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Get oriented to the course and your learning journey. Learn how each stage works, how to navigate through the course, what you'll be doing along the way, and how the lessons, case studies, practice activities, and planning tools come together to help you build practical HRIS skills.

How to Navigate the Course

Introduction

Build your understanding of HRIS through connected learning activities. Start by learning what an HRIS is, how its core features support the employee lifecycle, and why security, access, and employee data management matter. Then explore realistic business situations and reflect on how HRIS could address your organization's needs and HR technology challenges.

Read

Case Studies

Reflect

Learn

Build your confidence with HRIS through hands-on practice in a sandbox environment. Explore employee records, update employee information, and work through recruiting, onboarding, time and attendance, and other common HR workflows. Practice using the system in a safe environment before applying what you've learned to a real software decision.

Practice

Put your HRIS knowledge into practice. Evaluate HRIS options based on your organization's needs, priorities, team, and business context, then turn your decision into a practical implementation plan. Work through data migration, integrations, responsibilities, risks, training needs, go-live readiness, and ongoing monitoring to prepare for a successful launch.

Use a Practice Business

Evaluate

Implement

Go Live and Continuous Monitoring

Apply

Bring everything together and take your work with you. Review your progress, reflect on what you've learned, and rate your confidence in navigating HRIS software. Capture your completed evaluation, implementation plan, and go-live notes so you finish the course with a clearer understanding of HRIS and a practical plan you can use beyond the course.

Complete

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 Fundamentals course

 <h1 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: -0.02em; margin: 0px 0px 18px; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 34px; line-height: 1.2;">Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) Fundamentals</h1>

 <span style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; padding: 5px 12px; border-radius: 999px; margin: 0px 6px 6px 0px; display: inline-block; border: 1px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); background: rgb(245, 158, 11);">Self-paced&nbsp; <span style="color: rgb(63, 63, 70); font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; padding: 5px 12px; border-radius: 999px; margin: 0px 6px 6px 0px; display: inline-block; border: 1px solid rgb(212, 212, 216); background: rgb(244, 244, 245);">Hands-on HRIS playground&nbsp; <span style="color: rgb(63, 63, 70); font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; padding: 5px 12px; border-radius: 999px; margin: 0px 6px 6px 0px; display: inline-block; border: 1px solid rgb(212, 212, 216); background: rgb(244, 244, 245);">No prior experience needed

 <h2 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 44px 0px 16px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 3px solid rgb(26, 26, 26); color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 26px; line-height: 1.25;">Course Description</h2>

 Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) help organizations manage employee records, hiring, onboarding, time off, payroll information, and HR compliance in one place.

 Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) Fundamentals gives business professionals a practical foundation for understanding how HRIS platforms work, how to evaluate different options, and how to prepare for implementation.

 Learn how HRIS platforms work, practice using one, and build the knowledge to evaluate and implement the right system for your needs.

 The course is organized into three major sections: Learn, Practice, and Apply. Each section builds on the one before it, taking you from understanding HRIS platforms to practicing with one and applying what you learn to a real software decision and implementation plan.

 <h2 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 44px 0px 16px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 3px solid rgb(26, 26, 26); color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 26px; line-height: 1.25;">How the Course Works</h2>

 <h3 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: 0.02em; margin: 28px 0px 12px; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3;">01 | LEARN</h3>

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 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Read Learn what an HRIS is, how its core functions support the employee lifecycle, and why security and access matter when you store sensitive employee information.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Reflect Connect what you learned to your own situation. Identify your biggest HR and people-management pain points and the features that could make the most difference.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Case Studies See how different businesses approach HRIS platforms and consider what applies to your own situation.</li>
 </ul>

 <h3 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: 0.02em; margin: 28px 0px 12px; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3;">02 | PRACTICE</h3>

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 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Practice Work inside a hands-on HRIS playground. Add employee records, walk a new hire through onboarding, manage time-off requests, review payroll information, and explore employee profiles in a safe environment.</li>
 </ul>

 <h3 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: 0.02em; margin: 28px 0px 12px; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3;">03 | APPLY</h3>

 <ul style="list-style: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Evaluate Use a structured framework to compare and score HRIS options based on your specific needs, priorities, and business context.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Implementation Turn your decision into a plan. Define your team, timeline, employee data migration, risks, responsibilities, and go-live readiness.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Go-Live &amp; Monitoring Choose a launch approach, define success measures, create a feedback process, and plan for ongoing review after launch.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Complete Review your work, rate your confidence, and take your completed HRIS workbook with you.</li>
 </ul>

 <h2 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 44px 0px 16px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 3px solid rgb(26, 26, 26); color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 26px; line-height: 1.25;">What You'll Learn</h2>

 <ul style="list-style: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;What an HRIS is and how it replaces scattered spreadsheets, paper files, and email threads with one secure record for every employee</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How the terms HRIS, HRM, and HCM differ, and why vendors do not always use them the same way</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How an HRIS supports the employee lifecycle, from hiring and onboarding through time off, performance, and offboarding</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;Common HRIS features, including employee records, recruiting and onboarding, time and attendance, payroll and benefits, performance management, and compliance reporting</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;What to look for in HRIS security and access, including role-based permissions, employee self-service access, encryption, two-factor authentication, audit logs, and compliance certifications</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to add and update employee records, manage onboarding tasks, handle time-off requests, and review payroll and employee information</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;Which HR pain points show up in your own business, and what they cost you</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to define your team size, budget, payroll and benefits needs, integration needs, and non-negotiables before you compare vendors</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to compare and score HRIS options using a structured framework, and which questions to ask each vendor</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;The red flags to watch for during vendor conversations, such as unclear data export, hidden per-employee fees, and vague support terms</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to plan an implementation, including your team, timeline, employee data migration, risks, and go-live readiness checklist</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px;"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to choose between a big bang and a phased rollout, then track success metrics, gather feedback, and schedule regular reviews after launch</li>
 </ul>

 <h2 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 44px 0px 16px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 3px solid rgb(26, 26, 26); color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 26px; line-height: 1.25;">Who Should Enroll</h2>

 This course is designed for anyone who wants to understand, choose, or improve the way their business manages employee information, including:

 <ul style="list-style: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Small business owners who handle hiring, time off, and payroll themselves</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">HR generalists, coordinators, and administrators who manage employee records every day</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Office managers and operations leads responsible for onboarding and employee paperwork</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Payroll and bookkeeping staff who work with employee pay and benefits information</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Decision-makers evaluating an HRIS for a business, department, or team</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Teams moving from spreadsheets, paper files, or email to a shared system</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Teams that already use an HRIS and want to check how well it fits their needs</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Students and career changers building foundational business software literacy</li>
 </ul>

 No technical background is required. You do not need to know how to code, and you do not need to have used an HRIS before.

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Develop practical HR technology skills by exploring HRIS platforms used to manage the employee lifecycle. Gain hands-on experience, evaluate solutions, and earn a certificate that strengthens your professional credentials.

Course content

Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) Fundamentals

Ashley Boucher