by Alexandra Stang

To say that technology is always changing is an understatement, especially with today’s fast pace. In this day and age, it seems that as soon as you’ve figured out the latest gadget, a newer – and usually better – version is taking over.

Since the invention of the wheel, technological developments have closed gaps between people all over the world, making it easier to connect with one another. Now, communications technologies such as the Internet can allow organizations to streamline operations and offer services to a broad, scattered audience at a minimal cost. Organizations around the world – including the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA) – are jumping on the bandwagon.

The CCHRA has left behind the outdated pale blue borders and text heavy pages of its old website, and reorganized and redesigned its online presence as a key part of its effort to re-brand and continue to nationally promote the value of the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation.

Certainly, the move was a great opportunity to build a better looking website, but most importantly, it was a chance to create a more practical one that would better serve the thousands of visitors who browse the site each week looking for information about the CHRP, the exams or the CCHRA.

The organization’s key priority is to promote the human resources profession and the CHRP designation. With this dual mandate in mind, two websites were created – one that is a portal for everything CHRP, and one for the CCHRA, with information about the organization, including who we are and what we do.
“The CCHRA Board of Directors has identified marketing the HR profession and the CHRP designation as one of the areas of focus for CCHRA,” says Debbie Bennett, CHRP, chair of the CCHRA. “The new websites are a powerful way for us to better reach out to the appropriate HR and business communities.”
Whether you’re a current or potential CHRP, or if you’re thinking about hiring a CHRP, this website puts all the information you need right at your fingertips.

The new CHRP sites allows visitors to quickly self-identify – as CHRPs, future CHRPs, students or employers – and easily find all the information they are looking for. All the tools a successful CHRP (or future CHRP) needs are readily accessible; the site acts as a portal by linking back to the provincial HR associations, making it easy to register for exams or provincial workshops, for example.

As a national organization that serves provincial HR associations and their professional members across the country (and around the world), the Internet offers the CCHRA countless opportunities for information sharing and service delivery.

Many of the most popular, innovative services from the old CCHRA site have been brought back and improved, especially when it comes to helping HR professionals prepare for the exams leading to the CHRP designation.

The new site still includes the sample exam questions that help exam registrants get a better understanding of what to expect when they open up their booklets on exam day. We’ve also maintained our partnership with Captus Press (CampusHR) to offer the online preparation courses for the National Knowledge Exam® (NKE) and the National Professional Practice Assessment® (NPPA). Technology has made it possible to deliver these high quality products that allow exam registrants to prepare anywhere, on their own schedule.

In addition to making clear improvements to how information about the process and the value of the CHRP is communicated to the public, the new CCHRA website will also include a “Board Only” section that will help the CCHRA board, committees and staff work more efficiently together. With volunteers spread far and wide across the country, this section will aim to further improve communications among stakeholders.

“Improving governance is a strategic priority for us,” says Bennett. “The ‘Board Only’ website is another example of how the CCHRA is using technology to ensure we continue to operate and deliver our services with excellence. It will allow our board to function with more consistency and efficiency than ever before, which will translate to better services for the HR community.”

(PeopleTalk: Summer 2010)