New strategy reinforces SHRM interests abroad - Inside SHRM - Society for Human Resource Management

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) will focus and intensify its efforts to market itself overseas following the Board of Directors' approval of a new international strategy.

At its meeting Feb. 20, the SHRM board approved three prongs of an international strategy: enhanced marketing of SHRM and its products and services globally, an internal process to review and recommend global partnerships, and initiatives to work more closely with Canada's national HR organization, the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations. The board also considered proposals for more involvement in China and India, but deferred those initiatives pending more study.

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"This is a formalization and extension of our international strategy," said board Chair David Hutchins, SPHR, CEBS, CCP. "We have been consistently engaged in extending international reach and engagement in worldwide HR.

"SHRM is committed to preparing existing members to meet the challenge of globalization--thereby serving the HR professional--while also reaching out in a purposeful, measured way to the HR profession wherever it exists--there-by advancing the HR profession," Hutchins said.

SHRM has been involved since the 1970s with international HR, chartering an informal international chapter in 1976 and serving as the Secretariat of the World Federation of Personnel Management Associations (WFPMA) during 1976-84 and 1992-98. SHRM will repeat this role starting in August.

The Society began a stand-alone annual conference on international HR in 1977 and has held leadership roles with worldwide HR organizations such as the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations and the North American Human Resource Management Association, which it helped establish. The Society created the SHRM Global Forum in 2000 and has helped establish national HR associations in Japan, Korea and Egypt. In 2002 and 2003, it offered HR seminars in China. It recently developed the Global Learning System to support the Global Professional in HR certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute.

While SHRM has long been active overseas, "This is the first time there's been a comprehensive strategy instead of being reactive," said Brian J. Glade, SPHR, SHRM vice president of international programs.

The strategy envisions SHRM exploring opportunities to serve HR professionals outside the United States in one of three ways: as a sole provider of HR content and professional development; as a supplemental provider, working with existing organizations; or as a strategic ally of a strong, national HR organization already in place. This is in addition to the services, information and programs that SHRM provides domestic members, Glade said.

SHRM will increase marketing of membership and programs in selected, key markets, Glade said, but will not necessarily directly market membership opportunities in countries where it already has a strong alliance with the national HR organization. There, the organizations may work jointly on recruiting members.

The sudden need for international HR knowledge does take some members by surprise, Glade said, citing SHRM members who call the Information Center and International Programs Department. "We need to be prepared for those who need to 'go international now.'"

Glade said the board is seeking to internationalize SHRM members as well as internationalize the Society. Members gained increased access to specialized content about international HR this year when SHRM discontinued the requirement of additional annual dues to access the Global Forum pages of the SHRM Online web site.

"We believe that [knowledge of international HR] is a natural extension of the profession. We believe it's a required component," said Mary Cheddie, SPHR, SHRM board member and vice president of HR for Orvis Co. in Vermont. "Members will have a more enriched experience that can be expanded as much as they want."

"We're really focusing on international HR and making the content of the Global Forum richer," said SHRM Board member Clinton R. Gurney, CPA, managing director of HR for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "We want to have a much better platform and forum for all members. If we make it available to all members, that certainly will be good for the organization. And it should be good for the profession, in terms of becoming more strategic with management and helping to make decisions."

The SHRM Board of Directors also aims to expand its global experience. Hutchins will present the keynote address at the Australian HR Institute's annual conference in May and has been invited to speak to the HR Institute of New Zealand. The Board of Directors will attend the WFPMA's biennial World Congress this August in Rio de Janeiro.

The board also approved the implementation of a process through which to evaluate whether opportunities for partnership with other global organizations are worth pursuing. Such decisions previously have been made on a case-by-case basis through the International Programs Department. Now, a committee of senior-level management will review and forward selected proposals to the executive team.

"This spreads out international [responsibility] to all departments," Glade said. "This is cross-departmental, so that [international initiatives] can be owned by a lot of people. We need to export and import content, ideas, speakers and competitive practices. There will always be cultural and legal contexts [that may not be applicable in every country], but generally accepted HR practices are global."

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