This course provides a practical overview of the federal HR environment for current federal employees, including supervisors, managers, HR staff, administrative staff, and EEO professionals. Participants learn about the principles that shape federal HR decisions, including merit system principles, prohibited personnel practices, and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), and how those principles apply across the major functions of federal human resources management. It is designed as a broad, foundational course rather than a technical how-to on agency-specific procedures.
Participants will learn how federal HRM works across six core areas: foundational HR principles, compensation, hiring, employee engagement, performance management, and human resources relations. Topics include classification, pay, benefits, equal pay for equal work, staffing and placement strategies, veterans’ preference, performance appraisal, employee development, EEO complaint processes, employee and labor relations, and the differences between Title 5 and Title 5-exempt systems. By the end of the course, participants will better understand how federal HR decisions are made and how those decisions affect workforce quality, accountability, and mission performance.
Receive instruction from subject‑matter experts who bring proven government experience.
Courses that are regularly updated based on feedback and industry developments, ensuring versions are mapped to federal competencies.
The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
— 2025 student
Directly addressing the day-to-day challenges of federal employees.
Your trusted training partner, equipping public service professionals with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and drive meaningful impact.
Attend this course live online or as self-paced training. Engage with expert instructors, ask questions, and get feedback on your exercises and projects.
Get the same interactivity and access to the instructor as in-person students. There are no extra fees and we’ll work with you to ensure your remote setup is perfect.
Learn at your own pace with pre-recorded video lessons and hands-on exercises. Work through the material on your schedule with access to course content and resources.
Our instructors are industry experts and experienced educators, driven to help you succeed.
Upon completion of this course, you’ll receive an official certificate testifying to your mastery of the curriculum. We’ll send you a link where you can download your certificate, share it online with your friends, post it to your professional network on LinkedIn, and view all your earned certificates. Congratulations on your achievement!
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We offer a single free retake of the class within a year.
Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.
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