DEM Human Resources Team Gets Certified

In December Ann Bradshaw joined Paula Gates in passing the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP) examination. The certification process begins with an HR professional having at least three years of experience in HR.  Ann and Paula’s decades of UW experience more than fit the bill. They studied various aspects of HR including functional HR knowledge, HR leadership, interpersonal skills, business practices, organizational practices, and diversity and inclusion. Their studies culminated in a challenging four-hour, 160-question test. Paula says she “never studied more for anything in her life.” So why subject yourself to such a grueling exam? Paula explains that with her educational background in Business Administration and Higher Education she had not really had the opportunity to study HR in depth.  While Ann did study HR in college, this allowed her to take her HR education to the next level.  For both of them, having worked in the public sector for so long it offered them an opportunity to step back and understand the larger HR profession to see what they could learn from the private sector.  They feel they are better able to provide HR advice to leadership, think strategically about HR, work with diverse constituencies, and better serve your HR needs.  DEM Director of Administration Jeremy Traska writes: “as anyone who interacts with Ann and Paula knows, they are committed to supporting all DEM team members from the moment they join our team. Pursuing this certification is one more step that demonstrates their dedication to providing top quality service for DEM.” DEM Updates congratulates Paula and Ann for their achievements! Ann and Paula invite you to contact them with your HR concerns so you can see for yourself what a certified HR professional can do for you. Ann:  ann.bradshaw@wisc.edu Paula: paula.gates@wisc.edu