Here is our list of the best HR training programs.
Human resource training programs are classes that help human resource managers develop a strategic approach to managing employees or teams to optimize organizational output. Examples include Oxford Home Study, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning. These training programs aim to advance employees’ careers and improve the organization’s overall productivity.
These programs help professionals build HR skills and serve a similar purpose as HR conferences, HR blogs, and HR books.
This list includes:
- free human resource training programs
- online human resource training programs
- human resource training and development programs
- human resource training programs for managers
- HR management training
Let’s get this started!
List of human resource training programs
From Udemy to Alison to LinkedIn Learning, here is a detailed list of human resource training programs.
1. LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is one of the most popular host platforms for HR training programs. The platform offers some of the best online human resource training programs. The site provides a huge variety of programs, such as:
- HR Foundations
- Recruiting Foundations
- HR Interviewing Techniques
- Onboarding New Hires as a Manager
- Strategic Human Resources
- Certification Prep: Professional in Human Resources
The HR Foundation Course is a beginner-friendly training led by Colorado University professor Wayne Cascio. Cascio is a renowned author on topics such as Applied Psychology, Human Resources, and Business Management. Some of the main modules you can expect to find in this course include how to hire candidates, interviewing techniques, and establishing a payment strategy. In addition, this course offers a certificate of completion and CPE credits for continuing education.
LinkedIn Learning is an approved provider of the HR Certification Institute, meaning you can earn credit towards a range of certificate programs at a monthly fee. Since these programs are on online, folks can learn at their own pace. Thus, you can build on this foundational course with Strategic Human Resources or pursue an HR certification with Certification prep.
This course will teach you how to find, recruit, and manage employees. You will also learn how to go beyond traditional ways of running a help-wanted ad in the local newspaper.
Learners also discover how to attract the best talents in the field, identify your company’s recruitment needs, and what methods you should use to recruit new talent.
Learn more about LinkedIn Learning.
2. Society for Human Resource Management
Obtaining Society for Human Resource Management or SHRM certification is of great value to any HR professional looking for additional credentials. SHRM provides two certificates, including the SHRM-CP where CP stands for certified professional, and SHRM-SCP where SCP stands for senior certified professional. However, it is important to note that these SHRM certificates are not for beginners and have specific criteria for eligibility.
Eligibility for SHRM-CP:
- basic knowledge of HR principles and practices
- degree from a recognized academic program
- individuals that work in the Human Resource department
Eligibility for SHRM-SCP:
- Individuals that have at least three years of experience working in HR
- Applicants must show proof that they have worked at least 1000 hours per year performing HR duties
SHRM has a self-study option that offers you the flexibility to complete these courses at your own pace. This option allows you to customize your learning experience by breaking your course modules into easy-to-study batches. You will also get access to preparative materials for exams which include past exam questions, a document that will help you improve your results, and a breakdown of your scores. If it is easier for you to learn with physical materials, then SHRM can also provide printed materials at an additional cost.
However, if you would prefer a more supervised learning experience, you can choose to have instructor-led classes with SHRM. The site offers virtual, classroom, and hybrid options throughout the year, and each option comes with the SHRM learning system. Prices vary, depending on if you are a member or not. Non-members will generally have a higher fee to pay.
Learn more about Society for Human Resource Management.
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3. Udemy
Udemy is one of the popular hosts of practical human resource training and development programs. The site offers free online HR training courses teaching beginners administrative human resources. The platform also teaches managers how to effectively utilize HR analytics in Microsoft Excel to assess performance. One of their most effective HR training programs is Human Resource Analytics using Microsoft Excel for HR Management.
To thrive in this profession, you must know how to analyze and interpret data. After this course, you will be able to:
- use and visualize HR data to seamlessly connect your company’s business administration to the HR management
- calculate HR data, including employee retention rate and staffing projections using MS Excel
- use acquired data to solve real-world HR problems
This bestselling course is by Start-Tech Academy, a company whose instructors have had more than 3,000,000 students across its Excel and Data Analytics catalog.
Learn more about Udemy.
4. Alison
Alison offers 36 Human Resource Management Training and Development courses for employees and managers. These courses cover HR basics, recruitment and selection, learning and development, strategic development, performance management, conflict resolution, and health and safety.
Some of the courses offered include:
- Fundamentals of Human Resources
- The Recruitment and Onboarding Process
- Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
- Safer Recruitment
The site offers several diploma courses and many HR certificate courses, including free options. All the modules are self-paced and take one to ten hours to complete. The classes also have accreditation from the CPD, which means employers recognize these certificates in the field. The purpose of these modules is to educate you on the proper approach for assessing, recruiting, and onboarding new employees to your company.
Learn more about Alison.
5. Coursera
Coursera is a great platform that hosts HR training programs for managers. The Preparing to Manage Human Resources Course is one of the most effective programs. With this course, you will be able to develop a skillful approach to managing employees by creating effective human resource strategies, introducing the importance of the legal context, and considering employee motivations. These topics provide you with essential knowledge that will help you develop analytical HRM skills in managing employee performance, hiring employees, and rewarding staff effort. In addition, this course will give you a new-found understanding of management techniques, insight into employee psychology, and the readiness to develop your own HRM skills.
Some other courses you may be interested in include:
- Human Resource Analytics
- Preparations for Job Interviews
- Conflict Management
- Diversity and Inclusion for HR Professionals
- Managing Employee Compensation
- Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding Employees
These courses educate you on intercultural management, people analysis, and the intricacies of the recruitment and onboarding process. Many of these courses are created through partnerships with universities, colleges, and other educational platforms and are free on Coursera. These courses are self-paced and take from one hour to six months to complete, with a certificate upon completion of the program.
Learn more about Coursera.
6. Oxford Home Study
Oxford Home Study is one of the UK’s top online schools for business, art, and industry. This online platform offers many continuing education courses and accreditation from other higher learning institutes. In addition, the site hosts several short free entry-level HR courses with prerequisites for enrolling. At over 20 hours in total length, these modules take you beyond the beginner level and give you the skills and knowledge to seek a career in Human Resources and development.
Some of the course lessons covered are:
- HR Management
- The Fundamentals of Candidate Recruitment
- Ongoing Staff Training and Development
However, one of the disadvantages of this course is that all the course materials are in text format. Therefore, if you learn better by video, this may not be the course for you. Nonetheless, this course is an excellent pick with an included certificate.
Learn more about Oxford Home Study.
7. Learning Path
Learning Path is an online HR training site that offers free human resource training programs. The program is a result of the collaboration of many degree-awarding institutions like MIT, the University of California, and Purdue University. It is a little more elaborate in that this option is more geared toward what is obtainable in degree-awarding institutions.
Some HR courses offered on this platform include:
- Training and Human Resource Management
- Strategic HR Management
- Urban Labour Market and Employment Policy
- People and Organizations
- Choosing a Human Resource Consultant
These courses are free and aim to give the necessary information on topics related to managing, hiring, and training top talent. With these courses, you will learn to sharpen your leadership and negotiation skills, think strategically about methods that will help your company gain a competitive edge in the labor market and gain an understanding of human resource training policies.
Learn more about Learning Path.
8. Ed App
Ed App is a popular tool that offers thorough and effective HR training programs with a didactic approach to teaching. Courses on this platform cover subject material like interviewing talents for startups managing remote employees, grievance policy, ethics and code of conduct, equal employment opportunity, and mental health in the workplace. The organization offers both free and paid certification programs.
Some of the HR courses offered on this site include:
- Interviewing talent for startups
- Mental health in the workplace
- Certificate program for HR generalists
- Managing remote employees
Some of these courses are free, but others, like the Certificate Program for HR Generalists, cost over $2000. Although, the course covers a broader range of topics, such as HR manager responsibilities, and offers practical solutions to everyday problems faced by HR teams.
Learn more about Ed App.
9. Future Learn
Future Learn is a simple yet versatile site that offers various courses for HR training programs. In addition, the site covers a broad range of programs of varying difficulty levels, from beginner to expert levels.
Some of the HR courses available on this platform include
- Human Resources: Hiring and Managing Talent in the 21st Century
- Inclusive Management and Leadership Skills
- The Future of Human Resource Management
- International Human Resource Management: an Introduction
- Recruitment, Selection, and Induction: The Basics
These courses are the creations of renowned institutions like the University of California, Riverside, RMIT University, and Coventry University. The average course completion time is one to ten weeks. You can take these courses for free with limited access to course materials and no certification. Note that you will need to pay a monthly fee with many benefits, including many course materials and certificates. You may also buy the entire course at a one-time fee, allowing you to get print and digital copies of your certificate.
Learn more about Future Learn.
10. Wharton
Wharton is one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. The site offers a variety of courses for general managers, experienced HR professionals, business consultants, and small business owners. The HR Management and Analytics: Unlock the Value of Human Capital course is one of many notable HR courses by Wharton worth investment.
Some big brands participating in this program include Home Depot, Google, and The Emirates Group. This program will teach you to leverage available data, help you understand the principles of HR, and develop strategic methods to recruit top talent. This program offers you a comprehensive approach to people analytics and HR management. With Wharton, you get standard programs that will aid in advancing your career in HR.
There are seven modules in this program, including topics such as:
- Strategic Staffing
- Motivation and Reward
- Introduction to People Analytics and Performance Evaluation
- Managing your Career as an HR Professional
- Collaboration Networks
- Talent Management and Analytics
- Tasks, Jobs, and Systems of Work
This program offers live online lectures, progressive video lectures, and individual feedback, which helps you improve your learning experience and makes it easy for you to apply the acquired knowledge in HR roles. Upon completion of the course, you will get a digital certificate. Unlike most free online courses, the Wharton Program is a little expensive because the system is comprehensive and offers an advanced catalog of content and material.
Learn more about Wharton.
Conclusion
HR training programs help professionals and HR managers develop a calculative approach to managing teams, onboarding new employees, and collecting performance data. In addition, platforms like Linkedin Learning, Coursera, and Udemy offer self-paced courses and modules on various HR topics. These courses cover different aspects of HR management, such as conflict management, talent management and analytics, and the fundamentals of human resources.
Entry-level professionals looking to learn the basics of HR management may want to take a look at the Administrative Human Resources for beginners by Udemy. This course takes only an hour to complete and offers you lifetime access and a certificate upon completion, which makes it perfect for folks looking to get a headstart in their HR career.
For a more advanced option, you may look at the Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers Specialization offered by Coursera. This course provides a more practical approach to learning with specialized hands-on projects and useful learning materials.
Sites like Alsion, SHRM, and Wharton all offer standard HR programs that teach you to use analytical data to improve HR management which is essential for HR professionals and beginners who haven’t been into HR management for very long.
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