Professional Membership Frequently Asked Questions
What is Professional Membership?
What are the HRINZ HR Competencies?
Why apply – what’s in it for me?
When should a member apply?
How do I apply?
How long will it take?
What are the Professional Membership Indicators?
Tell me more about the application process.
What happens when HRINZ receives my application?
For feedback, please e-mail us at hrinz@hrinz.org.nz
What is Professional Membership?
Professional membership of HRINZ denotes the achievement of a pre-requisite level of competence and experience, and is a qualification that is increasingly being seen as a highly regarded standard of professional attainment for HR practitioners.
This grade of membership adds value to both the Institute and the individual. It demonstrates recognition of Human Resource Management as a profession, and at an individual level, enhances career opportunity.
There are two categories of professional membership:
-
Generalist - MHRINZ
-
Specialist - SHRINZ
Application for professional membership is a formal process completed online. All applications are considered by the HRINZ Grading Panel which is comprised of professional members.
More information about Professional Membership can be found here
What are the HRINZ HR Competencies?
Five areas of competency have been identified as being crucial in the practice of Human Resources, which are:
- Business Knowledge
- HR Delivery
- Personal Credibility
- Strategic Contribution
- Business Technology
More information about the Framework and the competencies in detail can be found here
Why apply – what’s in it for me?
The main advantage of Professional Membership of HRINZ is recognition and career development. Being a Professional Member of HRINZ will indicate to your colleagues, clients, managers, recruiters and future managers that you have attained a level of competence that is recognised by the profession and your membership association.
By completing the application process you will also identify if there are any gaps in your experience or skills that might be holding you back – by recognising and giving attention to these gaps you will be able to move ahead quicker in your HR career. It will also show that you are serious about your career, allow you to stand for the National HRINZ Board and help you to attain higher levels of membership, such as Associate Fellow (AFHRINZ) and Fellow (FHRINZ).
When should a member apply?
The sooner the better!
But anyone applying needs to have at least five years of Human Resources experience at advisory level for MHRINZ (generalist) or at least seven and a half years experience at mastery level for SHRINZ (specialist).
Naturally the whole point of attaining Professional Membership is to recognise competency and competency takes time to develop - it doesn’t happen overnight!
How do I apply?
The whole process is undertaken online, including the Grading process undertaken by the Grading Panel.
It is recommended that you read through all the steps in the process and check out the HRINZ ‘experience benchmarks’ in the online table before you apply.
How long will it take?
The actual application process should take you around 60 to 90 minutes to complete, though this will depend on how prepared you are when you begin the process including completing the HRINZ CV Template and contacting your referees.
The Grading process should take around four to eight weeks to complete, depending on how quickly your referees respond.
More about the Application process can be found here
More about the Grading process can be found here
What are the Professional Membership Indicators?
Applications for professional membership are assessed on the basis of three indicators:
- A proven level of attainment of competency in the HRINZ competency framework
- Length of time in an Advisory or Mastery HR role
- Relevant qualifications
These indicators are assessed from evidence supplied by the applicant in their CV and in an online table (see the Application Process for details). In addition, the Grading Panel will seek verification from referees nominated by the applicant.
1. Level of Attainment of Competency in the HRINZ Competency Framework
A successful MHRINZ is expected to have proven attainment of either:
a) All five competencies (Business Knowledge, HR Delivery, Personal Credibility, Strategic Contribution, Business Technology) at a minimum of advisory level.
Or
b) Four competencies which will include HR Delivery, Personal Credibility and Strategic Contribution, plus one other. At least one of the four competencies will be at mastery level.
SHRINZ offers an opportunity for HRINZ members to be recognised as professionals in their specialist field of expertise. This requires proven attainment of the following competencies:
a) Personal Credibility and Business Knowledge at a minimum of advisory level
And
b) Mastery level in one specialist area of the HR Delivery competency from a choice of Recruitment/Staffing, Development/Training/Learning, Employment Relations, Remuneration, or Health and Safety. The HRINZCompetency Framework is accessed here.
2. Time employed in an Advisory or Mastery HR role
In addition to qualitative evidence supplied in the CV about the level of attainment of the HRINZ competencies, consideration is given to the length of time an applicant is employed in a Human Resource Management role where he/she has gained practical experience in the functional areas of HR, business technology and contributed to the organisation’s strategic objectives. The minimum period of time is measured in the following competencies:
MHRINZ:
- HR Delivery competency: Minimum total of five years at advisory level.
- Strategic Contribution competency: Minimum total of three years at advisory level
Experience is required in both of these competencies and could be gained concurrently, provided the minimum period of time is achieved.
SHRINZ:
- A minimum of seven and a half years at mastery level should be spent in the specialist area of the HR Delivery competency.
- The length of time criterion is recorded by the applicant in an online table and compared with established HRINZ experience benchmarks which relate to the required number of months of experience expected of a Professional Member at “advisory” and “mastery” levels.
3. Revelant Qualifications
In addition to practical experience in the HRINZ competencies, MHRINZ members are expected to have a tertiary qualification in HR either as a major or in HR related papers as part of a relevant qualification which is included in the total benchmark score.
SHRINZ members are expected to have a tertiary qualification that covers their specialist area of expertise in addition to experience.
Qualifications include: PhD, Master’s Degree, Post Graduate Diploma, Undergraduate Degree, Diploma and Certificate. The level of qualification is allocated as a credit in terms of months.
Any applicant with no qualifications will need to have an extra three years of experience in the relevant competencies.
Please note some HRINZ courses will be credited at certificate level.
applying FOR PROFEsSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
To apply for professional accreditation you will need to complete three easy steps.
1. To read the HRINZ Competencies and Accreditation Process
HRINZ would recommends that any member looking to apply for Professional Accreditation, reads through and understands the HRINZ Competencies, Accreditation Process and checks out the HRINZ ‘experience benchmarks’ listed in the members only area of the website.
This will ensure that you understand what the Grading Panel application criteria is and what information you will need to supply with your Professional Accreditation application.
2. Online Self Assessment Table
Using the online self assessment table will allow you to compare your own career experience with the competency framework. To complete the online self assessment table you will need to:
- Select which level of professional accreditation you will be applying for Generalist or Specialist.
- List the title of positions held – most recent first
- Calculate the number of months spent in each position at either the advisory or mastery level against each competency
- Enter your highest completed HR qualification and months spent studying each competency
- Click Submit
The system will automatically calculate your total months of experience for the competencies, show the HRINZ benchmark scores for MHRINZ and SHRINZ for comparison, and add your qualification score to your total experience scores.
At a glance you will be able to see if your experience and qualifications match or exceed the HRINZ Competency Benchmarks listed for MHRINZ or SHRINZ.
If your experience and qualifications met or exceed the HRINZ competencies benchmark.
3. Completing the CV Template
Your CV template should demonstrate specific examples of how your experience directly relates to the advisory or mastery level descriptors in your chosen competencies.
Included within your CV application, should be the contact details of three work related referees:
- One of which must be your current manager/client or immediate past manager/client.
- All your referees must be have listed their position or the nature of your reporting/working relationship and be contactable by phone or email.
- All applicants must give their referees the authority to discuss your work experience with a member of the Grading Panel, who will contact the referees as part of the Institutes application verification process.
MHRINZ application:
Once your CV has been drafted, calculate the number of months spent at either the advisory or mastery level in each of the competencies for each position listed in your CV. (The easiest way to do this is to consider the “context statement” for each competency level and estimate the proportion of time spent at the advisory or mastery level as a whole rather than calculating how much time was spent on each competency descriptor).
The final stage is to submit your online assessment and attach your completed CV template document.
SHRINZ application:
Once your CV is drafted, calculate the number of months spent at the mastery level of your specialist area in the HR Delivery competency.
If you are satisfied that you meet the minimum required accreditation indicators listed above, you are ready to complete the final stage.
The final stage is to submit your online assessment and attach your completed CV template document.
What happens when HRINZ receives my application?
- The Grading Panel reviews your application and follows up reference checks from your nominated referees.
- A member of the Grading Panel will contact you to keep you informed of progress and may request further clarification.
- The Grading Panel decision is recommended to the HRINZ Board for ratification. The period of time from receipt of your application to final decision typically takes four to eightweeks depending on the availability of referees and the completeness of your application.
- If your application is successful, you will be informed of the decision by letter from the HRINZ National President.
- If your application is unsuccessful, feedback and suggestions on career development will be given from the Grading Panel to assist you with a successful application in the future. You have the right to request the Grading Panel to reconsider its decision and if the result does not change, you can appeal to the HRINZ Board.
- General enquiries about the application process can be obtained from HRINZ National office.