The disruptions of COVID-19 have brought new challenges to our communities, our workplaces, and our profession. HR professionals have been the first responders of the workplace in the midst of the global pandemic as we grapple with new data and directives about the novel coronavirus that can change by the day.

Our HR professionals are telling us that they’re working long hours to stay on top of the latest information from public health officials and new policies and laws mandated by governments, all while helping their employers navigate through unprecedented circumstances and now, returning to their workplaces. It goes without saying that this has been no small task. We are all learning something new day to day and finding innovative ways to pivot and adapt.

A LinkedIn post from a SHRM member caught my attention recently. They shared that they wished they could use all of the hard work they’d put into leading their organization through COVID-19 toward their recertification PDC requirements. “Not a bad idea,” I thought. This novel challenge has truly been a learning experience for all business leaders – especially HR. What if we could acknowledge all the work our members and the entire HR community have been doing? This thinking, coupled with the unfortunate cancellation of SHRM’s Annual Conference, where many SHRM-certified professionals typically acquire nearly half of their PDCS, led to our decision to grant this LinkedIn poster’s wish!

We want you to know that we are listening to you and recognize that your expertise is expanding in ways we could never have imagined. It is with this that I am thrilled to announce that SHRM certification credential-holders can now earn 60 recertification PDCs for their COVID-19 work in the workplace or community. For many, this might be a simple way to achieve credits, as much of the COVID-19 work has already been done or is ongoing, but this will allow us to collectively understand and examine how our profession is undertaking what might be one of the biggest challenges in our lifetime.

Examples of work that qualifies include but are not limited to: adjusted hiring processes to continue acquiring and onboarding talent; transitioning staff to work remotely; and implementing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in the workplace. You can find a more detailed list on SHRM.org. Additionally, U.S. based credential-holders must also participate in at least one chapter or state council COVID-19 specific program. A list of free, on-demand regional webcasts can be found here.

If you are looking to take advantage of this opportunity, follow these simple instructions:

1. Complete the COVID-19 Response Summary Form
2. Log in to your certification portal at portal.shrm.org. 
3. Click on Add PDCs and select the Advance Your Education category. 
4. Input the activity code 20‐XQJHN.
5. Submit your recertification record.
6. By submitting this code, your recertification record will be flagged for verification review. At this point, you will be asked to upload this COVID‐19 Response Summary Form. This document must be uploaded for your credits to be approved.

I’m proud to see the dedication and agility that the HR profession has demonstrated to help keep employees safe, connected, and engaged during this challenging and uncertain time. It is because of you that we are able to continuously advance and elevate this critical line of work and create better workplaces.

If you have any questions, please contact certification@shrm.org.

WRITTEN BY 

Alex.Alonso

Alexander Alonso, PhD, SHRM-SCP is the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM’s) Chief Knowledge Officer leading operations for SHRM’s Certified Professional and Senior Certified Professional certifications, research functions, and the SHRM Knowledge Advisor service.   He is responsible for all research activities, including the development of the SHRM Competency Model and SHRM credentials.  

During his career, he has worked with numerous subject matter experts worldwide with the aim of identifying performance standards, developing competency models, designing organizational assessments, and conducting job analyses.   He was also responsible for working on contract task orders involving the development of measurement tools for content areas such as job knowledge (like teacher knowledge of instructional processes) and organizational climates (like organizational climate forecasting in military health care).

Dr. Alonso received his doctorate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Florida International University in 2003. His works have been recognized for their contribution to real-world issues.  They include being recognized by the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology (Division 14 of the APA; SIOP) with the 2007 M. Scott Myers Award for Applied Research in the Workplace for the development of the federal standard for medical team training, TeamSTEPPS; being awarded a 2009 Presidential Citation for Innovative Practice by the American Psychological Association for supporting the development of competency model for team triage in emergency medicine; and receiving the 2013 SIOP Distinguished Early Career Contributions for Practice Award.  

Throughout his career, he has published works in peer-reviewed journals such as Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, Journal of Applied Psychology, International Journal of Selection and Assessment, People and Strategy, Personality and Individual Differences, Quality and Safety in Health Care, and Human Resources Management Review.  He has also authored several chapters on community-based change initiatives in workforce readiness, as well as co-authoring Defining HR Success: A Guide to the SHRM Competency Model in Practice.

Dr. Alonso also served as a columnist analyzing major trends in the workforce for The Industrial Psychologist and HR Magazine. In addition, he has served on several professional society boards including the SIOP and the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington.