FIVE VALUABLE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS

Updated December 5, 2022 · 1 Min Read

Belonging to one or more professional organizations can have a vital impact on your work and career. Read up on our top five HR professional organizations.

BestValueSchools.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Are you ready to discover your college program?

Human Resources Professional Organizations

  • American Payroll Association
  • The National Human Resources Association
  • International Public Management Association for Human Resources
  • International Association of Administrative Professionals
  • Society for Human Resources Management

Human resource professionals need to have a foundation and a resource to help them navigate the constantly changing landscape of the workplace. They need to keep current with HR practices as well as laws that impact their employer. Along with that, they'll need to have a resource for their own careers too- enter human resources professional organizations.

American Payroll Association

Most Human Resource employees are engaged in payroll, which makes this a great benefit for HR managers. Members receive access to the entire APA website, which has magazine publications with current news of interest to the HR manager. Members also have access to free ebooks like "The Guide to Successful Electronic Payments" and "Understanding Your Pay" as well as webinars for free learning. Members can access the job board and career center when they're trying to advance their careers.

The National Human Resources Association

The National Human Resources Association was established in 1951 to help the careers of its members. They have access to registration for professional conferences and educational meetings. There are retreats, conventions, galas and charities that benefit the members, which they are allowed to attend for a lower fee. While the association has a national stage, there are local affiliates in certain states like California, New York and Missouri. Interested HR parties can join the association online.

International Public Management Association for Human Resources

This member association has been around for over 110 years having been founded in 1906. IPMA-HR has special certificate programs for HR professionals who want to work in this field. It's an educational organization for the development of the careers of its members. There are more than 42 chapters in 4 regions of the U.S. They have an annual International Training Conference that members can attend to network with their peers too.

International Association of Administrative Professionals

The IAAP is a 501 registered not-for-profit organization for administrative professionals who want to advance their careers as well as connect with others in their field. They are geared towards helping administrative professionals with offline as well as online training and webinar programs. They have programs like the Leadership Academy, which fosters a learning environment for administrative professionals looking to advance and be valuable to their employers. There are summits and symposiums for members too. The organization was founded in 1942 and has branches in 48 states.

Society for Human Resources Management

While an HR professional can't hope to join every organization that might provide value, the SHRM should be on the list for consideration. It was founded in 1948, and has hundreds of thousands of members in at least 56 countries around the world. With that broad membership, the HR professional can get a global perspective on human resource issues that can impact businesses around the world. There are educational tools like HR salary guides and behavioral competencies. There are also certificate preparation courses with a variety of learning modules.

Human Resources Professional Organizations: A Valuable Asset

These are 5 of the most valuable resources for the HR professional. It includes organizations that have learning centers as well as the ability of members to gain knowledge from their peers in an online environment. They have conferences and summits for the HR professional who wants to gain knowledge and network in person.

Related resource:

Top 15 Cheap Online Master's and MBA in Human Resources Management Degree Programs

Get prepared for your next steps

Use articles and resources to uncover answers to common questions, get guidance on your goals, and learn about applying to schools.

Discover a program that is right for you.

Explore different options for you based on your degree interests.