Salesforce started as a CRM solution, but today, its expansive product suite covers everything from automation to analytics. Professionals take Salesforce certifications to learn more about the platform and to help advance their careers.

While a Salesforce certificate isn’t required to use Salesforce, it can help to prove a professional’s level of expertise with specific Salesforce technologies or using Salesforce for specific roles. However, businesses need to validate Salesforce certifications to ensure their team has the right skills for the job.

In this post, we’ll discuss why validation is necessary, three easy steps to do so, and common challenges associated with Salesforce certifications.

Why Salesforce Certification Verification Is Necessary

Salesforce offers beginner, intermediate, advanced, and specialist certifications. When a professional passes a test, it proves to employers that they have the knowledge to manage Salesforce efficiently. 

However, employers can’t take their employees’ word that their certifications are up-to-date. At the same time, Salesforce professionals should also monitor their certification status to ensure they don’t need to take incremental exams. 

Let’s look at why Salesforce verification matters to both professionals and businesses. 

For Professionals

An up-to-date Salesforce certificate is a great addition to your resume or LinkedIn profile. Achieving a certificate makes you more marketable, so whether you’re trying to get a raise or look for a new job, Salesforce certification can advance your career. 

However, you need to ensure your certificate is in good standing. In addition to earning the initial certificate, you also might need to complete annual incremental exams, which cover new product features, to maintain your certification. 

Professionals take their Salesforce exams with Webassessor, which provides information on your Salesforce certification status. When you pass an exam, Webassessor will email you the certificate, which will have your name, the name of the exam, the date, and an ID number for the certification. 

Every Salesforce certificate comes with an expiration date, as well as required incremental modules, so it’s important to verify that your certificate is in good standing. 

For Employers

Organizations need to verify Salesforce certification for one simple reason: to verify that their employees or job applicants are, in fact, qualified for the job.  If you’re looking to bring on a Salesforce consultant, you’ll want to confirm their credentials. 

Salesforce is a complex platform, and businesses need skilled, competent workers to maximize the value of this solution. They need peace of mind that their team has the required skills to get the job done right.

In some cases, employee certifications are a selling point that you might want to display on your website. This, in turn, makes it doubly important to verify their credentials. 

3 Easy Steps To Verify Salesforce Certification

Salesforce makes it easy to verify certification status. However, the verification process depends on whether you’re a certificate holder or an employer.

For Certificate-holders

If you want to check the current status of your own certification: 

1. Visit the Salesforce Trailhead Verification page. 
2. Enter your Webassessor email to check your status underneath “Certificate Holders: Check Your Status.” 
3. Webassessor will send an email about your certification status. This will show the date earned, your name, the expiration date, and any incremental module requirements. If necessary, you can download a PDF of your certificate to share with your employer. 

This is the easiest way to verify your certification. However, if you want to double-check that your status is available to your employer, you should go to “Verify a Salesforce Certified Professional,” enter your name or email, and check if you show up. 

If you aren’t showing up in this listing, you may need to change your profile settings. Salesforce requires you to opt-in to display your verification status. To do that, go to your Salesforce Profile > Check the box for “Verification opt-in” > Save.

For Employers

If you’re an employer who wants to verify an employee’s Salesforce credentials: 

1. Visit the Salesforce Trailhead Verification page. 
2. Go to “Verify a Salesforce Certified Professional” and enter either the person’s first and last name or the email associated with their Webassessor account. 
3. When you hit “Search,” the system will display results showing the person’s certificates, their status, and expiration dates. 

Challenges to Salesforce Certification Verification

While it’s possible to use Salesforce without a certificate, these exams prove a Salesforce professional’s knowledge. But as helpful as Salesforce certificates are for improving and measuring knowledge, they come with some barriers: 

• Opt-in: It’s important to note that not being able to find someone in the database doesn’t mean they don’t have a certification. Salesforce professionals need to opt-in to make their credentials visible on the Salesforce website. If they don’t opt in, organizations won’t be able to find them in the database. 
• Expiration dates: Most Salesforce certifications expire, and it can be difficult to manage these expiration dates. Some employees might not realize that their certificates are out-of-date or that they need to complete annual modules.
• Expertise: Your team might have certifications in a variety of Salesforce subjects, but that doesn’t mean they have all of the expertise you need. It can take months or even years to equip your team with the right Salesforce knowledge to succeed, which can significantly lengthen project timelines. 

Regardless of your goals with Salesforce, certifications don’t show the full picture. Many organizations need a wider range of diverse skills that certifications alone can’t provide. 

Go with a partner with proven expertise in Salesforce implementation. Argano 4 Salesforce helps organizations quickly tap into the skills they need to embrace digital transformation at scale. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.