What will I actually learn in this recruiting and onboarding course?

You'll learn how to make better hiring decisions by connecting recruiting, selection, and onboarding to what the organization is trying to achieve. It starts with workforce planning and role definition, then moves into recruiting methods, candidate evaluation, and onboarding practices that support engagement. You'll apply the ideas through quizzes and peer-reviewed assignments, including an organizational workforce analysis and an onboarding plan.

Do I need any HR background before starting this course?

No, you don't need prior HR experience to start. The course is presented as an introduction and begins with core ideas like workforce planning and job analysis before moving into recruiting, selection, and onboarding. Some workplace or people-management context will help the examples feel more immediate, but it doesn't assume deep HR training.

Is this course beginner-friendly for hiring and onboarding?

Yes, it's a good fit if you're new to HR or people management and want a broad view of how hiring works. The course teaches through lessons, examples, quizzes, and guided assignments rather than advanced technical or specialist content. If you want a deep dive into one narrow area, like recruiting analytics or employment law, this course will feel more wide-ranging than specialized.

How long does it take to complete this course?

Expect about 21 hours in total, or roughly two to three weeks at around 10 hours a week. That gives you time to work through short lessons and readings, then pause for quizzes, discussions, and peer-reviewed assignments. The course includes lessons, readings, quizzes, discussion prompts, and peer reviews.

Are there hands-on exercises or projects in this course?

Yes, but the hands-on work is applied and guided rather than lab-based or project-heavy. You'll complete quizzes, discussion prompts, and peer-reviewed assignments where you analyze an organization's labor challenges or build an onboarding plan for new hires. That practice helps you use the frameworks in realistic hiring situations instead of only reading about them.

What topics are covered in this hiring course?

The course covers the full hiring cycle: workforce planning, recruitment, selection, and onboarding. You'll learn how hiring connects to company strategy, how to compare recruiting approaches, how to use tools like job analysis and structured interviews, and how to think through legal and ethical issues, including some U.S.-specific employment law in selection. Overall, it gives you a connected view of how organizations define roles, choose candidates, and help new hires succeed once they join.

What can I actually do after finishing this course?

You should be able to approach hiring more systematically, from defining the role to evaluating candidates and setting up onboarding. For example, you could compare internal and external recruiting options, write more job-related interview questions, or outline an onboarding checklist for a new hire. It's a broad management and HR course, so the main outcome is stronger judgment and a more structured process rather than specialized legal expertise.

Is this course more theory-based or hands-on?

It's more concept-first, with guided practice built in. Most of the learning comes through lessons, examples, and readings, then you reinforce it through quizzes, discussions, and peer-reviewed assignments instead of labs or a large standalone project.

Why would I choose this course over other hiring courses?

Choose this course if you want a broad hiring course that follows the process all the way from workforce planning to onboarding. Instead of treating recruiting as a standalone topic, it connects hiring decisions to company strategy, legal and ethical judgment, and employee engagement after the offer. If you want a people-manager view of how to hire well and bring new employees in thoughtfully, this course is a strong fit.

Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding Employees

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Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding Employees

This course is part of Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers Specialization

Instructors: Amy Simon

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4,711 reviews

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4,711 reviews

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

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Assessments

18 assignments¹

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Taught in English

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This course is part of the Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers Specialization

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There are 4 modules in this course

Finding and hiring the right people is often cited as the number one concern of businesses today. It seems we are all competing for the best and brightest workers. As you will see in our time together in the second course, a critical component of the People Manager Value Proposition is to hire talented people who enable the organization to achieve its strategic goals. This course is an introduction into the topic of recruitment, selection and onboarding.

At the outset of the course we will explore the importance of linking recruitment goals with overall company strategy. We then look at a number of options to recruit and select employees both effectively and legally. Throughout the course we will examine current issues in talent acquisition, such as how companies are now leveraging social media and hiring analytics to ensure better quality hires. At the conclusion of the course, we look at how to onboard employees to promote employee commitment and engagement.

Module details

In this module, you will examine how workforce planning supports recruitment and selection by connecting staffing needs to company strategy. You will consider why workforce planning is needed, how forecasting informs staffing decisions, and how internal and external factors shape labor needs. You will also compare approaches for addressing workforce shortages and surpluses, including practical ways to respond to labor challenges.

What's included

14 videos4 readings5 assignments

14 videosTotal 115 minutes

HR for People Managers Overview7 minutes
1.1.1 Welcome to Class4 minutes
1.1.2 About Amy, Your Instructor3 minutes
1.1.4 Amy's Six Tips7 minutes
1.2.1 Strategic Alignment10 minutes
1.2.2 Internal Environment5 minutes
1.2.3 External Environment7 minutes
1.2.4 Workforce Planning9 minutes
1.3.1 Labor Shortage Options10 minutes
1.3.2 Internal Vs. External Hires11 minutes
1.3.3 Strategic Workforce Planning Interview with Colin Partridge, Senior HR Director at Carlson Wagonlit Travel6 minutes
1.4.1 Job Analysis15 minutes
1.4.2 Job Descriptions7 minutes
1.4.3 Job Design14 minutes

4 readingsTotal 33 minutes

Helpful Human Resource Professional Associations10 minutes
The Impact of a Bad Hire3 minutes
IRS Website: Employee or Independent Contractor?10 minutes
Great Site for Information on Jobs- Very helpful when creating job descriptions!10 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 105 minutes

Aligning Recruitment and Selection with Company Strategy30 minutes
Analyzing Labor Challenges and Recommending Solutions30 minutes
Workforce Planning and Competitive Advantage15 minutes
Foundations of Job Analysis and Core Competencies15 minutes
Foundations of Hiring 15 minutes

In this module, you will explore key concepts in recruiting and how they support finding strong candidate pools. You will consider strategic recruiting decisions, the role of effective recruiters, sources for prospective employees, current recruiting trends, legal and ethical considerations, and global recruiting contexts.

What's included

9 videos5 readings3 assignments3 discussion prompts

9 videosTotal 58 minutes

2.1.1 HR Responsibilities in Recruitment5 minutes
2.1.2 Leveraging the Employer Brand6 minutes
2.1.3 Recruiter Effectiveness5 minutes
2.2.1 Recruitment Interview with Colin Partridge, Senior HR Director at Carlson Wagonlit Travel6 minutes
2.2.2 Go Mobile6 minutes
2.2.3 Passive Recruiting9 minutes
2.3.1 Recruiting Ethically - Interview with Rand Park, Senior Lecturer9 minutes
2.3.2 Cultural Fit6 minutes
2.3.3 Diversity6 minutes

5 readingsTotal 50 minutes

Video: Become a LinkedIn Search Ninja: Advanced Boolean Search Techniques10 minutes
How Does General Mills Use Social Media in Recruitment?10 minutes
U.S. Department of Labor Website10 minutes
US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Website10 minutes
WSJ Article: Are You Disabled? Your Boss Needs to Know10 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 90 minutes

Recruitment: Finding the Best Candidates30 minutes
HR Hiring Responsibilities30 minutes
Sourcing the Best Talent30 minutes

3 discussion promptsTotal 30 minutes

Discussion: What Makes an Effective Recruiter10 minutes
Discussion: Ideas for Recruiting Passive Talent?10 minutes
Discussion: Let's Talk About Cultural Fit10 minutes

In this module, you will examine how selection connects candidate evaluation to hiring goals. You will consider key concepts in the selection process, including legal considerations, bias reduction, background checks, selection tools, job offers, and ways to assess hiring process effectiveness.

What's included

14 videos5 assignments

14 videosTotal 125 minutes

3.1.1 Selection Process Overview13 minutes
3.1.2 Revisiting Strategy: Selection Criteria5 minutes
3.1.3 Selection Interview with Colin Partridge, Senior HR Director at Carlson Wagonlit Travel7 minutes
3.2.1 Biases8 minutes
3.2.2 Background Checks10 minutes
3.2.3 Selection Method Standards7 minutes
3.2.4 Tell Me About Yourself3 minutes
3.3.1 Selection Tools15 minutes
3.3.2 Effective Interviewing Part One16 minutes
3.3.3 Effective Interviewing Part Two10 minutes
3.4.1 Candidate Evaluation8 minutes
3.4.2 Creating and Presenting the Offer Package10 minutes
3.4.3 Hiring Analytics Primer8 minutes
3.4.4 Recruitment and Selection Summary4 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 150 minutes

Choosing the Best Candidates30 minutes
Selection Overview Process30 minutes
Legal Considerations in the Selection Process30 minutes
Selection Methods and Tests30 minutes
Program Measurements30 minutes

In this module, you will explore how onboarding supports a new employee’s transition into the organization. You will consider key onboarding concepts, including early role clarity, connection to the team, employee engagement, and factors that help new hires begin contributing effectively.

What's included

13 videos5 assignments4 discussion prompts

13 videosTotal 84 minutes

4.1.1 About Stacy Doepner-Hove and Definition of Onboarding6 minutes
4.1.2 Onboarding as Part of Employee Engagement6 minutes
4.1.3 Your Return on Investment for Doing Onboarding Well5 minutes
4.2.1 Onboarding is the Beginning of Your Work Relationship6 minutes
4.2.2 Creating the Tools to Make Onboarding Easier12 minutes
4.2.3 Bringing on an Individual11 minutes
4.3.1 Getting Yourself Ready for the New Hire6 minutes
4.3.2 Talking with the New Hire Before They Start3 minutes
4.3.3 Working with your Current Team6 minutes
4.3.4 Setting Up a Welcoming Environment5 minutes
4.4.1 Creating an Engaging Workplace8 minutes
4.4.2 Developing Your Employees7 minutes
4.4.3 Performance Management and Your New Hire4 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 150 minutes

Role-Based Onboarding Plan30 minutes
Bringing on a New Employee30 minutes
Building a Great Onboarding Experience30 minutes
Setting the Stage for the New Hire30 minutes
Beyond Onboarding30 minutes

4 discussion promptsTotal 40 minutes

Tell us about your Best and Worst "First Work Day"10 minutes
What Might a New Hire Not Know and How Would You Address That?10 minutes
What is One New Idea You Have for Making the Onboarding Process Better?10 minutes
Think Ahead to Performance Management (next course in the HR for People Managers Specialization)10 minutes

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Instructors

Instructor ratings

(1,175 ratings)

Amy Simon

University of Minnesota

2 Courses188,830 learners

Offered by

University of Minnesota

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Reviewed on Oct 10, 2019

Hai All, I strongly recommend this course for all the People Managers who are handling team and recruiters . As this course gives us strong foundation which enable us to perform better.

Reviewed on May 19, 2019

This course gave a good perspective how to do complete, structural and meaningful interviewing and gave me some new ideas on on-boarding. I would recommend it to anyone who performs recruiting.

Reviewed on Feb 22, 2021

The course is designed very effectively, all the content in the course is highly relatable and relevant. All the Strategic HRs out there, I would highly recommend this course for career growth.

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