However, as we all have witnessed, varying levels of employer support for staff development exists between organizations, dependent on factors such as company size, resources or industry type. Employer backing and perceptions even may differ within companies depending on job role – IT versus HR; job level – staff compared to hiring managers; and so on. This may be expected. But a cautionary takeaway here, as the data indicates, is that sometimes employees are not seeing the assistance come through to the degree which higher-level managers may be touting.
On a brighter note, nearly 9 in 10 organizations do provide support in some way for employees to pursue HR certifications (89%) or IT certifications (85%), although the type of assistance granted fluctuates across organizations as no single method is employed by much more than half.
Paying for all certification and training expenses are the most popular methods of assistance offered for both HR certifications and IT certifications. IT certifications generally appear to garner more support than HR certifications.
Given the evident and indirect resources devoted to education and training, questions of return on investment are sure to follow. It’s typically easier to measure the expenditures than the benefits. Data from the recent study helps validate the benefits employers realize from having IT certified employees, including:
- Ability to understand new or complex technologies,
- Higher productivity and
- More insightful problem solving.
Additionally, the value of IT certification is showcased in other ways such as hiring practices, professional development policies and support. A sampling of related key findings:
- Sixty-four percent of hiring IT managers rate IT certifications as having extremely high or high value in validating IT skills and expertise. Value is rated highest among senior IT managers, such as CIOs, and medium-size firms.
- Eighty-one percent of HR executives believe IT certifications will grow in usefulness and importance over the next two years. Their opinion of IT certifications rates slightly higher than their opinion of HR certifications.
- Experience, track record and accomplishments rank as the most important factors among employers when evaluating job candidates. Credentials such as education or certifications held rank secondly. Eighty-six percent of hiring IT managers indicate IT certifications are a high or medium priority during the candidate evaluation process.
- Fifty-two percent of US organizations pay for IT staff to sit for an IT certification exam. Forty-five percent provide financial support for training classes or learning materials such as books.
- More than half of U.S. organizations have a formal policy in place to reward employees that pass IT certification exams.
- Among the sub-segment of organizations that do not support IT certifications, the primary reason is that experience is valued over credentials.
Our Employer Perceptions of IT Training and Certification study was conducted among 1,385 IT hiring executives in the U.S., U.K. and South Africa; and 300 HR professionals in the U.S. CompTIA members can see more results from this comprehensive study – and many other research reports – on the Member Resource Center. Read the press release or contact research@comptia.org for additional details.
