Outsourcing Certifications Now Available for Human Resources, and Finance and Accounting Professionals
IAOP Program Fills Need for Skilled Professionals in Specialty Outsourcing Areas
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY, Oct. 19 – Professionals working in outsourcing positions in Human Resources and finance and accounting can now demonstrate their proficiency through two new certifications offered by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals® (IAOP).
The new designations that professionals can earn to demonstrate their entry-level proficiency at outsourcing tasks in these fields are: IAOP Certified Outsourcing Specialist™ in Human Resources (COS-HR) and Certified Outsourcing Specialist in Finance & Accounting (COS-F&A).
Developed by IAOP, as the certifying body, with BeyondCore and Global Talent Track (GTT) delivering key training and testing components, the goal of the certification programs is to create a standardized candidate evaluation procedure for the outsourcing industry.
To gain the certifications, candidates must successfully pass a validated standardized online exam that tests their aptitude and knowledge against an approved set of standards. The IAOP COS-HR test covers such areas as payroll processing, compensation and benefits, and office administration.
The IAOP COS-F&A certification is validated through an exam that tests candidates on accounting concepts and conventions, bookkeeping and reconciliation, ledger accounting, rectification of errors, inventory accounting, financial statements preparation and analysis, introduction to capital market and derivatives, and use of IT in financial accounting.
The newest certifications join the IAOP COS-TP (Transaction Processing) designation launched this summer that evaluates the data entry speed and skill of back office workers.
Certifications Benefit Companies Hiring and Job Seekers
IAOP’s COS family of certifications enable individuals, the companies they work for and the customers they serve to consistently validate an employee’s specific knowledge, skills and expertise in the delivery of outsourcing services.
“For companies interested in hiring outsourcing workers, the IAOP COS family of certifications helps them lower their costs by eliminating testing expenses and time consuming recruitment searches,” said IAOP Chairman Michael Corbett.
The certifications address the huge demand for skilled professionals expected with the projected growth of the global outsourcing markets from $500 billion today to as much as $1.6 trillion in 2020, according to Dr. Uma Ganesh of Global Talent Track, an initiative aimed at employability by bridging the skill gap between academia and industry.
“The COS program addresses the rising global talent shortage in the outsourcing industry by creating specialist skills for different verticals within the outsourcing industry, helping young people build successful career paths in the outsourcing industry,” Ganesh said.
The tests are based on advanced methodologies from the outsourcing industry and Fortune 500 companies along with student research from the Harvard Business School, Stanford University and the National University of Singapore.
“The IAOP COS standardized tests will help candidates demonstrate their talents and enable prospective employers to hire the best candidates, leading to a far more efficient hiring process,” said Arijit Sengupta, CEO of BeyondCore.
The COS family of certifications is the newest in a group of expanded certification programs launched by IAOP under the its Outsourcing Professional Certification Framework™ (OPCF) with a full range of certifications for individuals from entry-level to C-suite positions. Many of the COS tests are available at www.iaop-cos.com.
About BeyondCore
Since its 2003 inception at the Harvard Business School under the mentorship of professors Clayton Christensen (author of Innovator’s Dilemma) and David Upton, BeyondCore has built a suite of market-leading, patented, advanced analytics solutions. BeyondCore technology rapidly reduces the operating cost of manual back-office processes such as the processing of insurance claims, invoices, applications, HR records, etc.
About Global Talent Track
Global Talent Track (GTT) is a path breaking global education initiative, set up by some of the best minds from the industry, education and technology domains. The venture aims to provide ‘quality with scale’, through programs delivered across Asia through innovative technologies and compelling content. GTT has partnered with Cisco Systems Inc. as the technology partners with Intel Capital, the global investment arm of Intel Inc., and Helion Ventures as major investors.
About IAOP
The International Association of Outsourcing Professionals® (IAOP®) is the global, standard-setting organization and advocate for the outsourcing profession. With more than 110,000 members and affiliates worldwide, IAOP helps companies increase their outsourcing success rate, improve their outsourcing ROI, and expand the opportunities for outsourcing across their businesses. To learn more, visit www.iaop.org.