Increased credibility and status come with regulation
Overall, a majority of the 1,336 HR professionals who responded to the latest Pulse Survey thought it should be a goal of the HR profession to be a regulated profession in all provinces. Two-thirds (66.4 per cent) approved of the idea, with 17.1 per cent against it and 16.5 per cent unsure.
Those respondents with the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation were significantly more likely to think the HR profession should be regulated in all provinces (74 per cent) than those who don’t hold a professional designation (58.8 per cent), those with some other HR designation (55.3 per cent) and those with a non-HR professional designation (50.5 per cent).
This could be explained by the fact those with a CHRP believed they have the most to gain from regulation.
Of those respondents with less than 10 years’ experience in HR, 71.6 per cent thought the HR profession should be regulated in all provinces compared to 63.4 per cent of those with 10 years or more tenure in HR.
Provincial variations
There were consistent differences in the opinions of those respondents from provinces where HR is regulated and not regulated.
Nearly three-quarters (71.7 per cent) of respondents from provinces where HR is regulated thought it should be a goal of the HR profession to be a regulated profession in all provinces. Only 53.4 per cent of respondents from provinces where HR is not regulated shared that opinion.
Similarly, 69.7 per cent of respondents from provinces where HR is regulated thought it is quite or very important HR becomes a regulated profession in all jurisdictions, whereas only 43.3 per cent of respondents from provinces where HR is not regulated were of that opinion.
Still, even in provinces where the HR profession is not regulated, a majority of respondents said being regulated would be desirable: 66.8 per cent thought becoming a regulated profession in all provinces would increase the stature of the profession (as compared to 73.7 per cent of respondents from provinces where HR is regulated).
And 61.3 per cent of respondents from provinces where HR is not regulated felt professionals from other regulated professions would respect HR professionals more if we were a regulated profession in all provinces (as compared to 68.3 per cent of respondents from provinces where HR is regulated).
Finally, 57.1 per cent of respondents from provinces where HR is regulated said HR would be more attractive as a career choice if HR was regulated in all provinces (as compared to 48.8 per cent of respondents from provinces where HR is not regulated).
‘Next natural progression’ for HR
Those respondents who felt the HR profession should be regulated in all provinces most often cited increased credibility and status as the main benefits for regulation. A number of respondents noted “regulating the HR profession was the next natural progression.”
Some mentioned the increased accountability brought about by regulation would increase the level of professionalism amongst HR professionals.
HR not a ‘science’
Those respondents who thought HR should not be regulated in all provinces often felt HR should not be regulated in any province. A number of respondents believed HR was not “regulatable” because it is not “scientific” or “a black or white field of work.”
Other respondents said they were concerned about the impact of regulation on inter-provincial mobility. Still, there were other respondents who really didn’t care either way, as long as the regulation didn’t increase the cost associated with being a member of an association.
It is also clear a number of respondents weren’t quite clear as to what “being regulated” actually meant. Some respondents indicated HR could not be regulated because “there are no acts or functions that only CHRPs can perform” or “you can’t be regulated because you can work in the field without a designation.”
As one respondent noted — “Even in regulated provinces, HR individuals do not know or take the time to know their own regulated profession.”
Claude Balthazard is director of HR excellence and registrar at the Human Resources Professionals Association in Toronto. He can be reached at [email protected].
