Skip to the main content.
Talk to an expert
Talk to an expert
HR Glossary

Credentialling

Culture and capability
What is credentialling?

Credentialling (also spelled credentialing) is the process of verifying that a person holds the qualifications, licences, certifications and assessed competencies a role requires, recording that proof, and keeping it current as credentials expire and need renewing.

What gets credentialled

Credentials range from formal qualifications and government-issued licences to industry certifications, internal sign-offs and assessed competencies such as "can operate this equipment safely". Healthcare, construction, transport, energy, education and financial services all run on them, because a person working without a current credential can be a safety, legal or insurance problem.

Credentialling, training and competency

Training is the learning, and assessment checks whether it took. A credential is the recorded proof that someone met a defined standard, usually with an expiry date. Good credentialling connects all three: a competency framework defines the standard, training and assessment build and test it, and the credential record shows who is currently qualified for what, so nobody is rostered onto work they are not cleared to do.

Why spreadsheets break

Most organisations start credentialling in spreadsheets and shared folders. It works until the workforce grows, contractors arrive or an auditor asks for proof across every site at once. Then expiry dates get missed and certificates cannot be found. A system that issues certificates on completion, tracks expiry and triggers recertification automatically closes most of those gaps. For high-stakes, regulated credentialling at scale, Compono Assure is used by governments for competency, licensing and credentialling at public safety scale.

Where
Compono Develop fits.

Compono Develop is a learning management system (LMS) that tracks what people need to be capable of, rather than what they completed.

See every certificate's expiry date on the person's record, with recertification assigned before it lapses.

See how it works

Keep exploring

Calculator

Skills Gap Analysis Calculator

Put a number on it. Free, no sign-up, every benchmark sourced.

Open the calculator →Related term

Learning management system (LMS)

A learning management system (LMS) is software that delivers training to employees, tracks who completed what and reports on it.

Read the definition →Related term

Onboarding software

Onboarding software runs a new starter's first weeks in one place: contracts and forms before day one, induction and compliance training, role-specific learning, tasks for the manager and check-ins along the way.

Read the definition →Related term

Competency framework

A competency framework is a structured definition of the skills, knowledge and behaviours an organisation requires, organised by role and proficiency level, so that hiring, development, assessment and progression all reference the same standard.

Read the definition →Related term

Skills matrix

A skills matrix is a grid mapping people against skills, with each cell recording proficiency (and often certification status and expiry).

Read the definition →HR Glossary

All terms

Every definition, with the local rules, rates and thresholds attached.

Browse the glossary →

Common questions

Is it credentialling or credentialing?

Both spellings are correct. Credentialling is more common in Australian and British English, credentialing in American English.

What is the difference between a licence and a credential?

A licence is a credential issued by a regulator that gives legal permission to do certain work. Credential is the broader term, covering licences as well as qualifications, certifications and assessed competencies.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with the official source for your jurisdiction or your own adviser. Last reviewed October 2026.