1. SHRM Survey Findings: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
In collaboration with and commissioned by Achieve
October 3, 2012

2. Introduction
This is the sixth part of a series of SHRM/Achieve survey findings titled “Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements.” These results look at post-secondary certificates/ credentials and overall organizational demographics.
The following nine industries were included in the sample. Overall results are reported first, followed by industry-specific results for the following industries:
Construction, mining, oil and gas
Federal government
Finance
Health
High-tech
Manufacturing
Nonprofessional services
Professional services
State and local government
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
©SHRM 2012

3. Key Findings
For which positions are organizations most likely to require specific postsecondary certificates/ credentials? Across industries, the positions most likely to require specific postsecondary certificates/ credentials are salaried individual contributors/professionals (65%), skilled labor (47%) and management (46%). Health was the industry most likely to require such certificates/credentials for salaried individual contributors /professionals (78%), manufacturing for skilled labor (69%) and finance for management (53%).
For which positions are organizations least likely to require specific postsecondary certificates/ credentials? Across industries, the positions least like to require specific postsecondary certificates/credentials are executives (30%), administrative/secretarial (21%) and low-skilled labor (10%). Finance was the industry most likely to require such certificates/credentials for executives(47%), state/local government for both administrative/secretarial (25%) and low-skilled labor (16%). Construction, mining, oil and gas tied with state/local government on the percentage requiring such certificates for low-skilled labor jobs (16%).
Are there other common certificates/credentials that are not required but are looked upon favorably in terms of hiring and career advancement? Yes. Across industries, such certificates/credentials are most likely to apply to jobs in management (56%), salaried individual contributor/professionals (55%) and executives (32%). Finance was the industry most likely to look favorably on such certificates/credentials for management (62%) and executive jobs (45%), and high-tech for salaried individual contributors/ professionals (65%).
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
©SHRM 2012

4. For which positions does your organization require specific postsecondary certificates/credentials?
Note: Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
©SHRM 2012

5. Are there other common certificates/credentials that are not required but are looked upon favorably in terms of hiring and career advancement?
Note: Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Data shown are based on “yes” responses.
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
©SHRM 2012

6. SHRM Survey Findings: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials
Demographics
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics ©SHRM 2012

7. Demographics: Organization Industry
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
©SHRM 2012

8. Demographics: Organization Sector
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
©SHRM 2012

9. Demographics: Organization Staff Size
Note: n = 3,335. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
©SHRM 2012

10. Demographics: Other
Is your organization a single-unit organization or a multi-unit organization?
Does your organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only or does it operate multinationally?
Single-unit organization: An organization in which the location and the organization are one and the same
30%
Multi-unit organization: An organization that has more than one location
70%
U.S.-based operations only
75%
Multinational operations
25%
n = 3,446
n = 3,451
For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit headquarters, by each work location or both?
What is the HR department/function you responded for throughout this survey?
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices
53%
Each work location determines HR policies and practices 2%
A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies and practices
44%
Corporate (company wide)
69%
Business unit/division
17%
Facility/location
14%
n = 2,465
Note: n = 2,460. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
©SHRM 2012

11. SHRM Survey Findings: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials
In collaboration with and commissioned by Achieve
Survey Methodology
Response rate = 18%
4,695 HR professional respondents from a randomly selected sample of nine different industries in SHRM’s membership
Construction, mining, oil and gas = 491
Federal government = 356
Finance = 530
Health = 526
High-tech = 447
Margin of error +/-1%
Survey fielded March 28-April 30, 2012
Manufacturing = 526
Nonprofessional services = 479
Professional services = 492
State and local government = 848
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics ©SHRM 2012

12. SHRM Survey Findings: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements
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SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
©SHRM 2012