CPD - Online HR courses

Regardless of its size, every organisation requires an effective human resources department to manage its workforce. You may already be aware of the existence of a HR department but you might be wondering what the role actually involves. In this CPD article, we outline what a human resources role entails and the benefits of undertaking an online HR course.

What does Human Resources (HR) mean?

Human resources (HR) makes up the department of a company that is tasked with finding, screening, recruiting, and training job applicants. HR plays a key role in helping companies deal with a fast-changing business environment and a greater demand for quality employees.

What does a HR role usually entail?

The Human resources (HR) department is responsible for managing the employee life cycle. The three main roles in human resources are; administrative, change management, and people management. We have detailed a list of HR responsibilities below that you will typically encounter working in the role:

1. Recruitment and Employee Screening - HR professionals are usually at the forefront of the recruitment process. They will be present at a candidate's first interview and work with hiring managers. HR professionals will also help with any onboarding processes to transition new employees to their new working environment.

2. Company Benefits and Compensation - Maintaining payroll, benefits, and company culture is an essential responsibility for the HR department. HR professionals will monitor employee pay and ensure adherence to all company cultural standards.

3. Performance Evaluation - Assessing performance is an essential tasks of the human resources department. They will implement tools to gather data, and use that to analyse and report back to company executives.

4. Employee Relations - The HR department is responsible for maintaining and managing employee relations. They aim to maintain a safe and healthy working environment whilst resolving any issues or disputes among employees.

5. Enforcement of Disciplinary Actions - HR can protect a business’s reputation by implementing rules and disciplinary actions. HR professionals can use effective communication to resolve internal disputes helping to build a better work environment.

6. Employee Records – HR have a responsibility to manage all employee records, all documents need to be stored while following a specific security protocol. They need to ensure sensitive company data is protected as many company records contain sensitive information.

7. Continued Education - Learning opportunities in the workplace are an excellent way to encourage company growth. HR professionals are responsible for finding and implementing training programs to ensure that employees are operating at their best each year.

Why undertake an online CPD Human Resources (HR) course?

If you are looking for something to provide career guidance and help you identify your professional strengths and weaknesses, then an online HR course is a good place to start. Typically when studying a human resources course, you will learn important skills such as how to motivate people in the workplace and how to manage and coordinate a team of employees as well as other effective communication skills.

Taking an online CPD human resources (HR) course should be considered as an investment in yourself that will ultimately result in a stronger and more effective workforce. When an organisation develops their employees, they are improving their assets and making these employees even more valuable so it is essential for both the organisation and employees to attend training regularly. Online HR training courses provide both flexibility and convenience, allowing an individual to plan their learning around their other work priorities, instead of the other way around.

Which CPD Human Resources (HR) online training course to take?

When it comes to making up your mind and deciding which human resources (HR) online course to take, it is easy to get lost amongst the vast array of options available. We would suggest thinking of what you hope to gain from attending the course and making sure learning objectives of the HR course aligns with your goals. The length and format of HR training courses can vary significantly, and it is important to choose a course based on what fits best with your availability.

One effective way to get the most out of online learning is to make sure the courses have been CPD certified. If you want more of an assurance that the training courses are going to be delivered at a high standard, then look for ones that have been CPD accredited by a recognised independent organisation. This will help to ensure that the course is not riddled with promotional sales materials and you can focus on retaining the maximum amount of information possible.

Where to find CPD online HR training courses

If you are looking for further learning to support your Continuing Professional Development, please go to the Human Resources (HR) section of the CPD Courses Catalogue. There are a wide variety of different HR training courses, events, workshops and seminars hosted on behalf of our members that have been formally CPD certified.

We hope this article was helpful. Established in 1996, The CPD Certification Service is the world’s leading and largest CPD accreditation organisation working across all industry sectors. If you offer training courses, conferences, workshops, eLearning or educational events that may be suitable for Continuing Professional Development, please visit the Become a CPD Provider page or contact our team to discuss in more detail.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a free online CPD record tool to help manage, track and log your ongoing learning, as well as store your professional training records and attendance certificates in one simple place, go to the myCPD Portal page.