Member Types and Guidelines
Member Types include the following (see #10 below for descriptions):
- Professional - current exempt HR practitioner
- Associate - HR professional who does not meet Professional type, or demonstrates a genuine interest in the profession and chapter.
- Lifetime Member - Retired HR practioner who has been a member of the chapter
- Student - students in chapter-sponsored student chapter
- Ex-Officio - non HR strategic-partner of the chapter
Guidelines
1. Members must reapply and meet membership criteria at the end of each membership year to determine eligibility for membership
and appropriate membership class. There are no "automatic renewals" or "grand fathering" of memberships.
2. Applicants must meet criteria for membership class based on status at time of application. Membership class may change during
membership year based on status. Applicants and members are responsible for accurately representing their status
for purposes of determining eligibility and class for reporting changes promptly to the Vice President/Membership.
3. Applicants may be asked to submit resumes, job descriptions, and/or other documentation for determination of eligibility and
membership class. All applications to the Associate Member class require approval by the Executive Committee or a
taskforce appointed by the Executive Committee for this purpose.
4. Challenges to membership eligibility are promptly and fully investigated by the Executive Committee to ensure adherence to
and consistent application of the Chapter's bylaws. Deliberate misrepresentation of qualifications for membership and/or
neglecting to report status changes may result in disciplinary action per Article III, Section 5.
5. Individuals who repeatedly (more than two times per calendar year) participate as guests or visitors at Chapter activities will be
contacted by the Vice President/Membership, screened for membership eligibility, and asked to apply for membership if
appropriate. Those who do not qualify for membership, or who do not apply, will be excluded from future participation by means
of the reservation/registration process.
6. Accurate records are kept of membership currency and class to ensure that voting and holding office is confined to eligible
members. The Nominating Committee is responsible for verifying the eligibility of candidates for office before the slate of
nominees is presented to the membership for vote.
7. The following individuals are construed as meeting the definition for Professional or General membership and may qualify
for Chapter membership if they meet other criteria stated in the bylaws:
• Outplacement professionals primarily engaged in managing the firm's local, regional or national office, e.g., managing partner,
principal, etc.
• Outplacement professionals primarily engaged in client counseling and placement activities
• Supplemental staffing professionals and recruiters primarily engaged in managing the firm's local, regional, or national
office, e.g., managing partner, principal, etc.
8. The following are construed as meeting the requirements for Associate membership:
• Former student chapter or student members or new graduates who can demonstrate preparation for a professional
career in human resource management but who have not yet obtained employment in the field.
• HR professionals moving to middle Tennessee from other communities with the intention of continuing in the field.
• HR professional who live in other cities but who have current responsibility for HR functions in companies doing
business in the MT-SHRM Chapter service area.
9. The following are construed as NOT qualifying for chapter membership:
• Employees of outplacement firms who are not listed in 7 above.
• Employees of supplemental staffing agencies or recruitment firms not listed in 7 above.
• Attorneys not primarily engaged in the practice of employment law.
• Paralegals.
• Non-exempt members of human resource department:
• clerical and/or administrative staff do not qualify;
• Primary HR practitioner in a company with 100+ employees who is also non-exempt does not qualify;
• Primary HR practitioner in a company with less than 100 employees may be considered for membership if other
criteria are met and upon approval of Membership Committee.
• Individuals who may possess HR expertise or experience but whose current role is primarily sales, e.g., payroll,
HR software, HR information, benefits administration, benefits administration, etc. vendors
• Individuals other than students as listed in 8 above who are seeking a career change into HR In addition, there
are a number of functions that may be performed or supervised by HR practitioners in the course of professional
activities but which, performed as a primary job responsibility, do not define an individual as an HR professional for
membership purposes.
Examples of these activities are:
• award or recognition programs • food services/vending
• purchasing • travel services
• child care/dependent services • "hiring & firing"
• security • unemployment or worker's compensation
• community/public relations • office or management administration
• social/recreation program • volunteer coordination
• credit union • payroll processing
• supervision of staff • wellness/employee health
• EAP • pre-employment testing
• transportation
10. The President or his/her designee is responsible for resolving questions as to membership eligibility and membership
classification. Terms and Classes. Persons possessing the necessary qualifications may, upon approval of the
Executive Committee, be admitted to membership in the Chapter in one of the following classes:
a) Professional Members: Individuals who are currently engaged as their primary professional activity in designing,
established, executing, administering, teaching or managing human resources policy and /or practice and who
meet one of the following criteria:
i. Possess at least three years exempt-level human resource management experience;
ii. Are certified by the Human Resource Certification Institute;
iii. Are faculty members holding assistant, associate, or full professional rank in human resource management
or any of its specialized functions at an accredited college or university and have at least three years of
experience at this level of teaching
iv. Are full-time consultants with at least three years experience as a practitioner in human resource management;
v. Are attorneys with at least three years experience practicing primarily in the area of employment law.
b) Associate Members: Persons who do not meet the qualifications of the other classes of membership qualify as
Associate members provided they demonstrate a substantial and genuine interest in the objectives of the Chapter.
Persons for whom sales is the primary professional emphasis do not qualify for membership. Associate members
have no vote and may not hold office in the Chapter.
c) Life, Student and Ex-officio applicants must contact the MT|SHRM administrator (admin@mtshrm.org) directly to apply for membership.
d) Life Members: A member who had retired from active full-time employment and has attained a minimum of 10 years
Professional or General Chapter membership may apply for Retired Life Membership. Retired Life Members are entitled
to all privileges of General Members.
e) Student Members: Student members are those in a chapter sponsored Student SHRM chapter.
Where no student chapter exists, students may join as associate members, provided they meet the following criteria:
i. Be currently enrolled in a four year or graduate institution.
ii. Provide documentation of student status.
iii. Demonstrate course of study with emphasis in human resource management subjects.
f) Ex-officio Members: Ex-officio membership shall be available to persons holding a designated office, role or
position in an organization that is a key strategic partner or contract of the chapter in the furtherance of the
mission of the Society and its goals. In this membership category only, the membership holder is the
organization, not the individual, and only the current holder of the office, role or position shall be considered
eligible for membership. Initially, this category shall include the person designated by the Nashville Area
Chamber of Commerce as having responsibility for workforce development initiatives. Other ex-officio
members may be added from time to time consistent with the intent of this section by vote of the Executive
committee. Ex-officio members may vote but not hold elected office.
