solutions for the delivery of
effective HR services.
Implementing appropriate HR information systems (HRIS) that integrate with enterprise systems to
provide efficient and effective reporting and metrics.
Accessing appropriate data and information to analyze specific business challenges and
recommend solutions.
Leveraging technology to gain efficiencies within the HR function.

Identifying and implementing technology solutions that support achievement of organizational
strategies, goals, and objectives.
Using technology for data analytics that optimize each HR Functional Area.
Developing and implementing a technology-driven self-service approach enabling managers and
employees to perform basic people-related transactions (e.g., benefit enrollment, compensation
administration, information changes, scheduling, timekeeping).

Human Resource Expertise—The ability to maintain up-to-date knowledge about core business
and HR technologies to solve business challenges.
Business Acumen—The ability to understand and apply technology solutions that support the
achievement of the organization’s strategic plan.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to efficiently access information and data to make business
decisions and recommendations.
Communication—The ability to develop technology solutions that promote the effective exchange
of information among key stakeholders, regardless of location.
Knowledge Topics:
Business process integration approaches
Data analytic techniques
Data management protection approaches
Electronic recordkeeping approaches
Electronic signature acceptance
HR information systems and sources
HR management and information system design
Information management theory
Procurement approaches
Product development
Project management theories
Social media practices and usage
Systems integration approaches
Technology use policies and practices
Functional Area #10: HR in the Global Context
Definition: HR in the Global Context focuses on organizational growth and workforce-related issues
and impacts, viewed from domestic, multinational, transnational, and global perspectives. HR
demonstrates value by understanding how global PEST factors influence business decisions, and by
applying this knowledge today-to-day HR activities, policy creation, and business solution
recommendations.
Recognizing and responding to global issues that influence domestic business practices.
Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of PEST, HR, and legal trends in global terms.
Developing expert knowledge of global trends and best practices.
Balancing the organizational desire for standardization with localization through a “glocalized”
approach to decision-making.
Building cross-cultural relationships and partnerships with global stakeholders.
Implementing and conducting audits of global HR practices.

Developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to address issues affecting business,
people, and the workforce on a global basis.
Consulting on and developing strategies to define global competencies.
Consulting on labor and economic trends, cultural implications, and the legal environment for
business decisions and risks.

Communication—The ability to effectively exchange information with stakeholders to ensure that
a global perspective is considered in decision-making.
Global and Cultural Effectiveness—The ability to value and consider all parties’ perspectives
and backgrounds.
Consultation—The ability to provide guidance on global matters to internal and external
organizational stakeholders.
Knowledge Topics:
Creating a global organizational culture
Cross-border HR management techniques
Cultural models (e.g., Hall, Hofstede, Schein, Trompenaars)
Global discrimination prevention practices
Global legal systems (e.g., different nations’ approaches to government-mandated, government-
provided, and voluntary benefits, extra-territoriality of laws and legislation)
Global mindset techniques (e.g., communication barrier removal, cultural awareness training and
assimilation, understanding PEST factors)
Global trends in benefits, compensation, diversity and inclusion, employment laws, ethics and
sustainability, labor markets, labor relations, safety and security, staffing management
Managing international assignments (e.g., approaches and trends, effective performance,
compensation adjustments, employee repatriation)
Moving work (e.g., co-sourcing, near-shoring, offshoring, on-shoring)
Taxation approaches
Totalization agreements
Visa and work permit considerations
Functional Area #11: Diversity and Inclusion
Definition: Diversity and Inclusion encompasses the qualities, life experiences, personalities,
education, skills, competencies, and collaboration of the many different types of people who are
necessary to propel an organization to success. HR demonstrates value by creating opportunities that
leverage the human experience to address organizational needs or solve issues on a global basis.
Consulting on the difference between issues of performance and those of culture or personal style.
Developing expert knowledge of global trends and best practices in diversity and inclusion.
Maintaining expert global and cultural knowledge.
Facilitating an organizational culture that promotes a global mindset for diversity and inclusion
through development activities and experiences.
Championing diversity and inclusion programs with external stakeholders (e.g., diverse
suppliers).
Providing mentoring, training, guidance, and coaching on cultural trends and practices to
employees at all levels of the organization.
Implementing audit practices to ensure cultural awareness on a global basis.
Demonstrating nonjudgmental respect for others’ perspectives.

In conjunction with other business leaders, developing, implementing, and overseeing programs,
practices, and policies that make the strategic connection between a global mindset and
organizational success.
Ensuring that equitability for all internal and external stakeholders is considered when designing
programs, policies, and practices.
Taking diversity into account when planning and implementing programs, policies, and practices.
Fostering and influencing an inclusive organizational culture.
Fostering an environment that embraces and encourages global mobility, which allows for diverse
experiences.

Ethical Practice—The ability to recognize and mitigate the influence of bias in business
decisions.
Relationship Management—The ability to manage interactions that provide service to and
support the organization from a global perspective.
Communication—The ability to effectively exchange information with global stakeholders.
Global and Cultural Effectiveness—The ability to value and consider the perspectives and
backgrounds of all parties.
Knowledge Topics:
Approaches to a multi-generational workforce
Developing cross-cultural relationships
Effective approaches to building trust and relationships
Emotional intelligence
Glass-ceiling prevention
High- and low-context cultures
Inclusive leadership
Influence of the 4 T’s (travel, training, transfers, and teams)
Intercultural wisdom
Issues related to disability, ethnicity, gender, language, race, sexual orientation
Level of global acceptance of diversity (e.g., disability, ethnicity, gender, language, race, religion,
sexual orientation)
Mindful communication
Religious influences and accommodation
Techniques for cultural awareness and respect
Functional Area #12: Risk Management
Definition: Risk Management is the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks (defined in
ISO 31000 as the effect of uncertainty on objectives), followed by the coordinated and economical
application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of
unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities.
Directly or indirectly developing, implementing and overseeing the execution of programs,
practices, and policies that mitigate risk and support organizational success (e.g., appropriate use
of technology, fiduciary responsibility, fraud, theft, workplace safety and security, workplace
violence).
Maintaining accountability for recording and reporting workplace safety compliance.
Developing crisis management and contingency plans for the HR function and the organization.
Designing and implementing continuity plans for the HR function and the organization.
Communicating critical information about risk mitigation to all stakeholders.
Communicating information about workplace safety and security issues to all levels of employees.
Auditing risk management activities.

In conjunction with other leaders, developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to
address and mitigate risk on a global basis.
Leveraging technologies (e.g., communication systems, computer security, contingency systems,
records backup, social media) to manage and protect workforce and organizational data.
Examining and providing guidance on potential threats to the organization.
In conjunction with other leaders, developing strategies to ensure the sustainability of the
enterprise.
Evaluating labor market trends and industry standards for their impact on business.
Designing standards-based systems for mitigating risk.
Leading after-action debriefs.

Human Resource Expertise—The ability to maintain current and up-to-date knowledge about the
role of HR in risk management.
Business Acumen—The ability to understand and apply information to develop the organization’s
risk management strategy.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to interpret internal and external information and data to make
risk-based business decisions and recommendations that align with the organization’s level of risk
tolerance.
Communication—The ability to effectively exchange information with stakeholders that increases
their understanding of approaches to mitigate risk exposure.
Relationship Management—The ability to manage interactions that provide risk-based service
and support to the organization.
Knowledge Topics:
Business recovery planning
Continuity of operations planning
Corporate espionage and sabotage prevention
Data integrity mechanisms and practices
Data management protection and disclosure approaches
Drug prevention
Duty of care
Emergency/incident response plans
Health and safety practices and procedures
Information management theory
Kidnapping and ransom prevention
Natural disaster and severe weather emergency preparation
Occupational injury and illness prevention, compensation, and accommodations
Public health preparedness and response
Safety auditing techniques
Terrorism prevention and responses
Theft and fraud prevention approaches
Whistleblower protection approaches
Workplace incident investigations
Workplace safety risks and hazards
Workplace violence prevention techniques
Functional Area #13: Corporate Social Responsibility
Definition: Corporate Social Responsibility represents the organization’s commitment to operate its
business in an ethical and sustainable manner. HR demonstrates value by understanding the societal
impacts to business decisions and using this insight to improve the quality of life for the community—
people, organization, and planet—through philanthropy, ethics and governance, and environmentally
sound practices, respectively.
Acting with personal, professional, and behavioral integrity, in conformance with an HR code of
ethical conduct.
Investigating, evaluating, and responding to all reports of unethical behavior, conflicts of interest,
and associated levels of organizational risk.
Advising executives on any reports of unethical behavior or conflicts of interest that increase risk
tolerance or risk of liability.
Designing mechanisms for employees to report unethical behavior or conflicts of interest without
fear of reprisal.
Demonstrating the highest ethical standards and practices and organizational values—espoused as
well as enacted.
Consulting on and demonstrating the appropriate level of transparency in organizational practices.
Understanding PEST factors and how they affect organizational and workforce decisions.
Establishing the HR team as a credible and trustworthy organizational resource for internal and
external stakeholders.
Consulting on management decisions related to ethics, governance, and social involvement.
Aligning HR’s decisions with the organization’s strategies and values.
Developing and implementing organizational standards for the confidentiality of workforce and
organizational data.

Consulting on, developing, and implementing the organization’s corporate social responsibility
strategy.
Consulting on, developing, and implementing an organizational culture that supports responsible
and ethical decision-making.
Leveraging the organization’s corporate social responsibility programs to enhance the employee
value proposition.
Consulting on, developing, and implementing a code of conduct that reflects the appropriate level
of corporate self-governance.

Consultation—The ability to provide balanced guidance to stakeholders that will have a positive
impact on the organization’s reputation, internally and externally.
Relationship Management—The ability to manage interactions with external stakeholders that
demonstrate corporate citizenship.
Knowledge Topics:
Anti-bribery approaches
Caux principles
Charitable/community giving approaches
Code of conduct development
Community inclusion approaches
Compliance program evaluation
Confidentiality measures and approaches
Conflicts-of-interest avoidance
Corporate citizenship and governance programs and legislation
Corporate philanthropy approaches
Corporate social responsibility best practices
Economic trend analysis
Ethical decision-making in a global context
Ethical employee management practices
ISO standards
Key performance indicators
PEST factors
Privacy concerns
Social auditing techniques
Social media usage
Transparent decision making
Volunteer programming
Functional Area #14: U.S. Employment Law and Regulations
Definition: U.S. Employment Law and Regulations deals with the knowledge and application of all
relevant laws and regulations in the United States relating to employment. These provisions set the
parameters and limitations for each HR Functional Area and for organizations overall. HR
demonstrates value by ensuring the organization’s compliance with laws and regulations on both
domestically and globally (including extraterritorially).
Maintaining a current working knowledge of relevant employment laws, domestic and/or global.
Establishing criteria for organizational compliance.
Educating and advising the executive team on legal compliance relating to HR issues as a factor in
decision-making.
Promoting broad-based HR knowledge to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
Ensuring the alignment of HR policies and procedures with laws and regulations.
Overseeing and consulting on HR issues involving legal and financial risk to the organization.
Brokering internal or external legal services for the interpretation of employment laws.
Establishing or positioning HR technology approaches for compliance and reporting.

Human Resource Expertise—The ability to remain current on relevant laws, regulations, and
legal rulings.
Ethical Practice—The ability to immediately respond to reports of unethical or illegal behavior.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to interpret legal compliance information and data to make
business decisions and recommendations.
Leadership and Navigation—The ability to direct and contribute to legal compliance processes
within the organization.
Communication—The ability to exchange information on legal compliance with internal
stakeholders.
Consultation—The ability to provide knowledge of legal compliance to internal stakeholders.
Relationship Management—The ability to manage interactions that provide service and support
to the organization.
Knowledge Topics:
Listed below are six broad categories of U.S. laws, regulations, and cases relating to employment,
together with examples. (This is not an exhaustive list of categories or examples.) Local laws and
regulations, such as those on the state or municipal level, are not included.
Compensation
Examples: Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA); Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA; Wage-Hour Bill; Wagner-Connery Wages and Hours Act)
and amendments; Equal Pay Act of 1963 (amending FLSA); Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of
2009; Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2007)
Employee relations
Examples: Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (LMRA; Taft-Hartley Act); National
Labor Relations Act of 1935 (NLRA; Wagner Act; Wagner-Connery Labor Relations Act;
NLRB v. Weingarten (1975); Lechmere, Inc. v. NLRB (1992)
Equal employment opportunity

Examples: Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) and amendments;
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and ADA Amendments Act of 2008; Civil
Rights Acts; Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 (amending Civil Rights Act);
Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (1978) (29 CFR Part 1607); Griggs
v. Duke Power Co. (1971); Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp. (1971)
Job safety and health

Examples: Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988; Guidelines on Sexual Harassment;
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
Leave and benefits

Examples: Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA; expanded 2008, 2010); Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA; ACA; “Obamacare”); National Federation
of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012)
Miscellaneous protection laws

Examples: Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988; Genetic Information
Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA)
Functional Area #15: Business and HR Strategy
Definition: Business and HR Strategy involves organizational planning to achieve success and
create value for stakeholders. HR demonstrates value by contributing its perspective and expertise to
development of the enterprise strategy, and by developing, implementing, and evaluating an HR
strategy aligned with the organization’s goals, values, and tactics, as defined in the enterprise strategy.
Developing results-oriented metrics and scorecards that contribute to organizational success.
Using knowledge of business and metrics to make workforce and business decisions.
Ensuring that all HR initiatives demonstrate measurable value to the organization.
Demonstrating a working knowledge of the labor market and its relation to organizational success.
Benchmarking the competition and other relevant comparison groups, to better understand market
position and competitive advantage.
Creating an action plan for managing talent within the confines of the labor market.
Maintaining advanced knowledge of key industry metrics and how the organization compares to
the standard.
In conjunction with other leaders, establishing measurable goals and objectives that create a
culture of accountability, and regularly monitoring results against goals in support of business
strategy.
Evaluating critical activities in terms of value added, impact, and utility derived from cost-benefit
analyses, revenue, profit-and-loss estimates, and other leading or lagging indicators.
Applying consistently to internal HR processes and policies the principles of finance, marketing,
economics, sales, technology, and business systems.
Maintaining a systems-wide perspective when making business decisions.

In conjunction with other leaders, developing a business strategy aligned to the organization’s
goals and objectives.
Aligning HR strategy, goals, and objectives with overall business strategy and objectives, to drive
business results.
Developing and evaluating business cases proposed for HR and other functional projects and
initiatives.
Developing strategies for employment branding and marketing communications that will reach
internal and external audiences.
Identifying key talent requirements to successfully execute the business strategy.
Developing and implementing an action plan for capturing, developing, and managing the talent
needed to execute the business strategy, including the effective management of a global workforce.

Business Acumen—The ability to understand and apply information to develop the organization’s
strategic plan.
Critical Evaluation—The ability to interpret information and data to make business decisions and
recommendations.
Leadership and Navigation—The ability to direct and contribute to initiatives and processes
within the organization.
Consultation—The ability to provide guidance to organizational stakeholders.
Communication—The ability to effectively exchange information with stakeholders.
Relationship Management—The ability to manage interactions to provide service and support to
the organization.
Knowledge Topics:
Approaches for linking organizational and HR strategies
Balanced scorecard utilization
Business intelligence factors
Change management techniques
Competitive analysis techniques
Conflict management techniques
Due diligence techniques
Effective communication techniques
Ethical decision-making framework
Goal-setting approaches
HR systems integration approaches
Labor market analysis
Leadership theories, approaches, and evaluation
Leading and lagging indicators
Mission, vision, and values creation
Organizational growth strategies, evolution stages, and success factors
Project management methods
Quality assurance techniques
Strategic management considerations
Strategic planning stages (i.e., strategy formulation, development, implementation, and evaluation)
PEST factors
SWOT and environmental scanning techniques
Section 4: HR Competencies in Action
The Eight Behavioral Competencies
Human resource professionals have increasingly used the term “competency” in recent years to
describe the complex variety of characteristics that can determine success in a specific job. Yet the
acquisition of specific knowledge and experience before performing certain tasks does not
necessarily produce the desired performance (Campion, et al., 2011; Shippmann et al., 2000).
Success requires a few more skills and abilities that may be harder to identify and measure but
nonetheless must be measured and reported for hiring managers to make the most effective decisions.
Competencies—measureable or observable knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics
critical to successful job performance—fill this gap. Competency frameworks provide structure
around those competencies for job success.
The Society for Human Resource Management set a goal of raising the caliber of the human resources
professional. To do this, SHRM realized that the profession had to apply the principle of
competencies and competency frameworks to its occupation. HR needed to identify what
competencies were needed to be effective and high-performing HR professionals.
A common competency modeling technique is to analyze and identify similar attributes among
individuals widely recognized as effective and successful in their fields. SHRM performed this
research with HR professionals in 33 countries. More than 32,000 HR professionals participated in
the development and validation of the eventual competency model.
SHRM’s competency model reflects the breadth of HR’s successful practice with various
constituents, including HR’s:
Engaging with the organization vertically, from senior management to new hires.
Engaging horizontally across all divisions and functions of the organization.
Engaging with external stakeholders as well as internal customers.
Engaging with groups, including entire workforces or individuals.
To succeed in this broad role, an HR professional must possess and demonstrate nine competencies:
Leadership and Navigation
Ethical Practice
Business Acumen
Relationship Management
Consultation
Critical Evaluation
Global and Cultural Effectiveness
Communication
HR Expertise, a Technical Competency, is the ability to apply HR principles and practices to the
success of the organization. HR Expertise is thoroughly defined through the Functional Areas of the
SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge.
This section will focus on the remaining eight competencies, which are behavioral in nature. They can
be identified and evaluated by the way HR professionals perform the many and various transactions
and events that mark their professional lives. In the following discussion, we describe the way in
which these competencies are used in the work lives of three HR professionals:
Rajesh, who is early in his HR career
Theresa, a mid- to senior-level HR practitioner
Antonio, an HR executive responsible for the organization’s global HR function
We also explore each competency in action by looking at situations encountered by this HR team.
Each competency has two levels: a level of behaviors that have been observed in all effective HR
professionals (SHRM-CP) and a level of behaviors that characterize HR professionals working as
leaders in their organizations (SHRM-SCP). This reflects the fact that an HR professional’s
behaviors change over time as individuals gain both experience and responsibilities in their
organizations.
Leadership and Navigation Competency

The first Behavioral Competency in the SHRM model is Leadership and Navigation, the ability to
direct and contribute to initiatives and processes within the organization.
When acting in a role requiring competency in Leadership and Navigation, several key behaviors are
necessary:
Facilitating others’ understanding of, motivation toward, and achievement of goals, through
transformational and functional leadership, change management, and consensus building
Navigating uncertain waters effectively by understanding the internal and external environments
via resource management, influence, and political savvy
For advanced practitioners, acting as a change agent for organizational strategy
Changing an organizational culture from an entitlement mentality to one focused on performance and
results provides several examples of the Leadership and Navigation competency in action.
Note how the HR team displays aspects of the Leadership and Navigation competency while also
executing their Communication and Consultation skills, other competencies in the SHRM model to be
explored.
Rajesh’s focus is more technical and transactional in nature during an organizational change effort.
To support this organizational culture change, Rajesh will:

Assist with the implementation of new programs and initiatives, such as a pay-for-performance
compensation program and a performance-based quarterly management by objectives (MBO)
evaluation system, through delivery of educational materials and scheduling of management and
employee training on the new programs.
Provide managers with answers to tactical questions related to the new programs’ supporting
software systems.
Further discuss with the HR team managers recommendations to award individual employee
bonuses based solely on length of service.
Actively listen to employees’ and managers’ concerns regarding the culture change, and provide
evidence-based support for the move to a performance- based culture.
Theresa has responsibility for developing the new HR programs to support the culture change and for
identifying the appropriate methods for gaining organizational support.
While change management can be a challenging endeavor, Theresa:

Develops the new programs focused on results-oriented goals, such as pay for performance and
MBO, after researching the organization’s overall goals, mission, and vision, considering the
internal political landscape, and exploring various approaches that could meet the organization’s
needs.
Serves as the point person for the system rollout, developing communication and training
materials, leading town hall meetings, and providing evidence-based support for the change to
both organizational employees and leaders.
Manages the programs, policies, and procedures in support of the new culture, while making
decisions on issues perhaps not considered during system development in order to demonstrate
flexibility and adaptability to changing conditions.
Antonio lays the foundation for the organizational change effort. Without Antonio’s effective
interactions with other organizational executives, the move to a performance-based culture will have
difficulty succeeding.
Antonio sets the stage by:

Working with certain executives to design, maintain, and champion the mission, vision, and
strategy of the organization, identifying the appropriate times for necessary, but perhaps difficult,
change.
Ensuring alignment between the organization’s mission, vision, and strategy and the change
activities and new programs designed by Theresa.
Serving as the “voice of HR” within the executive levels, whether through exploration of specific
HR programs or demonstration of how these programs lessen risk and maximize opportunity,
thereby gaining buy-in to the processes.
Overall, expertise in Leadership and Navigation enables HR professionals to generate greater

collaboration among employees while helping the organization to overcome obstacles. Leadership
and Navigation is required in both good times and bad. While easy when the ship is sailing smoothly,
leading an organization through difficulty, with resilience and strength, is when HR professionals
skilled in Leadership and Navigation have the greatest opportunity to shine.
Ethical Practice Competency

Today’s organizational stakeholders demand greater transparency and ethical practice from those who
serve. The rise of social media and rapid communications allow any misstep to become instant front-
page news. In this world, Ethical Practice, the ability to support and uphold the values of the
organization while mitigating risk, is an essential competency for all HR practitioners.
HR professionals with competency in Ethical Practice will:

Act with personal, professional, and behavioral integrity, avoiding conflicts of interest.
Encourage others to act as such, through rapport and trust-building exercises.
Among advanced practitioners, withstand internal and external pressures to ensure that ethical,
difficult decisions are made and supported by the organization.
Consider the situation where a manager is awarding extra work hours only to certain employees in the
department. One of those employees is the manager’s nephew. Each HR team member is afforded the
opportunity to demonstrate Ethical Practice in this ethical dilemma.
Rajesh uncovers this situation upon entering payroll data each week and identifying patterns.
When demonstrating Ethical Practice, Rajesh will:

Maintain knowledge of relevant laws and internal policies and apply that knowledge to situations
he may encounter.
Keep confidential, as appropriate, any concerns shared by employees not allowed to work extra
hours.
Share the discovery and feedback only with those who need to know, such as Theresa, for further
investigation.
Follow policies consistently and highlight other payroll policy violations, such as instances of
forged or altered employee time records.
Theresa reviews Rajesh’s discovery. In doing so, Theresa will determine the applicable laws,
policies, and procedures impacting the situation and their impacts on methods for resolving the
matter.
In identifying that resolution, Theresa will:

Ensure consistency in decision making and handling similar situations to prevent bias from
entering the process.
Reinforce difficult decisions despite pressure to do otherwise, such as requiring a higher-level
manager to assign extra work hours or moving the manager’s nephew to another department.
Audit future payroll records to ensure equitable distribution of work hours and no payroll policy
violations moving forward.
Implement training programs regarding the organization’s payroll policies to foster an ethical
culture and managerial practice in compliance with established policies.
Antonio is the ultimate role model for Ethical Practice.
Antonio examines the HR policies and remedies for the extra work hours and pay issue to:
Minimize or eliminate legal risk due to unethical practice by others.
Defend against other executives who say no action is necessary in this situation.
Ensure that employees are held accountable for their actions.
Maintain internal controls and an ethical culture, free from conflicts of interest.
Antonio’s organizational position is critical in ensuring that ethical behavior is in all interactions and
transactions, as noted in policies and actively demonstrated by all organizational leaders.
Maintaining Ethical Practice can be challenging for even the strongest of wills. Having the personal
and professional courage—to model and to do what is right, even when pressured to do otherwise—
ensures a culture that supports doing right and doing good rather than one that becomes tomorrow’s
front-page news.
Business Acumen Competency

Business Acumen, the ability to understand and apply information to contribute to the organization’s
strategic plan, takes HR outside its traditional comfort zone.
In today’s world, knowledge of HR laws, systems, and practices is no longer sufficient for success.
Competent HR professionals must have:
Knowledge and understanding of their internal business partners’ professions and unique
languages.
Knowledge and understanding of many varied outside influences on an organization’s operations,
including the economy and the government.
Fluency with analytics and metrics, both internal to HR and organization-focused, requiring use
and analysis of budgets, financial statements, and other financial data.
For advanced practitioners, knowledge and understanding of and interaction with high-level
systems, strategies, and initiatives.
Consider a situation where a division of an organization is experiencing high employee turnover. The
turnover rate is higher than in other divisions and has been that way for the last 12 months. To address
this matter, different members of the human resources team undertake several steps related to business
acumen.
Rajesh is asked to conduct in-depth exit interviews with all employees who have left the division in
the last 12 months.
In order to effectively contribute to the exit interview project, Rajesh must:
Develop a working knowledge of the targeted division’s products or services, key competitors,
and unique language and acronyms, through both discussions with leaders and individual research,
in order to understand and effectively process the feedback gathered in the interviews.
Demonstrate proficiency in calculating relevant HR metrics such as turnover and then use software
tools to analyze data and present consolidated study results.
Research key labor market trends, such as unemployment and other HR benchmarks, to provide a
broader perspective on the internal exit interview findings.
Theresa tackles a more-challenging aspect of the project by conducting one-on-one interviews with
selected current employees from the division.
In supporting the research initiative, Theresa demonstrates the Business Acumen competency when,
following the conclusion of the data-gathering phase, she:
Analyzes the data and proposes potential approaches for addressing the turnover issue, including
metrics such as cost-benefit analysis and ROI, in consideration of the current financial impact of
organizational turnover.
Develops a draft communication plan on the next steps in the process to share with managers for
feedback.
Prepares the marketing message to be used with both current employees and prospective hires
regarding new programs such as onboarding initiatives.
Antonio reviews, from a global perspective, the work performed and recommendations prepared by
Theresa and Rajesh.
Recognizing that the division’s labor market varies by location, Antonio:

Communicates direction and evaluates risks in light of local and global labor markets and
economic trends.
Assesses the programs in light of political global risk, the organization’s strategy, and SWOT
analysis findings.
Pushes back on the HR team in areas found lacking depth and support, to gain greater clarity and
confidence in the proposed programs.
Shares with senior leadership the proposed programs, demonstrating each solution’s positive
impact on one or several key metrics, including employee turnover, ROI, revenue, and profit and
loss estimates to solicit broader organizational feedback, buy-in, and support.
Today’s HR practitioner must possess a strong comfort level in using metrics with ease and have
strong knowledge of the outside world in order to achieve professional success. HR professionals at
all levels must “know the business” and be armed with quantifiable information to demonstrate how
HR programs, policies, and procedures support and enhance the organization’s mission, vision, and
strategy.
Relationship Management Competency
HR, by its nature, is a profession that involves working with many individuals. Some interactions may
be pleasant and productive, others challenging and ineffective. HR, however, cannot focus solely on
serving one group over another to avoid unpleasant situations. As such, the next Behavioral
Competency, Relationship Management, explores an HR professional’s ability to manage interactions
to provide service to support the organization.
An HR professional displaying competency in Relationship Management will:

Act in ways that support relationships, such as being transparent, proactive, and responsive.
Build networks through varying approaches.
Look to promote the best interests of all when advocating and using negotiation and conflict
management.
For advanced practitioners, use effective relationships to advance HR and organizational
strategies and objectives.
Consider, for example, an organization preparing to negotiate a new contract with one of its major HR
software vendors. In anticipation of the contract talks starting, the HR team is mobilized. Each
contributes effectively, using the Relationship Management competency, to make the process as
smooth as possible.
Rajesh assists with transactional matters. Rajesh knows that seemingly small matters can sometimes
escalate into large issues that cause contract negotiations to break down.
As such, Rajesh must be skilled at:

Working with other outside parties to identify and secure a neutral location for the contract talks.
Providing customer service to a vendor representative during an unexpected visit to the
organization’s HR department.
Referring difficult situations to Theresa, such as challenging questions posed by the vendor
representative, in a pleasant and efficient manner.
Providing prompt and accurate answers to employees’ questions regarding the status of the vendor
negotiations and use of the vendor’s software prior to finalization of the new contract.
Theresa plays a key role in the negotiation process. Theresa mediates challenging interactions, such
as the drop-in visit from the vendor representative. Theresa also gathers data vital to building a
strong position for the organization during the negotiations.
These are accomplished through:

Developing networks of contacts both within and outside the organization possessing industry,
economic, and organizational insights.
Ensuring that Rajesh provides effective customer service and receives supporting training as
needed.
Building and maintaining a long-term partnership with department managers who use the software
in order to effectively represent the organization’s needs during the negotiations.
While Antonio may not be directly involved in the contract negotiations, the role’s importance to the
process should not be understated.
Antonio brings a strategic orientation and a conflict resolution approach to the negotiations by:
Networking on an ongoing basis with vendor and organizational management, starting well before
the contract’s expiration, to facilitate a position of mutual respect, credibility, and understanding.
Developing a customer service orientation and culture that permeates strategies in relation to both
pleasant and challenging interactions.
Relationship Management, while critical in its own right, is intertwined with other competencies such
as Communication and Ethical Practice. Relationship Management is an essential part of each HR
practitioner’s responsibilities and must be used each day in different ways to ensure organizational
success.
Consultation Competency
While Consultation is, broadly speaking, the ability to provide guidance to organizational
stakeholders, the key behaviors encompassed by the Consultation competency include:
Helping others within the organization to achieve individual, team, and organizational goals
through the use of varied approaches such as coaching, career pathing, and talent management.
Using tools and techniques to facilitate goal achievement, such as problem solving, analytic
reasoning, creativity and innovation, flexibility, and time management.
For advanced practitioners, applying these approaches, tools, and techniques to major initiatives
in human resources and throughout the organization.
Take, for example, the organization’s high employee turnover situation. While the situation was
initially considered through the lens of the Business Acumen competency, the scenario also highlights
the need for the Consultation competency by HR professionals.
Rajesh conducts in-depth exit interviews with all employees who have left the division in the last 12
months. Surveying these former employees presents the opportunity to use several techniques linked
to consultation:
Developing the questionnaire or script used to obtain feedback from former employees
Creating tools to track data provided by exit interview participants in order to provide sufficient
feedback on trends identified through the research process
Analyzing the data to identify not only the prevalent themes and findings but also correlations that
may raise issues of concern regarding the high turnover
Ensuring that the project stays on time by meeting with all participants in the time period allowed
by senior management
Theresa conducts one-on-one interviews with selected current employees from the division. Theresa
also provides feedback to Rajesh during the development of the exit interview questionnaire. Then,
with both the one-on-one interview data and the exit interview analysis from Rajesh, Theresa crafts a
plan for addressing the turnover issue.
To complete these activities, Theresa must:

Establish a rapport with the participants during the meetings to facilitate their sharing of genuine
issues and concerns in a confidential fashion.
Coach Rajesh in effective questionnaire development to ensure that the data gathered meets the
project’s overall needs.
Examine and consolidate the findings from the current and former employee responses to identify
root causes and possible solutions.
Next, Theresa crafts several creative solutions to address the turnover issue and prepares a report to
share with Antonio. Theresa includes cost-benefit and return on investment (ROI) analyses to support
program implementation, backed up by external industry and best-practice research.
Antonio examines the research and resulting report prepared by Rajesh and Theresa. In addition,
Antonio interviews high-level divisional leaders to listen to and understand their concerns regarding
talent management and turnover.
Following the synthesis of these three sources of information, Antonio finalizes the strategy to address
the turnover issue, which includes the following:
Creating more in-depth, effective onboarding experiences for new hires to better facilitate their
orientation and induction into the new organization
Providing coaching to divisional leadership and management on effective career mentoring and
development of employees
Exploring alternative sources for recruiting candidates that appear to offer a higher potential
return on sourcing investments
Recognizing a key divisional leader whose management style is a primary source of turnover and
a potential legal liability for the organization, and providing him with required, ongoing coaching
Antonio presents this synthesized package to the organization’s leadership team to facilitate
understanding of how the changes support organizational objectives and also to gain buy-in.
This high-level overview provides an introduction to the Consultation competency. Whether working
on a large organizational project or one-on-one with an employee or manager, HR professionals must
determine the appropriate organizational interventions necessary not only to support organizational
objectives but also to address the current day’s challenge. Although employees of an organization,
human resources professionals can be considered in-house consultants, ready to analyze and diagnose
problems and recommend creative solutions that support both organizational and individual needs.
Critical Evaluation Competency
A wise person rarely, if ever, takes information and recommendations without asking questions.
Similarly, effective HR professionals must employ Critical Evaluation, the ability to interpret
information to make business decisions and recommendation.
To have competency in Critical Evaluation, HR professionals need:

Skills to gather information and resources, such as measurement and assessment, objectivity,
curiosity, and inquisitiveness.
Tools and approaches to process information in order to make sound decisions, including critical
thinking, problem solving, and research methodology.
Among advanced practitioners, techniques for translating and using information when making
decisions and formulating recommendations.
The organization experiencing high turnover is a suitable example for exploring how the Critical
Evaluation competency is displayed across HR levels.
Rajesh’s work with the exit interview process requires skill in research methods and data analysis.
Rajesh will:
Conduct accurate data entry of responses gathered during the interview process.
Condense the wide volume of responses down into the essential elements, using metrics such as
mean, median, mode, and percentages.
Explore additional benchmark data available through third-party consultants or research and
industry organizations to compare and contrast with the internal data.
Theresa’s role in Critical Evaluation involves many activities, including:

Auditing and reviewing Rajesh’s report to ensure a quality work product.
Analyzing one-on-one interview data using statistical approaches and then evaluating the feedback
to discern what is relevant, reflective of trends, and valuable to the study.
Identifying patterns and trends from the interviews among both current and former employees.
Evaluating options to address identified issues by discerning what will be effective given the
current divisional culture as well as time, human, and fiscal constraints.
Antonio’s role in the exit interview research project is essential to ensuring the recommendations’
future successful implementation.
Antonio:
Asks critical questions of Theresa and Rajesh to ensure the soundness of the research methodology
used and their confidence in the study findings.
Applies the study findings to the proposed solutions while considering the effect of and on the
organization’s global strategy.
Provides the supportive environment necessary for conducting evidence-based research in the
organization.
Upon considering this ongoing example, it becomes clearer how the competencies work together
rather than on a stand-alone basis. Competency in Business Acumen and Consultation, for example,
supports the work performed while demonstrating Critical Evaluation in everyday HR situations.
Global and Cultural Effectiveness Competency

Today’s organizations operate in a world with few boundaries. Rarely do we find a purely domestic
organization made up of very similar employees. When working among a diverse employee
population, with operations spanning geographic boundaries, Global and Cultural Effectiveness is an
essential part of the HR practitioner’s responsibility.
When demonstrating the ability to value and consider the perspectives and backgrounds of all parties,
HR practitioners will:
Maintain a wide, open perspective, whether the information and views presented openly or subtly
represent diversity elements such as geography, ethnicity, or philosophy.
Utilize skills to facilitate understanding of others, such as empathy, openness to experience,
tolerance of ambiguity, and adaptability, even when others’ views may be in conflict with one’s
own.
Among advanced practitioners, use expert global knowledge to ensure cross-cultural strategies,
harmony, and organizational success.
Consider the global organization rolling out a series of training programs aimed at educating
employees on the organization’s mission, vision, and values. While the overall content and objectives
will be seamless across the organization, each HR participant in the process will need to demonstrate
competency in Global and Cultural Effectiveness to ensure the program’s success.
Rajesh is responsible for transactional tasks related to program rollout.
He must demonstrate proficiency in several areas:

General knowledge of local cultural issues, including sensitivity around program timing, selection
of catered food for each group of attendees, and the use of and formatting of name tags
Respect for diversity and inclusion among participating employees, such as methods of addressing
other employees in communications and receiving training acceptance notifications through
multiple methods, including e-mail, telephone, and in person.
Awareness of questions regarding training content and logistics that may vary based on cultural
differences in order to effectively serve employees
Theresa develops the content for the training program. After determining the content outline, Theresa
obtains an understanding of the culture in each location where the training will be held. After
obtaining that background, Theresa customizes the program.
To do so effectively, Theresa will:

Select instructional methods sensitive to local cultures, such as lectures or activities, and vary
delivery methods according to local cultural needs.
Ensure that the learning environment is reflective of attendees’ needs to explore information safely
while learning or to save face if a mistake is made.
Identify instructors best suited to teach in each location, including language fluency, cultural
understanding, and knowledge of the organization.
Antonio has the vision that sets the tone for the training program. Antonio reviews the proposed
approaches to ensure that no cultural or legal missteps occur.
This review includes:

A consideration of external factors, including cultural and economic trends and legal environments
impacting the training.
Management of content or approaches that may seem in conflict with one another to ensure cross-
cultural harmony and program success and achievement of overall goals.
A determination of the impact of the training on fostering cross-cultural relationships and
partnerships, both internal and external, to further diversify the organization.
Antonio will also review the content with key leaders representing a diversity of locations and views
to ensure the programs’ inclusiveness and successful rollout. Feedback received is shared with
Theresa for further refinement and program adjustments as needed.
Global and Cultural Effectiveness celebrates the unique, while appreciating the similarities, among
all employees. Competency in Global and Cultural Effectiveness requires flexibility and adaptability,
similar to the Consultation competency explored earlier.
Communication Competency
The key behaviors listed under the Communication competency include:
The skills HR practitioners use to present information, in whatever form is most appropriate to the
task, and to receive information through listening and questioning.
The application of these skills and other attributes, such as objectivity and tact, to achieve certain
organizational objectives, such as persuading others to come to a new decision on or an
understanding of an issue, developing members of the organization through regular feedback, and
promoting communication as a way for the organization to achieve its goals.
For advanced practitioners, the application of these skills and attributes to strategic, high-stakes,
high-visibility tasks.
Consider the way in which communication behaviors are used in a practitioner’s work.
Rajesh is asked to create a memo that will be e-mailed to all employees. The memo will describe a
new policy for selecting candidates for global assignments.
The assistant must bring to this task a variety of skills:
Knowledge of the technical methods for creating this e-mail—from familiarity with the template
and style used for this type of communication to grammatical correctness
Ability to clarify issues about the assignment—who will receive this e-mail, what languages it
must be translated into, and whether the e-mail can summarize the policy or must provide the
complete original policy word for word
Strength in anticipating the audience’s perspectives on this topic—the concerns and questions they
might raise that must be addressed
Strength in organizing the information in such a way that the audience’s needs are answered
Awareness of the appropriate verbiage and tone used in the content of the message
The policy itself was created by Theresa. To create the policy, Theresa held a series of focus group
meetings with department heads involved in the global assignment process and with select employees
who had completed global assignments.
Making these meetings effective required:

Knowing what questions to ask.
Listening carefully to what each participant was saying.
Identifying gaps between the current and proposed processes.
Objectively considering the feedback, its implications, and how to use it.
Creating the draft policy required an ability to consider the needs of all the different groups and
stakeholders involved in global assignments and an understanding of what it would take to persuade
those following the policy that it was the right approach. Theresa needed to include a description of
the urgent need for the change and the ways in which the organization and individual employees
would benefit from the change.
The draft policy was reviewed by Antonio, who had additional tasks. He had to apply expertise
about cross-border compensation packages and be sensitive to the needs of various parties beyond
those employees applying for global assignments. These groups included:
Senior management, who looked at the policy in terms of the organization’s global expansion
strategy.
Country business leaders, who wanted to be involved in decisions in some way.
Managers, who wanted to see that the policy minimized threats of failed assignments and
maximized opportunities for successful ones.
Function leaders, who needed to know that assignments would fulfill business objectives and
develop talent.
Antonio circulated a draft among key decision makers. Managing their responses to arrive at a final
document required persuading and negotiating with stakeholders. Then, while the draft was being
finalized, Antonio worked with another senior manager to develop a plan for communicating the new
policy, including the timing of the policy announcement with a quarterly global meeting that would
allow for questions and answers, publishing news releases about the policy on the organization’s
intranet, and distributing more customized communications for different regions of the world.
We could go on here. Results must be communicated to management in a presentation. Feedback and

encouragement must be given to everyone involved in the project. The pervasiveness of
communication in this single project underscores how central the communication competency is to
HR and how critical these communication behaviors are to the function and the organization.
Through these discussions and scenario examples, we have briefly explored each of the eight
Behavioral Competencies. The remaining modules in this SHRM Learning System for SHRM-
CP/SHRM-SCP—People, Organization, Workplace, and Strategy—examine the application of those
competencies in the 15 Functional Areas.
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SHRM Competencies

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LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR SHRM LEARNING SYSTEM® FOR SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP

Subject matter experts

Todd Brodie, Ph.D., FCIPD, CHRP, SPHR, GPHR, HRMP

Paul Chiames, SPHR

Margaret Andreeff Matejkovic, Esq.

Tom O’Connor, JD, GPHR, HRMP

Nina E. Woodard, SPHR, GPHR

Alejandro Zeballos, GPHR, PMP

Christine V. Walters, MAS, JD, SPHR

Section 2: The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Certifications

Section 3: The SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge TM

Section 4: HR Competencies in Action

This HR Competencies module includes four sections:

Learning System Development

Learning System Components

Using the Learning System

The SHRM Learning System for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP is not a textbook; it is a learning

There are many reasons to consider certification. For instance:

From a practical standpoint, there are other individual advantages:

Should I Take the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP Exam?

Choosing the Appropriate Certification Level

In general, advanced HR professionals:

SHRM Certification Exams

“Field Test: Questions

Score Weighting for Each Subject Area in the Certification Exams

Their process and technology provides:

SHRM Certification Commission

Process of Building SJT Items

How Do I Register for the Exam?

Preparing for the Exam

Behavioral Competency #1: Leadership and Navigation

Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Leadership and Navigation for advanced HR

Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Business Acumen for advanced HR professionals

Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Relationship Management for all HR professionals

Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Relationship Management for advanced HR

Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Consultation for all HR professionals include:

Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Consultation for advanced HR professionals include:

Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Critical Evaluation for advanced HR professionals

Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Communication for all HR professionals include:

Key behaviors indicative of proficiency in Communication for advanced HR professionals include:

What Are HR Functional Areas of Knowledge?

There are 15 HR Functional Areas of knowledge—what HR professionals need to know to perform

Responsibility Statements: The specific actions indicative of proficiency in that Functional

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies:

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies:

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies:

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies:

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies:

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies:

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies:

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies:

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies:

Key responsibilities for advanced HR professionals include:

Sample Application of Competencies: