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Human Resources Practices

Certificate ID: ILRHRC02
Add value to your organization by increasing proficiency in employment law, employee benefits, employee relations, compensation, selection and staffing, and performance management and appraisal.

Description

Human Resources is an evolving and dynamic field that challenges the ability of even the most seasoned professionals to keep abreast of policies, procedures, compliance requirements, and best practices. In response to these demands, eCornell has partnered with Cornell University’s ILR School to adapt its renowned Human Resources Practices Certificate Series for convenient online delivery. This series of 12 two-week courses focuses on fundamental issues related to employment law, employee benefits, employee relations, compensation, selection and staffing, and performance management and appraisal.

Designed for HR generalists needing to acquire targeted skills as well as HR specialists needing to broaden their knowledge, these courses deliver the expertise HR professionals need to improve their performance, add greater value to their organization, and advance their careers. Participants who earn the Human Resources Practices Certificate possess a recognized and highly-regarded credential to give them the competitive edge they are seeking.

Who Should Take This Certificate?

Human Resource generalists, specialists, and managers seeking to deepen their understanding of human resources policies and practices from the leader in Human Resources education and training.

Enrollment

$7500 - Buy now and pay only $5200.00 (Save $2300!)
(This price is good as of 09/02/2010.)

Enroll Now

To register, click 'Enroll Now' at right, or contact an Enrollment Counselor at info@ecornell.com or 1-866-326-7635 (+1-607-330-3200 from outside the United States).

Certificate programs are eligible for eCornell Payment Plans. Discounts are available for military personnel, veterans, and Cornell University Alumni. eCornell programs are not eligible for financial aid or federal Pell Grants. Contact an enrollment counselor for more information.

Courses in this Certificate

Issues and Concepts in Equal Employment Opportunities Law
- In today's litigious workplace environment, being on top of legal issues that directly affect individual employees and your organization is critical to your success as an HR professional. This course will introduce you to the relationship between Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) laws, Affirmative Action (AA) laws, and the concept of Diversity. With our case study approach, you will not only learn about relevant federal, state, and local laws, but also be able to apply them to daily operations and special situations.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and our courses are built around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer specific questions about the course content.
  This course contains the following modules:
  - Putting Employment Laws into Context
    - The Layers of Employee Rights
    - Assessing Employee Relations Legal Issues
  - EEO, Affirmative Action, and Diversity
    - Overview of EEO, AA, and Diversity
    - Title VII and the ADEA
    - Disabilities
    - Harassment
    - Common Questions HR Professionals Encounter
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Describe the relationship between laws, court cases, agreements, and policies and procedures related to employment issues
  - Describe EEO, AA, and Diversity as well as some of the key legal aspects of each law or policy
  - Recognize EEO, AA, and Diversity issues within your workplace
  - Conduct investigations into EEO, AA, and Diversity issues by identifying questions and information you will need to gather
  - Organize information needed by legal experts when seeking advice about EEO, AA, and Diversity matters
  - Develop strategies for helping your organization comply proactively with EEO, AA, and Diversity laws and policies
  - Putting Employment Laws into Context
Employment Laws for the HR Professional
- In today's litigious workplace environment, being on top of legal issues that directly affect individual employees and your organization is critical to your success as an HR professional. This course will introduce you to OSHA, FLSA, FMLA, NLRA, and state laws, what they cover, how they apply, and how to recognize and handle issues pertaining to these laws in the workplace. With our case study approach, you will not only grasp relevant federal, state, and local laws, but also be able to apply them to daily operations and special situations.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and our courses are built around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer any questions about the course content.
  This course contains the following modules:
  - Exploring Individual Laws
    - Key employment laws and theories for FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, NLRA, and related state and local laws
    - Identifying and organizing information needed in order to seek advice from a legal expert on issues surrounding these laws
    - Strategies for helping an organization comply proactively with these laws
  - Exploring Multiple Laws
    - Identifying the legal issues surrounding FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, NLRA, and related state and local laws that may apply to complex workplace situations
    - Asking the right questions to determine which employment laws may apply to complex workplace situations
    - Gathering the necessary information to help in the legal analysis of situations involving multiple laws
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Describe FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, NLRA, and state and local laws, as well as some of the key legal aspects of each law or policy
  - Recognize workplace issues related to FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, NLRA, and state and local laws
  - Conduct investigations into workplace issues involving one or more of these laws by identifying questions and information you will need to gather
  - Organize information needed by legal experts when seeking advice about FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, NLRA, and state and local matters
  - Develop strategies for helping your organization comply proactively with FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, NLRA, and state and local laws and policies
Fundamentals of Welfare and Legal Benefits
- As an HR professional, successfully negotiating, procuring, and administering an attractive benefits package enhances your value to your organization and employees.
  This course explores the current environment of the benefits industry and goes in-depth into retirement plans.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer any questions about the course content.
  This course contains the following modules:
  - The World of Benefits
  - Retirement Plans
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Define and describe retirement benefits terms and concepts
  - Recognize the difference between defined benefit and defined contribution plans
  - Identify retirement benefit initiatives for your organization to consider
  - Communicate (or assist in communicating) the features of retirement benefit plans to management and employees
  - Begin to develop the skills needed to establish an ongoing relationship with employees, benefit experts, and service providers in order to help people understand their retirement benefits and make the right decisions
Fundamentals of Retirement, Flexible and Additional Benefits
- The focus of this course is health, or welfare, benefits: what they are, how they are funded, what is mandated and what options exist.
  The course also explores other types of benefits, including flexible benefits and flexible spending accounts.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer specific questions about the course content.
  This course contains the following modules:
  - Group Welfare Plans
  - Flexible Benefits and Trends
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Identify general benefits terms related to health insurance
  - Use a Benefits Manual, Summary Plan Description, or other internal and external resources to understand the benefit plans that an organization offers
  - Describe and define welfare benefits terms and concepts
  - Identify health benefit initiatives for your organization to consider
  - Communicate (or assist in communicating) the features of health benefit plans to management and employees
  - Begin to develop the skills needed to establish an ongoing relationship with employees, benefit experts, and service providers in order to help people understand their health benefits and make the right decisions
Organizational Culture and Work/Life Balance
- This course covers how to develop a strong employee relations program that inspires people to deliver maximum levels of performance, models the company culture, and carries out your corporate strategy.
  The course uses an interactive case study simulation to address many of these topics.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer any questions about the course content.
  This course contains the following modules:
  - The World of Employee Relations
  - Organizational Culture
  - Work/Life Balance
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, you will be able to:
  - Identify and analyze factors within the organization--including behaviors, lack of harmony between organizational and personal values, and others--that may give rise to employee relations issues and concerns
  - Assess the impact of organizational culture on employee relations
  - Identify and implement components of effective ER strategies and practices
Communicating and Coaching and Counseling for Improved Performance
- This course covers the relationship between effective communication and coaching and counseling to employee relations. The course uses an interactive case study simulation to address many of the topics.
  Participants will examine the ways communication occurs in an organization, communication styles, and techniques for gathering information. The second part of the course explores appropriate uses of coaching and counseling, and also addresses workplace violence, a related topic that must be addressed by HR professionals.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer specific questions about the course content. This course contains the following modules:
  - Communicating to Enhance Employee Relations
  - Coaching and Counseling for Improved Performance
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Utilize effective communication strategies to evaluate and resolve employee concerns and issues
  - Utilize effective coaching and counseling techniques and discipline strategies for improved performance
  - Discuss measures for preventing violence in the workplace
Applying and Expanding a Compensation Model
- This course introduces the concept of Total Compensation and highlights the importance of aligning an organization's compensation plan to its strategic goals.
  
  This course also covers the application for assessing and implementing a compensation model by considering internal and external factors. Developing recommendations and implementing changes to an organization's compensation administration policies is also covered.
  Course Format
  Aligning Goals and Compensation
  - Total Compensation and Compensation Analysis
  - Compensation in Organizational Settings
  - Communication Strategies
  - Internal and External Assessment
  - Model for Compensation Analysis
  - Collecting Data: Internal Data
  - Collecting Data: External Data
  - Data Analysis, Findings, Recommendations, Revisions, and Implementation
  - Analyzing Data and Balancing Internal and External Compensation Analysis
  - Recommendations, Revisions, and Implementations
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Recognize the elements of direct and indirect compensation
  - Understand the issue of alignment regarding an organization’s compensation plan and that organization’s strategic goals
  - Determine an organization’s current compensation program by reviewing available documents and speaking to key individuals
  - Outline the steps for performing an internal analysis
  - Recognize the key elements of job analysis for compensation
  - Recognize the most common methods of job evaluation, how hierarchies are built in each one, and how certain special groups (for instance, executives and sales representatives) can be handled
  - Identify a model for conducting an effective compensation analysis in organizations
  - Conduct a market comparison as part of the compensation analysis
  - Recommend actions based on the results of the compensation analysis
Selection and Staffing: The Selection Process
- This course covers the process of identifying staffing needs, conducting searches, and finding the best candidates. It will introduce a systematic approach that can be applied to most organizations.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer any questions about the course content. This course contains the following modules:
  - Do We Need to Hire?
  - Whom Are We Going to Hire?
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Describe a systematic approach to selection and staffing issues
  - Implement and integrate the selection techniques appropriate to your organization
  - Evaluate candidates with respect to the selection criteria you have established
Selection and Staffing: The Staffing Process
- This course covers the issues and best practices related to employee retention, reductions in force, and documenting and reporting on the selection and staffing process. It illustrates a systematic approach that can be applied to most organizations.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer any questions about the course content. This course contains the following modules:
  - How Do We Keep Employees?
  - What Happens When People Leave?
  - Reporting and Effectiveness
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Identify effective strategies for retaining valued employees
  - Implement effective strategies for managing employee departures and reductions in force
  - Use reports to measure the effectiveness of the HR department's selection and staffing process
Assessing, Designing, and Implementing Performance Management Systems
- Learning how to drive productivity and growth in your organization through effective performance management and appraisals is one of the most challenging responsibilities for HR professionals.
  This course explores the elements, purposes, and types of performance appraisal systems. Through an interactive case study, the course covers the assessment and implementation of a performance appraisal system.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer any questions about the course content. This course contains the following modules:
  - Assessment
  - Design and Implementation
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Identify the elements and describe the purposes of a performance management system
  - Identify different types of performance appraisals, and be able to make assessments regarding the advantages and disadvantages of each as they relate to the mission and goals of an organization
  - Outline the process of designing and implementing a performance management system
Achieving Year-Round Performance Management and Appraisal
- In this course, you will learn the discipline of managing employee performance on a daily basis, as well as how to effectively appraise and assess performance by properly reviewing past goals, establishing future goals, identifying development opportunities, and pinpointing areas for improvement.
  This course features an interactive case study that lets you practice the skills you need to support the managers of your organization as they set performance objectives and plan and conduct appraisals for their employees.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer specific questions about the course content. This course contains the following modules:
  - Performance Planning, Documentation, and Feedback
  - Appraisal Delivery and Employee Development
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Describe objective setting and performance planning as parts of the performance management process
  - Describe documentation and feedback as parts of the performance management process
  - Describe appraisal delivery as part of the performance management process
  - Describe employee development as part of the performance management process
Internal Consulting Skills for HR Professionals
- The role of the HR professional is being transformed from that of the guardians or enforcer of an organization’s policies and procedures into that of a strategic business partner. As demands on and expectations of HR professionals change, they must continually develop new skills to add value to the organization. Essential skills of the HR Professional as Business Partner are consulting skills. As an internal consultant, HR professionals act as a proactive advisor providing critical input into the strategic initiatives of the organization and become increasingly involved in the implementation of strategies. As HR professionals take on these additional responsibilities, our role changes and we are able to have a greater impact on the organization.
  Course Format
  eCornell takes a problem-based approach to learning, and builds each course around realistic case studies and scenarios. All courses are self-paced, and are facilitated by an eCornell instructor, who leads the online discussions and is available to answer specific questions about the course content. This course contains the following modules:
  - Introducing Internal Consulting
  - Initial Consulting Stages
  - Final Consulting Stages
  Benefits to the Learner
  After completing this course, participants will be able to:
  - Redefine their role as proactive and advisory rather than reactive and authoritative
  - Be an effective consultant
  - Build and maintain credibility with their clients through intimate knowledge of their organization
  - Implement the seven stages of the consulting process

Accreditation

Participants who successfully complete all twelve 2-week courses in this certificate series will receive a Human Resources Practices certificate from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) will give .6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to each student who successfully completes each course. Students can apply to the ILR School for the CEU units after they have successfully completed the courses.

HRCI Recertification

The courses in this certificate series have each been approved for six (6) recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute. Please contact the Human Resource Certificate Institute (HRCI) for further information about certification or recertification.

Technical Requirements

With all eCornell courses, access is easy. Participants only need a computer and an Internet connection. To view specific technology requirements, visit our Technology Requirements page.