5 Top Human Resource Management Courses

Written by Neelie Verlinden
6 minutes read

After our recent articles on HR courses for beginners, professionals with a few years of experience, and seasoned practitioners, it only makes sense to complete our HR training series with a piece on Human Resource Management courses. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the key components of HR management training. We’ll also list 5 top Human Resource management courses for you to check out.

Content
Key components of HR management training
– Subject-matter and teacher
– Learning on-demand
– Offline vs. online
– Leadership skills
– Vision and Strategy
5 Top Human Resource Management Courses
Wrapping up
FAQ

Key components in HR Management Training

Before you choose a Human Resources Management course, it’s good to take a couple of elements into consideration. Depending on, among other things, the type of organization you work for and, of course, your personal needs and preferences, not every training will be suitable.    

General factors to take into account, like with any other kind of Human Resources training, are:

Subject-matter & teacher

Human Resource Management is about optimizing company performance through better management of human resources. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing in a small company as it does in a big international organization.

In a smaller company, for instance, you might want to focus more on the people management side of things while in a larger organization you might want to focus more on strategic topics. Instructor-wise you may want to read some reviews and watch some course material to get a feel for their teaching style before signing up.

Learning on-demand

Put simply, do you have the option to learn when, where and how you want? Is the course material available on all sorts of devices? And can you start a module, take in the first 15 minutes of it and then continue at a later point in time (in other words, is the course self-paced)? 

Offline vs. online

Some of us learn best in a more traditional classroom setting and might, therefore, prefer an actual Human Resource Management class, while others prefer learning online, using videos and other types of digital content. You should choose the type of course that suits you best.

Apart from the above-mentioned general factors, there are other factors that play a role too when you’re looking into Human Resource Management courses. Naturally, these are related to the management part of the course as this is what distinguishes an HR management course from a ‘general’ HR training course. Think for instance of: 

Leadership skills

Besides understanding the key Human Resources roles (such as recruitment & selection, performance management, compensation, and benefits, etc.), an HR manager has to have strong leadership skills. This means that the HR management training you choose should cover this part (extensively).

Vision & Strategy

A Human Resources management course should also touch on the topic of strategic thinking (and planning) and, therefore, it should cover strategic human resource management.

Community

Being an HR manager comes with its own challenges, issues sometimes only a fellow HR manager can understand. This is why having access to a community of other HR managers-to-be is so important. This kind of (online) practitioners community is a great place to share experiences, ask questions, solve problems – and celebrate victories! – together.    

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

5 Top Human Resource Management Courses

Below we’ve listed five Human Resource Management courses for you to take a look at. Here goes (in alphabetical order).

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 People Analytics courses.

1. AIHR – People Analytics Courses

Starting with our favorite, of course. The Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR) offers globally accredited, online HR courses that enable HR professionals to work on real-world projects and case studies. 

When it comes to HR management training, you can choose a total-package kind of course or one that focuses on a particular topic, such as the strategic side of being an HR manager. If you prefer the latter, AIHR’s People Analytics offering has some great options.

Our Building a People Analytics Strategy course, for instance, teaches you, among other things: 

  • how to identify which people-related challenges are a priority 
  • how to align people analytics with the overall business strategy
  • to understand how strategic workforce planning can be integrated with your people analytics strategy  
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2. Coursera – Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers

Coursera offers 100% online learning from the world’s best universities and companies. Its HR offering groups together HR courses from world-famous institutions such as Stanford, ESSEC Business School and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. 

Coursera’s HR for People Managers Specialization program has a strong focus on managing people (in the US) and less on the strategic side of being an HR manager. Therefore, it seems more suited for HR managers (or entrepreneurs) in smaller companies.

The program consists of a module that considers alternative approaches to managing human resources, and modules on hiring, evaluating and rewarding employees.   

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3. HRCI – Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) 

The HR Certification Institute is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the HR profession by developing and administering best-in-class accredited certifications.

The Institute’s SPHR program covers topics such as Business Leadership, Talent Development and Management, HR Service Delivery and Measurement and Analysis. As such, it teaches you about the strategic and policy-making aspects of HR management.

The SPHR program is focused on the US. The international version of this HR management course is called (quite logically) the Senior Professional in Human Resources – International.    

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4. SHRM – Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)

If you successfully finish this Human Resources management course – or certification if you like – you’ve got physical ‘proof’ that you are an HR professional who knows:

  • how to develop strategies
  • lead the HR function
  • foster influence in the community
  • analyze performance metrics; and
  • align HR strategies to organizational goals.  

SHRM has various learning options varying from self-study programs to virtual, or in-person classroom settings or customized staff training at your location. So if you want to do their SHRM-SCP certification, you can choose whichever option you prefer.    

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5. Wharton Online: HR Management and Analytics

Wharton Online is part of the Wharton University of Pennsylvania. Among other things, this means that Wharton Online courses are taught by the same world-renowned leaders who teach in Wharton’s on-campus programs.

Their HR Management and Analytics online program is a combination of theory with practical application. It aims to give you a holistic view of strategic HR management including an overview of People Analytics. You will learn to (among other things): 

  • Understand the basic principles of using HR analytics
  • Initiate and manage people analytics projects 
  • Design an organizational structure

Wrapping up

Well, that’s it for our list of Human Resource Management courses. As usual, we don’t want to pretend this list is exhaustive. So, if you feel we missed out on a great HR management course, please share it with us in the comment section below.

FAQ

What are Human Resource Management courses?

HR management courses are a type of training that’s aimed at teaching HR managers (immediately) applicable knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be used in their job.

What are the key components of Human Resource Management courses?

When choosing an HR management course, factors to take into account include subject matter & teacher, on-demand learning options, offline vs. online learning, and whether the course touches on leadership skills as well as strategic topics.

What is the advantage of having access to an (online) community when I take a Human Resources Management course?

An online practitioners community is a great place to share experiences, ask questions, solve problems – and celebrate victories! – together with fellow HR managers.    

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Neelie Verlinden

Neelie Verlinden is the host of the popular All About HR talk-show/podcast and co-founder of AIHR, the Academy to Innovate HR. She’s an expert on all things digital in HR and has written hundreds of articles on innovative HR practices. She's also an instructor on several popular HR certifications. Connect with Neelie via LinkedIn.

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