Three reasons HR designations can help you advance your career in human resources

We connected with the team at the HRPA to discuss the benefits of HR certifications for internationally-trained human resources professionals. They highlighted three primary reasons to consider investing in your HR career development.

Accreditation and Licensing,Career Success and Planning

September 1, 2022

Estimated reading time: 2.5 minutes

In summary:

  • Internationally-educated human resources (HR) professionals can grow their incomes and advance their careers by investing in professional development.
  • HR designations help immigrants and refugees working in HR better understand Canadian standards of practice and HR regulations.
  • HR designations signal to colleagues and organizational leadership that your advice and expertise can be relied upon and valued.

Human resources (HR) professionals are integral to the success of any organization. They are directly involved in acquiring talent and support training, labour relations, employee retention and satisfaction. They also help employees understand benefits and are often the main point of contact between organizational leadership and staff. All of this combined, makes them valuable assets to any organization.

According to federal government labour market data, HR professionals are highly in demand and expect to continue to be so in the years to come. This is good news for skilled immigrants and refugees. However, there’s one caveat. HR jobs are regulated in some parts of Canada. This means organizations often prefer candidates with HR designations such as CHRP (Certified Human Resources Professional), CHRL (Certified Human Resources Leader) or CHRE (Certified Human Resources Executive) offered through the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA). HR professionals with these designations often experience salary growth and additional career advancement opportunities.

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We connected with the team at the HRPA to discuss the benefits of HR certifications for internationally-trained human resources professionals. They highlighted three primary reasons to consider investing in your HR career development.

HRPA logo


The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) offers designations that can help internationally-educated HR professionals achieve career success in Canada.

Reason #1: Learn about Canadian HR expectations and industry standards

Gaining the CHRP, CHRL or CHRE designation can help prepare internationally-educated HR professionals for the realities of the Canadian labour market. It signals to employers that you have the knowledge and expertise needed to excel in this country’s HR workforce.

Reason #2: Grow your earning potential and support your career advancement

The HRPA’s designations increase respect for HR professionals and job opportunities, career development, advancement and pay. In a study of the impact of HRPA designations, which included nearly 4,000 HR professionals in Canada, there were clear, quantifiable benefits to obtaining an HR certification. A recent survey of its members also demonstrated this. HRPA reported professionals with one of its designations were more likely to hold a job at the management level and earn salaries, on average, 19% higher than those without. The level of impact on salary and career progression for HR professionals differs among job levels and industries, but the benefits of certification can be significant.

Reason #3: Your designation can help you demonstrate your value and expertise

HR designations show employers and colleagues you have the knowledge required to help protect employee and public interest and provide organizational value. Holding a designation comes with the expectation senior leadership and colleagues can turn to you for strategic counsel and solutions.

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Internationally-educated professionals with a background in HR may apply to join HRPA for a reduced price if they can demonstrate they have secured landed immigrant status or an open work permit in Canada within the past 24 months. More information can be found here.

Below you’ll find some helpful links and information to support internationally-trained HR professionals toward achieving their career goals in Canada.

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