Top 9 Human Resources Training Courses

HR professionals have a myriad of roles and functions. No wonder that when it comes to Human Resources training courses, there is a myriad of options too. In this article, we’ll take a look at five key components to take into account when choosing your HR training course. We’ll also list the top 9 courses for you to take a look at.

Content
Key components of Human Resources Training
Offline vs. online HR courses
HR training top 9
On a final note
FAQ

Five Key Components in Human Resources Training

Before you choose an HR training course, it’s good to take a couple of elements into consideration. Depending on, among other things – your organization, your specific role and, of course, your personal needs and preferences – not every training will be suitable.

Subject matter & teacher

A rather obvious one to start with. Unless you’ve got an unlimited amount of time – and budget – at your disposal for learning and development, you probably want to start with an HR training that serves you in your (day-to-day) activities. 

The subject of your training will depend on your situation; if you’re a budding HR Generalist, you may be inclined to look at HR training courses for beginners, while a more experienced Learning and Development Manager may want to dive into a specialized L&D certification program. HR professionals with a few years of experience may want to get their teeth into one of the top Human Resource Management courses out there.

Something that’s closely linked to the training subject is the person who gives the training. Just like when you had your favorite teachers in high school or college, you’ll probably have instructor preferences now too. So before you sign up for training in human resources that will take up hours of your time, check out who’s teaching. 

See if you can watch or listen to an excerpt from the course you’re interested in to get an idea of their teaching style and voice. Also, look at the experience they have in the field and what people who’ve already done one of their courses say about their teaching.      

Bite-sized or not?

Another element to be aware of when you’re looking at Human Resources training courses is the length of the various modules or chapters and more specifically if it’s possible to regulate this yourself. For instance, can you start a module, take in the first 15 minutes of it and then pick it up again right where you left it the next day? 

Most of us have a full agenda, so the likelihood of having a ‘learning-window’ of an hour or more is rather slim. However, we might have fifteen or twenty minutes of time to kill every now and then – and what better way to spend that time than with a Human Resources training course?

Also, check if it’s possible to go back to a certain module or chapter once you’ve completed it. Can you re-watch the content? It’s only natural to watch or read some learning materials a second or even a third time, especially if you want the content to stick.   

Learning on-demand

Learning on-demand means that you have the possibility to learn when, where and how you want. Part of this has to do with being able to digest the learning material in bite-sized pieces, as we described above. 

The other part has to do with the learning material being available on various devices; desktops, laptops, tablets and, perhaps most importantly, mobile phones. With more and more people enjoying flextime and therefore working from other places than just the office, it’s mandatory for HR training courses to be accessible from any device.    

Selecting a course that includes interactive elements is essential. The more dynamic and interesting the course content is, the easier it will be for you to maintain focus, and progress throughout a qualification. Interactive elements include videos, quizzes, infographics, downloadable resources, and practical projects.

Community

Especially for online HR training courses, it can be a real added value to have a community of fellow students. This kind of practitioners community is great if you want to share experiences, ask questions or solve problems together with others who are in the same proverbial boat as you are. It can also be a good place to find inspiration and expert perspective.  

Sometimes, course instructors are also part of these kinds of communities. This is fantastic of course, as it means you’ll be able to ask questions about the training you did or exchange opinions on subject matters.

Offline vs. online HR courses

In the age of the internet, you’d almost forget that apart from following online HR training courses, there is also such a thing as real-life, on-site training. And while an on-site HR training course may seem less obvious than an online alternative (less flexibility, traveling to get there, etc.) offline courses do have their advantages. 

For instance, you get to ask your questions face-to-face with (most of the time) an instant answer. You also get to meet your fellow students in person. Offline, on-site HR training also has the advantage of being less casual. You know what day(s) you have to be where and from what time. For those who have a little less self-discipline to start – and complete – an online Human Resources course, offline classes are therefore a good alternative.      

What’s perhaps most important though, is that some of us learn best in a more traditional, classroom setting while others prefer learning online, using videos and other types of content. So, budget and time constraints aside, you should choose the type of course, online or offline, that suits your learning preferences best.

HR training Top 9

Below we’ve listed a Top 9 of Human Resources training for you to take a look at. Our list includes HR training for beginners, professionals with a couple of years of experience, and seasoned HR professionals.

Please note that this list is compiled based on publicly available information. We have not tried the courses ourselves, with the exception of AIHR‘s trainings.

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Here goes (in alphabetical order):

1. AIHR – The Academy to Innovate HR

This one is by far our favorite – because we created it! The AIHR mission is to expand your potential with in-demand skills for your HR future.

AIHR offers globally accredited, online HR training courses that allow HR professionals to work on real-world projects and case studies. All of our HR training is made by practitioners for practitioners while also having a deep academic foundation. AIHR’s curriculum consists of ten comprehensive Human Resources certifications. These are:

1. Organizational Development
2. Strategic HR Leadership 
3. Diversity and Inclusion 
4. People/HR Analytics 
5. Digital HR
6. HR Business Partner 2.0 
7. HR Metrics and Dashboarding
8. Learning and Development
9. Talent Acquisition
10. Full Academy Access

As you can see, we have courses for HR professionals at the start of their career as well as seasoned practitioners and everything in-between. AIHR students also get access to the Academy’s global practitioner’s community where you can share your experiences and discuss best practices.

Each course has a flexible, bite-sized structure which means you can learn on-demand. The learning time per course averages around 16 – 20 hours and all courses are accredited by SHRM and HRCI.  

2. Alison

Alison is a platform that offers free online courses from the world’s leading experts on all sorts of topics, including HR. The Human Resources training courses that Alison offers are suitable both for those who want to jumpstart their career and climb towards a respectable position as well as those who simply wish to brush up their skills.

Popular courses include:

• Diploma in Human Resources
• Discipline in organizations
• Introduction to time management 

Allison offers a well-structured curriculum with lessons that are divided into sections. The concepts are explained in a simple, easy to follow manner.

3. ATD – The Association for Talent Development

Since learning and development is one of the core areas of HR, we decided to add an institution geared toward the L&D profession to the list. The Association for Talent Development (ATD) offers training that helps professionals to develop talent in the workplace.

ATD credentials are the only certifications for practitioners in the talent development industry (so it says on their website) and include: 

• Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP)
• Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) 

Apart from these certifications, the ATD offers a large range of other courses around learning and development. Examples include:

• Training Design & Delivery
• Adult Learning
• Delivering Exceptional Learning Experiences

ATD provides face-to-face, live online, self-paced, adaptive learning and team training, so it’s fair to say that you can truly learn your way.

4. Coursera 

Coursera offers 100% online learning from the world’s best universities and companies. Each of their courses is a bit like an interactive textbook that features pre-recorded videos, quizzes, and projects. At the end of every course, there is an official recognition for your work. 

Coursera’s HR training offering brings together HR training courses from renowned universities like Stanford, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, ESSEC Business School (France) and many more. 

Courses include: 

• Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding Employees 
• Introduction to People Analytics 
• Diversity and inclusion in the workplace 
• Managing Employee Performance 

Many of the Human Resources courses on offer at Coursera are free and there are paid options for additional material.

5. eCornell

Online university eCornell offers Human Resource training programs developed by faculty from Cornell University’s ILR School. Their courses group together the insights and work of leading academic researchers with instruction that’s grounded in practice and focus on real-world application. 

Cornell has courses for those who are new to HR, but also for accomplished HR practitioners and business partners. 

Programs include: 

• Human Resources Essentials Certificate 
• Diversity and Inclusion for HR Certificate 
• HR Transformation Certificate 
• Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Certificate

Each course aims to teach you how to determine and manage challenges and come up with optimal solutions. Students learn in an interactive, small cohort format, picking up skills they can immediately apply in their workplaces. All eCornell programs allow you to learn at your own pace, online, and with flexible start dates. 

6. HRCI – HR Certification Institute 

The HR Certification Institute offers Human Resources training courses both for seasoned professionals as well as those who are just starting their careers. Their programs for more senior HR practitioners tend to require several years of HR experience and a bachelor’s or master’s degree. 

For beginners, the HRCI has designed the first-ever certification for professionals who are just starting in HR. It aims to help you fast-track your career and provide you with the confidence to launch into the wonderful world of human resources.

HRCI training includes: 

• Associate Professional in HR 
• Professional in Human Resources
• Senior Professional in Human Resources

The HR Certification Institute provides the HR content in a self-paced mode with practice exams.

7. HR.com  

HR.com provides information, training, and tools to help businesses to manage their HR functions. The platform is easy to search with a very user-friendly search functionality so you can quickly find the Human Resource training course you need.

Training includes: 

• Training for HR certification and recertification 
• HR product and service reviews and technology discussions
• Webinars and virtual events 
• An annual two-day conference for HR professionals

Students can join for free and obtain access to some of the online content on HR.com or they can join the HR Genius membership and obtain access to all training content.

8. Josh Bersin Academy

Josh Bersin’s Academy is a global community of HR professionals. Its mission is to prepare the HR community for the radical disruptions that are already happening in the workplace. 

In terms of Human Resources training, the Academy features short, engaging and thought-provoking programs that cover some of the most important challenges facing HR. Think of:

• HR in the Age of AI
• Performance Management Reimagined
• The HR Tech Workshop 
• People as Competitive Advantage 

All courses are introductory with a learning time of around 4 hours per course. Students go through the programs in cohorts of 30 to 50 fellow HR practitioners, collaborating to tackle challenges. The drawback is that the programs are not on-demand, you’ll have to wait for your peers to sign up before starting a course.

9. Udemy

Udemy has the world’s largest selection of courses, including HR and recruitment courses. As such, the company helps all kinds of organizations prepare for the ever-evolving future of work. 

Udemy’s curated collection of courses enables companies to develop in-house expertise and satisfy their employees’ hunger for learning and development. Its large HR training offering is categorized in ‘Most Popular’ and ‘Trending’. Courses include:

• Talent Management basics: Hire and Retain the Best Talent 
• Administrative HR for Beginners 
• Instructional Design for eLearning
• Agile HR Fundamentals    

Learners enjoy lifetime access to the website and app and are taught by top instructors from around the world.

10. FutureLearn

FutureLearn is a British digital education platform that has existed since 2012. It is jointly owned by The Open University and SEEK Ltd. It offers free courses covering 100’s of topics, for a global studentship. 

There is currently a range of HR courses on offer from institutions which include Coventry University, Central Queensland University and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Courses include:

• An Introduction to Organisational Behaviour: How to Understand Your People
• Business Etiquette: Master Communication and Soft Skills
• HR Fundamentals 

You can choose to study for free, in which there is a window of 4 weeks to complete the course. For a fee, students can “upgrade”, getting access to the course for as long as it is on FutureLearn and a certificate of completion.

On a final note

And that’s a wrap. Of course, the list of Human resources training courses in this article isn’t exhaustive. If you feel we missed out on one please do share it with us in the comment section below so we can take it into account for the next update of this article. Until then, happy learning!

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