A human resource certificate can be likened to frost on a cake. It makes your curriculum vitae more attractive, giving you an edge over uncertified human resources professionals. This article would reveal the professional bodies for human resource management in Nigeria and the best human resources academy for certificates in Nigeria.
Professional certifications are very expedient in any corporate milieu because they are believed to reduce the incidence of mediocrity among members of staff in any organization. A human resources academy helps to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world knowledge/experience. An academy also empowers students with up-to-date information on trendy, relevant and current best practices, thereby increasing their chances of efficiency.
Why You Need a Human Resources Academy Certificate
Human resource is an integral part of both the business and corporate world. The success or failure of the human resource departmenthas notable effects on the organization.
Hence, if you are looking to have a successful career in human resources, it is not enough to have a degree, you need to be smart, hardworking and you certainly need a recognized certificate. A human resource certification serves as a fillip for landing the right paying jobs.
What is Human Resource?
According to The Balance Careers, a human resource refers to one person inside a company’s generallabour force, each person is seen lending their skills,knowledge, timeorexpertise to the attainment of the organization’s goals. This is true irrespective of the terms in the employment contract – part-time, full-time, freelance, or contract.
An organization’s most important assets are not the building, machinery, capital invested or her products/services, the human resources are. Just the organization’s facility and pieces of equipment are under the care of a facility manager or an admin team, the human resources are under the care of a human resources department. This department is saddled with the responsibility of hiring, onboarding, training, disciplining, firing and managing human resources.
Who is a Human Resource Officer?
A human resource officer is an officer in an organization who is responsible for hiring, training and looking after the employees of that organization.
A human resource officer is always actively involved in the recruitment of new staff. Thehuman resource officer ensures training for all staff and also participates actively in various training sessions. The goal of this is to improve the general skillset and efficiency of staff in the organization.
Meting out disciplinary actions on erring staff where and when necessary is also the job of a human resource officer. The nature of the job role also makes a human resource officer privy to promotion exercises in an organization and may recommend worthy staff for promotion.
Additionally, human resource officers collaborate with other departments and their managers to address all grievances thataffect members of staff while playing an active role in the propounding and expounding of laws that affect the workforce.
How to Become a Human Resources Officer
To become a human resource officer, youneed to fulfil certain conditions which include:
1. Bag a University Degree:
A degree in the social sciences or personnel management gives you a good headstart. A degree in any social science exposes you to the knowledge and skills required for managing businesses and business assets.
It is pertinent to get a degree in a field related to human resources management because it broadens your horizon on issues concerning human resource management.
However, it is not uncommon these days to find people with different academic backgrounds within the HR space. This is possible with the help of professional certifications, but a university degree or its equivalent is a prerequisite.
2. Acquire Professional Certifications:
Certifications are a fundamental prerequisite for a successful career in human resources management.
A recognized human resource certification would widen yourcognitive and supervisory skills, enabling you to stand out from the crowd andincreasing your chances of landing the job of your dream. Some of such certifications include CIPM which stands for Chartered Institute of Personnel Management and The Institute for Human Resources which specializes in IHR certification.
3. Develop Passion And Zeal:
To succeed in human resources, you need to possess a healthy dose of passion for the field and all it denotes. If you are not a people person and don’t have an interest in becoming one, a career in human resources might not be the best for you.
You have to be passionate about what you do to succeed at it. Without a zeal for human resources, you will be indifferent about growing in the field, which is unhealthy for your career. Knowledge in the field is progressive and dynamic, considering how quickly people and trends change.
To become a human resource officer, you must bepassionate about helping people, improving their skills and understanding their plight. The role would require you to encourage a conducive environment where communication thrives.
Professional Bodies For Human Resource Management in Nigeria
As a young professional who is looking to grow and become successful in the human resources space, you must be aware of these professional bodies. These professional bodies have aided the evolution of human resource management in Nigeria in many ways. Their activities have helped to promote ethical standards and the use of cutting-edge practices to enhance human resource management.
These organizations have been successful in sharpening the skills of human resource workers in Nigeria, resulting in better human resource management in several firms.Some of the Professionalbodiesfor human resource management in Nigeria include:
1. Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM):
CIPM is the regulatory body chartered by law to regulate the practice of Human Resource Management in Nigeria. The vision of the institute is to be the foremost people management and organizational development institute in Africa; while her mission is to promote excellence and regulate the ecosystem for people management to deliver value for sustainable growth of individuals, organizations and nations.
CIPM membership gives HR professionals in Nigeria the recognition and mark of professional competence needed to enhance their career prospects among other benefits. Check Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria to find out more.
2. Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA):
This body is a membership organization for employee assistance professionals in Nigeria with an international presence across the globe. They offer professional development and certification to their members.
EAPA is the most relied upon source of information and support for and about the employee assistance profession.Check Employee Assistance Professionals Association for more information.
3. Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria:
This is the umbrella body for licensed and professional recruiters in Nigeria. The Association was created by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, with international guidelines from the ILO.
The goal of the association is to develop and promote International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards and ethical practices in recruitment, deployment and management of outsourced personnel in Nigeria.
Check Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria for more information.
4. Institute of Human Resources and Strategic Management (IHRSM):
The body was created to serve as a platform where knowledge and ideas can be exchanged among members. The organization’s goal is to keep practitioners up to date with relevant trends and to facilitate good human resource management in the workplace.
Check Institute of Human Resources and Strategic Management for more information.
5. Institute of Strategic Human Capital Managers (ISHCM):
Founded in April 2012, the Institute of Strategic Human Capital Managers of Nigeria aims toenhance the training and development of human capital, which is undoubtedly the most rated factor of production.
Her objectives include to carry out research and develop the science of human capital management for the attainment of corporate objectives, and to provide an arrow edge in the development of human capital for national development.
Check Institute of Strategic Human Capital Managers for more information.
Best Human Resources Academy For Certificate In Nigeria
To help you get your human resource career off to a great start, below is the list of the best human resources academy for certificate in Nigeria:
1. PwC’s Human Resource Academy
As a deeply experienced organization, PwC’s Human Resource Academy focuses on delivering relevant learning and development solutions that are based on the company’s knowledge, results from global research and thought leadership.
The focus of the academy is to deliver value to clients by helping them develop the skills they need to drive growth and help transform communities by developing highly skilled individuals able to deliver tangible results.
2. Blue Ocean Training And Consultancy
Bearing in mind that human resource management has gone past payroll and recruitmentfunctions only, to include performance management, organizational behaviour, employment law, and several other specialized areas.
Blue Ocean Academy provides Human Resources training courses in Nigerian cities like Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Kano and many more. Their Human Resources certification courses include CHRP and CHRM certification.
Conclusion
It’s time to boost your CV and increase your chances of landing the right jobs in Nigeria and globally. A certificate in human resources from a trusted academy would ensure your efficiency, increase your productivity and enhance your knowledge of ethical standards.
With the information shared in this article, you are better equipped to choose the best human resources certificate academy in Nigeria. It’s time to get started on your career growth journey!
