Understanding the Human Resources Function

About This Course No matter what role we play in an organization, we are all affected by human resources. This course is designed to help people without experience in human resources to understand this very vital link in the organizational chain. It will prepare both managers and business owners to handle basic human resource functions in a way that will ensure the best possible result. In particular, attention is given to the hiring process, including ways to locate quality employees in a competitive labor market. Employee rights and the legal side of the human resource field are also covered.

ed2go is a global Registered Education Provider for the Project Management Institute (PMI). Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.s) offer programs and courses that are preapproved for professional development units through PMI and have been reviewed by a project management professional (PMP) to ensure that they meet PMI's expectations for professional development in project management.

This program/course is a good choice for those looking for project management experience and those aspiring to obtain a PMI credential. It's also an excellent choice for existing PMI credential holders looking for an approved activity for PMI's continuing certification PDUs. At the end of this course, you'll receive a certificate indicating your completion of PDUs equal to the number of hours of this course through ed2go, R.E.P. #3213. Please visit pmi.org to learn more about PMI's credentials and how they may fit into your continuing education plans.

The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.

This program has been approved for 24 (General) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute.

About The Instructor

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Ann Nevers.

With a law degree and masters in health law, Ann Nevers is involved in dispute resolution in areas of business, employment, and health care. She regularly teaches courses in business law, employment law, dispute resolution, and health care. She has published a number of academic articles, edited legal manuals, and written chapters on employment, dispute resolution, and health care topics. She has industry experience as a director of a regional corporation.

Syllabus

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week 1

Wednesday - Lesson 01

Do you ever wonder why the field of human resources is the way it is? How it has evolved? In our first lesson, we'll travel through history to explore the roots of human resources. You'll see how the modern human resource function has evolved from trade guilds, through the industrial revolution, to modern times.

Friday - Lesson 02

What exactly does the human resource professional do on the job? In this lesson, we'll take a look at the variety of vital activities that are frequently included in the human resources function. This variety can include everything from recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees, to labor management relations and workplace safety and training.

Week 2

Wednesday - Lesson 03

How does someone go about finding and hiring a new employee? The initial preparation for hiring is often done in the quiet of an office, which may make it seem like new employees just magically appear. Today, we'll explore what goes on in that quiet office to ensure that the employee who appears is the right one for the job. We'll focus on preparing advertisements and application forms, how to review and screen applications, conduct interviews, and verify information to ensure that it's correct.

Friday - Lesson 04

Interviews and background checks are key components of the hiring process. The interview is your chance to evaluate the job applicant in person to see how well his or her skills match your job requirements. So today, we'll look at each part of the interview—from how to set it up and what approach to take to rating the person after the interview.

Week 3

Wednesday - Lesson 05

How do you get someone to apply for a job? Solid recruiting practices using both traditional and nontraditional techniques will ensure that you have a large pool of applicants from which to pick and choose. Traditionally, many companies simply run a classified job ad when they need a new employee, but in this lesson, we'll explore other alternatives that may be equally effective in recruiting.

Friday - Lesson 06

What motivates a quality employee to stay on the job? What can you do to keep employees happy and working? In this lesson, we'll analyze job satisfaction and the factors that keep employees happy. Then we'll look at some unique programs that provide incentives for employees to stay on the job a long time.

Week 4

Wednesday - Lesson 07

What rights do employees have? What are moral rights and how can the company protect them? What is the difference between a moral and a legal right? This lesson explores both moral and legal rights and how they can be used to benefit employees. We'll also take a look at what to do if an employee complains that either moral or legal rights are not being protected.

Friday - Lesson 08

What legal responsibilities does a company owe its employees? Today's lesson provides an overview of the many laws that impact the workplace. We'll examine laws that govern union-management interactions, prohibit discrimination, set wage and hour requirements, and set benefit and safety standards. I'll also point out some Internet resources that will help you easily stay up to date as these laws change.

Week 5

Wednesday - Lesson 09

Do you have a policy manual at work? What policies are included in the manual? How does anyone ever decide what policies to include? In this lesson, we'll take a look at policy manuals—what they should include, what policies are most common, and what you should do to ensure that your policies comply with the law.

Friday - Lesson 10

How can workplace communication be effective? What should you do to ensure that communication is taking place on a regular basis? Today, we'll focus on the need for effective communication programs at work and how to implement them. You'll find out how to keep communication running smoothly throughout the organization.

Week 6

Wednesday - Lesson 11

What should a strong employee benefit program include? What is involved in putting a benefit package together? Benefits are a great way to attract and keep employees. So today we'll take a look at such common employment benefits as insurance and retirement. We'll cover how to put together a benefit package, and options for including free benefits that are attractive to employees.

Friday - Lesson 12

Have you ever wondered what makes a human resource professional successful? In our final lesson, we'll take a look at eight habits that successful professionals adopt. You'll leave with the insight and ability to achieve excellence at work!

Requirements

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).