HR for Beginners Course

Lesson 1 • HR's Place in the Organisation

Examines how HR fits within organisational structures and reporting lines. Students see how HR interacts with leadership, finance, and operations.

Lesson 2 • HR's Impact on Business Performance

Connects HR practices to measurable business results such as productivity and retention. Students recognise HR as a driver of competitive advantage.

Lesson 3 • Defining Human Resources Management

HR is defined as the strategic management of people to achieve organisational goals. This foundation anchors every subsequent topic in the course.

Lesson 1 • Workplace safety and health obligations

Introduces employer duties to provide a safe work environment under regulatory standards. Students identify hazards and understand reporting requirements.

Lesson 2 • Wage, hour, and leave regulations

Explains rules governing pay, working hours, overtime, and employee leave entitlements. Students can audit basic pay practices for compliance.

Lesson 3 • The employment relationship explained

Defines the legal nature of the employer-employee relationship and its obligations. This context is essential before exploring specific legal requirements.

Lesson 4 • Equal opportunity and anti-discrimination

Covers protected characteristics and the prohibition of discriminatory employment practices. Students learn to recognise and prevent unlawful bias in HR processes.

Lesson 1 • Screening and application review

Teaches structured methods for evaluating applications and CVs objectively. Students apply consistent criteria to reduce bias in early screening.

Lesson 2 • Workforce planning and job analysis

Workforce planning identifies talent acquisition needs before recruitment begins. Students learn to conduct job analysis and write accurate job descriptions.

Lesson 3 • Interviewing and candidate assessment

Introduces structured interviewing techniques and valid assessment tools. Students design interview guides that predict job performance reliably.

Lesson 4 • Selection, offers, and onboarding prep

Guides students through final selection decisions, offer letters, and pre-boarding steps. Students can manage candidate experience through the talent acquisition close.

Lesson 1 • Measuring onboarding effectiveness

Introduces metrics and feedback tools to evaluate and improve onboarding programmes. Students identify data points that signal onboarding success or failure.

Lesson 2 • The purpose and value of onboarding

Distinguishes onboarding from orientation and explains its impact on retention and engagement. Students understand why structured onboarding is a strategic investment.

Lesson 3 • Designing an onboarding programme

Covers the components of a structured onboarding plan across the first 90 days. Students create milestone-based schedules for new employees.

Lesson 1 • Variable pay and incentive programmes

Explains bonuses, commissions, and other performance-linked pay components. Students assess which incentive designs align with organisational goals.

Lesson 2 • Pay equity and compliance

Addresses legal requirements and ethical obligations around equal pay for equal work. Students conduct a basic pay equity analysis.

Lesson 3 • Job evaluation and pay structures

Covers methods for valuing jobs and organising them into pay grades or bands. Students build a basic pay structure from job evaluation data.

Lesson 4 • Employee benefits design and administration

Covers core benefit categories including health, retirement, and time-off programmes. Students understand how employee benefits are selected, communicated, and administered.

Lesson 1 • Performance Reviews and Ratings

Guides students through designing and conducting formal performance review processes. Students reduce rater bias and improve review quality.

Lesson 2 • Ongoing Feedback and Coaching

Covers techniques for delivering timely, specific, and constructive feedback throughout the year. Students practice feedback conversations that motivate improvement.

Lesson 3 • Goal Setting and Expectations

Teaches structured goal-setting frameworks that align individual work to organisational priorities. Students write clear, measurable employee performance expectations.

Lesson 4 • Managing Underperformance

Provides a structured approach to addressing performance gaps before they escalate. Students create performance improvement plans that are fair and documented.

Lesson 1 • Discipline and Termination Processes

Covers progressive discipline frameworks and legally sound termination procedures. Students manage separations in ways that are fair, consistent, and documented.

Lesson 2 • Workplace Policies and Handbooks

Covers how policies communicate expectations and protect both employees and the organisation. Students draft clear, enforceable policy language.

Lesson 3 • Conducting Workplace Investigations

Provides a step-by-step framework for investigating complaints of misconduct or policy violations. Students conduct fair, thorough, and documented investigations.

Lesson 4 • Conflict Resolution and Mediation

Teaches structured approaches to resolving interpersonal and team conflicts at work. Students apply mediation techniques to common workplace disputes.

Lesson 1 • HR Metrics and Data-Driven Decisions

Introduces key HR metrics and how to use data to inform strategic decisions. Students build a basic HR dashboard and interpret workforce analytics.

Lesson 2 • Strategic HR Planning

Connects HR planning to business strategy through environmental scanning and gap analysis. Students build a workforce plan tied to organisational objectives.

Lesson 3 • Learning and Development Strategy

Covers how HR identifies skill gaps and designs learning and development programmes to close them. Students align L&D investments with business capability needs.

Lesson 4 • Organisational Design Fundamentals

Introduces how organisational structures are designed to support strategy and efficiency. Students evaluate structure options and their HR implications.