From today, 1 October 2003, all 37,000 full members of the UK's leading body on people management, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), become chartered in their own right.
This means that experienced people management and development professionals, who have met the CIPD's rigorous standards will, for the first time, carry the Privy Council's badge of recognition of their expertise, knowledge and professionalism. It puts them on a par with those in other chartered professions such as engineering and accountancy.
The title also makes it much more straightforward for employers searching for experienced practitioners. It tells them that an individual using the title has reached an externally verified set of standards, that they understand business and people management and most importantly that they can apply it in practice.
CIPD Director General, Geoff Armstrong said: "This is premier league recognition, and means that our full members will have their credentials recognised in the same way as their peers in other professions. And so they should – people management is a multi-faceted, business discipline that is at the heart of organisational success.
"Performance depends on people as willing contributors – well managed, well led, well motivated and continually learning. Influencing and bringing about change through people and learning is the job of CIPD chartered members – and it is more complex, challenging and fulfilling than ever.
"This new chartered status shows employers and other stakeholders in the workplace that a chartered member of the CIPD is an experienced and qualified professional who is constantly up-dating his or her knowledge and skills. And importantly, that they can understand and contribute to the wider business environment in which they are working.
"We want chartered membership to be the aspiration for all those who are working towards or have met our Professional Standards. It will provide great advantage to both individual members and their organisations. It is an important benchmark and an accolade which shows true professionalism.
"It is also particularly pleasing that, when in many fields women are finding the glass ceiling a real barrier to progression, 53% of our chartered members are women."
CIPD research also shows that full members are much more likely to be successful when applying for advertised posts and are better placed to command higher salaries and benefits too.
Chartered members will be able to use designatory letters after their name. For Chartered Members this means Chartered MCIPD and for Chartered Fellows it means Chartered FCIPD.
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Notes to editors
* The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has over 119,000 members and is the leading professional institute in the United Kingdom and Ireland for those involved in the management and development of people.
* Today also sees the launch of an advertising campaign directed at employers to promote the new chartered status, using tongue-in-cheek images of what might go wrong if they do not employ a qualified HR professional.
* Please contact Emma Price e.price@cipd.co.uk for an electronic image.
Individual Chartered Status
* To progress to chartered membership, CIPD members have to gain Graduate status by meeting its Professional Standards which cover both business management and people management. The Standards, which are set at postgraduate-level make clear what a professional working in people management and development should be able to do, as well as what knowledge and understanding he or she must possess.
* Once they have reached Graduate status they will need to demonstrate that they can put their skills and knowledge into practice in the workplace. To become a Chartered Member members must have a least 3 years' relevant managerial-level experience, supported by evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD). And at least two of these years must be in a specific personnel and development role.
* For Chartered Fellows the requirement is 10 years' managerial-level experience of which at least seven must be in a specific personnel and development role.