Professional certifications for human resources professionals have long been the cornerstone of skills assessment in the field. Maybe these traditional credentials serve as a supplement to a degree in HR or industrial and organizational psychology. Maybe they solidify a career choice after decades in the workforce.
But in 2026, HR professionals may be thinking differently about these mainstays of HR professional development, including those from major players like SHRM and the HR Certification Institute. About 1 in 5 respondents in HR Dive’s Identity of HR survey (21%) said they expect HR certification to be deprioritized in the next three to five years.
“I’ve certainly worked with some great HR practitioners that don’t have the certifications, so I don’t think it’s an end-all be-all,” said Lindsay Gainor, vice president of HR and talent management at ServiceMaster Brands, the parent company of Merry Maids, Two Men and a Truck, and Two Men and a Junk Truck. From her perspective, certifications may matter more for newer HR professionals who are looking to bolster their resume.
“I think as time goes on and you have more experience in HR — and you’ve maybe worked for some larger companies and you’ve built up a referral network — your body of work is able to speak for itself more,” she said.
Certifications remain ‘somewhat important’
The percentage of HR professionals who said HR certifications were important to an organizations like theirs.
Gainor is a SHRM Certified Professional; she previously had a Professional in Human Resources certification from HRCI. Despite having a bachelor’s degree in HR and a master’s degree in business administration, she still wanted certification to signify she had “the foundational HR knowledge needed,” Gainor said. “I was earlier in my HR career. I felt like it was important to show that I had passed the certification, to show that I had the practical HR knowledge.”
Where do employers stand?
Currently, ServiceMaster has vacancies on Gainor’s HR team. As she faces the prospect of hiring to fill those roles, the question of HR certifications comes up. For some roles, HR certifications are preferred, although not required.
“Do I think that they hold the same weight that they did 10 years ago when I received mine?” Gainor asked. “Probably not,” she said. A divide among HR professionals between SHRM and HRCI also has muddied the waters, she said.
Some departments don’t prioritize certification
A year-over-year breakdown of HR professionals who said HR certifications were “not at all important” to an organization like theirs.
For Mary Dale, pursuing her PHR certification from HRCI and her SHRM-CP was important to her because, “historically, many companies treated them as a requirement, especially if you didn’t have a master’s degree and were aiming for executive level roles like director, VP, CHRO, or CPO.”
Dale, who is chief operating officer of JLB and Associates and founder and CPO of DPG, LLC, said that HR certifications were often crucial for signifying one was ready to operate at the director level. “They served as a kind of professional ‘passport’ in the past, and for certain organizations they still do,” Dale said.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and VP of HR for Engage PEO, did not get an HRCI or SHRM certification in her role. “I did not get it because I was already a lawyer, but I certainly don’t think that there’s any harm in getting it,” she told HR Dive.
The future of certification may be a wide array of options
While some expect less focus on certifications in the future, 16% of respondents to HR Dive’s survey said the opposite.
Perhaps, even as skills-based hiring by recruiters becomes more popular and that ethos begins to seep into the HR industry, credentials remain relevant. But for some, that means the kind of HR certifications individuals prioritize may shift.
Where are HR professionals getting their HR certifications from?
The percentage breakdown from HR professionals who responded to this year’s survey.
For example, to pair with her law degree and bachelor’s degree in industrial labor relations, Matsis-McCready attained a Cornell University certification on neurodiversity at work. And Gainor has a Gallup Strengths Coach Certification. “I think that definitely helps bolster credibility if I’m going into a coaching discussion with someone,” she said.
These kinds of certifications may be the future of HR credentialing: Alisa Kline, director of HR Consulting at Flex HR, told HR Dive she has seen more of an emphasis on HR certification, but, she said, “I think it’s less focused on just having your SHRM [or] HRCI.”
HRCI CEO Amy Dufrane said the act of obtaining certification remains important, because it “gives employers confidence in their team’s capabilities and allows HR professionals to demonstrate their leadership and adaptability.” Dufrane also pointed to HRCI research that certified HR professionals obtain higher salaries, report greater career satisfaction and have overall better career outcomes.
“While certification sends an important, immediate signal about a professional’s expertise, maintaining it through continuing education and a career-long commitment to learning and development is the hallmark of an exceptional HR professional,” Dufrane said.
SHRM did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
What defines a competitive edge?
Additional HR certifications can make an individual more competitive, according to Kline, but it truly depends on the role. The job search process to be a specialist is different from that of an HR generalist, for example — and even then, there are considerations for the type of employer.
At larger, international companies, for example, a global certification can help, she explained; at large technology companies, an AI certification may be useful.
At the end of the day, any kind of certification may be a green flag for a future employer. Matsis-McCready said HR professionals may be able to demonstrate strong professional or academic chops without HR certifications, but that they do create “a level of trust” with organizations looking to hire talent.
Dale looks for credentials when hiring for HR roles, she told HR Dive, but not because they’re required.
“What a credential signals to me is a commitment to growth, that someone is intentionally expanding their knowledge and taking their craft seriously,” Dale said, adding that she holds herself to the same standard.
“I’m always learning, always looking for ways to grow, and I value that mindset in others,” she said. “I’m a lifelong learner, and I want people on my team who share that drive, whether they show it through formal credentials, hands‑on experience, or continuous self‑development.”