Involves the activities necessary for developing, implementing and managing the strategic direction required to achieve organizational success and to create value for stakeholders. Knowledge Topics: approaches to project management and processes; concepts of systems thinking and components of an organizational system; organizational mission, vision and values, and their relation to strategic management and planning; project planning, monitoring, and reporting methods and tools; project leadership, governance and structures; role of strategic management and planning in creating and sustaining competitive advantage; strategic planning analysis frameworks; strategic planning process; systems theory and input-process-output models.

Encompasses the activities involved in building and maintaining a workforce that meets the needs of the organization. Knowledge Topics: approaches to employee onboarding; approaches to sourcing; employment categories; job analysis and identification of job requirements; job offer contingencies; job offer negotiations; methods for creating and maintaining a positive employer value proposition and employment brand; methods for external and internal employee recruitment; methods for selection assessment; talent acquisition metric.

Refers to activities aimed at retaining high-performing talent, solidifying and improving the relationship between employees and the organization, creating a thriving and energized workforce, and developing effective strategies to address appropriate performance expectations from employees at all levels. Knowledge Topics: approaches to developing and maintaining a positive organizational culture; approaches to recognition; creation, administration, analysis, and interpretation of employee attitude surveys; creation, planning, and management of employee engagement activities; employee lifecycle phases; employee retention concepts and best practices; influence of culture on organizational outcomes; interventions for improving job attitudes; job attitude theories and basic principles; job enrichment/enlargement principles and techniques; key components of, and best practices associated with, performance management systems; principles of effective performance appraisal; methods for assessing employee attitudes; retention and turnover metrics; types of organizational cultures; workplace flexibility programs.

Activities that enhance the knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and competencies of the workforce in order to meet the organization's business needs. Knowledge Topics: Approaches to coaching and mentoring; career development; developmental assessments; knowledge-sharing techniques and facilitation; learning and development approaches and techniques; learning and development program design and implementation; learning evaluation; learning theories; needs analysis types; organizational analysis; techniques for career development.

Encompasses approaches to direct and indirect remuneration, which employers use to attract and retain employees. Knowledge Topics: approaches to gathering compensation- and benefits-related market and competitive intelligence; basic accounting and financial knowledge for managing payroll; compensation philosophies; compensation plans for common and special workforce groups; job evaluation for determining compensation and benefits; leave plans and approaches; other benefits; other compensation; pay practices and issues; remuneration and labor market data collection and interpretation; remuneration data analysis; retirement planning and benefits; total rewards metrics and benchmarks.

Encompasses the people, processes, theories, and activities involved in the delivery of HR-related services that create and drive organizational effectiveness. Knowledge Topics: approaches to HR operational integration; approaches to HR function/service models; approaches to HR structural models; elements of the HR function; HR-function metrics; HR staff roles, responsibilities, and functions; outsourcing of HR functions.

Involves the organization's overall structure and functionality, which includes measuring the long- and short-term effectiveness and growth of people and processes, and implementing necessary organizational change initiatives. Knowledge Topics: Application of behavioral assessments; intergroup dynamics; intragroup dynamics; organizational design structures and approaches; organizational performance management theories, structures, and approaches.

Includes HR practices and initiatives that allow the organization to meet its talent needs (e.g., workforce planning, succession planning) and to close critical competency gaps. Knowledge Topics: analysis of labor supply and demand; approaches to restructuring; best practices and techniques for knowledge management, retention and transfer; leadership development and planning; succession planning programs and techniques; techniques for organizational need-gap analysis; workforce planning approaches, techniques, and analyses.

Refers to any dealings between the organization and its employees regarding the terms and conditions of employment. Knowledge Topics: approaches to retaliation prevention; approaches to union-organization relations; causes of and methods for preventing and addressing strikes, boycotts and work stoppages; disciplinary procedures and approaches; employment rights, standards and concepts; history and evolution of organized labor relations; techniques for disciplinary investigations; techniques for grievance and complaint resolution; theories of labor economics and environments; types and development of compliance and ethics programs; types and structures of organized labor; types of ADR (mediation, arbitration) and their advantages and disadvantages; unfair labor practices, according to the ILO; unionization approaches, methods and management.

Involves the use of existing, new and emerging technologies (e.g., cloud computing, electronic communications, contingency systems) to support the HR function, and the development and implementation of policies and procedures that govern the use of technologies in the workplace. Knowledge Topics: approaches to electronic self-service for basic HR and people management functions; data and information management; HRIS capabilities and use; policies and procedures for procurement; policies and practices for technology and social media use; software for recruiting and applicant tracking.

Focuses on organizational growth and workforce-related issues viewed from multinational, transnational and global perspectives. Knowledge Topics: best practices for international assignments; global taxation requirements and approaches; requirements for moving work; theories of globalization and global economics.

Encompasses activities that create opportunities leveraging the unique backgrounds and characteristics of all employees to contribute to organizational success. Knowledge Topics: approaches to managing a multi-generational/aging workforce; approaches to developing an inclusive workplace; demographic barriers to success; issues related to acceptance of diversity, including international differences; workplace accommodations.

Is the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks, and the application of resources, accordingly, to minimize, monitor, and control their probability and impact. Knowledge Topics: approaches to a drug-free workplace; approaches to qualitative and quantitative risk assessment; business recovery and continuity-of-operations planning; emergency and disaster preparation and response planning; enterprise risk management processes and best practices and risk treatments; legal and regulatory compliance auditing and investigation techniques; quality assurance techniques and methods; risk sources and types; security concerns and prevention; workplace/occupational injury and illness prevention, investigations, and accommodations.

Represents the organization's commitment to operate in an ethical and sustainable manner, by engaging in activities that promote and support philanthropy, transparency, sustainability, and ethically sound governance practices. Knowledge Topics: approaches to community inclusion and engagement; creating shared value; developing CSR-related volunteer programs; organizational philosophies and policies; principles of corporate citizenship and governance; steps for corporate philanthropy and charitable giving.

Deals with the knowledge and application of all relevant laws and regulations in the United States relating to employment. These provisions set the parameters and limitations for each HR functional area, and for organizations overall. Knowledge Topics: compensation; employee relations; equal employment opportunity; job safety and health; leave and benefits; miscellaneous protection laws.

The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed to navigate the organization and accomplish HR goals, to create a compelling vision and mission for HR that aligns with the strategic direction and culture of the organization, to lead and promote organizational change, to manage the implementation and execution of HR initiatives, and to promote the role of HR as a key business partner.

The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed to maintain high levels of personal and professional integrity, and to act as an ethical agent who promotes core values.

The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed to create and maintain a network of professional contacts within and outside of the organization, to build and maintain relationships, to work as an effective member of a team, and to manage conflict while supporting the organization.

The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed to effectively craft and deliver concise and informative communications, to listen to and address the concerns of others, and to transfer and translate information from one level or unit of the organization to another.

The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed to value and consider the perspectives and backgrounds of all parties, to interact with others in a global context, and to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed to understand the organization's operations, functions and external environment, and to apply business tools and analyses that inform HR initiatives and operations consistent with the overall strategic direction of the organization.

The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed to work with organizational stakeholders in evaluating business challenges and identifying opportunities for the design, implementation and evaluation of change initiatives, and to build ongoing support for HR solutions that meet the changing needs of customers and the business.

The knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and to interpret and promote findings that evaluate HR initiatives and inform business decisions.