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UNLOCK YOUR CAREER ADVANCEMENT WITH CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES FROM THE SHRM FOUNDATION

Did you know that the SHRM Foundation offers several free, self-paced online courses that you could take any time to increase your HR knowledge and progress your career? We sat down with Delaware SHRM board member Aisha Ortiz, who completed two of the programs. Read the interview here to learn more about the offerings and find out if these are right for you. 

How did you discover the SHRM Foundation courses?

In 2018, I obtained my SHRM certification and was researching different ways to earn my continuing education credits to maintain the certification. I stumbled upon these courses online. The SHRM Foundation offers three free courses: 

These self-paced, online courses take about ten hours to complete and offer ten recertification credits per course. You do not have to be SHRM-certified to take them. In addition to these courses, the SHRM Foundation provides an HR Apprenticeship Program for those considering a career in HR. 

I have completed the Veterans At Work and Employing Abilities At Work courses and am in the process of finishing the Getting Talent Back to Work course. I have found all three to be extremely informative and valuable.  

What inspired you to take the courses?

During my employment with a healthcare system, part of my role involved preparing candidates for interviews. During this time, I encountered openly neurodivergent candidates who confidently advocated for their unique needs throughout the interview process. This experience marked my first encounter with candidates advocating for themselves, as some specifically requested access to the interview questions in advance.

As a recruiter, I realized I needed to do more to support candidates with different abilities. I didn't want my lack of knowledge to impact how they navigated the interview process and ultimately received a job offer. The Employing Abilities At Work course piqued my interest because it directly applied to my work. The course and additional resources empowered me to provide the best support to all candidates. 

After that, I transitioned to working at an organization in Virginia that was interested in recruiting veterans and spouses of veterans. I decided to take the Veterans At Work course to equip myself for my new role. By taking the course, I learned more about the skillsets veterans offer to the workplace that our organization could tap into. That region has a large population of veterans and those in active-duty service. It would have been a missed opportunity if we had not dedicated resources to recruiting and supporting this population. 

How have you applied what you learned to your day-to-day work?

In my next position, I was an HR Generalist, and my role focused on existing employees. I drew upon what I learned in the Employing Abilities At Work course. I referenced the toolkit often to help me support our team. In the course, we learned about how people learn differently. You can't have a meeting in just one format; you need to offer a variety of formats to be more inclusive. The course changed my perspective on this, and now I find myself constantly evaluating what I'm doing and how I can enhance it to support all the individuals I work with. 

The Veterans At Work course taught me how different military careers are from corporate America. Individuals need support if they are moving into civilian roles. The course gave me valuable insights and a high-level overview of how to help individuals navigate that. There can be barriers or misconceptions about tapping into the veteran population, including veteran spouses, especially if they have to travel with their active partner. I provided our team with solutions that fit into our current workplace, including leave and remote work options that suited both the employee and employer. 

How long did the courses take to complete?

The courses are self-paced, and according to the SHRM Foundation, they take about 10 hours to complete. You could "binge" watch them on a weekend if you want to! It took me about two weeks because I was fitting it into my busy work and life schedule. Depending on their attention span, it may take someone else longer or shorter to complete. I have taken many courses and found these very engaging and interesting! I don't recommend multi-tasking while you're taking the course – give it your complete focus.  

The SHRM Foundation provides many resources along with the courses. Each program comes with a toolkit you can refer to in your daily work.

Would you recommend these to other HR professionals? 

Absolutely! You can apply what you learn to any season of your career—whether you're just starting out or have just received a promotion into management. In HR, you must build upon your experience and educate yourself. You can't base everything on one case. So many unique situations happen in our field because it's centered around people, and no two people are the same!

Which course do you recommend to take first? 

It depends on which subject aligns with your organization's and your career development needs. If you have many applicants with a military background or an existing employee population of Veterans, consider the Veterans At Work course. 

If you work with people with visible or invisible abilities, check out the Employing Abilities At Work. You can educate yourself on how to offer appropriate accommodations in the workplace, such as a standing desk, special keyboard, or alternative solutions.

I’m halfway through the Getting Talent Back to Work course, which is geared towards helping those with a criminal past transition back to work. I’ve learned a lot about the challenges and barriers these individuals face.  

Aisha Ortiz is an experienced HR Executive with over 15 years of experience as a Recruiter and HR Business Partner for Fortune 500 companies in various industries, including financial services, healthcare, not-for-profit, and marketing & advertising. She currently serves on the Delaware SHRM Board as the Workforce Development Chair.