Human resources fundamentals for new HR staff and small businesses

For new HR assistants, generalists, office managers and small-business owners: run hiring, paperwork, pay, leave, performance and records the right way from day one.

For: New HR assistants and generalists, office managers who handle HR, and small-business owners who hire and manage employees in the United States

  • 3 contact hours
  • 8 modules
  • 9 interactives
  • 4 job aids
  • Updated October 11, 2026

What you will be able to do

  • Describe the core responsibilities of an HR function and build a simple workforce plan that links headcount, budget and coverage thresholds under federal employment laws.
  • Run a recruitment and selection process that uses job-related criteria, structured interviews and FCRA-compliant background checks while avoiding discriminatory questions.
  • Complete new-hire steps correctly, including offer letters, at-will language, Form I-9 and E-Verify timing, new-hire reporting and a structured onboarding plan.
  • Apply the basic FLSA exempt and non-exempt tests and route leave requests through FMLA, ADA and state paid leave processes, escalating when the answer is unclear.
  • Document performance problems, apply progressive discipline consistently and prepare a termination that is fair, well supported and lawful.
  • Keep HR records for the periods federal rules require, separate confidential files, and use basic employee relations practices and HR metrics to spot problems early.

This HR fundamentals course walks you through the work that lands on an HR desk in a typical US business: planning headcount, writing job descriptions, running structured interviews, ordering background checks the lawful way, completing Form I-9, onboarding, classifying jobs under the Fair Labor Standards Act, routing leave requests, documenting performance problems, handling terminations and keeping records for the right number of years.

It is built for people who are new to HR or who do HR on top of another job: the office manager at a 20-person firm, the owner who just hired employee number 15, the HR assistant who wants to understand why the processes exist. Every module follows one fictional company, a craft brewery and taproom in Winona, Minnesota, as it grows from 14 to 60 employees, so you can watch each process change as legal thresholds kick in.

Each topic separates three things that new HR staff often blur: what federal law requires, what agency guidance recommends, and what is simply good policy. You get checklists, a policy template, a scenario worksheet and a state quick-reference, plus clear escalation points where you should bring in employment counsel.

What you’ll be able to do Monday morning

  1. Pull your current job descriptions and mark which duties are essential functions, then fix any that are missing or out of date.
  2. Replace free-form interview chats with a five-question structured guide and a scoring sheet for your next opening.
  3. Check that every Form I-9 for this year's hires has Section 1 done by day one and Section 2 done within three business days, and set a calendar rule to catch the next one.
  4. Sort your personnel files so medical information sits in a separate confidential file and I-9s sit in their own binder or folder.
  5. Use the retention table to decide what you can shred this month and what you must keep, and put a legal hold step in your process.
  6. Start a simple monthly dashboard with headcount, turnover, time-to-fill and open complaints.

Curriculum

8 modules · 32 lessons · about 3 contact hours

01What does HR actually do, and how do you plan the workforce?Free preview20 min
  1. What is HR responsible for in a small or mid-size business?
  2. Law, guidance or policy: how do you tell them apart?
  3. How do you build a workforce plan that sees legal thresholds coming?
  4. How do you set up an HR function from scratch?
  • Self-assessment: How solid are your HR basics?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

02How do you write a job description and recruit without screening people out unfairly?20 min
  1. Why does the job description come first?
  2. What can and cannot go in a job ad?
  3. Where should you look for candidates?
  4. How do you set a pay range for a new role?
  • Spot the issue: Spot the problems in the job posting

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

03How do you interview, check backgrounds and select fairly?25 min
  1. Why do structured interviews beat good conversations?
  2. Which interview questions should you avoid?
  3. How do background checks work under the FCRA?
  4. How should you weigh criminal history and make the final choice?
  • Ethics dilemma: The owner's friend's son
  • Matching activity: Swap risky interview questions for job-related ones

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

04What has to happen between the offer and the end of week one?25 min
  1. What belongs in an offer letter, and what does at-will mean?
  2. How do you complete Form I-9 correctly and on time?
  3. What about E-Verify, new-hire reporting and storage?
  4. How do you onboard someone so they stay?
  • Spot the issue: Audit the new-hire file log

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

05Is the job exempt or non-exempt, and how do you pay it correctly?25 min
  1. What does the FLSA require for non-exempt employees?
  2. What makes a job exempt?
  3. How do you run timekeeping and pay so errors don't build up?
  4. Is the worker an employee or an independent contractor?
  • Decision tree: Is this job exempt from overtime?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

06How do you route a leave request through FMLA, ADA and state leave?25 min
  1. When does the FMLA apply, and what does it give employees?
  2. What are HR's notice duties and deadlines?
  3. How do ADA, PWFA and state paid leave overlap with FMLA?
  4. What does a good leave process look like day to day?
  • Branching scenario: Candela's request

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

07How do you document performance, discipline fairly and handle a termination?25 min
  1. What does good performance management look like?
  2. How should progressive discipline work?
  3. How do you prepare and carry out a termination?
  4. What happens after someone leaves?
  • Branching scenario: "Fire him before he comes back"

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

08What records must you keep, and how do you keep employee relations healthy?25 min
  1. How long must you keep HR records?
  2. How should files be organized and protected?
  3. How do you build healthy employee relations?
  4. Which HR metrics are worth tracking?
  • Sort activity: Which file, and for how long?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

Final assessment: 29 questions, 80% to pass, then your certificate

Try it now, no account needed

Candela's request

A branching scenario from this course. Your choices are not saved.

Free sample activity

Candela's request

You are Javiera. The brewery now has 58 employees within 20 miles. Candela, with four years of service and full-time hours, has told her supervisor she needs three mornings a week for about two months to take her father to stroke rehabilitation.

Inside the course

Practice activities

  • Self-assessment1
  • Spot the issue2
  • Matching activity1
  • Ethics dilemma1
  • Decision tree1
  • Branching scenario2
  • Sort activity1

Job aids you keep

  • New Hire to Day 90 HR ChecklistChecklist
  • HR Records and Retention Policy (Starter)Policy starter
  • HR Scenario WorksheetWorksheet
  • State Quick-Reference BuilderReference sheet

Credit and approval status

Certificate of completion

This course awards a certificate of completion for 3 contact hours of instruction. It is not approved by SHRM, HRCI or any state agency, licensing board or continuing education accreditor, and it does not grant recertification credit today. Federal law does not require a specific HR training course, so your employer or professional body decides whether this course counts toward its own development goals. Check with SHRM, HRCI, your employer or your state agency before relying on it for a specific requirement.

Pathways we may pursue include SHRM professional development credit (PDC) recognition and HRCI recertification credit pre-approval. Neither approval exists today; the course page will show an approval only after it is granted.

Our full approvals list

Questions about this course

Is this course approved for SHRM or HRCI recertification credit?

Not today. Completing the course gives you a certificate of completion for 3 contact hours of instruction. We may seek SHRM professional development credit recognition and HRCI pre-approval in the future, and the course page will show an approval only if one is granted. Until then, keep your certificate and course outline in case your employer or certifying body asks how you spent the time.

Who is this HR fundamentals course for?

It suits new HR assistants and generalists, office managers who picked up HR duties, and small-business owners who hire their own staff. It assumes no prior HR training. Experienced HR professionals may find it useful as a refresher or for training a new team member, but the deep legal detail on employment law for managers is covered in our separate employment law course.

Does it cover my state's employment laws?

The course teaches federal rules first and shows where states commonly add requirements, such as higher minimum wages, paid leave programs, final pay deadlines and limits on hiring questions. It is not a state edition. Use the state quick-reference job aid to record the rules for each state where you have employees, and confirm them with your state labor agency or counsel.

How long does the course take?

Plan on about three hours. That includes eight modules of reading, scenario exercises, a self-assessment, short knowledge checks at the end of each module and a final assessment of 29 questions. You can stop and restart at any point, and your progress is saved, so it works well spread across a few lunch breaks or one quiet afternoon.

What do I need to pass, and what do I receive?

You need 80 percent on the final assessment, which draws questions from a larger bank, so a retake gives you a different set. Many questions are short workplace scenarios, so you will need to have worked through the modules. When you pass you can download a certificate of completion showing the course title, contact hours and completion date.

Can I use the templates in my own business?

Yes. The checklist, policy template, scenario worksheet and state quick-reference are yours to adapt. The policy template is a starter, not a finished policy, so review it with HR counsel before you adopt it, especially if you have employees in more than one state or a union workforce.

This course is general education and training awareness from CE Courses Hub on human resources fundamentals. It is not legal or professional advice and does not replace your employer's policies, your state's rules, or advice from a qualified employment attorney or HR professional. Completing it earns a certificate of completion for the stated contact hours; it is not approved or accredited by any licensing board, state agency or accreditor unless an approval is shown on the course page. Check with your board, employer or state agency whether this course meets your specific requirement.