This is my rant about SHRM (Society For Human Resource Management).
Laurie Ruettimann wrote about "Where In The World Is SHRM"? The answer is very simple: it's in the US, baby!
I'm following dozens of HR blogs and sites dedicated to HR and I have to admit that they're mostly originating from the US. So from time to time I read about SHRM.
Whenever I visit their homepage I realize that you get zilch unless you're a member. So here's my beef with SHRM:
1) Be a paying member
Surf the Internet, read blogs, google for cool keywords, but whenever you land on the SHRM page, all the interesting articles are only for members.
2) SHRM is international
Laurie quoted in her post from the SHRM homepage: "individual members in over 125 countries". My guess is that it's people who joined SHRM in the US and then moved to another country. Lucky for SHRM that they both continued to pay their membership fees and sent in their address changes.
3) SHRM is international (again)
After reading Laurie's post I checked out their homepage (again) for 10 minutes trying to find out how I could become a member of this international organization (on a good day, I usually give a site 90 seconds to convince me they're worth my time...).
There are chapters in plenty of US states, but how can I subscribe as a non-US resident? This is supposed to be an international HR organization (again: "individual members in over 125 countries")!
I'm hard-core HR, I have an international attitude, but where can I register?
Conclusion: SHRM is an organization for yankees. Period.
.
Laurie Ruettimann wrote about "Where In The World Is SHRM"? The answer is very simple: it's in the US, baby!
I'm following dozens of HR blogs and sites dedicated to HR and I have to admit that they're mostly originating from the US. So from time to time I read about SHRM.
Whenever I visit their homepage I realize that you get zilch unless you're a member. So here's my beef with SHRM:
1) Be a paying member
Surf the Internet, read blogs, google for cool keywords, but whenever you land on the SHRM page, all the interesting articles are only for members.
2) SHRM is international
Laurie quoted in her post from the SHRM homepage: "individual members in over 125 countries". My guess is that it's people who joined SHRM in the US and then moved to another country. Lucky for SHRM that they both continued to pay their membership fees and sent in their address changes.
3) SHRM is international (again)
After reading Laurie's post I checked out their homepage (again) for 10 minutes trying to find out how I could become a member of this international organization (on a good day, I usually give a site 90 seconds to convince me they're worth my time...).
There are chapters in plenty of US states, but how can I subscribe as a non-US resident? This is supposed to be an international HR organization (again: "individual members in over 125 countries")!
I'm hard-core HR, I have an international attitude, but where can I register?
Conclusion: SHRM is an organization for yankees. Period.
.
Posts
5 comments:
Very true! Maybe you should send a note to the board of directors. You might get a response and complimentary membership! ;)
SHRM blows. You don't need it.
@Laurie: I'll wait and see if Wenchie gets a reply.
@Wenchie: well now, young lady, are these harsh words really necessary?
;-)
And believe it or not, after 10 years in HR I'm actually considering joining the local chapter of the Swiss HR association. A little networking can't hurt...
I did get a reply. They want my real name and contact info to forward to the people who actually work at SHRM so they can address my concerns. FIGURES.
I wrote about SHRM and the need to embrace more web2.0 technologies, and the SHRM India head wrote this comment on my blog
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