Human Resource Generalist Certificate Program

Patti

I went to an advisory meeting at a local technical college last night. One of the agenda topics was a new program they are implementing, Human Resource Generalist Certificate Program. Below is the advertisement for the program:

If you are responsible for hiring, interviewing, performance appraisals, writing job descriptions, or any other human resource task, this 15-credit certificate program will provide you with the tools needed to perform human resource functions.
The courses in the Human Resource Generalist Certificate cover: Oral Interpersonal Communication Role of HR in an Organization, Job Analysis, Description & Specification Recruiting, Interviewing & Selecting, Challenge of New Employee, Performance Review & Recognition, Constructive Feedback & Discipline, Wage & Benefit Compensation, Occupational Health & Safety, Working in Union Organizations, Issues with a Diverse Workforce, Human Resource Management, and Capstone Project.

If an applicant had this certificate, how would it influence your hiring process?

Hunter1

It would certainly depend on the level of the position I was hiring for, but all other things being equal, I'd hire the person with the certificate before one without. Both my Administrative Assistant and I have completed the UW certificate courses in Human Resources, and found them to contain useful information.

I'll incur some wrath here and say that too many people in HR have had no formal training in the field, and it's my opinion that it's not a field in which a person can do a good job without either formal training, or a VERY GOOD mentor. A person who turned out to be a co-worker of mine said it best. He had a degree in business and worked for the city before I came to work here. He considered applying for my job when it opened, but said: "If I got the job, what was I supposed to do on Monday morning, come down here and start Personnelling?"

ritaanz

Going back 20 + years, the colleges offered psych courses and Industrial Relations. There were few courses available in Personnel, if any existed at all. We tackled the entire spectrum of people and their problems. You picked your way through the mind field and along the way you learned, created, stumbled and grew stronger as you paved the road to Human Relations.

Having interviewed for many different types of HR personnel over the years, I find one thing missing. The colleges turn out people with book knowledge but these educated graduates do not have the people skills needed in their role as HR. How can you teach compassion, concern, empathy?

If I had to do it all over again, I would recommend the trenches. That's where we all learned to understand our fellow human beings.

You may take my soap box now.

Patti

Thank you for your input.

Don D

It would be an excellent course to take. Sounds like a wealth of information. Something like this can only add to your resume. Good luck.

Shadowfax

Sometimes, the biggest advantage of education is not teaching how to resolve an issue, so much as teaching how to recognize there is an issue that needs resolution. I think the recognition aspect is fully ?teachable?. The resolution aspect not nearly so. I would look favorably at the training, but not necessarily expect it automatically means the holder is fully capable. Developing and implementing solutions can only come with experience - hopefully coupled with some good mentoring.