This survey from SHRM and Achieve examined post-secondary certificate and credential requirements across industries. It found that salaried professionals, skilled labor, and management positions most commonly require certificates. Certificates are least required for executives, administrative roles, and low-skilled labor. While not required, certificates are also viewed favorably for management, professionals, and executives. The survey included responses from over 4,000 HR professionals in industries like health, finance, manufacturing, and government.

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
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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
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4. For which positions does your organization require specific
postsecondary certificates/credentials?
Construction, Non-
Federal Professional State/Local
All Industries Mining, Oil Finance Health High-tech Manufacturing professional
Government Services Government
(n = 2,163) and Gas (n = 171) (n = 352) (n = 176) (n = 255) Services
(n = 124) (n = 350) (n = 391)
(n = 209) (n = 135)
Salaried indiv idual
contributor/
professional (e.g., 65% 54% 73% 62% 78% 71% 57% 45% 72% 61%
analyst, nurse,
engineer)
Labor, skilled (e.g.,
technician, 47% 64% 38% 16% 45% 33% 69% 50% 28% 62%
mechanic, foreman)
Management (e.g.,
director, manager, 46% 46% 44% 53% 48% 45% 41% 46% 50% 42%
superv isor)
Executiv e (e.g., CEO,
30% 24% 31% 47% 35% 29% 24% 30% 29% 25%
CFO, VP)
Administrativ e/
21% 18% 23% 15% 19% 16% 24% 21% 24% 25%
secretarial
Labor, low-skilled 10% 16% 10% 4% 15% 4% 9% 10% 4% 16%
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
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5. Are there other common certificates/credentials that are not
required but are looked upon favorably in terms of hiring and
career advancement?
Construction, Non-
Federal Professional State/Local
All Industries Mining, Oil Finance Health High-tech Manufacturing professional
Government Services Government
(n = 1,723) and Gas (n = 157) (n = 228) (n = 142) (n = 216) Services
(n = 92) (n = 384) (n = 279)
(n = 190) (n = 135)
Management (e.g.,
director, manager, 56% 51% 55% 62% 57% 55% 53% 61% 55% 57%
superv isor)
Salaried indiv idual
contributor/
professional (e.g., 55% 56% 48% 57% 53% 65% 61% 40% 57% 54%
analyst, nurse,
engineer)
Executiv e (e.g., CEO,
32% 28% 32% 45% 36% 36% 22% 30% 30% 30%
CFO, VP)
Administrativ e/
29% 35% 36% 19% 26% 20% 27% 27% 30% 36%
secretarial
Labor, skilled (e.g.,
technician, 28% 45% 23% 8% 21% 24% 43% 27% 20% 35%
mechanic, foreman)
Labor, low-skilled 13% 18% 5% 6% 14% 4% 24% 13% 6% 18%
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
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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
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7. Demographics: Organization Industry
State/local government 17%
Professional services 14%
Health 13%
Manufacturing 12%
Finance 11%
Construction, mining, oil and gas 10%
High-tech 9%
Nonprofessional Services 8%
Federal government 6%
n = 4,642
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
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8. Demographics: Organization Sector
Privately owned for-profit 45%
Government 21%
Publicly owned for-profit 18%
Nonprofit 14%
Other 2%
n = 3,439
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
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9. Demographics: Organization Staff Size
1 to 99 employees 22%
100 to 499 employees 33%
500 to 2,499 employees 20%
2,500 to 24,999 employees 18%
25,000 or more employees 6%
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
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10. Demographics: Other
Does your organization have U.S.- Is your organization a single-unit organization or
based operations (business units) only a multi-unit organization?
or does it operate multinationally? Single-unit organization: An organization
in which the location and the 30%
U.S.-based operations only 75% organization are one and the same
Multi-unit organization: An organization
70%
Multinational operations 25% that has more than one location
n = 3,446 n = 3,451
For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and
practices determined by the multi-unit
What is the HR department/function you headquarters, by each work location or both?
responded for throughout this survey?
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR
53%
policies and practices
Corporate (company wide) 69%
Each work location determines HR policies
Business unit/division 17% 2%
and practices
Facility/location 14% A combination of both the work location
and the multi-unit headquarters determine 44%
n = 2,465
HR policies and practices
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
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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
 Manufacturing = 526
 Federal government = 356
 Nonprofessional services = 479
 Finance = 530
 Professional services = 492
 Health = 526
 State and local government = 848
 High-tech = 447
• Margin of error +/-1%
• Survey fielded March 28-April 30, 2012
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
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12. SHRM Survey Findings: Changing Employee Skills
and Education Requirements
About SHRM Research
• For more survey/poll findings, visit www.shrm.org/surveys
• For more information about SHRM’s Customized Research Services, visit
www.shrm.org/customizedresearch
• Follow us on Twitter @SHRM_Research
SHRM/Achieve Survey: Changing Employee Skills and Education Requirements—Post-secondary Certificates/Credentials and Demographics
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