Interviewer: Mariham Magdy
“HRCI has thrived over four decades with the full understanding that change and disruption are expected and we deliver worldwide services and solutions to our community. HRCI remains a guiding force in the HR profession.”
Dr. Amy Dufrane
Brief Biography about the Interviewee:
Dr. Amy Dufrane’s vision has created an innovative learning organization to meet new career, business and workforce demands. As Chief Executive Officer at HRCI, Dufrane recognizes constantly shifting technologies, laws and workplace environments require diverse knowledge, skills and experience. Collectively, these factors have disrupted businesses and created opportunities for HR to develop strategies that encompass broader learning as a critical ingredient to drive successful businesses. Under her leadership, HRCI has continued to expand its offerings to include self-paced learning and professional development opportunities.
As a global business leader, Dufrane is committed to advancing organizations by identifying opportunities to develop human capital that is responsive to the demands of a competitive economy. Dufrane creates processes and solutions that empower individuals to enhance their professional credibility and the organizations they serve.
Dufrane holds a doctorate from The George Washington University, an MBA and MA from Marymount University and a BS from Hood College. She is certified by HRCI as a Senior Professional in Human Resources® (SPHR®). She also has a Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives, The Center for Association Leadership.
Her awards and honors include: DCA Live Leadership Award; smart CEO Award for Healthy Workplaces; International Development Accelerator (IDATeam) and Associacion Mexicana en Direccion de Recuros Humanos A.C. Award; American Society for Quality Middle East Africa Quality Fundamentals in the Digital Age Award; The Executive Council of The Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Association Order of Horatio Gates Honorary Medal and recognition for dedication and service to the HR industry by the Human Resource Leadership Awards of Greater Washington.
THE INTERVIEW
1- HR Revolution Middle East: Dr. Amy, welcome to HR Revolution Middle East Magazine. It’s our honor & pleasure to have the opportunity to make this interview with you. HR Professionals all over the world are tied with a very distinguished emotional bond with the HRCI as an International Institute and as a Brand. How can a Certification Institute achieve such a prominent imprint in the knowledge, conception, and spirits of HR professionals world-wide? How can we crystallize the success story behind the HRCI Brand?
Dr. Amy Dufrane: HRCI offers a suite of eight credentials, four are specifically designed as international certifications and continue to provide the most trusted and recognized HR certifications worldwide. Under my leadership, HRCI has expanded its offerings to include new options like the Associate Professional in Human Resources – International™ (aPHRi™), an entry level certification covering the fundamentals of HR, that does not require prior HR experience. This certification is the initial step for anyone starting their career in the profession. Additionally, we have added self-paced learning and professional development opportunities.
As an example, in 2018, HRCI introduced upSkill™ e-learning and assessment modules. upSkill™ was designed for professionals at all levels to help improve their supervisory skills, become leading custodians of human capital initiatives that reduce risk, engage employees and drive company goals.
2- HR Revolution Middle East: The HRCI logo says “We help People Rise and Organizations Shine”, a logo that we don’t only consider emotionally touching but rather practically tangible in the real work life, considering the HRCI eminent role in the advancement of the HR profession. Can you please share with us more about the efforts the HRCI team exert in the background in order to maintain this promise to the HR profession world-wide?
Dr. Amy Dufrane:HRCI takes a multilateral approach to the advancement of the HR profession worldwide. One of my approaches is in my role as co-founder of the podcast Inevitable: The Future of Work. This series of podcasts touches on different aspects of day-to-day HR functions and practices. I also facilitated, authored and motivated the publishing of The Rise of HR: The Future of Work with 73 HR thought leaders, to include such luminaries as Dave Ulrich, Libby Sartain and Bill Schiemann. As a global company, HRCI maintains a consistent international approach. From the topics covered in our HR Leads Business blog, to the involvement of our international HR practitioners who serve as subject matter experts who play an essential role in our international exam development.
3- HR Revolution Middle East: HRCI® is the premier credentialing organization for the human resource profession, setting the standard for HR rigor, excellence and expertise for more than 45 years. As a Global Role Model to many organizations and institutes world-wide, what special tips and lessons would you give to other organizations to achieve such excellence in their industry one day?
Dr. Amy Dufrane:HRCI, through our 45 years of commitment to excellence has aimed to advance the HR profession and help organizations meet their business goals. We do so by identifying business development opportunities and nurturing human capital that can adapt quickly to demands of competitive economies. We champion strategic thinking to identify future workforce needs and requirements. I am a great advocate of creating processes and solutions that empower individuals to enhance their professional credibility and the organizations they serve.
HRCI has thrived over four decades with the full understanding that change and disruption are expected and we deliver worldwide services and solutions to our community. HRCI remains a guiding force in the HR profession.
4- HR Revolution Middle East: Being a Global Certification Institute is not at all an easy mission, considering the criticality of the “HR Profession” as being responsible for nurturing people and organizations. How does the HRCI succeed to set the global standards for HR expertise and excellence?
Dr. Amy Dufrane:When creating our exam content outlines, hundreds of HR volunteers worldwide, representing various industries and HR specialties, contribute thousands of hours to help HRCI determine knowledge and professional competencies required to master global HR practices.
In essence, our exam content outline(s) represent a description of the concepts, tasks and knowledge you need to successfully understand and perform HR-related duties associated with each specific credential.
Additionally, the exam content outline is referenced to create exam questions and study materials that authors, and organizations use to develop study preparation material for our HRCI certification exams.
HRCI develops its international programs following the ISO standard 17024 which provides a third-party oversight of impartial credibility and legitimacy.
5- HR Revolution Middle East: For over 45 years, the HRCI helps professionals achieve new competencies that drive business results. How does the HRCI ensure supporting businesses in this disrupting era with this rapidly changing momentum of the business world and the external environment?
Dr. Amy Dufrane:Over HRCI’s 45 years, we have kept pace and led in the areas of HR knowledge and competency by updating our practices, eligibility requirements, exam types and overall mission and vision. We do so to ensure we remain consistent with current HR practices worldwide. In 2020, I introduced our Alchemizing HR webinar series to precisely address the disruptive era and rapid change faced by HR professionals and businesses worldwide. The more informed an HR practitioner is, the more agile their responses and actions become to lead organizations to success.
6- HR Revolution Middle East: Dr. Amy, we would love to learn more about how has your experience as an innovator of human capital strategies, impacted your vision to lead the HRCI as an innovative learning organization?
Dr. Amy Dufrane:I surround myself with competent and passionate individuals. The agility of my team and their actions determine the organization’s continual path to success. I have a constant hunger to learn. My team does too! We all believe that learning is the most important way to elevate and differentiate yourself. With this driving force to learn – we all are using new and innovative tools to lead, grow and evolve our organization and the HR profession. HRCI will continue to expand our leading-edge learning so that we can continue to elevate HR and best practices in HR.
7- HR Revolution Middle East: One of the Employee Testimonials written on the HRCI website that touched us a lot is the one that says “The best part of working for HRCI is the great people that you get to work with” How can a Global Organization as the HRCI inspire other organizations on how to choose Great People to work with them? What is the unique interpretation of the HRCI for the term “Great People”?
Dr. Amy Dufrane:An organization’s culture defines how its members collaborate and succeed. I am a true believer in recruiting, training and retaining the best talent. I practice cross-functional dialogue and open communication throughout the organization. This not only creates transparency, but also allows different teams to work together on projects they would otherwise not be involved. I also host regular town hall meetings to disseminate timely information, as well as solicit feedback directly or indirectly through surveys.
8- HR Revolution Middle East: Finally, we would love to know more about how the HRCI plan to support and lead proactively the future of the global HR world?
Dr. Amy Dufrane: Stay tuned for future announcements of key initiatives currently being developed by the HRCI team. Our efforts and resources are proactively geared towards a global vision where learning, personal development and credentialing enrich individuals and strengthen the HR profession worldwide. Through technology and thought leadership, HRCI will lead and support our loyal certificants as they meet the unknown challenges of 2021 and beyond.