International Human Resources Practices

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 International Human Resources Practices Certificate Series for convenient online delivery. This series of 12 two-week courses omits the legal aspects of HR required for US practitioners and focuses on fundamental issues related to employee benefits, employee relations, compensation, selection and staffing, communication skills and challenges, and performance management and appraisal.

Who Should Enroll in This Certificate?

Designed for HR professionals who practice outside of the US, 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.

Enrollment

To register, 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

• 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.

    The focus of this course is health, or welfare, benefits: what they are, how they are funded, what is mandated and what options exist.

    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.
    • Vocabulary and tools of the trade used in the benefits world.
    • The different components of benefits programs.
    • The importance of communication to any benefits program.
    • Group Welfare Plans.
    • Welfare benefits terms and concepts.
    • Effectively communicating the features of welfare benefits to employees.
    • Cost shifting options.
    • Flexible spending accounts.

    
    
    Benefits to the Learner
    After completing this course, participants will be able to:

    • Recognize the difference between defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
    • 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.
    
    
• Fundamentals of Retirement, Flexible and Additional Benefits

  • This course explores the current environment of the benefits industry and goes in-depth into retirement plans.

    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:

    Retirement Plans.
    • Understanding the retirement planning goals of individuals.
    • Ways in which retirement plans can be structured.
    • The difference between defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
    • Communicating the features of retirement benefit plans to employees.

    Flexible Benefits and Trends

    • Flexible benefits: what they are and how they work.
    • Future trends in the world of benefits.
    • Additional types of benefits that can help you serve a diverse workforce.
    • Effectively communicating the features of flexible benefits to employees.

    
    
    Benefits to the Learner

    After completing this course, participants will be able to:

    • Define and describe retirement benefits terms and concepts.
    • 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.

    
    
• 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.
    • The role of the HR practitioner with respect to employee relations.
    • Internal and external factors impacting employee relations.
    • Sources of employee relations issues and concerns.
    • Employee relations programs/strategies in your organization.
    • Organizational Culture.
    • Organizational culture and its connection to employee relations.
    • Strategies to resolve conflicts between personal values and organizational values.
    • The role of employee relations in addressing discrepancies between organizational and personal values.
    • Work/Life Balance.
    • The relationship between employee relations and work/life balance.
    • Factors driving the trend toward increased focus on work/life balance issues on the part of both employees and employers.
    • Implementing work/life balance programs.

    
    
    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.
    • Four basic communication styles, and the connection between communication styles and communication problems.
    • Using appropriate communication styles to address employee relations issues.
    • Effective communication techniques.
    • Methods of information gathering.
    • The relationship between communication practices and employee relations.

    • Coaching and Counseling for Improved Performance.
    • The steps involved in coaching and counseling.
    • Benefits of coaching and counseling from both an employee's and manager's perspective.
    • Coaching and counseling techniques for specific situations.

    
    
    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
  • Selecting the right candidate to fill a job position is no simple task. You need to establish guidelines for eligibility and a set qualifications that align with organizational needs. This course covers the entire process of properly selecting a candidate, and also teaches how to conduct successful candidate searches.
    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?
    • Identifying the need, and when additional staffing is the best way to fill that need
    • Elements of effective job descriptions and job postings
    • Diversity as a strategic initiative within the organization
    • Internal and external sources for recruiting new employees
    • Sources to help diversify your workforce
    • Whom Are We Going to Hire?
    • Developing effective selection criteria
    • Evaluating resumes
    • Structuring interviews, and developing effective, non-discriminatory interview questions
    • Evaluating candidates with respect to the selection criteria you have established
    • Addressing challenges associated with multicultural awareness
    • Achieving diversity in the selection process
    • Best practices related to giving and checking references
    • Laws and legal issues surrounding the selection process
    • The use of testing as a predictor of performance

    
    
    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?
    • Effective orientation as a retention tool
    • Implementing an effective orientation program
    • Elements of an effective succession plan
    • Identifying high-potential employees
    • What Happens When People Leave?
    • How and why people leave an organization
    • Effective and legal strategies for managing a downsizing
    • The role of HR in managing a workforce reduction
    • Structuring and conducting an effective exit interview
    • Reporting and Effectiveness
    • Reports, tools, and measurements the HR department can use to demonstrate its value to the organization
    • Effectiveness versus efficiency
    • Aligning HR effectiveness measurements with the organization's strategic business priorities

    
    
    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
    • The elements of a performance management system
    • The roles and responsibilities of managing a performance management system
    • Comparing and selecting performance appraisal instruments
    • Design and Implementation
    • The stakeholders in the design and implementation of a performance management system
    • Other factors within the organization that inform the design of a performance management system
    • The performance management system design process
    • Overcoming resistance to changes in the performance management system
    • Relationships between performance management and other key HR systems, such as compensation, job descriptions, training and development, etc.

    
    
    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
    • The properties of performance objectives
    • Developing performance objectives
    • Implementing the objective-setting process
    • Methods for providing feedback
    • Appraisal Delivery and Employee Development
    • Preparing and delivering written appraisal forms
    • Planning and conducting an effective performance appraisal meeting
    • The functions and characteristics of development plans
    • The role of compensation decisions in the employee development process
    • The role of promotion decisions and succession planning in the employee development process
    • Barriers and resistance to the employee development process
    • Strategies for securing employee buy-in in the employee development process

    
    
    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
    • The evolving role of HR
    • Keys to consulting success
    • Initial Consulting Stages
    • Exploring the situation: First formal meeting
    • Gaining agreement: Preparing the project plan
    • Data gathering and analysis
    • Final Consulting Stages
    • Developing recommendatins
    • Presenting recommendations
    • Implementing
    • Reviewing, evaluating, and deciding on next steps
    
    
    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
    
    
• The Impact of Personality Styles on Communication
  • Interpersonal communication is one of the most challenging and important aspects of a successful career. It is essential for leaders and managers to understand the basics of communications, their own communication styles, the critical role of emotional intelligence, and the impact of all of this on their co-workers and their organization. In this course, participants will learn why good interpersonal communication skills are so important, how personality styles affect personal communication styles, and how this understanding can improve one’s ability to work with and manage 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:

    • Effective Communication
    • Competencies of good communication
    • Benefits of improved communication in the workplace and elsewhere
    • Emotional intelligence and how it relates to communication competencies
    • Communication Preferences
    • The impact of the four Myers-Briggs scales
    • Effects of personality type on methods of communication
    • Work preferences for a variety of Myers-Briggs types
    • The effect of various response styles in different work place situations
    • Listening
    • Skills needed to listen actively
    • The role of nonverbal communication in listening
    
    
    Benefits to the Learner
    After completing this course, participants will be able to:

    • Increase awareness of, and ability to manage, workplace communication behaviors
    • Understand the influence of personality type on communication
    • Develop strategies for effective listening
    • Sustain positive rapport during difficult discussions
    • Manage nonverbal messages
    • Give constructive feedback
    
    
• Managing Communication Challenges
  • Interpersonal communication is often one of the most challenging aspects of a career. To communicate successfully, professionals need to find a balanced approach to dealing with difficult people or conversations. One must be assertive enough to avoid being taken advantage of, but not so aggressive that he or she alienates or upsets co-workers. In this course, participants will learn how to be assertive and professional when dealing with challenging conversations and people. They will also learn how to analyze and make use of criticism to improve their skills and abilities.
    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:

    • Assertive Communication Skills
    • Optimizing your message and your meaning when it's your turn to speak
    • Assertive communication skills
    • Coping with communication anxiety
    • Managing criticism
    • Communicating with Difficult People
    • Decreasing defensiveness in a challenging situation
    • Remaining assertive during challenging conversations
    • Analyzing difficult people
    • Building rapport
    • Non-verbal factors that influence challenging communication
    
    
    Benefits to the Learner
    After completing this course, participants will be able to:

    • Demonstrate the skills needed to communicate in an assertive manner in all situations
    • Identify how to manage and cope with criticism
    • Identify how to manage and cope with communication anxiety
    • Use feedback to improve professionalism
    • Identify skills for clearly communicating ideas, thoughts, and feelings in challenging conversations
    • Create a plan for conducting a challenging conversation
    • Demonstrate an understanding of how non-verbal behavior can be used effectively in a challenging conversation
    • Identify effective methods for dealing with difficult people and situations
    
    

Accreditation / CEUs

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.

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.