HRCI PHR Certification Exam Syllabus

Responsibilities:

• Interpret and apply information related to general business environment and industry best practices
• Reinforce the organization’s core values, ethical and behavioral expectations through modeling, communication, and coaching
• Understand the role of cross-functional stakeholders in the organization and establish relationships to influence decision making
• Recommend and implement best practices to mitigate risk (for example: lawsuits, internal/ external threats)
• Determine the significance of data for recommending organizational strategies (for example: attrition rates, diversity in hiring, time to hire, time to fill, ROI, success of training)

Knowledge of:

• Vision, mission, values, and structure of the organization
• Legislative and regulatory knowledge and procedures
• Corporate governance procedures and compliance
• Employee communications
• Ethical and professional standards
• Business elements of an organization (for example: other functions and departments, products, competition, customers, technology, demographics, culture, processes, safety and security)
• Existing HRIS, reporting tools, and other systems for effective data reporting and analysis
• Change management theory, methods, and application
• Risk management
• Qualitative and quantitative methods and tools for analytics
• Dealing with situations that are uncertain, unclear, or chaotic

Responsibilities:

• Understand federal laws and organizational policies to adhere to legal and ethical requirements in hiring (for example: Title VII, nepotism, disparate impact, FLSA, independent contractors)
• Develop and implement sourcing methods and techniques (for example: employee referrals, diversity groups, social media)
• Execute the talent acquisition lifecycle (for example: interviews, extending offers, background checks, negotiation).

Knowledge of:

• Applicable federal laws and regulations related to talent planning and acquisition activities
• Planning concepts and terms (for example: succession planning, forecasting)
• Current market situation and talent pool availability
• Staffing alternatives (for example: outsourcing, temporary employment)
• Interviewing and selection techniques, concepts, and terms
• Applicant tracking systems and/or methods
• Impact of total rewards on recruitment and retention
• Candidate/employee testing processes and procedures
• Verbal and written offers/contract techniques
• New hire employee orientation processes and procedures
• Internal workforce assessments (for example: skills testing, workforce demographics, analysis)
• Transition techniques for corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence process, offshoring, and divestitures
• Metrics to assess past and future staffing effectiveness (for example: cost per hire, selection ratios, adverse impact)

Responsibilities:

• Provide consultation to managers and employees on professional growth and development opportunities
• Implement and evaluate career development and training programs (for example: career pathing, management training, mentorship)
• Contribute to succession planning discussions with management by providing relevant data

Knowledge of:

• Applicable federal laws and regulations related to learning and development activities
• Learning and development theories and applications
• Training program facilitation, techniques, and delivery
• Adult learning processes
• Instructional design principles and processes (for example: needs analysis, process flow mapping)
• Techniques to assess training program effectiveness, including use of applicable metrics
• Organizational development (OD) methods, motivation methods, and problem-solving techniques
• Task/process analysis
• Coaching and mentoring techniques
• Employee retention concepts and applications
• Techniques to encourage creativity and innovation

Responsibilities:

• Manage compensation-related information and support payroll issue resolution
• Implement and promote awareness of non-cash rewards (for example: paid volunteer time, tuition assistance, workplace amenities, and employee recognition programs)
• Implement benefit programs (for example: health plan, retirement plan, employee assistance plan, other insurance)
• Administer federally compliant compensation and benefit programs

Knowledge of:

• Applicable federal laws and regulations related to total rewards
• Compensation policies, processes, and analysis
• Budgeting, payroll, and accounting practices related to compensation and benefits
• Job analysis and evaluation concepts and methods
• Job pricing and pay structures
• Non-cash compensation
• Methods to align and benchmark compensation and benefits
• Benefits programs policies, processes, and analysis

Responsibilities:

• Analyze functional effectiveness at each stage of the employee lifecycle (for example: hiring, onboarding, development, retention, exit process, alumni program) and identify alternate approaches as needed
• Collect, analyze, summarize, and communicate employee engagement data
• Understand organizational culture, theories, and practices; identify opportunities and make recommendations
• Understand and apply knowledge of programs, federal laws, and regulations to promote outreach, diversity and inclusion (for example: affirmative action, employee resource groups, community outreach, corporate responsibility)
• Implement and support workplace programs relative to health, safety, security, and privacy following federal laws and regulations (for example: OSHA, workers’ compensation, emergency response, workplace violence, substance abuse, legal postings)
• Promote organizational policies and procedures (for example: employee handbook, SOPs, time and attendance, expenses)
• Manage complaints or concerns involving employment practices, behavior, or working conditions, and escalate by providing information to appropriate stakeholders
• Promote techniques and tools for facilitating positive employee and labor relations with knowledge of applicable federal laws affecting union and nonunion workplaces (for example: dispute/conflict resolution, anti-discrimination policies, sexual harassment)
• Support and consult with management in performance management process (for example: employee reviews, promotions, recognition programs)
• Support performance activities (for example: coaching, performance improvement plans, involuntary separations) and employment activities (for example: job eliminations, reductions in force) by managing corresponding legal risks

Knowledge of:

• General employee relations activities and analysis (for example, conducting investigations, researching grievances, working conditions, reports, etc.)
• Applicable federal laws and procedures affecting employment, labor relations, safety, and security
• Human relations, culture and values concepts, and applications to employees and organizations
• Review and analysis process for assessing employee attitudes, opinions, and satisfaction
• Diversity and inclusion
• Recordkeeping requirements
• Occupational injury and illness prevention techniques
• Workplace safety and security risks
• Emergency response, business continuity, and disaster recovery process
• Internal investigation, monitoring, and surveillance techniques
• Data security and privacy
• The collective bargaining process, terms, and concepts (for example: contract negotiation, costing, administration)
• Performance management process, procedures, and analysis
• Termination approaches, concepts, and terms