Talent Acquisition

This course is part of HRCI Human Resource Associate Professional Certificate

Instructors: Brad Boyson

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

2,071 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

2,071 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Create a job analysis and write a job description
Create a talent recruitment strategy
Identify and explain all stages of the talent acquisition life cycle

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Applicant Tracking Systems

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

17 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

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This course is part of the HRCI Human Resource Associate Professional Certificate

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Professional Certificate.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
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Earn a shareable career certificate from HRCI

There are 4 modules in this course

**The Talent Acquisition Course won Coursera's 2024 Learners First Award, which honors the instructor and course team who have received the highest ratings from Coursera learners based on direct feedback.**

This course focuses on all aspects of the talent acquisition process. You will learn how to forecast workforce needs, source and recruit talented candidates, and hire and onboard new employees. By the end of this course, you will be able to: ● Create a recruitment strategy ● Perform a job analysis and write a job description ● Explain the talent acquisition life cycle ● Identify core elements of negotiation, job offers, and employment contracts ● Implement best practices for employee onboarding No prior experience in Human Resources is needed to be successful in this course.

This week you will be introduced to the HRCI Program and learn what you need to be successful in this course. You will learn about different staffing options and understand different tools for forecasting workplace needs. Finally, you will differentiate common design approaches and understand legal considerations in job design in the US.

What's included

17 videos9 readings3 assignments2 discussion prompts

17 videosTotal 64 minutes

HRCI Human Resources Associate Professional Certificate Introduction2 minutes
Course Overview: Talent Acquisition2 minutes
Instructor Introduction Video2 minutes
Weekly Introduction: Introduction to Talent Acquisition1 minute
Forecasting Workforce Needs5 minutes
Tools for Forecasting Workforce Needs6 minutes
Independent Contractors3 minutes
Gig Work2 minutes
Temporary Workers5 minutes
Exempt and Non-exempt Employees3 minutes
Flexible Work Arrangements8 minutes
Example: Forecasting and Planning Talent Acquisition4 minutes
Job Design and Job Redesign5 minutes
Approaches to Job Design5 minutes
Legal Issues in Job Design6 minutes
Example: Job Design3 minutes
Weekly Review: Introduction to Talent Acquisition2 minutes

9 readingsTotal 74 minutes

Talent Acquisition Course Syllabus5 minutes
How to Be Successful in This Course10 minutes
Methods to Forecast Workforce Needs10 minutes
Outsourcing and Offshoring7 minutes
Identifying Independent Contractors10 minutes
Temporary Work and Employee Rights10 minutes
Exempt and Non-exempt Employees10 minutes
Overview: Job Design Approaches5 minutes
Legal Issues in Job Design in the US7 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 95 minutes

Graded Quiz: Introduction to Talent Acquisition50 minutes
Practice Quiz: Forecasting and Evaluating Workforce Needs25 minutes
Practice Quiz: Job Design and Legislation20 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

Meet and Greet10 minutes
Job Design and Legal Considerations10 minutes

This week you will learn how to write a job description and how to perform a job analysis. You will understand the different methods you can use to recruit and track applicants in a diverse workforce.

What's included

10 videos3 readings4 assignments2 discussion prompts

10 videosTotal 41 minutes

Weekly Introduction: How to Get Started in Talent Acquisition1 minute
The Talent Acquisition Process4 minutes
Job Analysis4 minutes
Job Analysis Techniques4 minutes
Job Descriptions6 minutes
Example: Job Analysis and Job Description5 minutes
Recruiting and Tracking Applicants6 minutes
Recruiting a Diverse Workforce5 minutes
Example: Recruiting a Diverse Workforce3 minutes
Weekly Review: How to Get Started in Talent Acquisition2 minutes

3 readingsTotal 24 minutes

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)7 minutes
Job Description Template7 minutes
Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP)10 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 115 minutes

Graded Quiz: How to Get Started in Talent Acquisition50 minutes
Self-Review Activity: Formulate a Job Description30 minutes
Practice Quiz: Job Analysis and Job Descriptions20 minutes
Practice Quiz: Recruiting and Tracking Applicants15 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

O-Net Job Description Templates10 minutes
Recruiting a Diverse Workforce10 minutes

In this week, you will discuss the talent acquisition life cycle and learn how to apply different candidate sourcing methods. You will learn how to screen candidates for positions and how to effectively interview candidates. Finally, you will evaluate prospective employees and understand different test options used in the employee evaluation stage.

What's included

24 videos3 readings5 assignments1 discussion prompt

24 videosTotal 84 minutes

Weekly Introduction: Talent Acquisition Life Cycle1 minute
Talent Sourcing Strategies4 minutes
Employer Branding3 minutes
Employee Referrals2 minutes
Job Boards4 minutes
Candidate Pipelines5 minutes
Resume Mining3 minutes
Job Fairs3 minutes
eRecruitment and eSelection Systems3 minutes
Example: Talent Sourcing4 minutes
Screening Candidates3 minutes
Interviewing Candidates2 minutes
Types of Interviews4 minutes
Interviewing Do's and Don'ts3 minutes
Types of Interview Bias4 minutes
Avoiding Bias in Interviews4 minutes
Example: Interviewing Candidates6 minutes
Evaluating Employees before Hiring2 minutes
Background and Record Checks4 minutes
Different Test Options4 minutes
Test Reliability and Test Validity6 minutes
Biases in the Hiring Process6 minutes
Example: Evaluating Prospective Employees4 minutes
Weekly Review: Talent Acquisition Life Cycle2 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Interview Techniques10 minutes
Employment Eligibility Test10 minutes
Overview: Reliability and Validity Tests10 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 140 minutes

Graded Quiz: Talent Acquisition Life Cycle50 minutes
Practice Quiz: Talent Sourcing20 minutes
Self-Review Activity: Formulating Interview Questions30 minutes
Practice Quiz: Interviewing Candidates25 minutes
Practice Quiz: Evaluating Prospective Employees15 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Talent Sourcing Strategies10 minutes

In your final week of Course 1, you will learn core elements of negotiation, job offers and employment contracts and how to implement best practices for employee onboarding. You will understand the core components of the employee handbook and explore retention activities and strategies that help to retain talent.

What's included

15 videos8 readings5 assignments1 peer review2 discussion prompts

15 videosTotal 52 minutes

Weekly Introduction: Negotiations and Onboarding2 minutes
Negotiation: Offer and Counteroffer3 minutes
Employment Contracts and Common Clauses4 minutes
Example: Negotiations4 minutes
Orientation and Onboarding2 minutes
Employee Orientation4 minutes
Employee Onboarding3 minutes
Employee Handbook4 minutes
Example: Orientation and Onboarding4 minutes
Importance of Employee Retention4 minutes
Tactics for Retaining Employees5 minutes
Example: Employee Retention4 minutes
Important HR Metrics to Track5 minutes
Weekly Review: Negotiations and Onboarding2 minutes
Congratulations!1 minute

8 readingsTotal 89 minutes

Elements of an Offer Letter30 minutes
Overview: Employment Contract Clauses7 minutes
Components of an Employee Handbook7 minutes
Overview: HR Metrics10 minutes
Technology and HR10 minutes
Key Terms10 minutes
What to Expect5 minutes
How to Add Your Info to LinkedIn10 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 135 minutes

Graded Quiz: Negotiation and Onboarding50 minutes
Practice Quiz: Negotiations25 minutes
Self-Review Activity: Create an Onboarding Program30 minutes
Practice Quiz: Onboarding15 minutes
Practice Quiz: Employee Retention15 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Talent Acquisition60 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

Ways to Make Employees Feel Welcome10 minutes
Employee Retention10 minutes

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Instructors

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(705 ratings)

Brad Boyson

HRCI

5 Courses207,067 learners

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HRCI

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Reviewed on Nov 22, 2025

I am so glad that i decided to pursue this course! Also the instructors Brad and Michelle were incredibly amazing. Kudos to such great instructors.

Reviewed on Jul 27, 2025

I loved taking this course! It touched on everything I have already been doing throughout my career and it gave much more insight to the "why" behind what we do in the HR field.

Reviewed on Jan 21, 2025

This course gave me so much new knowledge about the Talent Acquisition process. I learned how to formulate Job descriptions, brainstorm interview questions, and even createan onboarding program

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To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

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