Being a skilled human resource (HR) professional means having a solid education in the best HR practices, legal business procedures, and other employment-related topics. While some of this comes from on-the-job experience, much of it can come from human resources continuing education classes. To choose the best human resources continuing education courses, it’s good to know which areas of human resources you want to focus on, what reputable schools offer these courses, how the courses will be delivered, and what HR industry standards require.
To choose a human resources continuing education course, explore the duties of the HR role in which you plan to focus. For example, human resources professionals who work in recruiting need to stay on top of hiring laws and recruiting standards. Those who work in benefits administration or payroll will need different expertise. Select an area of study that best fits your human resources role and focus on the knowledge that’s needed to do this job.
Learning about the schools that provide human resources continuing education courses is important for getting the best value and the most accurate information. Choose a school with a solid reputation in the industry. Stay away from low-cost, fast courses that offer certificates and degrees in weeks. Programs like this won’t offer the depth of information needed to succeed in HR work.
Also consider how the human resources continuing education programs are delivered. Traditional classroom courses may be difficult to manage with a full-time job in HR. Many distance learning classes offer human resources continuing education credits over the Internet or via webinars. These are convenient ways to learn and stay up to date in HR practices and employment laws.
Lastly, pay attention to the major human resources associations that establish HR industry standards. Organizations such as the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) act as watch dogs for the industry and its standard practices. Choose from human resources continuing educational courses that are recommended by the SHRM and similar organizations.
