_This article is written by Paul Carter, HR Business Partner, UK Home Office. _

  • The Problem: HR professionals often face scepticism about their roles and the value they bring, with no regulatory accountability beyond employment laws.
  • Why It Matters: CIPD accreditation, such as FCIPD, provides recognition and validation of HR professionals' skills, boosting their employability and credibility.
  • The Solution: Pursuing CIPD accreditation empowers HR professionals to build high-performance cultures, develop talent and enhance their influence within organisations.

Now that I am a Chartered Fellow of the HR trade body, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), I should accept that HR is what I do.

I am not doing it as a day job while I wait for my writing career to take off. I am in the people profession and my ambition to be a storyteller is unfolding in public service rather than the entertainment industry.

Every day, I deal with interesting characters, translate strategy into a human narrative and act as a force for good. I uphold corporate values, develop talent pipelines and change cultures. I work with leaders and senior management teams to review the past to improve the present and build for the future. Well, that is what I aim to do. Sometimes, I write countless emails, sit in meetings and wonder why I am here.

HR is a profession with no regulatory accountability beyond employment regulation, with HR professionals not requiring an official licence to practise in the UK and US.

As an optimistic realist, I am a good match for HR. My career is not a glossy photo shoot and a job description does not always reflect what I do. Life is messy, being good at my job is difficult. A collection of policies, transactional activities, data insights and strategies that HR and the business experience with differing levels of implementation and accountability.

My gift is to enable everyone to do, feel and see HR to make our work and the impact it has on people and society matter. Earning the right to talk about synergy, collaboration, skills and results. I am proud of the letters after my name to recognise my achievements. If HR are the organisational police, then I shout ‘FCIPD’ as I burst into meeting rooms. “Hands up if you are engaged and strongly agree this is a great place to work!”.

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We are in this together, but “one of the trials and tribulations of being in the HR profession is that everyone thinks they can do your job”, commented the CIPD’s David D’Souza in the recent People Management podcast series asking "What if HR was regulated?". HR is a profession with no regulatory accountability beyond employment regulation, with HR professionals not requiring an official licence to practise in the UK and US. I believe in organisational justice, protecting people from harm and getting the job done. However, I am not in the organisational police and being born in Basildon means I can never escape ethics! HR professionals who behave as if they have a police badge drag us back to the era of being a personnel function that can only demonstrate its power through discipline and following the coattails of aggressive leaders.

'What I do and how I do it' may be an overused phrase, but it is fundamental to my reputation, accreditation and being the best version of me means there can be no imitation. If I stand tall for what is right and build an organisation around positive behaviours and a high-performance culture, I can enjoy my job and make work good for people.

My FCIPD accreditation does not make me an expert — a word I avoid using as it is an incredibly difficult standard to reach. I am talented, capable and ambitious. My FCIPD status should boost my employability and market value as it is evidence that I am committed to my profession. However, the accreditation is for my achievements to date and how I see the role of human capability. I have the vision to be an HR influencer, although I need more experience in organisational design, finance and leadership. Maybe I should even step outside HR to grow.

For now, I am in the Fellowship of CIPD. It’s an alliance I am proud to be part of. We are the same as everyone else and work with you to create inclusive organisations where everyone is valued and actions have consequences.

As for my writing dream, if you are reading this, there is no reason I cannot excel in my day job and creative passions. I am an interoperable sideline hustler who understands that everyone is the hero in their side of the story.

Done reading? Make sure to share your own thoughts about how accreditation can help validate HR professionals by leaving a comment below ⬇️

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