Feature Articles
Impact of Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) Certification on Worker-Level Outcomes
10 February 2026
The Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) was established by Singapore’s tripartite partners (i.e., Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress and Singapore National Employers Federation) to professionalise and strengthen the human resource (HR) practice in Singapore. As part of its efforts to achieve its goal, IHRP implemented a certification programme aimed at enhancing the competencies of HR professionals and creating developmental pathways for these professionals.
In this study, we examined the impact of the IHRP certification and found that it (i) increased the wages of certified professionals by 1.9 per cent in the year of certification and between 4.5 per cent and 6.5 per cent over the following three years, as well as (ii) improved their likelihood of being employed by about 1 percentage-point on average. In particular, the Certified Professional certification generated sustained wage and employment gains in the years following certification, while the benefits of the Senior Professional certification were most pronounced in the year immediately after certification.
The findings suggest that professionalising HR is a labour-market investment with real and measurable returns for professionals who are IHRP certified. By anchoring skills upgrading in recognised professional standards and skills certifications, HR professionals are better able to add value to their organisations and strengthen their employability, supported by continuous professional development and strong professional networks that enable mentorship and the sharing of best practices.
The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Trade and Industry or the Government of Singapore.