How to choose classes on human resources
Managers and HR professionals need to be able to properly oversee every employee in the company, capitalizing on their skills and talents so they can help the company meet its strategic goals.
Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever, comprised of people with a wide range of talents, skills and work demands. As a result, you should look for courses on HR that equip managers and HR professionals with the competencies necessary for managing a modern workforce.
Here are some questions to guide you toward choosing the most effective classes on human resources for your employees:
Who will benefit from classes on human resources?
Determining who needs HR training is the first step toward selecting suitable courses on HR. You can offer HR certification for beginners to employees interested in a career in HR. Intermediate and advanced HR coursescan help your HR team improve and modernize their people management skills.
Which competencies should the training develop?
Create a list of people management skills your managers and HR staff lack or need to update. Compare the deliverables of courses on HR to the list to see if they can fill the skills gap.
Which organizational functions should the training improve?
Employee training should produce observable and measurable results for your organization. Identify inefficient company functions and pick courses that can help improve them.
How many resources can the company dedicate toward courses on HR?
When sorting through classes on human resources, determine how many resources your company is willing to commit to the process. Remember, your company will reap maximum benefits from courses on HR if you’re prepared to dedicate adequate finances, time and human resources.
Related: Training Needs Assessments: A Guide
HR certification for beginners
1. Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR)
The aPHR certification offered by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) suits employees taking their first steps in an HR career. Managers and supervisors from functional areas of the company other than HR can also benefit from the course.
This course helps learners familiarize themselves with the different functions of HR, from talent acquisition to compliance management. The course is self-guided, and employees can take it remotely.
You should enroll employees who eventually want to be in an HR role in the aPHR certification program. When it ends, learners take a 2-hour exam and get an HR certification for beginners that’s valid for three years.
2. Oxford’s HR Management Short Course
The Oxford Home Study Centre gives learners access to a database of HR learning materials by some of the world’s leading HR professionals. The HR Management Course is free and self-paced, with a small fee charged after completion for a certificate.
This program helps employees interested in an HR career learn how to apply different interpersonal skills to people management. It covers aspects of the recruitment and selection process and teaches learners the basics of conducting HR training and development.
Related: New Employee Training: Do’s and Don’ts for Every Manager
HR Certification for Senior Professionals
1. Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
The HRCI offers the SPHR certification to individuals who develop the company’s HR goals and streamline HR activities per the organization’s overall strategies.
Your staff can take the 3-hour certification exam remotely. The certificate is valid for three years and denotes HR leadership to those who earn it.
2. SHRM Senior Certified Professional
The Senior Certified Professional course offered by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) is designed for people with at least three years of experience performing strategic HR duties.
You can select part-time and full-time employees involved in developing and executing HR policies to undertake the certification. The program charges a fee for its four-hour exam, which tests applicants on their knowledge of HR competencies and their application in different organizational situations.
Related: What Is a Learning Organization? Best Practices
Function-Based Courses on HR
Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Course
This fully online program run by instructors from Cornell University equips HR personnel with the competencies to acquire the right people for each position in the company. Skills taught include how to source diverse talent from non-traditional pools, like social media.
The course also provides extensive instruction on how to manage talent with the aim of building internal leadership capacity. Skills imparted include talent nurturing and performance measurement strategies.
This program is ideal for developing the skills of your HR employees. It helps them refine their approach toward staffing to attract and retain the top talent in the market for your company.
Cornell’s Recruiting and Talent Management program takes three months. Your employees will receive instruction online and interact with other learners. You can help your HR staff get the most from the course by giving them up to five hours a week for learning.
SHRM Foundations of Compensation
The Foundations of Compensation program offered by SHRM is ideal for HR personnel who want to learn more about or specialize in the compensation function of HR. This online course runs for two days, with live instructions and interactions between instructors and learners.
The program introduces learners to the world of compensation. It includes lessons on laws governing compensation and practical exercises on creating a company’s compensation system and communicating it across the organization.
The course is hands-on, with discussions and practical activities. You should be prepared to offer employees who enroll time off for learning. It is also a paid course you can offer as part of talent development in your organization.
Labor and Employment Relations Certificate
The labor relations course offered by Rutgers University equips HR professionals with the skills to manage an educationally, ethnically and skills diverse workplace. Learners who finish the program obtain a graduate certificate.
This course teaches on managing diversity, social justice, organizational change and globalization. It can help your HR employees adjust their people management skills as your company expands to take advantage of diverse local and international talent.
The program includes four graduate-level modules that can be learned online, in-person or both. The versatility allows you to create a schedule so employees can benefit without missing work for an extended period.
Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Compliance
Drexel University offers a 10-week course in HR compliance that awards an accredited graduate certificate. This is a paid program, but you can enroll several employees at a discounted fee.
The program is designed for HR professionals who need a refresher course in compliance or want to specialize in the field.
Through the curriculum, your employees can learn about HR laws, ethics and issues around HR compliance. Drexel University offers instructor-led online classes for the program, so your staff can learn and obtain their graduate certificates without taking time off.
PayTrain
The American Payroll Association’s PayTrain program provides learners with in-depth instruction on payroll laws and practices. This online course is self-paced, so your employees can benefit from anywhere.
PayTrain offers reading materials, interactive instructional tools, and assessments in the form of exercises and quizzes, through which HR personnel can learn payroll concepts and best practices to benefit your organization.
The PayTrain program is a good choice for employees preparing for the Certified Payroll Professional exam. You can offer it to support your staff who are pursuing the certification as a way of meeting their career goals. It’s also a good refresher course when revamping your company’s payroll processes.
Employee Training and Development Course
Cornell’s Employee Training and Development course is ideal for HR staff in your company tasked with talent development. The program teaches learners how to identify the organization’s training needs and build programs that fulfill them.
It also provides lessons on conducting training in a way suitable for different work levels in your organization. Additionally, your HR staff will learn how to evaluate and measure success to ensure your company gets maximum ROI from training programs.
The course is entirely online and instructor-led. Learners need at least five hours a week to immerse themselves in the program.
Related: Employers Guide to Human Resources Certification Programs
