Human Resources Certificate – Part 2 consists of three courses; Compensation Basics, Employment Law, and Performance Management.

Compensation Basics covers key concepts on how to pay people appropriately, as well as motivate and retain them while not “giving away the store” or causing potential legal issues. Students learn how to set up a base compensation plan for the company and explore methods to properly pay your employees in a cost-effective, competitive, equitable, and legal manner. Students will examine compensation philosophy, strategy, and current practices including legal issues, base pay plans, incentive and sales compensation, and executive pay issues and learn to strategize  establishment of a base compensation plan for your company.

Employment Law covers an overview of federal employment laws, the rights they confer on employees, and the corresponding responsibility on employers, as well as the processes involved in enforcing these rights and respective responsibilities. In addition to an overview and analysis of the federal employment laws, the class will provide real case studies to provide students with an understanding of how the laws apply to each stage of employment and how such application translates to real employment settings.

Performance Management teaches students how to ensure maximum performance from the most valuable asset of the organization—its employees. Starting with the hiring decision and onboarding techniques, this class focuses on how to establish the foundation for achieving optimum individual performance which will drive organizational performance. Students will develop a checklist for onboarding, practice defining performance standards using the SMART process, evaluate performance evaluation methods, and design a format for conducting evaluation meetings. Effective employee relations techniques are also included in this class.

It is recommended that students complete part one of the human resources certificate before enrolling in part two.