November 7, 2016
Special Communication to CPHR designated members
Thank you for the support and encouragement we have received in regards to changing the national HR designation to Chartered Professional in Human Resources-CPHR.
CPHR Canada and CPHRNB’s Board and leadership team continues to move purposefully and thoughtfully through the process of aligning under the CPHR brand, working together to elevate the profession on your behalf.
It is time to set the record straight:
Last week, HRPA (Ontario) issued a statement offering the Ontario designations to any CPHR or prospective member in Canada who wants it. In addition, their statement stressed that the CHRP was not going anywhere. True, it is staying in Ontario and will not be recognized in any other province.
We want to be certain that you, our members, understand clearly what this statement represents, as this offer is not in your professional best interest.
Here’s why:
The new Canadian designation in HR is Chartered Professional in Human Resources – CPHR. Anyone possessing a designation from Ontario (CHRP, CHRL, CHRE) will be known as having an Ontario designation and not one that is consistent or endorsed by any provincial association across Canada. The new Canadian designation offers national mobility and recognition across all CPHR Canada member associations.
HRPA redefined CHRP to be an entry level designation in Ontario when they introduced their three-tiered designations of CHRP(Professional), CHRL(Leader) and CHRE(Executive). They made this change despite consistent protests and requests to reconsider from all other HR associations across Canada.
Here is the excerpt from HRPA’s (Ontario) website explaining the CHRP:
The Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) is the entry level designation. It is also the best known HR designation in Canada and available exclusively from HRPA. Human Resources professionals at entry level may be entering the workforce, acting in roles that are mostly administrative in nature.
CHRP in every jurisdiction was devalued because of HRPA’s actions.
In order to ensure we maintain the value and credibility our members and our organizations have strived to achieve, and in light of this decision, we changed our designation to CPHR.
HRPA’s claim that their membership insisted on keeping the CHRP because of brand equity is misguided. Ontario CHRP members all became CHRLs or CHREs. Although members could keep the old CHRP designation in addition to the new one they received, that CHRP designation was watered down in Ontario and members would be reluctant to identify themselves as having the lowest tiered designation in Ontario. The new CHRP from Ontario is an inferior designation to the old CHRP. This new CHRP is obtained by individuals who have not satisfied a rigorous path to the designation. It is bestowed to individuals that do not meet the same education and experience requirements that everyone else has met. If we address brand equity, a study conducted by HRPA in Ontario noted that the brand recognition of the CHRP within the business community was less than 5%. That is not strong brand equity.
An important caveat as well is that once every province becomes self-regulated, like in Quebec, the use of the CHRL and CHRE will be restricted in provinces outside of Ontario.
CPHR Canada and the other provincial bodies and territories in Canada felt that there was now a need to totally differentiate themselves from what was happening in Ontario. It is largely felt that HRPA (Ontario) has done a tremendous disservice to the HR profession in Canada, and seeks only to battle other provincial bodies and territories for ownership of the profession. As you know however, no one owns a profession. members in good standing practice it, and in all other professions, there are no provincial disputes as to territory.
CPHR Canada is the recognized body and member representing Canada at both the World Federation of People Management (WFPMA) and the North American Human Resources Management Association (NAHRMA). HRPA (Ontario) is not! That means the designation that resonates internationally as the truly Canadian designation is the new CPHR.
We also wanted to highlight the various Memorandums of Understanding that we have signed with like-minded bodies. These include the USA SHRM, the Australian AHRI, and the Canadian Employment Relocation Council (CERC). These partnerships offer an opportunity to partner on many HR initiatives to affect policy and standards on the world stage. We are also working on complete designation transferability with several HR bodies from around the world. This is the power that a truly Canadian organization and designation has.
Together, all remaining provinces and territories in Canada, other than Ontario, we are well-positioned for growth and we feel very strongly that CPHRs across Canada will see great benefits in 2017/18 as a result of everyone’s collaborative work. We are very excited to move into a new chapter for HR in Canada, establishing ourselves strongly together as Chartered Professionals in Human Resources!
Thank you for your support and patience.
