FAQs

The Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) is a HR professional body, jointly set up by the tripartite partners: the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

IHRP is set up to professionalise and strengthen the HR practice in Singapore. IHRP certification raises the HR standards of excellence and provides HR professionals with an industry endorsed mark of quality.

Through the national certification framework and HR development pathways, IHRP will equip HR
professionals with the requisite competencies to deliver positive business impact and maximise the potential of their organisations’ human capital.

IHRP is also the appointed programme manager for the Human Capital Diagnostics Tool (HCDT) and the SkillsFuture Study Awards for HR. Through the HCDT, Study Awards and other Human Capital Initiatives, IHRP supports multiple government agencies reaching out to help organisations in Singapore adopt progressive human capital practices.

IHRP is not a membership body, and is the only HR professional body in Singapore authorised to implement the national HR certification framework.

IHRP will foster a vibrant HR ecosystem, partnering closely with the HR community, employers, trade organisations, government linked agencies as well as educational and training institutions, to enable Human Capital development in Singapore.

For HR Professionals: By being part of the community you can,

Enhance Professional Mastery and Career Development

• Receive a Professional Recognition that is Nationally Endorsed
• Gain access to opportunities to develop and upgrade your HR competencies

Build a World-Class HR Community

• Belong to a community of like-minded HR Professionals
• Make a difference and contribute to building a vibrant HR ecosystem

For organization: By being part of IHRP’s community, you can,

Contribute to Organisational Performance and Business Growth

• Invest in your Human Capital to transform and grow your business

Benchmark your organisation against industry standards and practices

• Advance your business growth by staying compliant and relevant in your Human Capital practices, processes and standards

A key value proposition of the IHRP Certification is the support from the tripartite partners, including the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore National Employers Federation and the National Trades Union Congress.

The IHRP Certification is the national HR certification framework, and established to meet the needs of the tripartite partners and other industry stakeholders. It is contextualised and catered to the local HR and business landscape.

The IHRP Certification will serve as a benchmark for HR professionals, and in time to come, provide a universal benchmark for employers in identifying HR professionals’ skills and experience.

The IHRP-CP is for you if you have over 2 years of HR experience.

The IHRP-SP is for you if you are a seasoned and experienced HR leader with responsibilities for leading a HR function, designing and developing HR policies and programmes, and providing day-to-day guidance to your team for HR service delivery.

The IHRP-MP is the pinnacle of the IHRP Certification and initiated via a nomination process by Tripartite Partners and existing IHRP-MPs. The IHRP-MP is for you if you are a C-suite HR leader who is well-regarded by the HR community and have actively contributed back to the HR industry. You would have with responsibilities for strategising and directing the HR management and development agenda at an organisation-wide level, often serving as a trusted business partner to C-level stakeholders.

Yes. As long as you have evidence of previously attending a HR-related tertiary education (i.e. HR degree/diploma); or HR-related courses, workshops, conference and seminars accumulating to an aggregate of 150-hours, it will count towards the requirement of the 150-hours of HR-related training or education.

You will qualify as long as you have 2 years of HR-related work experience at the relevant seniority levels. For Example:

As an IHRP-CP, you will need 2 years experience.

As an IHRP-SP, you will need 2 years experience performing in the scope of a Head of HR, HR Director, HR Business Partner Lead, or equivalent.

Yes absolutely! To date, HR specialists in the fields of compensation & benefits, talent acquisition, talent management, learning & development have successfully been certified.

The IHRP certification is a practitioner’s certification and a validation of your HR experience. As such, there is an experience requirement of at least 2 years at the role equivalent to the IHRP-CP and IHRP-SP level. You may want to give yourself more time to build up your HR experience if you are not yet ready. If you are a junior HR professional, you could also consider the associate programme.

We are currently finalising the eligibility requirements for the IHRP Associate Programme, and will post an update on our website once it is finalised.

There is a two-part holistic assessment process. For Stage 1: Online Experience Assessment review, the IHRP team will email candidates with the results approximately 1 month from the cut-off date. Upon receipt of the email, candidates should login to the IHRP portal to confirm the date for Stage 2: On-site Competency Assessment and make payment. The results of Stage 2: On-site Competency Assessment will be released approximately 1 to 2 months (depending on the level of certification) after the onsite assessment date.

Please refer to IHRP’s webpage for the list of IHRP accredited courses. Only courses accredited by IHRP will be published in IHRP’s website.

Each accredited course is aligned to the relevant competencies under the IHRP Body of Competencies. You may wish to select the course base on the competency areas which you wish to acquire/ deepen as part of your professional development and upgrading.

Maintaining your professional certification is a long-term commitment to the HR profession and your HR career development journey. It reflects your commitment to enrich your HR development journey and achieve mastery of HR competencies to grow as a HR professional.

Recertification is encouraged at the end of the certification period, and can be achieved by practicing HR professionals through demonstrated continuing professional development and professional conduct over the certification period.

To demonstrate currency as a HR professional, you are required to demonstrate having fulfilled the following requirements:

1. HR-related work: Engage in HR-related work for two or more years over the certification period; verified by work testimonials and updated CV
2. Statement of Professional Conduct: Declaring compliance with the Code of Professional Conduct during the certification period.
3. Continuing Professional Development: 90 CPD hours over the 3-year certification period

If you are a Certified HR professional who wishes to upgrade from IHRP-CP to IHRP-SP, please refer to this link to ascertain on your eligibility for IHRP-SP.

You may download the application form here.

Should you have any questions on your eligibility, you may contact assessment@ihrp.sg.

IHRP will notify you 6 months before the end of your certification validity.  You will be able, to apply for recertification via IHRP’s website. In order to receive communications through those formally established channels, please ensure that your contact details are updated and accurate.

You will need to submit a recertification application consisting of four components:

(a) Continuing Professional Development,
(b) Updated CV
(c) Work-based Reference Testimonial, and
(d) Declaration of IHRP Code of Professional Conduct.

You will be notified of the outcome through formal communication channels. Upon successful recertification, your certification period will be extended for another three (3) years. An updated certificate with the new validity period will be mailed to you accordingly.

It is important that you renew your certification before the expiry of your certification period, to ensure that your certification is renewed in time. Otherwise, your professional certification will cease to be valid at the end of the three-year period, and you will no longer be authorised to use the IHRP credentials.

There is no mandatory training required before the assessment. However, you will need to indicate that you have fulfilled approximately 150 hours of HR-related education or training before applying. The 150 hours can be fulfilled through:

HR-related tertiary education (i.e. HR degree/diploma); and/or any HR-related courses, workshops, conference and seminars taken in the past.

You may also consider taking IHRP Accredited Courses to help you fulfil your HR-related Education and Training hours

The IHRP Certification is the national certification framework and benchmarked against international HR best practices. IHRP Certification will serve as a benchmark in Singapore. As part of its mandate, IHRP is also working to establish mutual recognition arrangements between international HR certification bodies and IHRP, which will enable IHRP certified professionals to gain recognition under systems which share similar rigour and professional standing.

The IHRP certification is the national HR certification. With the launch of the IHRP certification, SHRI has since ceased the SHRI accreditation and is in the process to transit HR professionals who are SHRI-Accredited to be IHRP-Certified.

You may use your Skills Future Credit for the courses and training that leads up to the certification, which will in turn qualify you for the 150 hours. However, Skills Future Credit cannot be used for the certification fees.

HR Professionals who are IHRP Certified are authorised to use the following professional credentials according to their certification levels:

IHRP Certified Professional (IHRP-CP) IHRP Senior Professional (IHRP-SP) IHRP Master Professional (IHRP-MP)

The certification will be valid for 3 years from date of notification of assessment outcome.

You may renew your certification by submitting an application for recertification.

IHRP and its Assessors will neither disclose, nor permit members of its staff to disclose any information unless necessary for the provision of the Assessment and/or required to do so by law. Information obtained during the certification process, or from sources other than the applicant, candidate or certified person, shall not be disclosed to an unauthorised party without the written consent of the individual (applicant, candidate or certified person).

For your enquiries, you may wish to write to us at hello@ihrp.sg.

Assessment

Companies today operate in a globalised business environment. The new world of work also comprises an increasingly mobile talent pool operating in a remote work setting. In order to keep abreast of these trends, IHRP and the international HR professional bodies intend to build a global and borderless HR community. We share a common vision to develop HR professionals who are globally connected and able to operate across borders to unlock the potential of people and enable transformation of business.

The mutual recognition offers IHRP certified professionals, particularly those with regional and global responsibilities the opportunity to obtain certifications from a well-regarded international HR professional bodies. It also enables a foreign-certified HR professional based in Singapore to be nationally recognised. The mutual recognition provides a rigorous testament of the professional standing and mastery of HR competencies that are future-oriented and progressive. HR professionals are also able to access the broader set of programmes, resources and communities offered by both organisations, thereby enabling opportunities for greater growth, mobility and international connectivity.

The bridging covers the eligibility criteria and assessment requirements from the respective HR professional bodies, which are not covered by the other party. You can refer to the details on the bridging requirements, process and fees on the partnership page.

Bridging Pathways

AHRI: https://www.ihrp.sg/ahri-partnership/

CIPD: https://www.cipd.asia/membership/ihrp-agreement

SHRM: https://www.ihrp.sg/ihrp-community/ihrp-shrm/

For respective professional bodies’ fee, please refer to their respective website.

For AHRI, https://www.ahri.com.au/hr-certification/membership-for-certified-hr-practitioners/

For SHRM, https://www.shrm.org/about-shrm/pages/membership.aspx

For CIPD, https://www.cipd.co.uk/membership/become-member/fees

For IHRP, there is a recertification fee of $450 every three years.

Yes, however, you can count the same set of CPD activities towards fulfilling the requirements by the HR professional bodies respectively.

You will need to maintain the validity of your certification with the respective bodies, for the continued use of the professional credentials and access to the resources and benefits of each organisation.

IHRP Certified Professionals may undergo a bridging pathway to attain AHRI Certification. To find out more, please refer to the AHRI Bridging Pathway: https://ahri.com.au/hr-certification/ihrp-mutual-recognition-pathway/

Launched in November 2018, IHRP Corporate Partner Programme is an exclusive corporate-led initiative where organisations pledge their support to nurture a future-ready HR profession and champion IHRP Certification as the recognised HR standards of excellence.

This programme aims to acknowledge organisations that have adopted IHRP Certification as part of their Human Capital development effort and/or demonstrated exemplary support for their HR team to be IHRP-certified.

We welcome organisations from the public and private sector in Singapore to apply. To be eligible, you will need to fulfil the following:

• Support IHRP Certification via IHRP Corporate Assessment* and
• Indicate IHRP Certification as a preferred hiring criterion for HR job vacancies

*Organisations can embark on a corporate assessment that includes onsite assessment at your premises and receive a corporate competency profile report, that benchmarks the competencies of your team against the sector that you are in.

Interested organisation can submit their interest to IHRP at hello@ihrp.sg

Exclusive Networking Opportunities
Company leaders and certified professionals can have priority access to:

• Exclusive events, workshops, learning journeys and international roundtable discussions organised by IHRP
• Curated best HR practice resources and peer-learning opportunities through IHRP Connect

Publicity

• Recognised as a Corporate Partner on IHRP’s website
• Showcased in IHRP’s marketing and promotional collaterals for publicity, where appropriate
• Featured on selected print and social media platforms

IHRP Job Portal

The current Corporate Partners are :

For any enquiries, the organisation may write to IHRP at hello@ihrp.sg or call 6513 3895.

For more information, they may also visit https://www.ihrp.sg/ihrp-corporate-partner-programme/.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) refers to learning and education activities that would help certified HR professionals to develop and maintain competencies and HR knowledge that enable them to be effective in their HR role.

IHRP-certified professionals are strongly encouraged to continue updating and upskilling themselves during their 3-year certification duration. For IHRP-CPs and IHRP-SPs, there is a 90-hour CPD requirement that needs to be fulfilled, in order for them to meet the IHRP recertification eligibility criteria.

CPD hours can be earned through:

• collecting points via the IHRP Connect LMS system
• volunteer opportunities with IHRP
• continued learning through training courses, workshops, etc.

The 90 CPD hours may be accumulated through multi-modal learning opportunities including activities such as accredited courses, self-study, workshops and conferences, e-learning, IHRP Connect mobile platform learning and etc.

Find out more here.

You may refer to the list of IHRP accredited courses under IHRP’s website for training programs, which are aligned to the Body of Competencies, to acquire the relevant competencies.

You may also contact IHRP at hello@ihrp.sg for further enquiries.

The first step of your CPD Journey includes reflecting on the competency analysis from IHRP Development Report, which was received upon successful outcome of the OnSite Assessment.

IHRP has also launched our very own mobile based learning platform IHRP Connect. This interactive platform enables IHRP-certified professionals to collaborate and engage within a qualified community, to access bite-sized learning materials, and to take charge of their development.

IHRP Connect is available for download on the Apps Store / Play Store. All certified professionals will receive access to IHRP Connect when they successfully achieve their IHRP certification.

You will be required to keep track of your verifiable CPD activities through retaining of evidence of such activities (e.g. registration information, invoices, attendance confirmation, letters of appointment, etc.)

Please refer to individual training providers for enquiries on training subsidy for their courses.

Yes, if the course is approved for SkillsFuture Credit. Please visit www.skillsfuture.sg/credit for the list of courses which are eligible.

The IHRP’s Code of Professional Conduct has been developed to reflect the standards of professional conduct and behaviours for all Certified Professionals.

Implicit in the conferment of this professional certification is a requirement for certified members to comply with the mandates of all applicable laws and regulations, as well as take responsibility to act in an ethical and professionally responsible manner according to a set of core principles.

IHRP will convene a Disciplinary Committee to review if there has been a violation, and determine the appropriate course of action, including whether the certification will be revoked. If the certification is revoked, you will no longer be authorised to use the IHRP credentials.

The Human Capital Diagnostics Tool (HCDT) is a comprehensive yet simple-to-use organisational “health check” for companies of all sizes. Using insights from the diagnostics, organisations can make informed human capital decisions, such as where to invest their resources in order to better meet the needs of the business and its workforce.

The HCDT uses a 4-Stage maturity model. At each successive level of maturity, the HR function improves its functional efficiencies, talent management capabilities, organisational capabilities, and business impact. The higher an organisation’s maturity stage, the more sophisticated its processes and practices and the better positioned it will be in meeting business challenges.

The tool is currently complimentary for companies that undergo HCDT as part of specific govt initiatives, e.g. HCP, SFE, etc. Walk-in companies (without any govt initiatives) will be charged $1275 for the assessment, $200 per organization report, and $125 for the optional HCPS. All prices exclusive of GST.

The tool generates human capital recommendations based on one of the four possible Growth Stages, to help leaders prioritise their human capital process improvement efforts. In dialogue with a trained assessor, leaders can further align these recommendations to their organisation’s strategy.

Organisations can then embark on human capital projects to improve areas highlighted.

The assessment process is 2-day commitment during which assessors will speak with the CEO and HR Director and review policy documents (First day), followed by a share back of assessment results to CEO (Second day)

Assessors will also need to communicate with the HR staff prior to the first session to prepare them for the policy documents review on their first visit.

The SkillsFuture Study Award for HR is one of the key initiatives under the HR Industry Manpower Plan (HRIMP) to strengthen the HR profession in Singapore. It supports HR professionals to continually deepen their skills in the sector, allowing them to be more effective in developing people strategies that benefit the workforce and support business transformation.

You will receive a monetary award of $5,000 which you can use to defray your out-of-pocket expenses associated with the HR course that you will be taking. It can be used on top of existing Government course fee subsidies.

The SkillsFuture Study Award for HR is targeted at Singaporeans with at least two years of HR work experience and are looking to further develop their careers.

For more details on the eligibility criteria, please visit https://www.ihrp.sg/skillsfuture-study-award-for-hr/

No. The Public Service is committed towards the skills deepening of public officers and government agencies offer a range of training and development schemes to support the skills upgrading of public officers. As such, public officers are encouraged to apply for the in-house schemes instead of the SkillsFuture Study Award.

The SkillsFuture Study Award for HR supports all relevant HR courses including certificate, diploma, postgraduate diploma, degree and HR professional development programmes.

An integral component of the Industry Transformation Maps co-created by Employers, Industry Associations, Education Institutions, Unions and Government for the Singapore workforce, the Skills Framework provides key information on sector, career pathways, occupations/job roles, as well as existing and emerging skills required for the occupations/job roles. It also provides a list of training programmes for skills upgrading and mastery.

The Skills Framework aims to create a common skills language for individuals, employers and training providers. This further helps to facilitate skills recognition and support the design of training programmes for skills and career development. The Skills Framework is also developed with the objectives to build deep skills for a lean workforce, enhance business competitiveness and support employment and employability. In total, there are 33 sector Skills Frameworks.

SFw workshops are complimentary full day workshops to introduce HR Professionals and business leaders to the SFw for their sector.

Each workshop aims to aid in:

• Understanding the intent and purpose of the Skills Framework for your selected sector
• Comprehending the components of the Skills Framework for your selected sector
• Determining how the career pathways and skills identified in the Skills Framework for your selected sector can be used to improve HR practices and organisational performance
• Implementing the Skills Framework for your selected sector to support better business outcomes

Since February 2019, IHRP has been appointed as the Programme Manager for the Skills Framework workshops.

We also manage the SFw community on IHRP’s own mobile enabled online community: IHRP Connect.

Candidates for the IHRP Certification are assessed against the IHRP Body of Competencies (BoC)

The IHRP BoC is embedded into the SFw for HR. For all other sectors’ SFw, activities carried out in the process of adopting the Skills Framework can qualify for the Stage 1: Experience Assessment portion of the IHRP Certification process, subject to review by IHRP Assessment Team.

Attendees for the SFw workshops can also clock the hours towards the 150 HR-related training hours pre-requisite for applying for the IHRP Certification.

IHRP Certified HR professionals can clock CPD hours for attending SFw workshops.

Additionally, as an IHRP Certified HR Professional, the SFw provides a ready reference, easily customisable toolkit to adopt for their organisation’s Talent acquisition, development and retention purposes in line with HR’s growing importance to the organisation’s strategic functions.

You may visit www.ihrp.sg/skills-framework/workshops-for-hr-professionals/ to sign up for upcoming SFw workshops.

The IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA™) is a certification that leads to a structured 2-year development pathway designed to equip individuals with the application of HR knowledge and accelerate their readiness to take on bigger HR roles as an IHRP Certified Professional (IHRP-CP).

For more information please visit: https://www.ihrp.sg/ca/

Note: This is not a training course/module and does not involve regular online classes/physical classes.

IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA™) is for students or working professionals who currently do not meet the eligibility criteria required for IHRP Certified Professional (IHRP-CP) credential (i.e. (1) 2 years of HR-related work experience and (2) 150-hours of HR-related training or education).

The IHRP-CA™ is available to the following groups:

• Working Professionals who are not eligible for IHRP Certified Professionals (Non-HR students, PMETs, Junior HR, HR Admin, currently in between jobs)
• Individuals looking to move into HR
• Fresh HR Graduates

The IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA™) will commence upon your graduation (for students) and your status as an IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA™) is valid for 3 years upon graduation.

If you have plans to pursue further studies, you may submit proof of full-time studies and IHRP will put on hold your status as an IHRP-CA™ till your graduation. This also applies to those who are required to serve National Service.

Yes, you can still attend selected events / learning journeys targeted for IHRP-CA™ who are not yet working professionals.

Being an IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA™) will kickstart your HR journey by providing you with a structured 2-year development pathway.

As an IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA™), you will go through structured learning using the 3Es.

1. Emerging skills. Micro-credential in emerging HR skills, application of HR skills through capstone projects, skills framework and Human Capital Diagnostic Tools
2. Exposure. Mentoring, networking opportunities, learning journeys
3. Education. Curated content and Community of Practice on IHRP mobile-enabled learning platform, courses in emerging HR skills provided by accredited partners

To be successfully certified as an IHRP-CA™, you will need to successfully clear the FoundatioN level Assessment Papers:

• Paper A – Employment Policies and Legislation and,
• FoundatioN Paper (Paper N) – Fundamental HR knowledge and competencies as outlined by IHRP’s Body of Competencies (BoC),

You may be exempted from the FoundatioN Paper if you have completed any of these courses.

Online preparation materials will be made available for participants who prefer to self-study, in addition participants will also receive an information pack 1 month before their assessment date. There is also a list of accredited training programmes for candidates who prefer guidance through more traditional courses found here.

You will have up to 3 attempts to pass any of the paper within a one-year period.

Yes, a re-assessment fee is applicable.

Paper A and the FoundatioN Paper (Paper N) are valid for 18 months upon the first clearance.

The purpose of the IHRP Certified Associate is to enable and prepare HR professionals for the IHRP Certified Professional (IHRP-CP) certification, so the IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA™) status is valid for up to 3 years. Recertifying of the IHRP-CA™ credential is not encouraged, we would advise individuals who are reaching the 3 year mark, to instead apply for the IHRP-CP certification. Individuals should capitalise on the IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA™) to progress to IHRP-CP certification.

For further enquiries, you may write to us at certifiedassociate@ihrp.sg