HR Body of Knowledge

The Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) has established six categories of knowledge that are essential expertise for HR professionals. These categories are an integral part of the curriculum for WGU’s B.S. in Business—Human Resource Management.

Strategic Management

• Formulating HR objectives, practices, and policies to meet the short- and long-range organizational needs and opportunities.
• Guiding and leading the change process.
• Evaluating HR’s contributions to organizational effectiveness.

Workforce Planning and Employment

• Planning, developing, implementing, administering, and performing ongoing evaluation of recruiting, hiring, orientation, and organizational exit.
• Ensuring that the workforce meets the organization’s goals and objectives.

Human Resource Development

• Ensuring that the skills, knowledge, abilities, and performance of the workforce meet current and future organizational and individual needs.
• Developing, implementing, and evaluating programs and activities that address employee training and development, change and performance management, and the unique needs of particular employee groups.

Compensation and Benefits

• Analyzing, developing, implementing, administering, and performing ongoing evaluation of a total compensation and benefits system for all employee groups consistent with human resource management goals.

Employee and Labor Relations

• Analyzing, developing, implementing, administering, and performing ongoing evaluation of the workplace relationship between employer and employee (including the collective bargaining process and union relations).
• Maintaining effective relationships and working conditions that balance the employer’s needs with the employees’ rights in support of the organization’s strategic objectives.

Occupational Health, Safety and Security

• Analyzing, developing, implementing, administering, and performing ongoing evaluation of programs, practices, and services that promote the physical and mental well-being of individuals in the workplace.
• Protecting individuals and the workplace from unsafe acts, unsafe working conditions, and violence.