Newsletter Table of Content

INSIDE

Exploring Speed of Answer Goals

Further Your Career in WFM with CWPP Certification!

WFM Spring Survey Results

Summer 2017 Survey

Staffing Tradeoffs – Achieving a Balance of Service and Occupancy

Ask the Workforce Wizard

Managing Shrink, Overtime, and Undertime

What To Do When Everyone Hates Their Schedule

Events Calendar

2018 SWPP Conference Dates

Bright Idea

Our Sponsors

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Further Your Career in WFM with CWPP Certification!

By Vicki Herrell, Executive Director, SWPP

Workforce management (WFM) has become a lifelong career to many people, and over 10 years ago, SWPP created a certification program that elevates the workforce management function and recognizes the professionalism required to achieve success in this part of the business. The Certified Workforce Planning Professional (CWPP) program provides a professional development opportunity and recognition for the workforce management community, and is available to any and all interested workforce management professionals.

Here is an overview of the certification program, but more information is available on the SWPP website.

The SWPP Workforce Management Certification program consists of three exams, which cover the core workforce management competencies:

Planning and Strategy
Staffing and Scheduling
Managing Daily Staffing and Service

Successful completion in all three areas, combined with a workforce management application project, will
earn full CWPP certification.

Competency Review and Exam Preparation

If you decide to undertake the certification process, reviewing the workforce management competencies on the SWPP website is the best starting point. They were developed by thought leaders in the WFM industry, and address the major skills and knowledge areas required of a workforce management professional.

While some WFM professionals take the exams directly, relying upon their everyday work processes and practical knowledge, most find it beneficial to do some directed study to brush up on WFM concepts and calculations prior to taking the exam. It can be beneficial to test your knowledge by taking the WFM Knowledge Assessment on our website. This assessment is available at no charge and can serve as a way to test your knowledge and help you assess how prepared you are to move into the actual certification testing.

There are other study materials on our website, including many articles that cover all areas of the exams. Also, SWPP offers a web seminar series on the Fundamentals of Workforce Management that covers all topics in the CWPP Certification Exams.

Taking the Exams

Each exam is made up of 50 questions with 150 for the full CWPP certification. The tests have been certified by a professional psychometrician and are made up of simple and nested multiple-choice questions. The exams are taken online in a proctored setting. There is a two-hour limit per exam, although most participants average about one hour for each test. Exams can be taken back-to-back, or spread over time. Results are provided immediately on-screen and also via email for each exam individually, and show the percentage of correct answers for each section of the exam. The passing score is 80% and, if necessary, re-testing is available.

Workplace Project

Once an applicant has successfully completed all three exams, it is time for the project portion of the certification process. The reason for this project is to demonstrate a practical application of the workforce management knowledge tested on the exams, as well as the ability to communicate that knowledge to others. Applicants present their projects via web seminar to a certification review board, which consists of SWPP Advisory Board members and other workforce management professionals who have already achieved CWPP Certification.

This project can be selected from a list of pre-approved projects (see the SWPP website for a list of standard projects) or an applicant can create his/her own project idea and submit it for approval. The project can be pulled from the real world, taking advantage of work already completed. Most projects have consisted of PowerPoint and Excel files, with some projects including both. Project feedback is provided via e-mail as soon as possible after the presentation, often within an hour.

Associate Certification

In recognition of the many workforce management specialists in the field, and to offer them a substantial development opportunity, SWPP offers Associate Certification. This requires successful completion of one exam, along with a project to demonstrate knowledge in the same competency area as the exam. This is a great alternative for someone who has spent years as a Scheduler, for example, and who might not have a strong interest in overall certification. This might also be an alternative for someone who prefers to certify in one competency area at a time, or over a longer time period than two years.

Continuing Education Requirements

Once certified, there are annual requirements to maintain the designation. Using a points-based system similar to that of other professional certification programs, certified professionals need to accumulate 40 points per year to maintain their CWPP status. Associate certification requires 25 points per year. Points can be earned for attending (or presenting at) the annual SWPP conference, for submitting “Tips of the Week” and articles to the SWPP newsletter, and for a variety of other workforce management-related activities. A full list is posted on the SWPP website

Certification Fees

Full CWPP certification is offered at $250 for SWPP members and $350 for non-members. Associate certification is offered at $100 per competency for SWPP members and $150 for non-members. There is a $50 fee per exam for any re-testing.

Action Plan

If you think CWPP Certification is right for you, the process is pretty straightforward. Just register online at www.swpp.org, review the competencies, determine any knowledge gaps you might have, prepare using the resources mentioned above, take the exams, submit your project, and then maintain your certification.

We hope you will decide to further your education and career development by participating in CWPP Certification. More information is available at https://swpp.org/certification/.

Feedback from Recent CWPPs

I really enjoyed the entire process of the certification. Looking at where I started and where I ended up, I have learned so much and have so many more tools and knowledge to use in my position.

For preparing and studying for the exams, the pre-test available on www.swpp.org is amazing for getting a sense of how you will actually do on the specific tests and is a great way to test your knowledge before taking the tests. If you are a SWPP member, attending the monthly Fundamentals of Workforce Management web series is another great way to prepare for the exams.

The exams themselves are pretty straightforward but can be a little daunting. The best advice I can give is to take things slow and double/triple check all of your work and numbers.

The project was my favorite part of the entire process. Make sure you pick something that you are either doing currently that can apply to the project process or find something that you are passionate about. That will make all of the work necessary for a successful project that much easier to accomplish.

– Tyler McGary, CWPP, Idaho Central Credit Union

I found the CWPP process rather challenging and it really opened my eyes to all of the intricacies and expertise needed to obtain the certification. The SWPP website has all of the materials needed to successfully complete the process, but the time and investment needed to study and gain the understanding needed is essential to pass the tests. You have to work for it, and it makes the certification even more valuable!

The project is a great opportunity to put a plan together to solve a real life situation/problem in your call center. You have to be very detailed and provide scenarios and action plans that can come up in your everyday world. SWPP does a great job reaching out to provide a mentor that has the CWPP designation and experience going through the whole process. This way you can bounce your ideas off your mentor and work together to create a presentation that will make sense in the WFM world!

Overall, the process is very educational and worth the investment to gain a great understanding of the WFM world!

– Brooke Tanner, CWPP, PriorityHealth

When I became aware of a certification in the workforce management field, I was very excited as it lends more credibility to those who don’t understand the skills required
to successfully work in the field.

SWPP’s pre-test was very valuable in helping me understand where I was with the various competencies I needed to pass all the tests. There were several different articles available on the website to help brush up on these areas. The actual exams were very challenging, further proving the value of the certification process.

The project was also a challenging, but insightful process. I gave myself almost the entire year once I enrolled to complete the project. There were multiple pre-approved project options to pursue. I chose staff planning because I have been handling that task for two years now, but am mostly self-taught. The project allowed me to explore additional options I had not thought of in my current role. It also allowed me to firm up my knowledge in areas I was unfamiliar with. I was also very grateful to have a mentor assist me in the project buildout. My mentor assisted by asking the hard questions and clearing up some areas I left a little too vague.

When I passed, I was over the moon. Often, workforce managers are in a unique niche, and it is hard to find others within an organization that understand the language we speak. It was refreshing to know that after being mostly self-taught, most of my doubt regarding my abilities was eased. I am so thankful I took this opportunity to learn and become connected with an entire community that understands and can provide insight on the challenges workforce managers face daily.

– Shannon Garcia, CWPP, Liberty Mutual Insurance