SHRM BoCk vs SHRM BASK

One thing is for sure, Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) has gotten so many people confused with SHRM’s BoCK versus SHRM’s BASK. I hate to be the messenger but y’all, they are the same. Let me start by breaking down a few definitions.

What do BoCk and BASK mean?

BASK means Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge. BoCk means Body of Competency and Knowledge. This is SHRM’s way of giving a holistic view of what you have to know in order to “know” Human Resources. One more definition that you must know before reading any further is competency. Competency is the ability to do something successfully or efficiently.

It’s simply an overview of all of the knowledge needed to not only pass the SHRM exams but more importantly, be a well-rounded Human Resources professional that can perform well on the job.

What has changed?

Some things have changed about Human Resources from time to time, but I’ve noticed that it will rarely hit SHRM or HRCI’s study materials or exams. To give a few examples of things that changed, but no one was tested on are:

How to manage employees during a pandemic
FMLA extension during the pandemic
How to read your drug test results when in states where marijuana use is legal
How to post your jobs to include pay transparency

Gosh, I can make that list longer. Instead, I created an entire video on “What SHRM & HRCI does NOT teach you”. Click here to watch it.

Why did SHRM change from BoCk to BASK?

SHRM has changed this overview model repetitively and the first change I noticed was when it changed from the 2016 version to the 2017 version (pictured on the right). I got my first study materials in 2015, so it definitely makes sense why I wouldn’t notice the change until then.

As you know, the first time I took the exam, I failed. So when I took it again two years later in 2017, I used both models to get an overview of it all, but I referred to the additional information that SHRM provided in 2016. On the right, I have outlined the most versions with the date that they were used for your reference. The image labeled “SHRM Competencies” is the one that I found myself referring to. And guess what, I passed! It’s all the SAME Information, just presented in a different way.

First, I’ll start with a nice reason for their changes – they want to give us something new to refer to and not get bored with the same image over and over. Now, I’ll give the real reason – they are marketing to you to sell their products. Yep, SHRM is using good ole marketing tactics. It’s not a bad thing. Good, well-established companies do it to us all of the time. It’s just that marketing professionals are so good at their job that they get a reaction out of us. Most times, that reaction leads to us paying for something. In this case, it gets us worried that the latest competency is the only model we should refer to in order to pass the exam.

It’s no different when big named companies change their logo a bit. For example, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Instagram, and Burger King are a few. To make things easy, I’ve only put pictures (on the right) of their logo changes, but I can guarantee you other minor changes were made at the same time as the logo change. SHRM is no different. Just like those drinks and food tastes and look the same, the material that SHRM has provided as study resources ARE THE SAME. So, don’t get distracted with BOCK or BASK. Get focused on consuming the information.

If you haven’t noticed already, a lot of the words are used the same. Some examples of the words that have stayed in their competency overview each year are:

Leadership (It’s changed from “Leadership & Navigation” to just “Leadership”)
Ethical Practice (in the latest version, they put it under “Leadership”)
Relationship Management (it changed from being alone to being under “Interpersonal”)

Those are just a few of the examples, by the time you get to the material that matters, it will all come together then BoCk and BASK will not distract you.

More low-cost study materials

Stay focused on studying the meat and potatoes and worry less about the dressing. It’s all so new to you that initially, any minor change seems huge. If you want another resource outside of my notes to help you digest the study material better, then click here. HRCP has a ton of low-cost, valuable resources to get you ready for the exam.

In addition, I’ve linked some videos below that I know you’ll find helpful.

Please let me know if this helped clear things up for you. I’ll meet you in the comments.