7 Top HR Courses for Beginners to Check Out Right Away

When you’re just getting started in HR and want to stay on top of what’s happening in the industry, you can be overwhelmed by the number of HR courses for beginners. Between online HR certification, real-life classes, and (free) online HR courses, there are a lot of options to choose from. To help you paint a picture, we’ve listed 7 top HR courses for beginners. 

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1. The Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR)

Let’s be honest, this is by far our favorite, and it may have to do with the fact that we created it! The Academy to Innovate HR, or AIHR, offers courses in two main areas: People Analytics and Digital HR. All courses are made by HR practitioners for HR practitioners and have a flexible, bite-sized structure which means you can literally learn anywhere and anytime.

Courses that are particularly interesting for budding HR professionals include:

• The People Analytics Certificate Program
• HR Data Analyst
• HR Analytics for HR Business Partners
• The Digital HR Certificate Program
• Employee Experience & Design Thinking

All AIHR courses are globally accredited by SHRM and HRCI. As a student, you also get access to AIHR’s global practitioners’ community where you can share experiences and discuss best practices. Visit the Academy here.

2. Administrative HR for Beginners

This course by Udemy is an introduction to the role and duties of Human Resources. If you are a small business owner who wants a deeper understanding of HR, someone looking for a job in HR, or an administrative professional whose duties include HR, this course is for you. Administrative HR for Beginners provides a general introduction to the role and duties of HR, with a little insight into taking your HR responsibilities to the next level.

Topics include:

• Exploring the role of HR from administrative and compliance to strategy and business growth.
• Learning where to begin with an HR audit.
• Discovering the process of recruiting great talent, from job analysis to writing interview questions and job postings.
• Discovering a performance management process with more impact.

The course is suited for anyone interested in HR, Management and related fields. No advanced preparation or prerequisites are needed.

3. Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR)

When it comes to HR courses for beginners, it’s hard to find a program that better fits the description than this one: The first-ever HR certification designed for professionals who are just beginning their HR career journey. This certification by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) aims to help you fast-track your career growth and provide you with the confidence to launch into the HR profession.

The aPHR certification is created for professionals who are just starting in HR and it proves your knowledge of foundational Human Resources. Topics include:

• HR Operations
• Employee Relations
• Recruitment and Selection
• Compensation and Benefits
• Human Resource Development and Retention
• Health, Safety, and Security

To be eligible for the aPHR you must have a high school diploma or global equivalent. No HR experience is required.

Another HRCI certification that can be interesting for budding HR professionals is the Associate Professional in Human Resources – International (aPHRi). This program is similar to the aPHR but also proves knowledge of foundational Human Resources in any locale.

4. Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)

The HR profession is no longer just about what you know – facts and figures – but rather about how you effectively implement that knowledge in the workplace each and every day. SHRM certification such as, for instance, their Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) program provides you the opportunity to prove not only what you know but also how you can apply that knowledge on the job. 

Student eligibility for the certification depends on your degree (Bachelor, Graduate, etc.) and whether or not that degree is HR-related, and on your experience in an HR role.

5. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

Whether you’re starting out in your HR career or already working within a support level role, the CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in Human Resources Practice will provide you with a solid foundation of all areas of HR and develop the essential skills and confidence you need to progress your career further.

This course is suited to individuals who are:

• Looking to get into HR, or progress in a new HR role
• Working at a support level, e.g. HR Administrator/HR Officer
• A non-HR manager with people management or HR responsibility
• For people who are UK or overseas-based

The course leads to CIPD Associate Membership and is a 100% online HR course.

6. Compliance Prime

Compliance Prime provides training in the form of webinars. Their offering includes continuing education courses on the latest HR practices, rules, and regulations. When you follow a Human Resource Webinar from Compliance Prime, you can earn HRCI and SHRM credits too.

HR courses for beginners include:

• Basic Accounting and Finance for HR Professionals
• Pronouns in the Workplace: Policies, Procedures, and Practices
• Microsoft Excel for HR Professionals: 9 Essential Functions to Save You Hours

Compliance Prime students can choose whether they want to follow a webinar live or on-demand. All archive programs are accessible anytime, anywhere so you can choose your course and start learning whenever you want.

7. Entry Level HR Course

The Entry Level HR Course from upstartHR helps entry-level HR professionals to establish a foundation of solid principles to launch their own HR career. It’s a 6-part course designed to help you learn the practical basics of being an HR professional. Think of topics such as:

• Networking – how to do it well, what to say, and where to find people
• Interviewing – selling yourself without selling your soul, creating your unique value proposition
• Salary Negotiations – determining what you’re worth, how to communicate it to an employer, and my own method for targeting pay increase opportunities
• Work Habits – determining your strengths, weaknesses, and whether you should ignore them completely in favor of other measures
• Credibility – how to establish credibility, what it looks like, and the key lesson I’ve learned on dependability

Each lesson includes an article and a video. In addition, there is a PDF guide that guides you through some of the big career steps that you can take as an entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level HR professional. So, rather than being about HR functions such as recruitment and selection and performance management, this course truly is for HR newbies.

Before you go

That’s a wrap! Have you done any of these HR courses for beginners and if so, what did you think of them? And as always, if you feel we missed out on a great entry-level HR course, please do share them with us in the comment section below so we can take them into account for future updates.

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