The Egyptian Human Resource Management Association (EHRMA) was a dream for HR practitioners, and remained as such for many years. As the enthusiasm and passion among HR practitioners increased day after day, the dream became a reality and EHRMA came into existence as a formal body, representing a “critical mass” of a broad spectrum of Egyptian companies and organizations. The star was born in the year 2000.
At that time, there were many associations and publications devoted to Human Resource Development – that side of the Human Resource profession that focuses upon the training of employees and managers in and for the workplace. But forums where practicing Human Resources Managers could meet to learn and discuss trends and issues in HR Management had yet to find a house where they could meet and work together. EHRMA became this house and those who contributed to its creation continued to nurture it into a home where practicing Human Resource Managers – and those responsible for this function in their various companies – could share ideas, problems and solutions, and could support each other in facing an exciting but rather uncertain future. The issues were and still are many – Recruiting and Staffing, Manpower Planning, Employment Advertising, Labor Law, Compensation Plans and Alternatives, Salary Surveys, Employee Benefits, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Management Development from an HR Perspective, Employee Issues in the Workplace, Rightsizing, Downsizing, Pay for Performance – all of these – and many, many others – are challenges and issues that Human Resources Managers face every day. And the need to learn – from each other as well as from others – remains vital.
The Pioneers
The team was composed of 16 to 20 volunteers at the time from different backgrounds, nationalities, genders and industries. Although most volunteers were Egyptians, there were 3 Americans and one Canadian. This diversified group collaborated together, each assuming a role in the service of the association and its members. The group was supported at the initiation stage by the Management Development Initiative (MDI), and Development Training II (DT2), two projects representing USAid in Egypt. These bodies provided the group with technical advice, training and expertise on how to establish an association, how to promote it, how to sustain it and the like. The American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt also supported the initiative, allowing the HR practitioners to meet in its premises, providing them with legal advice and help for the formal registration of their association. One other body that encouraged EHRMA in its activities was that of EuroArab Management Scholl (EAMS), offering a full MMLD scholarship to an EHRMA member.
The Compass
Once EHRMA was established, it worked with expert help, provided by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), on its strategic plan and came up with the following mission and vision:
Mission
To promote the Human Resource Management profession as an integral component of the economic development of the community in Egypt and throughout the region at large
Vision
To gain global recognition as the leader and voice of the Human Resource Management profession in Egypt and in the Middle East
From this shared mission and vision, the team came up with objectives, including the building of awareness of HRM as a profession in Egypt; the promotion of ethical standards and best business practices in the HR field; the sharing of ideas, resources and solutions to resolve HR issues; the development of learning opportunities for the professional development of HRM practitioners; the development of HRM Certification through affiliation with an educational institution; the provision of professional networking opportunities for HRM practitioners as well as a link to the global HR community; the building of a membership base to advocate for issues relating to HRM. Further details about EHRMA are included in its website: www.ehrma.net
Glimmering Glimpses
EHRMA has been taking steady steps in its journey of development with a constant eye on serving its members and the community. Shortly after its establishment, its name started to be spread in the Egyptian market and to appear in newspapers such as El Alam El Yom and El Ahram Weekly. EHRMA’s president began to be approached by the media for interviews, and again EHRMA’s name started to pop up in publications such as Egypt Today and the like.
With the help of MDI, EHRMA embarked on holding strategic sessions for its members. Dr. Wayne Brockbank, Faculty Director of the Strategic HR Planning Program at Michigan University addressed EHRMA members, explaining how Human Resources, as people, should be the key to building a competitive organization. EHRMA co-chaired a session with MDI, led by the renowned thinker, Dr. Peter Senge, Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning (SOL). Dr. Senge addressed and inspired the hundreds of attendees on Learning Organizations and Learning Labs.
As a result of its earnest pursue of excellent service to the HR profession, EHRMA was publicly recognized in the year 2001 by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and DT2 for its outstanding achievements.
In its second anniversary, and again with the help of MDI, EHRMA invited Dr. Jac Fitz-enz, the acknowledged leader in human measurement, and the founder of the Saratoga Institute and later the Workforce Intelligence Institute, to address its members on metrics and ROI of Human Capital. This was an eye opener for young HR professionals who wanted to earn their seat as strategic partners along with the line managers.
In the year 2003, EHRMA in collaboration with Future of Work in Egypt, organized an HR conference and exposition titled HR Management: Making Business Sense. Under the auspices of His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Technological Development at the time, Dr. Ali El Saiedi, prominent political figures, business leaders, faculty members and HR experts contributed to the conference and led to its overall success. A prominent figure among them was Dr. Robert Greene, CEO of Reward Systems, Inc., workshop designer and speaker at the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the winner of the first Keystone Award, bestowed by the American Compensation Association. The conference was well covered by the media through different channels.
Over the last 2 years, EHRMA has gained a strong ally in partnering with the Institute of Human Resource Management Education (IHRME), led by its Chief Executive Dr. John Maxwell. Dr. Maxwell is the former President of the World Federation of Personnel Management Associations (WFPMA); and the recipient of its prestigious ‘George Petitpas’ Memorial Award. With the help of Dr. Maxwell, EHRMA has launched its CPHRC program and has completed the certification of 14 of its members as Certified Professionals in Human Resource and Compensation.
Future Horizons
EHRMA continues to have ambitious plans, dreams and aspirations. We will sustain our effort and continue to develop EHRMA to higher platforms of service and excellence. A new dream is emerging, too, that of uniting and joining forces with other HRM associations in the region. This initiative started in 2002 when attending an HR conference organized by the Tunisian HR Managers' and Training Managers' Association, sponsored by the African Personnel Development Association (AFROGHE). The conference included HR representatives of Morocco, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Algiers in addition to Tunisia. The time has come for us to partner with other HRM associations in the Arab world and maybe, the region, and through building alliances among ourselves; we can build an even stronger HR body for the region. That is a new dream for all of us, and with passion and perseverance once again, we can achieve it. Is the sky the limit today?
