Which Human Resources Academy?
With upskilling and reskilling being seen as increasingly important, there is an urgent need to ensure everyone working in an organisation gets the broad range of development they need.
This is HR’s responsibilty. Therefore, there’s an even more critical need for HR practitioners to get the right development. If we don’t get the right learning to create the capabilities we need to ensure everyone else is being developed effectively, then our organisations have no chance.
The one to two days training many HR practitioners receive each year just isn’t going to be enough. And there’s now a number of digital HR academies which can provide the required development, in an effective digital, flipped form. So which HR Academy should you choose?
AIHR provides a broad range of programmes, delivered by very credible, thought leading instructors. Costs range from £750 for one certification consisting of about 40 hours of video input, divided into a number of modules and courses to be taken over about 10 weeks, so about 3 hours per week – up to £7500 for full access to all content and support. Each certification finishes with a capstone project. AIHR was called Analytics in HR, and it’s main focus is still on Analytics and Digital HR as well as Recruitment.
Jon Ingham says: “I’ve not been involved with AIHR, but I know many of the instructors who I think are great, so I’m sure these programmes are delivered well too.”
Learn direct from Dave, and other instructors you probably won’t have heard of in this single Academy course. The cost of this is $2800 USD for two hours of video based modules per week over 8 weeks. You get to work on projects as ask Dave your questions too. The programme is based on Dave’s research on outside-in HR value creation & business context , the outcomes of HR, and competent HR departments and professionals.
Jon says: “I haven’t been involved in this, but I’d love – I do love to learn from Dave. He’s a master in HR, and also in workshop delivery and facilitation. However, Dave does a lot of presentations, online as well as face-to-face. If you see him at these, is there much new content in this?”
Led by the deeply smart Josh Bersin, this Academy provides a growing range of short, 5 module programmes with a few held of these every month. The cost of this is $280/year, or $28/month. This Academy uses very professional looking computer based training to provide content, discussion and multiple choice questions, often with a few videos of Josh, although some content is provided by other partners. And don’t expect much Q&A with Josh. There are good Resources and Communities sections to the Academy too. Josh’s background is in learning and technology and these are the focus of his Academy too, although it is broadening into other areas as well now.
Jon says: “From my own experience before I set up my Academy, I would say these courses provide beautifully presented but rather superficial overviews of topics. Josh is great, but you get MUCH more content from Josh at any of his conference presentations than you do in any of his Academy’s programmes.”
Jon Ingham Strategic HR Academy
The Strategic HR Academy is led by, and programmes are delivered by Jon Ingham, based on the face-to-face training he had been running for the ten years prior to the pandemic, including for Symposium in the UK and Human Resources Online in Singapore as well as other organisers. The Academy provides a broad range of courses covering strategic HR; people-centric HR; innovated HR processes; organisation design and development; and HR partnering. These can, optionally, be taken as part of a cohort based study group at no extra charge. Each course costs £248, although there are additional membership options eg Gold membership which gives you access to all the Academy’s content and four study groups per year for just £898!
The Academy’s courses are based on pre-recorded videos featuring Jon talking within a Prezi screen. Whilst this might mean that Gold members in particular may get a bit sick of Jon after a while, you do get the same level of insight and energy for all of the Academy’s support. Jon also leads you through the study groups himself, and makes himself available for weekly happy hours etc.
The Academy covers almost the entire range of people management, development and organisation, though not Recruiting, and there is nothing specific available on Analytics or Technology (these subjects are embedded within other programmes instead). All programmes are treated from a strategic perspective meaning that you can use your learning to significantly boost the level of your impact within your own business.
There are a few other Academies, not all called Academies, around as well – eg myHRfuture which like AIHR, focuses on people analytics and digital HR.
Which are you going to choose?
Jon Ingham
HR Strategist, Trainer, Learning Facilitator at the Jon Ingham Strategic HR Academy
