Print Page
| Frequently asked questions about Certification |
What does it mean to be certified? How are the CPC, CTS and CERS certificates similar and different? The Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) certificate was created more than 50 years ago to focus on the work of the direct-hire recruiter and consultant and the laws that govern these types of employment transitions. The Certified Temporary Staffing-Specialist (CTS) designation followed to address the emerging work in temporary staffing and the laws that impacted such work. Many individuals in blended practices seek both the CPC and CTS credentials. There are no length-of-service requirements for those seeking certification. NAPS created the Certified Employee Retention Specialist (CERS) certification in 2006 to educate search and staffing professionals in the exemplary employee engagement and retention practices that would allow them to serve in a consulting capacity on matters of this nature with their clients. What is the process whereby I can achieve NAPS certification? Individuals seeking CPC and CTS certification should follow these steps:
________________________________________________________________________________________
Do I have to be a NAPS member to be certified? What is included in the “body of knowledge” contained in the CPC and CTS training manuals? Both the CPC and CTS training manuals address all of the federal laws and policies that govern the hiring and employment process. Subjects in both manuals include the laws of discrimination, application and interview practices and contracts. The CPC manual includes content related to the recruitment and direct hire process, including such topics as advertising and reference checking. The CTS manual addresses employer/employment definitions, the screening and selection of temporary workers and the laws unique to temporary services work. Tell me more about the certification examinations? Both the CPC and CTS examinations have 150 questions. Applicants for certification must answer 113 (75 percent) correctly in a two hour period in order to earn certification. All of the questions are either multiple choice, true/false or multiple choice based on case situations where various employment laws are applied to search and staffing industry situations. What are the requirements for the CERS certificate? Professionals wishing to achieve the Certified Employee Retention Specialist (CERS) certificate must study selected professional reading materials and participate in a training program that is offered at the annual NAPS Conference and additional venues. Following participation in the training programs, applicants will sit for the CERS certification examination. Register online here for information about the next CERS Program. Is certification mandatory? Certification is voluntary, unlike licensure which is mandated by a state to practice in certain occupational roles. As a voluntary standard, certification is viewed at that “extra step” taken in ones’ personal and professional development, a signal to their peers, as well as the candidates and clients they serve, that they strive to be the very best at their profession. Certification, however, can also be a standard or qualification that search and staffing firms require for their direct hire and temporary staffing service consultants. How will my certification be acknowledged? Upon satisfactory passing of the certification examination, NAPS will issue an official CPC, CTS or CERS certificate for you to display appropriately in your place of business. In addition, your certification will be posted on the NAPS National Registry of Certified Staffing Industry Professionals. At this point, the individual achieving certification is encouraged to place their certification designation after their name on print and email communications, on firm websites and all communiques that are used to call their business services to the attention of clients and candidates. What must I do to maintain my certification? Maintenance of certification is dependent upon continued adherence with NAPS professional and ethical standards and participation in ongoing professional development and continuing education. The current NAPS certification program rules require that all CPCs and CTSs earn 20 continuing education hours (often referred to as contact hours) or 2.0 continuing education units (CEUs) in each year following certification. Of the 20 hours 17 of them should be from NAPS either through webinars or the credential newsletter. Additional information about continuing education can be found here. What is the bottom-line reason I should become certified? More than anything certification is a symbol of the professionalism of the individual who holds the certificate. It is the “badge” that tells candidates and clients that the search and staffing professional has studied the laws governing the workplace, learned the ethics of the employment transition and submitted personally to an examination of that knowledge. Let’s face it---people seeking services and firms identifying business partners include professionalism as one of their “due diligence” filters. In a competitive business environment, it is reasonable to assume they will be more likely to seek the services of those who are wearing the NAPS badge. NAPS certification reflects an:
What does certification mean for search and staffing firms? Since the inception of the NAPS certification program more than fifty years ago, firm owners and managers have reported numerous benefits from their support and encouragement of these credentials. Specifically, search and staffing firms will find:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
