Chartered Professionals
in Human Resources

Member Survey Report

CPHR BC & Yukon carried out a survey of its members by way of an online questionnaire in the Fall of 2017. In this report you will learn about key outcomes from the survey, high level analysis of significant themes and how we, as an association, are responding.

Methodology
Responses were collected online, through the Qualtrics Management platform. 807 responses came in over a two week period when the survey was live. This number represents 14% of the current CPHR BC & Yukon membership.

The questionnaire focused on five specific areas:

  • membership profile
  • member opinion of current association offerings
  • preferences and effectiveness of communication channels
  • member engagement with online and print publications
  • opinion of overall value of membership

 
Key Findings

  • The respondent membership profile comprised of members mainly between the 25 – 55 age range, with a gender balance of approximately 4 females:1 male.
  • 64% of respondents have their CPHR designation, while 30% are working toward it or considering getting it at a later time. 6% of respondents are not considering CPHR.
  • 27% of respondents have been members for 10 or more years, 30% for 5-10 years, 27% for 1-5 years and 16% have been members for less than 1 year.
  • 19% of respondents identified themselves as students or emerging professionals, 39% said they were at the generalist or manager level, and another 39% identified as a senior manager, director, consultant or VP. 3% were not working at the time of the survey.
  • Respondents who had their membership dues covered by an employer outweighed respondents who paid their own dues by a margin of 3:2.
  • When those with a CPHR were asked how their designation has impacted their career, the most popular response was “career credibility”.
  • When asked to identify HR topics that they hoped to learn more about over the coming year, the often mentioned were:
    • Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy
    • HR Metrics and Reporting
    • HR Technology
    • Labour Relations
    • Diversity and Inclusion
  • When asked which CPHR BC & Yukon offerings they had accessed or participated in over the past year, respondents listed the following as the top three:
    • Job board to view career opportunities
    • Roundtables
    • Networking events
  • A selection of CPHR BC & Yukon activities that support and promote the HR profession was provided and members were asked to rank each of the activities in order of importance. The list, from most important:
    • Professional Development
    • Career Boosting
    • Insight on HR Trends and Practices
    • Networking and Knowledge sharing
    • Promoting HR as a Profession
    • Pursuing Self Regulation
    • Partner offers and discounts for members
  • We asked respondents to type a response to the question “what initiatives or activities would increase the value of a CPHR BC & Yukon membership, in your opinion”. There were many comments but four significant themes emerged:
    • The desire for more affordable/free professional development options
    • Greater recognition of the CPHR designation within the business community
    • Access to CPHR content online, in a searchable format
    • More focus on emerging trends and modern HR practices
  • We also asked for general comments and suggestions from survey respondents. We heard lots of positive feedback about our staff. There were also comments expressing frustration at some of the costs related to membership and events. Mostly members said that they were pleased with the improvements you have seen over the past year or two, and that you are hoping to see more.

 
How CPHR BC & Yukon is Responding
CPHR BC & Yukon is working hard to continue to provide the support, resources and learning opportunities that members want and need to advance their career. We value all the feedback and recommendations we receive, and endeavor to adjust and grow based on what we hear from our members and key stakeholders.

In response to this survey, and other past surveys, we are working on the following:

  • Providing more online and low-cost professional development
  • Offering a selection of complimentary webinars to members throughout the year and on-demand
  • Introducing PeopleTalk Online to clarify and enhance the association’s content delivery options
  • Establishing new partnerships with likeminded associations and organizations throughout the province to create awareness of what we do
  • Brand new event focused on HR Technology and the future of the HR profession
  • Recurring themes of AI and HR in publications
  • Promoting our newly designed job board to the larger business community, increasing the number of postings, including part-time and temporary/contract positions
  • Highlighting career resources for HR professionals such as the HR Toolkit (templates and checklists) and the Compensation Survey of Human Resources Positions in British Columbia & Yukon (specifically created for CPHR BC & Yukon members in partnership with WCBC)
  • A focus on our own member experts as preferred presenters and content providers
  • Creation of the Industry Partner Membership category for those organizations that may not necessarily employ HR professionals but have undeniable connections to the HR community
  • Working with CPHR Canada on global alliances including Memorandums of Understanding and/or Mutual Recognition Agreements with organizations such as SHRM
  • More opportunities for member volunteering and advocacy
  • Providing greater transparency through events like online townhalls and member surveys

 
For more information on the 2017 Member Survey, please contact:
Kelly Aslanowicz, Senior Manager Business Development
kaslanowicz@cphrbc.ca