HRIS Certification: 5 Paths to Build Your Skills with ADP, Workday, SAP, and More

Earning an HRIS certification can help you build skills in HR systems like ADP, Workday, or SAP. An HRIS, or human resources information system, is software that supports HR functions by managing data and automating tasks related to payroll, benefits, and employee records. 

Earning an HRIS certification can help you demonstrate your technical abilities to potential employers and learn new skills to help you prepare for a role in HR. You can earn general HR certifications, such as those offered by SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) and HRCI (Human Resources Certification Institute), to learn HRIS skills, or you can pursue certificates from the vendors who provide HRIS technology, such as ADP, Workday, or SAP. 

Learn about HRIS certificate programs and general HR certifications, where you can develop your HRIS skills. 

HRIS examples

Your company might use one of many different HRIS software systems available to manage HR tasks. A few popular examples you might encounter on the job include: 

• ADP

• Deel HR

• Paycor

• SAP SuccessFactors

• Sage HR

What is an HRIS certification? 

An HRIS certification or certificate can help you build skills using HR technology and validate your abilities to employers. A certificate is a credential that demonstrates you’ve completed a specific learning program, such as a course or a series of courses. A certification is a credential that demonstrates a broader range of competencies, such as the skills and knowledge you’ll need to succeed. 

You might choose an HRIS certificate program to build skills in your company's specific platform (such as ADP or Workday). If you want to expand your qualifications for a broader HR career, an HR certification (such as those from SHRM or HRCI) often includes HRIS topics alongside other core HR competencies. 

HRIS certification programs online

If you're pursuing a general credential, an HR certification program from organizations like HRCI or SHRM can help you build foundational skills that may overlap with HRIS systems. Alternatively, you can choose from certificate programs for HRIS software, which include the ADP Entry-Level Payroll Specialist Professional Certificate and Workday courses available on Coursera, or certifications for SAP SuccessFactors. 

Path 1: ADP HRIS certification

The ADP Entry-Level Compensation and Benefits Analyst Professional Certificate on Coursera can help you develop job-ready skills for a Compensation and Benefits Analyst role. Your training and certificate for completing the program come directly from ADP, a leading HR solutions provider, including HRIS. They also offer payroll, recruitment, time tracking, and taxes solutions. With more than 1.1 million customers, an ADP certificate can help you learn skills that would be valuable at many different companies [1]. 

Cost: $59 a month with a Coursera Plus subscription

Requirements: This entry-level exam does not have any knowledge or experience requirements. 

Who should pursue this certificate? This exam is appropriate for you if you don’t have experience working in an HR-related role and want to build skills working with compensation and benefits using ADP software solutions.

Course topics: This course explores the value that HR's compensation and benefits function can provide to organizations as a strategic business partner. It covers key compensation and benefits principles, the role of regulations in supporting organizational strategy, and how to build essential workplace skills such as research, data analysis, problem-solving, and project management.

Path 2: Workday HRIS certification 

Workday is an AI-powered platform for HRIS and other HR services that often ranks on lists of the best HRIS systems. You can find Workday software in use at companies in many different industries, and the company also offers services in departments like finance, legal, and planning. Workday offers a two-course series where you can earn a career certificate you can add to your LinkedIn profile or resume: the Workday Basics Series and the Workday in Action Series. Both courses are available through Workday Education, and you can access them through Coursera.

Cost: $59 a month with a Coursera Plus subscription

Requirements: Both course series are appropriate for beginners without prior knowledge or experience with Workday. 

Who should pursue this certificate? This course could be right for you if you are considering a career that uses Workday software for HR or if you want to expand your skills in your current role. 

Course topics: In the Workday Basics Series, you’ll review Workday terminology, navigate the software, and understand how Workday products function in tandem. In the Workday in Action Series, you can explore managing employee data, performing tasks in the software program, maintaining financial data, and how Workday offers solutions for human capital management, payroll, benefits, compensation, recruiting, and financial management.

Path 3: SAP SuccessFactors certification

SAP is a leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution provider, including HR systems. In total, they offer more than 100 cloud-based business solutions. For HR, SAP offers SAP SuccessFactors, which includes solutions for core HR functions, including payroll, hiring, and performance management.

SAP offers numerous certifications in its SAP SuccessFactors product. Depending on your career goals, these allow you to specialize in specific HRIS functions. One example is the SAP Certified Associate - Positioning SAP Business Suite via SAP SuccessFactors HCM Solutions. Other SAP SuccessFactors certifications include:

• SAP Certified Associate - Implementation Consultant - SAP SuccessFactors Compensation

• SAP Certified Associate - Implementation Consultant - SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core

• SAP Certified Associate - Implementation Consultant - SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding

• SAP Certified Associate - Implementation Consultant - SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics: Reporting

• SAP Certified Associate - Implementation Consultant - SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting: Candidate Experience

Cost: You can access up to four SAP certification exam attempts a year with a subscription to the SAP Learning Hub for $1,308 annually [2]. 

Requirements: To qualify for an SAP exam, you must demonstrate your ability to use SAP by completing a hands-on learning assessment. 

General HR certification

A general HR certification, like those offered by SHRM and HRCI, doesn't focus directly on HRIS platforms. However, they often cover related topics such as compliance, data management, and process improvement, which can help you use HRIS tools more effectively in your daily work. 

Path 4: SHRM certification

SHRM offers two options for individuals seeking HR certification: SHRM-CP (certified professional) and SHRM-SCP (senior certified professional). 

Cost: The SHRM-CP exam costs $495 for members and $595 for non-members. The SHRM-SCP exam costs $595 for members and $695 for non-members [3].

Requirements: You don’t need experience or prior education to take the SHRM-CP exam, although you should have a working knowledge of HR practices and principles. To take the SHRM-SCP exam, you will need to have at least three years of experience working in a role where you played a strategic role in HR operations. 

Who should pursue this certification? These certifications are most appropriate for HR professionals. The Certified Professional level is appropriate for a professional engaged in day-to-day HR operations, while the Senior Certified Professional level is more appropriate for a professional engaged in strategic HR work. 

Path 5: HRCI certifications

HRCI offers eight certifications at three levels of experience: associate, professional, and senior. The Associate Professional in Human Resources Certification (aPHR) is a common pathway for people who don’t currently have experience as HR professionals to learn skills and earn a credential in the field. 

Cost: $300 plus a $100 application fee [4]

Requirements: You do not need prior experience or credentials to apply for this certification, but it is an exam and not a course so you will need to prepare your knowledge of the exam topics, which include compliance and risk management, employee relations, talent acquisition, learning and development, and compensation and benefits. 

Who should pursue this certification? This certification is appropriate for professionals just starting their career in HR or who are interested in moving into an HR position from a different role. 

Other HRCI certifications

You can explore other HRCI certifications after aPHR to advance your skills beyond the entry-level. The other HRCI certifications you can choose from are: 

• Associate Professional in Human Resources - International 

• Professional in Human Resources

• Professional in Human Resources - International 

• Professional in Human Resources - California

• Senior Professional in Human Resources

• Senior Professional in Human Resources - International

• Global Professional in Human Resources

Which HRIS certification path should you choose?

If you're new to HR or technology, a vendor certificate from ADP, Workday, or SAP can help you build job-ready skills quickly. If you're already in an HR role and want to expand your qualifications, a general HR certification from SHRM or HRCI might align better with your career path. Consider your goals, current role, and the specific platform your employer uses when deciding where to start.

Get ready for HRIS certification on Coursera.

Earning an HRIS certification can demonstrate to potential employers that you have the necessary skills to perform HR tasks using HRIS software. You can begin preparing for your certification today on Coursera with programs like the ADP Entry-Level Compensation and Benefits Analyst Professional Certificate, where you can learn the skills you’ll need to be successful in a role as a compensation and benefits analyst. 

You can also prepare for general HR certifications like aPHR with a professional certificate program to help you learn the topics covered on the exam, such as the HRCI Human Resource Associate Professional Certificate. In this program, you can learn the requirements and techniques to recruit and retain talent for an organization, understand how performance management and feedback impact employee relations in an organization, and evaluate the various benefits of total remuneration and technology.