In this episode of The HR Connection, Marie opens the conversation by sharing that today’s topic—SHRM certifications—hits close to home, since she previously held her SHRM-CP and once believed it would be a career-defining credential. She invites Sabrina into the discussion, acknowledging they both have strong opinions about certification culture in HR, especially in small employer environments. Together, they unpack why so many HR professionals feel intense pressure to get certified, touching on job postings that list certifications as requirements, the widespread belief that credentials equal credibility, the internal need to prove oneself, and the significant time and financial investment people make to earn them. Marie reflects on her own experience, explaining that while she expected the SHRM-CP to be a game-changer, after four years of hands-on small business HR work, it never meaningfully helped her do her job better, and was only acknowledged once throughout that time. She notes that much of the certification content simply wasn’t designed for the realities of small employer HR, reinforcing the idea that it’s entirely possible to be highly effective without a formal certification. The conversation then shifts to why traditional certifications like SHRM often miss the mark for HR departments of one, especially when you’re supporting a 50-person organization and juggling recruiting, compliance, employee relations, benefits, and strategy all at once. Marie and Sabrina point out that certifications rarely teach how to prioritize competing demands, build systems on a limited budget, or navigate the ambiguity that defines small employer HR, emphasizing that adaptability, business acumen, and relationship-building are far more critical skills in these environments. From there, they explore what actually makes someone good at this work, highlighting real-world experience, deep understanding of the business, comfort with uncertainty, strong communication skills, problem-solving ability, influence, and the importance of finding mentors and community. They also acknowledge that certifications can make sense in certain situations, such as when someone is transitioning into HR from another field, early in their career and looking for structured learning, required by an employer, or planning to move into a larger organization, but they stress that certification is not a prerequisite for success in small employer HR. The episode closes with a reflection on why The HR Connection exists in the first place: traditional certifications weren’t built for this audience, which is why Marie and Sabrina are intentionally building resources, cohorts, and community designed by and for people doing this work every day. Marie wraps up by reinforcing the core message of the episode—that you don’t need a SHRM certification to run HR well in a small employer environment, but you do need experience, curiosity, a willingness to learn, and community—and reminds listeners that they’re not alone and that this space is being built with them in mind.